Amps for double bass

[Col]

Hi folks,

I am just interested to know what amps people use for their uprights.

I use a Gallien Krueger 150Mb, with a Fishman pick-up (not sure of the model though) both of which I've had for many years, and I am looking for something newer.....any advice or opinions appreciated!

Thanks,

Col

[Tradfusion]

[quote name='Col' post='965650' date='Sep 23 2010, 02:44 PM']Hi folks,

I am just interested to know what amps people use for their uprights.

I use a Gallien Krueger 150Mb, with a Fishman pick-up (not sure of the model though) both of which I've had for many years, and I am looking for something newer.....any advice or opinions appreciated!

Thanks,

Col[/quote]

My GK150MB has served me faithfully since 1993, not with a full DB but an NS electric upright...its getting a bit knackered though and tends to flap out a bit lately so I've been hunting for a replacement. The Acoustic Image stuff gets great reviews from DB players, so I just picked up a used Contra EX cab on Talkbass and I will try my Markbass LMII head to run it at least initially... tiny little cab with a downfiring 10" driver and a front firing 5" driver... havent got it yet but will report what its like when I do (next week hopefully)... EA amplification also seems very popular with double bassists...

[Cat Burrito]

I've always used the PA with monitors. I have a Shadow pickup in the bridge

[BassBod]

Before you spend money changing amp its worth using a preamp between the Fishman and GK. There are a few common ones (Fishman, LR Baggs Para DI, Sadowsky) or even just an active DI with a high input impedance. That can really improve the sound of some pickups (the Fishman BP100 particularly). Also, with a different outboard preamp you can avoid the GK's internal preamp by connecting to the effects return input, effectively ignoring the GK tone section and using the combo as a powered speaker. I do this a lot with mine, and I prefer the cleaner sound, although I do have to use the "boost" on the GK to get a good gain structure.

I've got a nicer sounding Euphonic Audio set up, but I still use the GK combo a lot because it is so easy to carry and go - I happily trade sound quality for an easier life!

[slap_it_hard]

Hey,
Personal experience tells me that Acoustic image suck for double bass.

I had a combo, light as a feather, with the 10 & downfiring 5 for a Double Bass & the thing couldn't handle it!
Had it brought back from the states too.

had to get shot of it, & glad I did!

Ampeg, the Mutts Nutts!

[TPJ]

[quote name='slap_it_hard' post='966196' date='Sep 23 2010, 10:25 PM']Hey,
Personal experience tells me that Acoustic image suck for double bass.

I had a combo, light as a feather, with the 10 & downfiring 5 for a Double Bass & the thing couldn't handle it!
Had it brought back from the states too.

had to get shot of it, & glad I did!

Ampeg, the Mutts Nutts![/quote]

Funny, my AI Focus 1 is great for DB. I don't use their speakers but the amps offer really useful features like the notch filter/high pass filer.
Just shows what's good for one may not be for another. I love the world of double bass

[fretmeister]

My Mark Bass F1 for my NS WAV4 (With a TecAmp S210 cab)

The input impedence is a bit low (only 500ohms when the piezo's work better at 1M) but it sounds nice.

I'll have to try a DI box to sort that at some point. I'm curious whether I'll hear a difference when the amp is set flat.

[fatback]

Recently snagged an EA Doubler, and i love it. haven't gigged it with the db yet, only the bg, but at home it sounds the biz (all 2.5 lbs of it).

I had problems at first on db with a popping attack that I didn't like. I put it down to the k&k bassmax p/u. I can get a reasonable sound now by rolling off almost all the mids, and I'm going to try swapping the k&k over to the G side of the bridge, maybe this weekend.

Pluses for the Doubler seem to be the Ch2 mid eq centred at 800 rather than 600 (as it is on the other channel). It's got a notch filter against feedback, and a fully controllable phase shifter rather than just a 180deg reversal. That last is supposedly good for someone who wants to use mic and p/u, but I don't.

An interesting discovery for me was that even though the Doubler has 1mohm input impedance, which is supposedly well good enough for db, i found using my Sadowsky pre improved the sound a lot, even without eq-ing. Maybe if I tried trimming the input gain I'd get more oomph into the amp - you have a little screw on the top of the amp to do this, handy.

What a beautiful amp this thing is. Lovely sound with the bg as well. With a Midget, perfectly good for rock, and well loud. As for the db, I read nothing but praise for it, and I can see why now.

just ma 10c

Edited September 24, 2010 by fatback

[Doddy]

[quote name='slap_it_hard' post='966196' date='Sep 23 2010, 10:25 PM']Hey,
Personal experience tells me that Acoustic image suck for double bass.

