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Do some amps suit certain types of instrument?


timmyo
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I've found that my amp (Markbass Player School Jeff Berlin 1x15 combo) seems to not flatter my Squier CV Jazz.
It never sounds nice and burbly like all the Jazz demos I hear online, but it doesn't seem to be any inherrent lack of brightness (my SUB Sterling sounds plenty articulate - I can't play slap but when I hamfistedly give it a go sounds jump out of the amp and sound great).

Similarly my P with flats sounds immense.

But the Jazz .... it's as though the tone knob is always down a bit - googling seems to suggest that the electrics in a CV Jazz are decent - so I'm wondering if this is a thing - some amps r preamp sections lend themselves to certain types of instruments.

Or... not... ?

ta for any thoughts

Tim

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I think so, for me both Markbass and Ampeg really work well with a Precision, getting that classic sitting in the mix tone. I did also find that my old Hartke set-up to my ears sounded much better whn I was playing my Gibson Les Paul bass than when I put my Precisions through it.

The tone controls on Markbass I think work better with the characteristics of a Precision, low-mids being flavour of the day.

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I very much believe that some combinations of bass and amp just don't work.

I played with the MB Players School combo the other day and whilst I thought it was pretty neat, I'm a Jazz bass player and agree it didn't translate the 'classic' Jazz burble well. I put that down to my inability to tweak the EQ but sometimes it's more of a struggle than it needs to be!

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[quote name='tonyquipment' timestamp='1420306989' post='2647899']
What if you were to combine all of these amps in parallel for the ultimate tone?

AMP MARK ELLIOT PEG
[/quote] as long as you didn't put it through an ashdown cab it would sound amazing

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[quote name='timmyo' timestamp='1420315446' post='2648047']
What about Aguilar Tonehammer ? Do they have any compatability peculiarities?
[/quote]

Well I really like mine paired with my Precision. To me the Aguilar sound is much like a modern sounding Ampeg, and we all know how well Ampegs/Precisons work together.

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Out of my 2 gigging amps and 4 basses, some pairings work better than others, or at least better for different bands or types of music.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1420325301' post='2648192']
...we all know how well Ampegs/Precisons work together.
[/quote]

Strangely, I prefer my Precision via my Genz Benz!

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Yes, and I've been saying so on here for the last 8 years. Some combinations that sound very articulate in my experience include:

Musicman Stingray through almost anything valve powered e.g. Mesa Boogie Bass 400 or Trace Elliot V8 and 2x12" cabs
Musicman Stingray through Warwick amps (e.g. CL150 combo and WA600 head) and 2x12 cabs
Modulus Quantum SS through SWR SM400 (the SWR tamed brittle highs and added lots of warmth to a fairly sterile sounding bass - could be a good combination for Status Empathy users too)
Fender Jazz through SWR SM400
Fender Jazz through Eden WT500
Fender Jazz through Mark Bass CMD121 combo
Smith and Spector basses through GK RB700 or Trace Elliot AH300 4x10 combo or Ashdown MK sig head and 4x10 or EBS HD350 and 410
Jaydee Mark King Sig/Status Series 2000 and Trace Elliot (Mk V or earlier though with matching 410 cabinet, Series 6 AH250 I used with SWR Triad was a bit gutless)
Fender Precision with flatwounds through Ampeg SVT Classic + 810 fridge
Alembic Series basses and any PA system (!)
Smiths/Spectors through Genz Benz Shuttle

Combinations that haven't worked are usually due to clashes between the coloured characters of the backline and instruments include:

Anything, apart from a Fender with flats, through an Ampeg SVT Classic and 810 (poorly defined highs)
Smith through SWR SM400, SWR Basic350 and Eden WT800 (poorly defined mids)
Smith through Mark Bass CMD121 combo, Ampeg SVTClassic (poorly defined highs and lows)
Status Empathy or Musicman Stingray through GK RB700 or EBS HD350 (ear bleedingly brittle sounding unless using tweeterless cabs)

Surprises with non Fender basses:
Ampeg SVT6Pro - very warm and clean (even through a tweeterless cab). Matched my Smith very well.
Eden WT500 - very articulate in the mids but not brittle - again, good for any basses lacking midrange definition

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  • 2 weeks later...

Didn't pay much attention to this thread 10 days ago, but I picked up an old Trace AH150-7 yesterday.

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Equipment%20and%20stuff%20CURRENT/Trace%20Elliot%20AH150-7/2015-01-14140754_zps7908010e.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Equipment%20and%20stuff%20CURRENT/Trace%20Elliot%20AH150-7/2015-01-14140754_zps7908010e.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

When I got it home I plugged it through a Compact (quite nice), then a Compact+Midget stack (very nice), and finally a 69er (even nicer).

Then I tried playing several different basses through that rig, and when I hit my modified '84 Precision I got the sweet spot.

[url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20CURRENT/Fender%20Precision%201984%20CURRENT/CIMG1345_zpsdd147ce6.jpg.html"][/url]

I've modified it quite extensively since that photo was taken!

Quite simply, the best P-bass sound I can remember achieving. But not with just any P - it has to be this particular one.

Edited by Happy Jack
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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1421336692' post='2660065']

Quite simply, the best P-bass sound I can remember achieving. But not with just any P - it has to be this particular one.
[/quote]

Then I took it to a full-volume rehearsal yesterday. Still sounded good, mostly, but it farted out WAY too easily. I swopped it for my OTB500 and the difference was obvious ... headroom matters!

I'll be using the Trace at all low/lowish-volume rehearsals, but I'd need its big brother if I wanted to gig with it.

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[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1420331286' post='2648256']
Passive basses sound good through anything. It's active instruments that I've needed to be a bit more selective over!

Truckstop
[/quote]

My experience has been the opposite. An active's greater dynamic range and EQ versatility enables me to dial in a better sound.

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Guest monsterthompson

[quote name='timmyo' timestamp='1420315446' post='2648047']
What about Aguilar Tonehammer ? Do they have any compatability peculiarities?
[/quote]
Hated the Tonehammer until I played it with a Spector Forte4 SS. Now I own the Spector and a Tonehammer pedal and I like the pair.

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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1421578296' post='2662779']
Then I took it to a full-volume rehearsal yesterday. Still sounded good, mostly, but it farted out WAY too easily. I swopped it for my OTB500 and the difference was obvious ... headroom matters!

I'll be using the Trace at all low/lowish-volume rehearsals, but I'd need its big brother if I wanted to gig with it.
[/quote]
I use my AH-150 7 for rehearsals and smaller gigs. We rehearse quite loudly but I've never had it on more than about 3.

When I first got it I thought it farted out too quickly but I had the low frequencies boosted too much which can eat the volume. Now I use the amp's pre-set and a little tweak on the EQ and/or bass and I'm a very happy bunny :-)

I bought an AH-500 7 and that's a beautiful amp as well.

Good luck with yours :-)

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