Bought a TC Electronic Classic 450

[gjones]

I sold my Fender TV15 Bassman (the new tweedy one) and bought a brand new TC Electronic Classic 450. The idea was to give me some flexibility in what I took to gigs by having a separate lightweight head and cabs.
It sounded excellent in the shop (all hi-fi through the TC 2x10 cabs tested with a USA Jazz) but when I got it home and put it through my Ashdown classic 15h Neo cab it sounds.......well pants.
The main thing is that when I turn the low mid beyond 2 on the dial (centre setting is 0 and either side of 0 it goes from 1 to 5 so I'm talking about when I want some bassy low mid - at higher low mid frequencies the knob works fine) nothing happens! There is no discernable change in the sound coming from the speaker (all the other knobs work fine at all settings). Now I'm pretty certain this wasn't the case when I tried it in the shop so I'm wondering if it has something to do with the frequency response of this particular Ashdown speaker (or all fifteen inchers)? I am assuming this is the reason I can't get a decent sound from this amp/cab combination because low mid is a very important element of the sound I'm looking for. Does it mean I'm going to have to fork out dosh for a set of TC 2x10s or a 4x10?
Has anyone else had this problem with TC amps not being compatible with other companies cabs?

Edited July 18, 2011 by gjones

[Moos3h]

In my opinion, it's a classic mismatch - to me, the Ashdown sound is very at odds with the TC-Electronic sound, as you say the latter is very 'HiFi' and I find Ashdown really old-school sounding.

I think you need to have a play with combinations - do you know anyone that can lend you a different head/cab so you can hear how the two sound connected up to something else?

[chris_b]

[quote name='gjones' post='1307743' date='Jul 18 2011, 12:57 PM']....I am assuming this is the reason I can't get a decent sound from this amp/cab combination because low mid is a very important element of the sound I'm looking for. Does it mean I'm going to have to fork out dosh for a set of TC 2x10s or a 4x10?....[/quote]
I think this isn't a problem with the cab as such, but when you significantly upgrade a link in the chain it can "show up" the other links. Your TC deserves an upgraded cab to get the best out of both of them.

[JTUK]

[quote name='chris_b' post='1308026' date='Jul 18 2011, 04:11 PM']I think this isn't a problem with the cab as such, but when you significantly upgrade a link in the chain it can "show up" the other links. Your TC deserves an upgraded cab to get the best out of both of them.[/quote]


This... the cab is pretty fundemental..and that is fine if that is what you want from it...but you have matched it with a more capable amp
and the cab is out of its league.

So yes..you will most likely have to remedy this with an amp or cab change.

As above..it is just a mismatch..but beware of very clean cabs... they can be unforgiving of your sound.
There is a reason why gtrs liked Marshalls..

[Lozz196]

Like all amps, they certainly seem to favour some cabs rather than others.

I also had a Classic 450. It sounded great with my Ampeg SVT 410HE & 210HE, sounded great with my Eden Nemesis N410RS, but wasn`t too good with my Marshall VBC412 - was "hard and clanky" through this cab.

Interestingly, the 412 didn`t have tweeters, where all of the others did. And, all of the cabs it sounded good through were 10s.

[gjones]

This is the Cab, supposedly the best Ashdown 15 incher money can buy [url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?ID=186"]http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?ID=186[/url] but Ashdown don't specialise in Hi Fi amps so it probably won't be tuned for that kind of sound.

I have managed to get a better sound out of it after tweaking the amp a bit but still that low mid Knob doesn't do much of anything at lowish volumes. Maybe I need to give it a bit of welly, which I will do at the weekend when my band has a rehearsal.

Give the Ashdown it's due, I bet it's a trouser flapper when the amp is turned up LOUD.

[Blademan_98]

[quote name='gjones' post='1308522' date='Jul 18 2011, 10:32 PM']Give the Ashdown it's due, I bet it's a trouser flapper when the amp is turned up LOUD.[/quote]

Is there any other way of playing?

Turn it up and watch the glass rattle in the frames!

[tonyf]

I've just got back from rehearsal where I've used my recently purchased Classic 450 with my RS210 (I've also got a RS212). Sounded massive with two loud guitars and a pretty loud drummer.

Think Moos3h maybe right, perhaps it's just that the Classic 450 doesn't "work" with the Ashdown cab. Nothing wrong there, lots of gear doesn't sound that good with lots of other gear. Guess that's part of the fun.

Regarding the "hi-fi" sound of the TC head, TBH I've found that far from my mind as I'm getting used to mine. I downsized from an EBS rig to my Classic 450 and the two cabs. I've found that the TC's reasonably articulate if that's what you want but it's hardly what I had with the EBS gear. In a good way. The Classic 450 feels a lot more "old skool" now.

