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500w head and cab suggestions. Tech 21 VT 500?


TNLBass
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Hi, I'm looking for some advice about upgrading my set-up. I currently use an Ashdown mag 300w 210 combo with a mag 115 deep cab. I'm looking to get a 500w head and have read good things about the Tech21 VT 500 head and am interested in getting an ampeg style tone without spending big money. Can anyone suggest a cab/cabs to pair with this head. I quite fancy a 410 or maybe a 210 to go with my existing 115 cab. Would I need an 8ohm cab? The head is rated at 300w for 8ohms.
Any help or suggestions are welcome. This is my first post and I have been playing for about 5 years so have little experience other than my current set-up.

Thanks

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Hi and welcome to Basschat! To help in responding to your Q, it would be useful to know:
- have you set your mind on the Tech21 VT 500 or are you open to other heads?
- what combined budget cap do you have in mind for your head plus cab?
- any restrictions on weight for your rig?
- what sort of music / band set up are you going to be using your rig for?

Edited by Al Krow
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I'm open to suggestions and have been looking at a few heads including Ashdown ABM 500, PF 500, Fender Rumble 500, Tech 21, Ashdown RM500 and Hartke LH500
I've seen used Tech 21 for around £300 so I was looking at maybe £500-600 for the head and cab.
Weight wise I would prefer to just take one cab and a smaller head or two smaller/lighter cabs as my combo and extension at the moment are pretty heavy.. I would consider bigger cabs if they have handles/castors.
My band plays originals that are indie/dance and a range of covers from hip-hop, dance to indie rock and ska. (Blur, clash, specials, faithless, libertines, charlatans, happy mondays, gorillaz, tribe called quest, the jam, metronomy)
I need a versatile amp where I can play clean or change up the tone to add a bit of grit or make it a more dub bass sound.

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Hartke LH500 or LH1000 will give you a big clean sound, remember that 'flat' on the EQ is Bass and Treble on 3 and mids on 10.
Reliable and should not let you down. They are big-ish though.
The TX600 though lighter and smaller is not as goo or powerful IMO.
Hartke (the right one) are Probably one of the best bang for your buck around.

VT500 will be a fine amp with the sansamp circuit in it giving a great overdriven sound and second hand at around £300 is a good deal. It's cheaper compared to their other stuff as it is made in Korea instead of the states, but as far as I know no quality issues.

Question is where you put your money?
Slightly more refined head and less good speakers, or the other way round?!

The other thing of course is how quickly you need something, if it's now, choice is limited and jump on the Hartke, if it's not now, you may still jump in the Hartke but you have time to play a few.
My Hartke LH1000 served me well although ultimately I did change but for personal preference, not for lack of useability

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My Markbass AC 121 Lite - is a cracking little combo (1x12, 36lbs and 500W) which has been my "go to" gigging amp for three years now and has been great. Tonally it's quite transparent but with warmth and some nice EQ features (VPF - mid scoop, VLE for clipping of treble for a more vintage sound), which allows the personality of the bass to come through and the ability to layer on different sounds via pedals if you wish.

If this appeals as a quality upgrade to your Ashdown rig, then there was one going second hand for £599 at Bass Direct a short while ago (although I've not seen them come up in the FS here too often). There's also a Markbass Jeff Berlin in the FS section on at £500 which is a sister amp to the AC model.

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Thanks Cuzzie, I'm not in a rush to buy immediately so will try a few heads out. As for the speakers I'm not very clued up when it comes to ohms and impedance and matching cabs to heads. If a head is rated for 500w at 4ohms do I need a 4ohm cab to get the full power or does an 8ohm cab receive half the power from the head with the option to add a second cab? Also configuration - one 410 cab, 2 x 210's, 1 x 212 or a combination. I play my 210 combo on its own for smaller gigs but have added the 115 cab on larger stages and to boost the bottom end. Do I need more speakers if the head is more powerful? So many questions. I am a newb sorry!

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I run the Ampeg PF50T but was looking at that Tech 21 head as a back up - I was put off by a few reviews saying it was especially noisy and I wondered if this was why so few UK shops stock it. So in the end I picked up an Ampeg PF500. The early ones didn't last but this glitch seemed quickly fixed. Combined with an Ampeg Portaflex cab it sounds great.

