Valve amp recommendations

[JamesBass]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1385047766' post='2283835']
Too old by far!



Yes, used an enormous Ampeg head, through an Ampeg 8x10, and it sounded great. All I'm saying is that that sound probably bore little resemblance to the "Sound" coming out of the bass. Of course this is true of most amps & cabs, otherwise they'd all sound the same, and what fun would that be? However valve amps seem to try and make feature out of a fundamental flaw.

If clean solid state amps had come first, and valve amps had been a later development people would probably be clamouring for the cleanness of an "old time" solid state amp, and bemoaning the "muddy" sound the new valve amps."
[/quote]
Well that would surely just depend on the music written, would The Beatles have sounded so fantastic on a Solid State? Would John Entwistle have sounded as good with SS? Etc.

Personally I don't think so, the valves allowed for the amp to become something much more than what SS has, in my opinion of course. I much prefer the warm, tone and all round feel of an all valve head.

Obviously cabs play a HUGE part as does the guy or gal on the bass!

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1385048080' post='2283840']
Well that would surely just depend on the music written, would The Beatles have sounded so fantastic on a Solid State? Would John Entwistle have sounded as good with SS? Etc.

Personally I don't think so, the valves allowed for the amp to become something much more than what SS has, in my opinion of course. I much prefer the warm, tone and all round feel of an all valve head.

Obviously cabs play a HUGE part as does the guy or gal on the bass!
[/quote]

[size=4]Well, they would have sounded different, and as that is how we would have first heard it we would probably have thought it sounded great. All I'm saying is that perceptions depend very much on what you're used to, and what you heard first. [/size][size=4]Same sort of thing with Vinyl and CD: If CD had come first would anyone be singing the praises of vinyl, with its poor fidelity and [/size][size=4]susceptibility[/size][size=4] to damage? [/size]

[size=4]The all valve Amps I have played through and heard generally sound great, but to me it is like having a built in effect that you can't bypass. [/size]

[VTypeV4]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1385049234' post='2283858']
[size=4]Well, they would have sounded different, and as that is how we would have first heard it we would probably have thought it sounded great. All I'm saying is that perceptions depend very much on what you're used to, and what you heard first. [/size][size=4]Same sort of thing with Vinyl and CD: If CD had come first would anyone be singing the praises of vinyl, with its poor fidelity and [/size][size=4]susceptibility[/size][size=4] to damage? [/size]

[size=4]The all valve Amps I have played through and heard generally sound great, but to me it is [i][b]like having a built in effect [/b][/i]that you can't bypass. [/size]
[/quote]

I'd never considered it like that, nice thought..

Edited November 21, 2013 by VTypeV4

[BassTractor]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1384982247' post='2283196']
I am gonna try an Ashdown Little Bastard head
[/quote]

If you do like it (and I expect you to) but find the 30W too limiting, then a reported good option is to later invest in a MiBass head in addition, as the LB's pre-amp connected to the MiBass's power stage seems to sound largely like an LB.
(BTW, this way you're effectively making a Little Bastard 550 - - IMS with the exception of a gain knob.)

I do exactly that myself, but can't report my findings as I have found my bass playing is not yet good enough to make comparisons of this type.

[paul_5]

[quote name='Norm' timestamp='1384960518' post='2282823']
I'm with Gareth on this one but then I have a Trace Elliott v4, so I'm biased!
[/quote]

Nice 'valve' joke there. Well done.