I had a combo, light as a feather, with the 10 & downfiring 5 for a Double Bass & the thing couldn't handle it!
Had it brought back from the states too.

had to get shot of it, & glad I did!

Ampeg, the Mutts Nutts![/quote]

I'm really surprised at this. I know a few guys who use Acoustic Image amps and they have all handled the bass brilliantly
and sounded great.

I usually run my bass like this.... Realist pickup > Aphex Bass Exciter > Roland Cube 100
The cube is a nice little amp for smaller gigs or pit work(It comfortably handles both electric and Upright). I have also used
my Genz Benz/Bergantino rig for louder gigs,and sometimes I use a Hartke 2x10 instead of the Bergantino 4x10.

[zero9]

I like my Acoustic Image Contra. Works fine for DB (or electric bass).

[High5bass]

I'm loving the AER Basic Performer - works great with my DB (Fishman pickup via Pro Platinum) or my EUB (NS Design CR4M) straight in. Second channel is really useful too for vocals etc.

[guyl]

My best ever DB sound came from an EA iAMP600 which was very clean, with a very useful parametric eq.

Reliability was poor though and it had to go after dying on me live 1 time too many.

How do folk find the newer EA stuff such as the doubler?

[Col]

Thanks folks,

This is all really helpful....I'd never considered the pre-amp option before.

Cheers,

Col

[GuyB]

I've been experimenting and I quite like the sound of the Double bass with a Rode NT3 condenser mic through a decent PA, not tried it on a gig yet.

Just my ears
Guy

[Steve A]

Hi,

I use a David Gage Realist or Fishman Full Circle combined with an SD systems LCM100 bridge-mounted mic into a Radial PZ-Pre acoustic preamp pedal. This goes into a Markbass SA450 and Bergantino HT112.

The most natural sound is with the Fishman Full-Circle and the mic gives a bit of extra presence. the Radial pedal allows you to blend the two input signals and EQ/notch filter the blended output. The blend can then be sent to the desk via a balanced XLR (pre or post EQ) DI output.

The Markbass SA450 and the Bergantino cabinet give a very warm and natural sound.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[BobVbass]

I use the EA iAMP 800 + a barefaced super twelve and it's great - really clear sound and no reliability issues as yet. I use a K&K bass Max or a schaller going through a fishman Platinum Pro for the pre amp stage

[PTB]

I use the little MarkBass 1x12 combo and think it's the business. It's easy to get a great sound - so many amps leave me thinking there's a great sound in there if only I could work out how to tease it out. The Mark works fine flat with 40% of the mid cut filter (VPF) & I only tinker more if the room needs it. It's also light - I can push the bass along with one hand and carry the amp in the other.

I would echo the other comments about a pre-amp. This is true for any piezo pick-up and I've experienced the difference on DB and heard the difference it's made to my wife's violin pick-ups. As others have said, you don't need one with lots of knobs, buttons and eq, just something that matches the impedence of the pick-up to the input of your amp. Fishman do several and the simplest one will do this fine. If you haven't got one, I'd wager this will make the biggest improvement to your sound vs a new amp.

Good luck!

[Greydad]

I now go:

-> Fingers (thanks Mum & Dad)
-> strings (Velvet Animas, thanks Greg Cordez)
-> double bass (thank you Stentor)
-> DG Realist pickup (thanks Greg Cordez)
-> Fishman Plat Pro EQ (thanks BassAce)
-> W-audio PSR-12A 350W powered PA speaker (thank you wife for letting me buy them)
-> Ears (and thence Brain)

Seems to sound fine to me, but then I'm a noob. PA speakers tend to have a clean even response and for the money the W-Audio ones sound great (also good on vocals and acoustic guitar).

Got rid of the original BP100 and never did get a decent sound out using my electric bass amps but the PA has been super so I've stuck with that.

Cheers

Neil

[Clarky]

[quote name='PTB' post='982510' date='Oct 9 2010, 01:35 PM']I use the little MarkBass 1x12 combo[/quote]

On several BC'ers advice, I got a MarkBass CMD121P combo and, apart from being very light and portable, it seems to handle DB and EUB very well - especially now that jakesbass showed me how to use a Fishman Platinum Pro preamp into it. Not gigged it yet but in the home situation it sounds very good.

[slobluesine]

MarkBass CMD121P, good choice Clarky, get yourself a Bergantino ext cab for those really big gigs,

yikes! EVERY Double Bass player i know uses one of them now

good wit the Presto's too