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The advantage of running at 4 ohm is that you're getting everything from the amp. The disadvantage, you're not gonna hear much difference & you put more strain on the amp.

Ignore watts. The amp rated at 500w is the max it will put out. When you're playing, you'll most likely be using a fraction of that.
If you like the sound of the 1x15, then get another the same. If not, then sell it & get a decent 2x12 or 2 2x10s. They give better dispersion than a 4x10 (says the man with a 4x10).
Efficient speakers (or lots of drivers) are the answer to more decibels.

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Maybe stick with Ashdown? The ABM 500's give a hell of a lot of grunt for the money, particularly s/h. A good 410, again maybe ABM. I wouldn't get too hung up on having only one 4 ohm cab either. You don't really lose anything running at 8 ohms, a bit of headroom perhaps, but not at normal stage volumes.

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Hiho,have you considered an Orange Terror Bass 500 head and an OBC115 cab.You could get a good deal S/H.
Either that or the hartke lm500 and a hydrive 15 or 2 n maybe the hydrive 12,s.
I have had and used Hartke stuff before and it,s pretty good especially for the price and they don,t hang back with volume either.

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Is a change of rig what you`re after, or just getting the Ampeg tone? If so then adding in a Sansamp VT-DI, or Para Driver will get you there easily (the VT is specifically based on Ampegs sound) with your current rig, unless you really want a change to an amp-head and cab set-up.

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[quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1496237313' post='3309794']
Hiho,have you considered an Orange Terror Bass 500 head and an OBC115 cab.You could get a good deal S/H.
Either that or the hartke lm500 and a hydrive 15 or 2 n maybe the hydrive 12,s.
I have had and used Hartke stuff before and it,s pretty good especially for the price and they don,t hang back with volume either.
[/quote]

Orange gear does divide opinion quite a lot! It's definitely got it's own colour / personality which I would describe as aggressive / a little mushy and lacks sufficient clarity and articulation for my liking - but that's why I gig through a Markbass and not an Orange TB, and others do the opposite! My point is it's definitely worth trying out any amp with your usual gigging bass and also A/B on the spot with your existing rig to hear the differences, if you get the chance.

Edited by Al Krow
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Lozz, definitely looking to change/upgrade my rig but with so many good suggestions I'm just going to have to take my bass and have a try. When I bought my Ashdown rig it was pretty much the first and only amp I had ever played and it has served me well and I like the tone so have considered upgrading to ABM stuff. Now after taking more notice of the bass tone/gear used by different bands I find myself drawn to that Ampeg tone (future islands/metronomy for example) just would also help to have the option for some overdriven sound when playing covers. I think the Orange amp might be a bit too much fuzz for my taste.
Am I right in thinking the sans amp VT DI is basically the tech 21 VT 500 minus the power amp?
Thanks for all the help and suggestions

Edited by TNLBass
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[quote name='Cuzzie' timestamp='1496254870' post='3310006']
If your rig has enough power and transparency defo look at things like a sansamp or another Pre amp pedal to mould things to the sound in your head
[/quote]

+1 to that.

In fact, I was after pretty much exactly the same sound you're after and Lozz very helpfully pointed me in the direction of the Tech 21 Para Driver (v2) which I have on order: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/303341-that-warm-valve-amp-sound/ (final entry has a link to the Para Driver delivering a gorgeous Ampeg tone).

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Well in that case as you like the Ashdown tone then the ABMs are def worth looking at. That`s what I use, although I get all of my tone via my Para Driver as Al Krow mentioned. Very grindy/toppy/Ampeggy-like. I`ve found of all the different amps I`ve used that the Sansamps seem to pair the best with Ashdown.

I also use the Rootmaster Series of Ashdown, namely the RM500 and two of the RM210s. A very potent and portable little rig which I`m, due to simply having too much gear, going to be offloading soon. I will be putting it up for grabs on here if interested.

Edited by Lozz196
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[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1496268091' post='3310160']
Well in that case as you like the Ashdown tone then the ABMs are def worth looking at. That`s what I use, although I get all of my tone via my Para Driver as Al Krow mentioned. Very grindy/toppy/Ampeggy-like. I`ve found of all the different amps I`ve used that the Sansamps seem to pair the best with Ashdown.
[/quote]

Do you put the Sansamp before the input of your ABM or into the effects return? If into the main input, where do you DI from, the head or the Sansamp?

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