umph

[quote name='dood' post='725193' date='Jan 26 2010, 02:22 PM']Al, An idea that I have been contemplating for a long while would be to take a guitar pedal - have the above mods available as switchable options, then have the ability to mix in a dry low pass (adjustable) bass signal. This would allow the correct amount of bass signal in to the dirty mix. To better explain it, if the dirty signal came down to say 200Hz, you could mix in a low pass dry bass signal that would slightly overlap. This would mean the dirty signal wont be muddy and the bottom end will remain tight and focussed - not flabby and undefined (like the BDDI on high drive seetings for example.) Obviously if you wanted to mix the whole bass signal in, then wind the low pass all the way open so that there is no filtering. Does that kinda make sense?[/quote] adding a clean signal is always great, you don't always have to low pass it though as the effected signal tends to sit on top of it anyway.

you can crank the input gain as much as you want if it's distorting you may want to turn it down a bit though

shame your not near me i could walk you through it! First, remove the amp from the head enclosure and remove all the valves, then hoover the chassis and give it a good scrubbing down. Second, get some contact cleaner and spray the valve bases and valve pins and slide the valve into the base and pull it back out again a few times and repeat for all the bases. Then spray contact clean into all the pots and rotate them quickly to clean any gunk out of them and also spray all the jacks and push a jack in and out a few times to clean those. Third, flip the amp over and hoover the inside of the chassis etc. Once it's all clean and dry power the amp on without the valves in and check all the voltages on the valve bases to make sure there correct (mainly bias and plate to make sure there high enough and also check the heater voltage to make sure its there) and also check the power caps to make sure there not bulging and/or leaking (the larger ones). Finally, power it up with the valves in and let it warm up for a few mins then play through at low volume and don't rag it to hard straight away obviously and you should be sorted! just realised this isn't the kind've reply you were looking for but its what i do every time i get a older amplifier better safe than sorry with these kind've things!

[quote name='tonyxtiger' post='718861' date='Jan 20 2010, 12:04 PM']I might have to look into the matamp then. seems one slipped thru the net... on the subject of reliability the mesa has been faultless. The orange has similarly been good but it is technically the third. When I bought it the first one blew up and it was replaced. the replacement blew up and I was given a third. I can only hope it was a bad batch as the third has been fine. I'm glad I stuck with it. Both of these have been gigged and I've had no problems except blown fuses due to sharing with idiots who can't grasp the concept of power on first, wait, then standby. Then the reverse to switch off. Usually its just both on at the same time, both off at the same time and then they start giving you a confused look like your amp is a piece of sh*t even though they don't even have one. This has got me thinking was there ever a thread started on the subject of "How can you turn up at a venue to play a gig and not have any gear?" Is it just me or does every gig involve a gumby asking you "who's the bass player? can I use your gear mate? I haven't got an amp?" or my personal favourite, not even asking but just wandering up after your soundcheck and just plugging in like its their own. Do they offer to bung you a few quid or are they around at the end of the nite to help you load the van? are they f***! what do these guys do at rehersal, hum the bassline thru a microphone? I'm all for the punk ethic but I just couldn't sleep at night being that much of a tw*t. anyway, that's off my chest now. back to topic... look after your valve amp and it will look after you. when you get fed up carting the weight around buy the aguilar 750. Its a heavy amp too but not valve heavy. Any solid state power amps I used were always terrible for me in that you just got lost in the room. SWR - lovely hifi tone when you play it, the band kicks in and its lost. Ampeg pre with a solid state power amp - same thing. Nothing held up like a valve power section until I got the aguilar. I was old school for years, has to be valves and has to be big solid heavy cabs for bass. unfortunately technology has caught up.[/quote] no problem with just wacking valves amps on, as long as you wait a minute before trying to blast signal through it. +1 on the mesa though i just picked one up thats in a bit of disrepair to say the least and everything was fine with it, good quality components fairly decent wiring - one of the better production amps, much nicer to look at inside than a ampeg svt and a new orange. Also with the fan full wack the power valves barely get warm which should contribute to them lasting quite a long time!

out of those personally i'd go for the v6 followed by the mesa 400+. If i could choose anything though i'd go to matamp if i was spending that money.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='716509' date='Jan 18 2010, 12:52 PM']People get so excited about obsolete tech that they make up new [url="http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/steampunk/"]obsolete tech[/url]. People need to post their amp guts here too. Otherwise I'll run out and have to go buy more amps. [/quote] damn didn't realise they use UL partridge transformers in the matamp kinda like the simm watts 200watters, i bet that amp cranks. kinda bad i recognised some of these amps from the layouts etc.

