i want valves !!!!

[ianSB]

basically i really want a valve bass head
itll be my first one so im interested in what would be suitable and what would be a good start
ill be using an ampeg 610 and competing with a loud drummer and 2 loud ass pretentious idiots called guitarists with their marshall half stacks
any reccomendations out there ?
trying to keep costs down so lower budget and second hand would be what ill be looking at

Edited December 6, 2010 by ianSB

[Phil Starr]

If you'd put the magic word 'Valve' in the title you'd have been swamped with answers. I love the sound of valve amps but wouldn't take on the running costs. The Orange amp sounds lovely to me whenever I hear it. It sounds like you need to budget for some good earplugs though as well as an amp.

[Lozz196]

Orange valve amps really get a lot of love on here. My Terror is great, so can only imagine the sound (and volume) of the AD series.

Marshall VBA 400 is also a good amp - incredibly loud and even more incredibly heavy! Lot of people don`t rate Marshall on bass gear, think its cos Marshall haven`t got a "name" for it, however those that use it love it, inc myself. Age unfortunately is making me choose other gear due to the weight of their amps/spkrs.

And of course, if yr using an Ampeg 610, why not try an Ampeg SVT head.

[ianSB]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1049356' date='Dec 6 2010, 02:53 PM']Orange valve amps really get a lot of love on here. My Terror is great, so can only imagine the sound (and volume) of the AD series.

Marshall VBA 400 is also a good amp - incredibly loud and even more incredibly heavy! Lot of people don`t rate Marshall on bass gear, think its cos Marshall haven`t got a "name" for it, however those that use it love it, inc myself. Age unfortunately is making me choose other gear due to the weight of their amps/spkrs.

And of course, if yr using an Ampeg 610, why not try an Ampeg SVT head.[/quote]

ive always wanted a valve ampeg but just cant afford it

im thinking about the terror and i would love to know if anyone has tried it with the 610

[Lozz196]

When I bought my Terror, I tried it with the SVT 810. Seriously good, once I switched the tweeter off. Have just teamed it up with a new (2nd hand) SVT 410HE - not played live with it yet, but again, sounds very good so far. The Terror seems to work well with Ampeg, probably due to the thick low mids that Orange are famed for chucking out, coupling with those very same frequencies that Ampeg are famed for projecting.

[umph]

[quote name='ianSB' post='1048933' date='Dec 6 2010, 01:36 AM']basically i really want a valve bass head
itll be my first one so im interested in what would be suitable and what would be a good start
ill be using an ampeg 610 and competing with a loud drummer and 2 loud ass pretentious idiots called guitarists with their marshall half stacks
any reccomendations out there ?
trying to keep costs down so lower budget and second hand would be what ill be looking at[/quote]

whats your budget?

[ianSB]

does the orange do a good clean tone ?
and whats it like in a gig situation ?

thanks

[umph]

[quote name='ianSB' post='1049985' date='Dec 6 2010, 10:45 PM']does the orange do a good clean tone ?
and whats it like in a gig situation ?

thanks[/quote]

if you're after a clean tone i'd be looking at other 200watters with lower gain preamps

[ianSB]

[quote name='umph' post='1049996' date='Dec 6 2010, 10:54 PM']if you're after a clean tone i'd be looking at other 200watters with lower gain preamps[/quote]

which heads would fall into that category ?

[LukeFRC]

half a mind not to say this.....

what exactly are you after?
would a valve amp be an upgrade of what you have at the mo- prob

do you want a valve pre and power amp or just a pre? which bit of the sound is important to you?
you ok with the extra weight and possibly having to revalve every so often?

for instance the orange terror bass is only a valve preamp, and a class D solid state power amp.

I played through some valve amps and for the band i used to be in the sound was amazing, the tone, the fullness of it and just the beautiful musicality of it.
But although if I had saved I could have possibly afforded one, I couldn't justify the weight and maintainance costs.
I ended up buying the amp I did (and have for sale, which is why I hesitated before replying, as this post is about making a suggestion) which electronically responds like a valve pre and poweramp and can dial in a thick valvey sound (it has at least one valve in it), and dial it out back to a warm cleaner tone. But it has the punch of a valvey sound, without the wieght, or the price.
It's worth baring in mind things like that, or even the TC range claims to be able to do the same (less well imo of a classic450) the world is your oyster ampwise

[LukeFRC]

or that for full valveyness

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=113941"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=113941[/url]

[ianSB]

im just looking to start getting into the valve equipment so all valve or valve pre am doesnt bother me as long as it has a valve haha, weight and maintenance doesnt bother me really, just looking for something with a bit of headroom which sounds good and is good value for money

Edited December 7, 2010 by ianSB

[retroman]

A fellow BC'er visited me a while back, and let me try his Orange Terror Bass out, which I plugged into my Ampeg 610HLF cab. We also had my Ampeg SVT CL out as well. The Orange did sound very good, didn't really get the opportunity to crank it up though, as I live in a semi, and think my neighbour may have objected!

Sound wise, I thought that it didn't have the clarity, punch, and low end of the all valve SVT CL, but they are pitched at way different price brackets, so perhaps A/Bing them is a little unfair. I did like being able to pick a bass amp up easily with one hand, rather than having to use a spine shattering heave though! Cranking the gain on the little Orange did produce some nice over driven grit to the sound.

I have been considering having the little Orange bass amp as a back up though

Really liking the look of the Ashdown 427 at the moment, but that is one serious price tag.......

I'm a big lover of the glowing bottles of goodness, but as mentioned above, there are a couple of crosses to bare.....The serious weight of a valve amp, and also, if you gig regularly, you will have to have the amp serviced from time to time, and replacing valves gets costly. Valve amps also occassionally need the bias between the valves checking and adjusting. Some amps it is possible to do DIY...The SVT CL has two little LED lights, and trim pots on the back, so you can bias the valves yourself.

