Mr. Foxen

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1332596927' post='1590474'] Hi all, I must confess to being a tad provocative here but a quick read of this, [url="http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-levelchange.htm"]http://www.sengpiela...levelchange.htm[/url], and this, [url="http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/voltageloudness.html"]http://www.gcaudio.c...geloudness.html[/url], ignore the maths, will show that all things being equal, you would need a 1000w amp to be twice as loud as 100w, a 10db increase in volume. Doubling of the power of an amp would only give an increase of 3db which is 1.23 times the loudness, not a lot really and probably hardly noticeable. I have played with the same band for 25 years and the backline and drums have remained constant, apart for the bass gear, in all that time I have had a good real world chance to try different things. I wish I could be happy with my sound and although I always am, the dreaded GAS keeps raising its ugly head. The guitarist uses an AC30. An amp that defies all logic as far as volume is concerned. It's a 3 piece and I do the sound checks and guitar and drums do as they're told as far as sound and volume goes. We play anywhere but mainly pubs and clubs and we all know what the volume restrictions are like in these venues and the volumes are rarely loud enough to need PA support. When the band started I was using a valve Hiwatt 100w. No problem in the bass dept. and I loved the sound, but could it be better? Hiwatt sold, how I regret that and Peavey 700w Firebass takes it place. Suddenly the bass can't keep up with an AC30. What? The Peavey broke so I got a Carvin R1000 head. Nice amp but still couldn't keep up with an AC30. Strangely, the R1000 broke as well so got a Carvin B1500. This puts out 1900w at 2 ohms so is just about twice as loud as 100w head and it's a fantastic amp and I've still got it and at last a ss amp that's loud enough to keep up with an AC30. You guessed it. GAS again. I've now got a Mywatt 200 and it's brilliant with volume to spare. The AC30 has never been used flat out and while the position of the volume knob means not a lot, it is quite often set at one. My experience if just that, using valve and ss amps live. Valve amps generally have passive eq so you take away tone away to get the sound. SS amps have active eq so you add tone to get your sound. A sweeping generalization but you know what I mean. Turn up the bass on a ss amp and you drain the power supply so not a lot of volume. Again a sweeping generalization, but is you like a sound rich in mids then a ss amp is probably fine but if like me you like a lot of bass in your sound and little middle, ss amps are not man enough and only valves will do unless you have a 2000w amp of course. Once used an HH 130w bass head with a country band and the two 30w equipped guitarists drowned be out. I bought a Behringer 450 watt head as a spare. I only used it once to try it out and no one could hear a note and it was flat out. I know it's Behringer but that was ridiculous. [/quote] You've misidentified pretty much all the factors there. The Firebass goes really low, and has a low bass eq knob, most cabs can't cope with it, it destroys things, because it has so much bass. If you want mids, the harmonics provided by a mildly distorting valve amp will give them to you, but they won't give you nearly as much bass as a more powerful SS amp. With high power solid state amps the excursion limit of your cab is you major limiting factor.

Bookmatched light flame is bit fancy.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1332576639' post='1590161'] Oh well, wait about 9-12 months and import used from the US. Have a tech switch the voltage. Bish bosh. [/quote] Probably going to mean a new transformer, pretty expensive, as probably have to get one made, unlikely to be a standard drop in. American made for domestic stuff doesn't tend to have taps even on the transformer.

Preamp valves are plug and play, get some, put them in, see if you dig.

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1332515695' post='1589485'] I sense a little doubt here. Why don't you try it and see, you may be surprised. Also, try turning the bass on your solid state head to full and see how loud it doesn't go. [/quote] You know that is totally down to the fact SS preamp means you actually can get a significant low boost, whilst a passive preamp as usually found on valve amps will pretty much just scoop mids and give a midbass hump instead?

Techs that have been in Mesa's aren't big on the newer ones either. Not as bad as Ampeg, but Mesa's whole 'you may only use our valves' thing puts them far behind.

Ibanez: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1973-Bass-Guitar-/220984092112?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3373ada5d0

120w is cheerfully giggable.

Just been talking to a mate about Warwick Tubepath his bassist has, had trouble with the valves in it suffering, they probably aren't very good. If he is going to end up binning it, I might take it as a project for some token sum, might save double handling, I'm sort of interested to see what they are like.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1332457681' post='1588808'] I can't see prices in the links? [/quote] [b]£2375.75 for the Strategy[/b] [b]£1568.69 for the Prodigy[/b] [b]= Get Matamp.[/b]

Photoshop? MS Paint spray tool more like.

Be really sure you want rid before selling it. It hasn't huge value as is, and replacing it will be a case of paying for an amp with some sort of name, because you are unlikely to find another like it without a name.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1332105869' post='1583448'] Expect this one to go quick. It's in California. [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Near-Mint-4001-Jetglo-Bass-Checkerboard-Binding-Neck-Thru-Body-w-Gig-Bag-/310386594786?pt=Guitar&hash=item48447b93e2"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item48447b93e2[/url] [/quote] Looks like it might make it.

There probably won't be much bass output, but you might find that what you think is bass isn't actually bass at all, but your ear synthesising it from harmonics. I don't think the micro terror is class D though, only 20w output doesn't need the complication.

I know you can't record heavy metal in it.

There was a series of UK made ones, not sure how easy it is to tell by looking which you have.

If you are considering a new Orange, get a Matamp instead.

I use stacked volumes for that sort shenanigans, means you can bring them both down at once or fiddle with balance.

Passive balance pots kind of suck.

The circuit is far more important than the tube. Loads of three band eq are fender tonestacks that are fundamentally mid scooped, fin something with a two band Baxandall eq and you actually have more tone options, like a mid boost.

I think you need to find better sources. Preamp valve has pretty much no bearing on power output.

Recorded the Caricatures album in Jim Barr's studio, so gonna assume the blue jazz is the relic one that was laying about there I was noodling on. Was a bit disappointed it wasn't properly old, but it was nice enough.

I have a Laney Protube AOR 30 1x12 combo, seems pretty good.

I've definitely heard the difference before and after sticking knobbly foam in a cab, it was an acoustic 2x15 so shallow front to back and had an ugly bit high up, possibly the shallowness front to back meant it was quite high and thus greatly affected by lining?