bennymalta Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Hey guys, I'm about to buy the marshall super bass 100watt mk1 (for bass guitar obv.). Now i never tried this amp out and its not possible for me to try it in the near future, so I just wanted to see whether you guys have any experience with these amps... I mean im confident about the tone but I'm really worried that it wownt deliver when it comes down to the low end. Im confident on buying say...an SVT Cl or an Ad 200 ....but i just want something more authentically vintage sounding. Does this amp deliver those low freq? its gonna be rigged into a 4x10 svt hlf... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I had one for a while - good if you want to sound like Lemmy but not a lot else, unless you play at low volumes. When you get up to gig volumes it starts to distort quite heavily, and to stop it farting you have to cut the low end quite dramatically. The amp was a bit of a holy grail for me at the time - I was hoping to cop some Roger Glover / Chris Squire sounds, but in the long run I was sorely disappointed. If you are intending to use it in a loud-ish band it will really struggle. I've always considered myself a fan of old school gear, but have rapidly come round to the thinking that a lightweight, powerful head combined with an effective valve pedal will do the job just as effectively. Also consider something like the Tech 21 character pedals - I have the Leeds one which emulates a Hiwatt stack, and it is stunning. I sold the Marshall to a guitar player in the end, and he loves it. Sorry to be so negative but this is my honest experience with the amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennymalta Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 cheers mate, that was very helpful. I actually wanted to buy a hiwatt custom 200 cause i had tried one about a year ago and just blindly fell in love with it. Unf, i couldnt get a good deal on one and to buy a brand new hiwatt stack would mean that i'd have to sell my kidneys. I figured this head would get me as close to the hiwatt as possible. Volume wise is not a problem for me cause my band is still in the rehearsal room and for now, all i need is rich good tone and low end. Plus if I buy this head ill have a guy fit a master volume in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) If it is an early one, you are going to have to have it recapped before the low end it is capable of is going to happen, even then, it isn't their forte. Of course the sound of being old and a bit crap is the authentic vintage sound. I prefer the sound of 'well made amp, working properly'. Edit: Couldn't be more far removed from aHiwatt, even the shonky repro ones you can get now. There is a repro Dr201 for under a grand in music shop near me, pm for details. Edited November 12, 2012 by Mr. Foxen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 [quote name='bennymalta' timestamp='1352735783' post='1866722']...hiwatt custom 200...I figured this head would get me as close to the hiwatt as possible...[/quote] Good evening, Benny... Only my humble opinion, but there is no fair comparaison between the Hiwatt and the Marshall, if we're talking clean headroom. We use a Hiwatt DR203 PA head (4xKT88...) which gives clean volume until the concrete crumbles, if you turn it up. It takes to pedals superbly, if required, but we use it [i]uber[/i]-clean. A Marshall Super Bass, although a good amp in itself, can not do the same job. If you don't really need 200w of headroom, a DR103 will be very loud, too, before overdrive, but still quite unlike 4xKT88. If that's what you heard when you tried the Hiwatt Custom 200, be assured that only 4xKT88 will give you that. There is no other way, as far as I know. Just my tuppence worth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennymalta Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Wow, cheers guys...cant thank you enough! Come to think of it, I NEED that low end. What do you guys think about the ampeg V4B H? its a 100 watter but like I said, im comfortable with a 100wtt amp right now. or should i go with an svt classic just to be safe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey R Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 (edited) If youre getting it modded anyway, would getting it rebiased with KT88s be an option? Reading suggests they stay clean alot longer than the EL34s, but then break up right at the last moment - maybe some of the valve experts could comment? Edited November 12, 2012 by Mikey R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Amps made rpund KT88s will have more headroom, KT88s bodged into the wrong amp won't. Ampeg aren't comparable with Hiwatt either, its like comparing a Ford transit to a Rolls Royce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennymalta Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 yea i get that hiwatt and ampegs are oceans apart, Im just playing a safe bet and will probably go for an ampeg right now, I know that the tone's right and it delivers the low end i need. Ill just have to save up and wait a couple of years for the hiwatt. Found an ampeg V4Bh on ebay....owner described it as louder than his previous 3 pro and growls 'like a tiger'. What do you think about this amp? will it satisfy my low end cravings? (its made in Us) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 How much are you thinking of spending? I kind of get the impression you are figuring Hiwatt for more expensive than they are. The local 200w Hiwatt is only a couple of hundred more than that V4, twice