The Definitive 'What Sound Does This Brand Typically Give?' Thread

[Lew-Bass]

Obviously this is open to a lot of subjectivity, and different instruments are played through amps/cabs etc. but I was hoping we could all club our opinions together and attempt to come to a consensus on many brands of amplification.

The aim is to try to create somewhat of a guide for people to go to when they figure out what sound they want, and want to purchase an amp to match this (to give them an idea of what to test out/if unable to try before buying).

[JapanAxe]

Subscribed!

*settles back to watch the fireworks*

[warwickhunt]

Hang on... just off to get the popcorn!

[Marvin]

Wheel in that large sofa

[warwickhunt]

I'm going to rent out deck-chairs!

[Lew-Bass]

Whether sarcastic anticipation or not, I think this could prove useful to people! I would add but I personally don't have much of a definite idea myself, which is what gave me the idea for this thread

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='Lew-Bass' timestamp='1376503815' post='2175142']
Whether sarcastic anticipation or not, I think this could prove useful to people! I would add but I personally don't have much of a definite idea myself, which is what gave me the idea for this thread
[/quote]
No sarcasm intended, but to quote the late great Frank Zappa: [b]Talking about music is like fishing about architecture[/b].

[molan]

I help out regularly in a music shop where there's a dedicated amp room.

I can often tell when people are trying different basses but it's much, much harder to hear differences when they move from amp to amp or cab to cab.

So much potential variation in amp tonal options - in fact we often try to play a little game where we take one amp run flat and then look to 'copy' that sound using the tone controls of a different amp (keeping the cabs constant). It's amazing how close we can sometimes get.

Amp and cab matching makes a huge difference as well. Even using the same brand you can sometimes find certain cabs that work with certain amps and some that sound really nasty. There's also some amps that just seem to 'work' with whatever cab whilst others are incredibly 'picky'.

Much easier to hear the difference in a player's fingers as lots of people always sound like themselves whatever amp they use.

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1376511303' post='2175333']
Amp and cab matching makes a huge difference as well. Even using the same brand you can sometimes find certain cabs that work with certain amps and some that sound really nasty. There's also some amps that just seem to 'work' with whatever cab whilst others are incredibly 'picky'.
[/quote]
Now that sort of thing would be useful to know - which amps play nicely with any cab.

[krysh]

subscribed, but I bel[i]iev[/i]e that the player has more impact on the sound than the brand.

Edited August 14, 2013 by krysh

[barkin]

[quote name='krysh' timestamp='1376514601' post='2175427']
subscribed, but I bel[i]iev[/i]e that the player has more impact on the sound than the brand.
[/quote]

+loads.

At rehearsals, Guitarist usually just uses whatever's there, but he always sounds unmistakably Martin.

[xgsjx]

Depending on the bass & the effects used, I find the following when using a complete rig from the following manufacturers...

Ampegs have that Ampeg sound, they just sound Ampeg. unless you spend less than £2k on one, then they sound a bit like Ashdown.

Ashdowns sound like Trace Elliots but more Welsh friendly.

Markbass sound very much like whatever you put in them.

Phil Jones sound similar to Markbass but slightly different.

Gallien Krueger sound a bit like SWR.

Trace Elliot sounds like a private investigator from the 80s.

SWR have fallen away a little & trying to be Genz Benz.

Genz Benz aren't made by AMG or Brabus.

Krampera sound expensive & look interesting.

Aguilar has a nice retro look & sound pretty much like all the rest to the punters, but no one knows how to pronounce Aguilar.


These are some of the rigs that I tried before getting my Markbass combo. Hope it helps.

[rOB]

Why not post examples of typical sounds as used in songs? As has been said many times before its very hard to describe sounds

[paul_5]

To my ears SWR kit sounds like silk cushions dangling from a crooked sycamore tree.

Ampeg are more like a purple sofa covered in Marmite®

Trace Elliott have a "treacle and cricket" feel to them

Mark Bass insist on their own design of isopods wrestling in a small tray of cheese on a rainy Wednesday.

