Which all valve amp to replace my...

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387291959' post='2310335']... and it looks & sounds [i]les coulis du chien[/i]...[/quote]

[pedant]Un coulis is a preparation, somewhat liquid, normally fruit, poured over a desert (un coulis de framboise sur glace à la vanille...). Les couilles du chien are part of their genitalia. Just sayin' [/pedant]

On topic, and simply my tuppence-worth...

To get o/p valves to give their crunchy overdrive sound, they need to be driven quite hard (depending on the circuitry...). This normally means high volume, hence Marshall stacks, cranked. The 'classic' way of getting [i]that [/i]sound without the volume involves placing the cab in the next room, or face down on carpet, or a 'power soak'. A 200w valve amp, pushed into 'crunch', will start cracking concrete. There are valve amps that break up earlier (Orange, Matamp...), but it's still damned, ear-bleedingly loud. If you really want [i]that [/i]sound, so be it (and the tinnitus that eventually goes with it...), but you'll not be popular in many pubs. I use such an amp (Hiwatt...), but with the opposite 'need'. I want to stay 'clean' for ever; my KT88s will not break up at any humanly-sustainable level. I don't play that loud, of course, I just have headroom to the sky. For 'grit' I would use pedals.
Be sure of what you're really after. If you want 'clean', then 200w is magnificent. If you want o/p valve 'grit', then 200w will cause physical damage to buildings in the vicinity, and lasting damage to ears.
Subject to correction, completion and/or contradiction from others.

[Noisyjon]

The Ampeg SVT2-Pro does great grit/grind/distortion sounds really well and fabulous deep cleans too.
They are 32Kg's in weight and can be picked up for a good price second hand

Edited December 17, 2013 by Noisyjon

[Beedster]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1387298645' post='2310439']
[pedant]Un coulis is a preparation, somewhat liquid, normally fruit, poured over a desert (un coulis de framboise sur glace à la vanille...). Les couilles du chien are part of their genitalia. Just sayin' [/pedant]

On topic, and simply my tuppence-worth...

To get o/p valves to give their crunchy overdrive sound, they need to be driven quite hard (depending on the circuitry...). This normally means high volume, hence Marshall stacks, cranked. The 'classic' way of getting [i]that [/i]sound without the volume involves placing the cab in the next room, or face down on carpet, or a 'power soak'. A 200w valve amp, pushed into 'crunch', will start cracking concrete. There are valve amps that break up earlier (Orange, Matamp...), but it's still damned, ear-bleedingly loud. If you really want [i]that [/i]sound, so be it (and the tinnitus that eventually goes with it...), but you'll not be popular in many pubs. I use such an amp (Hiwatt...), but with the opposite 'need'. I want to stay 'clean' for ever; my KT88s will not break up at any humanly-sustainable level. I don't play that loud, of course, I just have headroom to the sky. For 'grit' I would use pedals.
Be sure of what you're really after. If you want 'clean', then 200w is magnificent. If you want o/p valve 'grit', then 200w will cause physical damage to buildings in the vicinity, and lasting damage to ears.
Subject to correction, completion and/or contradiction from others.
[/quote]

Spot on, Dad3353, with my old 300w all tube Ampeg I could play Glastonbury without leaving North Wales. Even my current 100w Ampeg is way too loud for nearly any small-medium venue clean, let alone when it gets gritty

C

[Alfie]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1387290603' post='2310295']
I need someone around here (Sheffield/South Yorkshire) to loan me one briefly don't I
[/quote]

You live in Matamp country, you only have one option.

[Mikey R]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1387295483' post='2310388']
it may take me some time to be able to try one and then some time after that before I can approach buying one, but I love the 'buy British' concept and Matamp are king, unless my mate who used to work for them can build one for me in which case MJW here I come woohoo!
[/quote]

There you go - chat with Martin and see what he can do He might even have a bass amp in at the moment, you never know.

[andydye]

[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1387303742' post='2310527']
There you go - chat with Martin and see what he can do He might even have a bass amp in at the moment, you never know.
[/quote]

I've sent him a cheeky little emither to see what he thinks... I had one of his geetar amps a few years ago and it were amazing!