the power and even the reissue Hiwatt are probably ahead of Ampeg in terms of build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennymalta Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 my budget right now is around £800 for a decent head and the hiwatts I came by costed around £1400 for the head. I know 800 isnt much but I do believe i can get some decent second hand deal within this range. (note that im talking about the v4b not the v4 which costs tons more - although i have no idea what the difference is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 The is a Hiwatt 200watter for £925 or thereabouts locally, unless it has sold. If 100w is all you are after, those are about too. Plus there are tons of other amps that have more in common with the Hiwatts for much cheaper. There's a original 200w Hiwatt for just over a grand linked in my sig for starters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1352739265' post='1866800']...There's a original 200w Hiwatt for just over a grand linked in my sig for starters. [/quote] Yes, that's the one we have. I got a bargain at £600, with new flight case, a couple of years ago (long story...). Can't be beaten, imho, if it's lows you're looking for. Highly recommended. ([i]No relation to Mr. Foxen; just a +1 for these amps. Seriously heavy, of course[/i]...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 There is a 100w valve head for £250 in for sale, its built to be clean, and appears to have most of the relevant stuff replaced so should be pretty good to go, that is a good way to go for the clean valve experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTypeV4 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 (edited) Whilst I've never had the 100w Marshall amp thats mentioned, I do have a Linear componented, Marshall circuited amplifier. That previously ran a pair of EL34 and was very marginal when it came to clean headroom particularly for bass guitar. About 5 years ago I had it modded (a couple of resistors and a re-bias) to run 6550s which vastly improved it for bass. Increased clean head room and less distortion but still with plenty of that compression thing going on. With EL34s it made 52w before the mods and after with 6550s it did 62w on the scope. Not a massive step but it does 'feel' much bigger than the numbers suggest. I do rather suspect the output transformer is now somewhat margnal! With regards to the bass issue, i've never experienced a lack of low end. The speaker it usually drives is good down to about 50hz although I don't really have masses of low end in my sound. Years ago my Trace V4 had a fit and used this old amp with my Trace 4x10 and 1x15 and it was monsterous even against the 10 peice soul outfit I played with at the time. I think what I'm trying to say is that a different valve (ie the big boys 6550 and KT88 types) with the appropriate mods can make an amp much better and suitable for the job with destroying its underlying character. [IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/BeavisClean.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/BeavisChassis.jpg[/IMG] Edited November 13, 2012 by VTypeV4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I've had 2 and used one for a few years in a metal band through a 2x15 cab. FWIW I competed quite happily with 2 modded 100W Marshall guitar stacks and arguably the loudest drummer I've ever played with, although I have to qualify that by saying I don't like hearing myself loudly in the onstage mix, unlike some. I never had a problem with lows, but my idea of lows probably isn't your idea of lows; on my Ashdowns I [i]cut [/i]bass, at least with the Rics. Personally I'm not that keen on loud, clean valve amps; the Superbass was my favourite valve amp that I've owned/used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Still have an antique version at home (though it is a bit of a Triggers Broom having had to be requilt a couple of years back and is being used by #2 son for [size=1]guitar[/size]). Marshall didn't recognise the SerNo, or said it was pre their records and whilst it was i for repair someone very knowledgeable about Marshall's apparently took a look and put a very early date on it. But it is in poor external nick and as I say has been rebuilt, so.... A cracking amp that served me very well over the years but weighs a frickin' ton. It was bought in the 70's & secondhand then. Bearing in mind current prices, even for its condition & rebuild, what I paid for it then would make you weep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umph Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Will follow if I can find the ones I took to send to Marshall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey R Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1352764428' post='1867289'] There is a 100w valve head for £250 in for sale, its built to be clean, and appears to have most of the relevant stuff replaced so should be pretty good to go, that is a good way to go for the clean valve experience. [/quote] Oli, Ive had a look in the For Sale section, no luck finding it - is it still there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 [quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1352921051' post='1869434'] Oli, Ive had a look in the For Sale section, no luck finding it - is it still there? [/quote] http://basschat.co.uk/topic/190845-carlsbro-100-watt-valve-head/page__p__1867216__hl__carlsbro__fromsearch__1#entry1867216 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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