Genz have a 'tin foil hat on top of a windy hill' edge. Or not.

Of course all of this is subjective (taking into account lunar phase, acoustics and allowing for wind resistance).

I'll get me coat.

[EBS_freak]

Ash down sounds like Bonfire night...

[Happy Jack]

Is "treacle and cricket" good for metal?

[gary mac]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1376521347' post='2175590']
Depending on the bass & the effects used, I find the following when using a complete rig from the following manufacturers...

Ampegs have that Ampeg sound, they just sound Ampeg. unless you spend less than £2k on one, then they sound a bit like Ashdown.

Ashdowns sound like Trace Elliots but more Welsh friendly.

Markbass sound very much like whatever you put in them.

Phil Jones sound similar to Markbass but slightly different.

Gallien Krueger sound a bit like SWR.

Trace Elliot sounds like a private investigator from the 80s.

SWR have fallen away a little & trying to be Genz Benz.

Genz Benz aren't made by AMG or Brabus.

Krampera sound expensive & look interesting.

Aguilar has a nice retro look & sound pretty much like all the rest to the punters, but no one knows how to pronounce Aguilar.


These are some of the rigs that I tried before getting my Markbass combo. Hope it helps.
[/quote]

This post has made me smile, which is a good thing and to be savored.

[Dr M]

This thread is rapidly turning into a perfume ad for amp manufacturers.

[paul_5]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1376638828' post='2177068']
Is "treacle and cricket" good for metal?
[/quote]

it's OK, you're better off substituting the treacle with syrup though - it lets more of the sputum through. It also has a lower impedance.

[Happy Jack]

Good thinking. There are enough impediments in my life already.

[paul_5]

[quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1376647345' post='2177231']
This thread is rapidly turning into a perfume ad for amp manufacturers.
[/quote]

http://youtu.be/oPKigfGYwKE

[shizznit]

Here's my feedback about the amps I have owned and used extensively throughout my career (I am not affiliated or employed by any of these brands)

[u][b]Trace Elliot[/b][/u]

Owned - AH12SMX 600w head, GP1215SMX 300w combo, [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]2103H cab & 1153H cab.[/font][/color]

[i]Pros...[/i]
The EQ tweaking and shaping features of their amps are hard to beat. You will never run short of flexibility for any genre of music with Trace Elliot amps.

[i]Cons...[/i]
Because you can tweak so many things on the amp to get your desired tone it does mean that you can spend many hours fiddling around with the settings and if you like switching in between different tones during a performance it is not user friendly for quick changes in tone settings. Once you get a good tone and your pretty much stuck with it all night.

The amps I owned didn't deliver the power that I was expecting them to.

Speakers were a bit farty.

The amps and cabs weigh a frigging tonne!

[u][b]Hartke[/b][/u]

Owned - HA3500, HA7500, XL410 cabs

[i]Pros...[/i]
By far one my favourite amps. Very transparent tone, great tone shaping features, surprisingly powerful and you have gotta love the red lights on the EQ faders! One of the best onboard compressors built into an amp. The aluminium speakers really get you noticed...super cool looking on stage!

[i]Cons...[/i]
The cabs are not the best when it comes to construction. One of my XL410's cracked wide open from a very small and gentle fall to the ground whist setting up for a gig. I wasn't impressed.

Both of my amps visited a repair guy on a few occasions with power amp limiter problems and the fan motor failed on my HA7500 4 months after buying it. Not the most reliable amps I have ever owned.

[b][u]Carlsbro[/u][/b]

Owned - Bass Reactor 400, 410 cabs (can't remember the model)

[i]Pros...[/i]
Cheap.

[i]Cons...[/i]
Don't get me started! This was the worst rig I have ever used. The amp had no redeeming features whatsoever other than making a noise. Poor power output, more tone, very heavy...completely unusable.

The cabs were dull and lifeless. The speakers were Eminence which is not a shabby brand, but Carlsbro decided to use PA speakers instead of speakers that were designed for bass amps. They just made a bad situation even worse.