[quote name='Andy Blowers' post='681631' date='Dec 11 2009, 07:30 PM']TaySte, you've got a Simms-Watts I see. How do you like it? I've got an old 100 watt that needs work... Interesting to talk to someone else using one for bass.[/quote] dude you thinking of shifting the simm watts on any time? i'd love to take it off your hands!

sort out your action / work on your technique

when i had a go with one it needed an input signal, it was really all that flexible though.

get a memory toy and let me put a feedback loop in it, that has a few knobs so should make some awesome sounds!

[quote name='mikebass78' post='712588' date='Jan 14 2010, 02:24 PM']I was trying out a new pedal at normal practice/small stage volume, when I toggled the pedal back on I heard a loud pop and since then my input level shows constant signal, whether or not bass or pedal turned up. The level also runs into the red when playing, but not consistantly with the notes played, there is sometimes a small delay of half a second or so. I would think this would sound crap (I've always to tried to avoid this before), but there is no audible difference as far as I can tell*. I play through a TraceElliott SS 500w 15" combo, has anyone had problems like this? Is it possible that the "pop" has affected the pre-amp or power amp in a way that I won't know until it melts? EDIT : there is a low level hiss/white noise, it is affected by the input level and is constant while there is a lead plugged in, and it wasn't there before.[/quote] is it still there with the lead out? sounds like your new pedal has a noisey bypasss

[quote name='longtimefred' post='712471' date='Jan 14 2010, 12:41 PM']LOL @ Ampeg! what are these crazy yanks gonna do next? If moving all there manufacturing to Asia was a bad enough move, as well as keeping the prices yoinked up, they think of a new one buy doing the same gear they were doing 10 years ago for nearly twice the price! Well done lads. [/quote] +1 its amazing how out of touch they've become with the common muscian. They're jumping on the lightweight band wagon a bit late to, lightweight isn't what i think of when i think of ampeg though it really doesn't go with their image.

[quote name='basshead56' post='712096' date='Jan 13 2010, 11:36 PM']Like the look of the heritage SVT head. nice![/quote] for that price you could get someone to custom build you one that'll do the 300watts cleanly and not ring like fook!

[quote name='Thornybank' post='707192' date='Jan 9 2010, 10:38 PM']I wasn't going to bother replying to this one, but here you go... ...try it and see just how much dif it makes. In almost every case. Because it does, friend. I have many, many dozens of heads and cabs and have heard ithat dif many, many times. This isn't snake oil or attitude: Solder involves the full circumference of each strand and locks the mechanical contact in place. In a non-vibrating, oxygen free environment you could maybe trust a friction contact -if he crimping put more than one or two cables strands into contact with the spade in the first place. And as soon as there is oxidation or less-than-perfect contact, how much signal is getting through? Ever needed to clean an input jack? Same thing.[/quote] sorry didn't mean to offend you, generally if one strand of cable makes contact it'll conduct through the rest. Obviously the clamps aren't ideal especially in a cab where there going to eventually work their way loose or become tarnished and cause problems, whereas directly soldering will bypass all these problems but the method of connecting it isn't going to have a massive effect on the sound!

blue box? might be in the wrong direction though.

one of those 400 watters would be really tastey

[quote name='The Twickerman' post='709032' date='Jan 11 2010, 04:36 PM']That's rather interesting. Is there a UK distributor I wonder....[/quote] you'll be best off sending him an email

have you tried out a black finger? warm sounding valve compression.