(I'm now ducking for cover, having mentioned Ampeg, and SVT more than once....... )

I used to have a Trace Elliot V Type AH600 many a moon ago, which had a valve pre amp. With the matching 4X12, and 2X15 cabs, that was plenty loud!

[ianSB]

[quote name='retroman' post='1050651' date='Dec 7 2010, 03:48 PM']A fellow BC'er visited me a while back, and let me try his Orange Terror Bass out, which I plugged into my Ampeg 610HLF cab. We also had my Ampeg SVT CL out as well. The Orange did sound very good, didn't really get the opportunity to crank it up though, as I live in a semi, and think my neighbour may have objected!

Sound wise, I thought that it didn't have the clarity, punch, and low end of the all valve SVT CL, but they are pitched at way different price brackets, so perhaps A/Bing them is a little unfair. I did like being able to pick a bass amp up easily with one hand, rather than having to use a spine shattering heave though! Cranking the gain on the little Orange did produce some nice over driven grit to the sound.

I have been considering having the little Orange bass amp as a back up though

Really liking the look of the Ashdown 427 at the moment, but that is one serious price tag.......

I'm a big lover of the glowing bottles of goodness, but as mentioned above, there are a couple of crosses to bare.....The serious weight of a valve amp, and also, if you gig regularly, you will have to have the amp serviced from time to time, and replacing valves gets costly. Valve amps also occassionally need the bias between the valves checking and adjusting. Some amps it is possible to do DIY...The SVT CL has two little LED lights, and trim pots on the back, so you can bias the valves yourself.

(I'm now ducking for cover, having mentioned Ampeg, and SVT more than once....... )

I used to have a Trace Elliot V Type AH600 many a moon ago, which had a valve pre amp. With the matching 4X12, and 2X15 cabs, that was plenty loud![/quote]

if i could afford the SVT CL id go for that or if i could find one second hand for a fair price
but as it stands im looking into the terror bass as i havent seen anything bad been said about it

[umph]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1050113' date='Dec 7 2010, 12:50 AM']or that for full valveyness

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=113941"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=113941[/url][/quote]

thats got a SS preamp.

lower gain preamps are hiwatts , real orange amps, matamp, simm watts, soundcity etc. I see you want to go second hand so all those are viable.

[dan670844]

[quote name='ianSB' post='1048933' date='Dec 6 2010, 01:36 AM']basically i really want a valve bass head
itll be my first one so im interested in what would be suitable and what would be a good start
ill be using an ampeg 610 and competing with a loud drummer and 2 loud ass pretentious idiots called guitarists with their marshall half stacks
any reccomendations out there ?
trying to keep costs down so lower budget and second hand would be what ill be looking at[/quote]


I think valveness is an addiction once you feel it, hear it for me there is no going back, just a different sound more organic, I am waiting for the new Ashdown LB200 to come out before I take the plunge..... A good halfway house could be the Ashdown 550 spyder there was one on here for £300 a while back. It has the same valve preamp as the all valve 427 big block, but without all those bottles to look after!

Edited December 7, 2010 by dan670844

[ianSB]

its hard to choose because i want to stick with ampeg :/
ive had a look at the svt3 pro but not sure whether it would keep up with the guitarists
then there the hartke lh500 and orange terror bass
its all too hard

[retroman]

The Orange Terror Bass is a cracking little amp for the money

Keep an eye on the classifieds on this site. Never know your luck

[dan670844]

[quote name='ianSB' post='1050968' date='Dec 7 2010, 08:13 PM']its hard to choose because i want to stick with ampeg :/
ive had a look at the svt3 pro but not sure whether it would keep up with the guitarists
then there the hartke lh500 and orange terror bass
its all too hard [/quote]


Modern Ampegs don't sound nowhere good as the old ones they stopped making them in 1987

[0175westwood29]

i know its not all valve! but i love my aguilar db750! sounds beastly with my 610hlf and believe me its defiantly loud enough to go past two guitarists and an insanely loud drummer.

also gets gritty when you crank the gain, not to the level of say an orange ad200b, but enough that its not clean. and it sounds really nice uber clean with some chorus!

when i got mine i a/b'd it with a ampeg cl and it blew it out of the water! seriously i can't say enough good things about it!

andy

[s1ater]

If your worried about the 3pro keeping up.... why not look at a secondhand 4pro... I dont think you'll ever run out of headroom

[bobbass4k]

I've got a second hand Simms-Watts at the mo and it's and it's probably the best amp I've had. It doesn't really do dirty to be honest (not what I'd call dirty anyway) but the tone is just sextacular. I'd definitely be looking at old PA amps if you're on a budget, I've played an Ampeg SVT and I definitely prefer my Simms-Watts.

[JMT3781]

ashton vba300 - not bad all for the money, we have a preowned one in the shop for 199, and a newer one for 299

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='JMT3781' post='1051128' date='Dec 7 2010, 10:57 PM']ashton vba300 - not bad all for the money, we have a preowned one in the shop for 199, and a newer one for 299[/quote]

Are those the jobs that are suspiciously similar to the eden ones?

[4 Strings]

If you're happy with a valve pre-amp Hartke amps are Class A Valve pre-amps. To me they sound fabulous, they are also amazingly cheap, especially 2nd hand. An HA3500 would be plenty loud enough and give you a valve sound.

Not the same as a 'proper' valve amp, but a fraction of the cost.




[quote name='ianSB' post='1050555' date='Dec 7 2010, 02:15 PM']im just looking to start getting into the valve equipment so all valve or valve pre am doesnt bother me as long as it has a valve haha, weight and maintenance doesnt bother me really, just looking for something with a bit of headroom which sounds good and is good value for money[/quote]