The TC cabs really do sound great with the head. I know it's more expense but they really do match each other and I'm glad I went down the route of matching the heads and the cabs and can recommend them wholeheartedly.

T

Edited July 18, 2011 by tonyf

[gjones]

Well Lozz, I also considered the Ampeg PF 500 you swopped your TC with because you gave it such a glowing review. I tried out both in the shop but was seduced by the TC's Hi Fi ness (?) even though it cost cost £200 more. I think if I want that classy sound I'm going to have to fork out for high end 10 inchers - or alternatively just play it through my Hi Fi in my living room

[longtimefred]

personally bud i wouldnt write anything off until you have given it some proper volume. Please dont think i am being condescending or rude but remember these things were built to be used at volume and not at home. Dont write off that Ashdown just yet, it may sing once you have the band behind you and your giving it some!

[gjones]

[quote name='longtimefred' post='1308683' date='Jul 19 2011, 12:30 AM']personally bud i wouldnt write anything off until you have given it some proper volume. Please dont think i am being condescending or rude but remember these things were built to be used at volume and not at home. Dont write off that Ashdown just yet, it may sing once you have the band behind you and your giving it some![/quote]

I think you could be right!

[xgsjx]

LTF has just said my thoughts. Some rigs come into their element at gig volume.
I'd give your current amp/cab combination a month or more so you can have a good play about with it, then if it still doesn't tick your boxes go trying out other cabs.

[solo4652]

+1

I have the Classic 450 and a Barefaced Compact. At home, they sound OK - nothing more; too thin at dining room volume level, and causing too much furniture/window/bookcase vibration at gig volume. However, at full band rehearsal, it's a completely different story and I've gone from doubting the wisdom of buying the rig to being pleased I did.


Steve

Edited July 19, 2011 by solo4652

[alexclaber]

Home practice = 60-70dB

Gig = 105-125dB

If you want your gig tone at home levels you'll have to twist quite a few knobs!

[BassBod]

Give it some time, and try out in different circumstances. I've got the same with two great bits of gear - Alembic F2B preamp and SWR Goliath II cab. Both are great..but used together you get a double mid scoop at low volumes that sounds lifeless and hollow. Turn things up to gig volume and it improves, add a bit of "eq defeat" knob turning and it really all works wonderfully.

I find a lot of modern cabs are much more responsive through the upper mids, whereas older cabs (or those "voiced" that way) seem to have the upper mids toned down. Just think about the old Trace slap switch - it was a mid removal really?

[Sibob]

I would never ever judge a bass/amp/cab outside of a gig setting, everything is so different to home use, and even rehearsal use (what gigs do you do in a small 10x10 room?)

Get it out and play it, tweak it, then see what you think

Si

[sk8]

i wouldn't class the Classic 450 as hifi but then thats me!

[Lozz196]

I must admit, my Classic didn`t sound too good at home volumes, but in a band situation it was very good indeed. I found, at quiet volumes that the low-mid being cut made it sound good, but at band volumes, the opposite was true, and increasing gave a lot more body to the sound.

If Ampeg hadn`t brought out the PF range, I`d happily have kept the Classic, but Ampeg bass sound is the holy grail to me, so had to do it. I`d recommend the TC Classic to anyone though.

[Paul S]

[quote name='solo4652' post='1308805' date='Jul 19 2011, 09:14 AM']I have the Classic 450 and a Barefaced Compact.[/quote]

I also have this set up as a replacement for a vintage Trace Elliot rig - the TC head came the closest to this TE sound of those I tried. In fact it surpassed it. I played the TC head through an old Trace 18" cab for a a while and thought 'this sounds pretty good - a decent replacement for the AH300 head'. Then the BF compact came along - suddenly a whole range of tones I wasn't getting before opened up, a clarity that was missing before.

[Musicman20]

The TC amps are not hi fi.

They can be transparent, and show your good/bad technique, but they are not overly bright/crisp/modern.

The 750 does change this a little though. That added tweetertone gives lots of sparkle...more than I need at the moment.

[gjones]

Well a quick update is due. I went to another local guitar shop and tried out the 450 classic with a 2x10 TC cab. Interestingly the low mid knob acted exactly the same as with my cab at home - i.e. not much after 2 on the dial. So it's not the ashdown cab that's causing the amp to act this way it's just the way the amp works. Well on Sat I'll turn it up with the band and I'll get a much better understanding of the amp and whether I like it or not.
By the way I tried the combo and it's great. You just slot the head into the top of the cab and abracadabra you've got a combo. It even has it's own little trolley and is seriously loud.

Edited July 20, 2011 by gjones