[u][b]Euphonic Audio[/b][/u]

Owned - iAmp 500

[i]Pros...[/i]
Incredible tone shaping flexibility and work perfectly with any type of bass you put into it. It had a very flat response and did not colour any of the basses I used through it. The effects loop mixers (both parallel and series) are mixable and can be used simultaneously which is a really cool feature...even the DI out had a level control! I loved using this amp in the studio.

I really liked the way it looked. The front panel looked more like a very expensive hi-fi stereo EQ console from the 70's. Nothing on the market looks anything like an EA amp.

[i]Cons...[/i]
Lack power on stage. Ran out of steam very quickly.

Much like Trace Elliot amps, you can fiddle around with the tone settings until the next ice age. Because the amp has a very flat response, very clean and uncoloured it will show your bass for what it really is. A crap bass will simply sound crap and a great one will sound great.

Complicated to use.

[u][b]Mark Bass[/b][/u]

Owned - Little Mark III

[i]Pros...[/i]
One of the best D-class portable amps on the market. I never struggled to get the tone I wanted for whatever situation it was call to. Very easy to use and the size and weight of it makes it perfect for the travelling musician that likes to travel light.

Very quiet amp.

The best pre-shape filters on any amp on the market IMO.

Very good value.

[i]Cons...[/i]
Very little to mention. The only two things I struggled with was that there is no choice of parallel or series effects loop, but many other amps on the market of similar price don't have that feature either. But, my biggest disappointment was that there was no onboard compressor. Always felt that amp needed one.

[u][b]EBS[/b][/u]

Owned - HD350
Currently own - TD650, Reidmar 250, Proline 410, Neo 210, Neo 212

[i]Pros...[/i]
These are by far one of the best amps available on the market. The guys that build these amps are very passionate about what they do and it really shows in their products. The engineering that goes into EBS amps are simply astonishing.

The gain stage is one of many things that impresses me about these amps. You are in full control of either ultra clean or downright dirty signals from your bass.

The onboard compressor is the best I have ever used on an amp.

The power on tap is incredible. I have never turned my amp passed past half way and usually have to turn back down again quickly if I do get that far by instruction of the FOH engineer.

The cabs are superb. Very dynamic for any genre you play.

Reliable.

Very easy to use.

[i]Cons...[/i]
These amps paired with those cabs are very focussed towards high-mid scooped tones and may not be to everyones liking. I have heard some folks say that you can't get warm, traditional tones from these amps which is complete nonsense, but if you are a meat & potatoes type of player then you might want to skip this one.

Another criticism I have seen from other people is that they they can come across very coloured...'fake' in some comments I have read on various forums. In other words, you can make any bass sound good with these amps. I admit, there is a little truth in that as I have made a £120-eBay special-far eastern-P-bass rip off-piece of sh*t sound good through these amps, but I don't necessarily think thats a bad thing.

Depending on how you set up these amps, they are very sensitive to the touch when you play and very hyperactive, so they are not very forgiving.

Very expensive.

Edited August 16, 2013 by shizznit

[xgsjx]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1376667376' post='2177745']

[u][b]Mark Bass[/b][/u]

Owned - Little Mark III

[i]Cons...[/i]
Very little to mention. The only two things I struggled with was that there is no choice of parallel or series effects loop, but many other amps on the market of similar price don't have that feature either.

[/quote]

There's a Jumper inside the amp to select Parallel or Series FX, there's also another to select Pre or Post DI.

[shizznit]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1376679077' post='2178034']
There's a Jumper inside the amp to select Parallel or Series FX, there's also another to select Pre or Post DI.
[/quote]

Now that I didn't know! However, do you think it's a great idea for a manufacturer to leave it to their customers to open up their amp and fiddle around inside? That's asking for trouble.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1376694257' post='2178262']
Now that I didn't know! However, do you think it's a great idea for a manufacturer to leave it to their customers to open up their amp and fiddle around inside? That's asking for trouble.
[/quote]
Unless you're using rack fx (which very few of us do), I don't see the point of an fx loop.