Edited December 17, 2013 by andydye

[Kiwi]

140w into a 2x12 cab of 103db sensitivity is perfectly adequate for pub gigs in my experience. Just keep the drummer under control and castrate the guitarist.

[Dad3353]

My Fender Bassman 50w, into a Bassman 2x15, was perfectly adequate, even outdoors. It needed micing for festival-type stages, but not otherwise. Pop/rock repertoire, guitars using Marshall and Mesa half stacks, and drums. Not much headroom for 'clean', though, hence the move to Hiwatt. Here's a glimpse, playing outside a pub/café a few years ago...

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:148486]

Edited December 17, 2013 by Dad3353

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1387298645' post='2310439']
[pedant]Un coulis is a preparation, somewhat liquid, normally fruit, poured over a desert (un coulis de framboise sur glace à la vanille...). Les couilles du chien are part of their genitalia. Just sayin' [/pedant]

[/quote]

Did I mention that my dog is a professional [i]commis-chef[/i]?



Correction duly noted ... and thanks!

Oh, what the hell: [/Pedant] You'd need a lot of [i]coulis [/i]to cover a desert. [/Pedant]

Edited December 18, 2013 by Happy Jack

[andydye]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387363967' post='2311038']
Did I mention that my dog is a professional [i]commis-chef[/i]?


Correction duly noted ... and thanks!
Oh, what the hell: [/Pedant] You'd need a lot of [i]coulis [/i]to cover a desert. [/Pedant]
[/quote]

[andydye]

slight update...

Martin has got back to me with the following:

"Anyway, yes, I could do a bass amp if required. I designed a 200 Watter for Matamp, so could do something along those lines.
Price wise you'd be looking at around £1200-1300 for the first one"

Sounds like he may have designed the GT200 when he worked there?

I need to try a 200w and a 100w head to get some idea of what would suit my needs, I'm leaning towards 100w I think, a local shop has (I think) an orange 200w thingy in so I may have to rumble round on Saturday morning for a butchers...

[davedave]

I love Matamp, and I love MJW too. Last time I spoke to Martin he said he was willing and able to make one. He just never gets asked!
Dave.

[dannybuoy]

I had an AD200B and it was barely ticking over on the gigs I played with it - 100W tube amp should be perfect for small to medium venues.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387363967' post='2311038']...
Oh, what the hell: [/Pedant] You'd need a lot of [i]coulis [/i]to cover a desert. [/Pedant]
[/quote]

Oh, balls..!

[andydye]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1387365696' post='2311067']
I had an AD200B and it was barely ticking over on the gigs I played with it - 100W tube amp should be perfect for small to medium venues.
[/quote]

That's pretty much my thinking too, I want to be able to get it into 'slight grind' territory without killing people!

This is impossible without being able to try something!!!!!!!!

maybe MJW could install one of his power scaling thingumies into a 100w version of the GT200...will depend on how the power scaling works...

[Owen]

There was a Hughes and Kettner thing on the amps for sale pretty recently. Preamp and very tiny power amp. Drive into the AI and you do not find yourself carrying the weight of a small country around with you.

[Owen]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/224762-hughes-kettner-bassmaster-tube-preamp/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/224762-hughes-kettner-bassmaster-tube-preamp/[/url]

Prob gone already.

[discreet]

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1387367696' post='2311092']
Preamp and very tiny power amp... ...you do not find yourself carrying the weight of a small country around with you.
[/quote]

This would be very good, but (as put forward earlier) it may well be the size (and weight) of the transformers which go some way towards getting the required bounce, or thump, or whatever you want to call it... I shall report back as soon as my hugely-transformered amp arrives.

[Owen]

Sadly, there is something to be said for HUGE power supplies.

[andydye]

another option to submit to the experts...

if [i]say[/i] a 200w orange head came up at a very reasonable price (obviously it's going to be unnecessarily loud but I know the owner of the shop) and I had a power scaling setup installed in it, would that do the job?

[franzbassist]

Ashdown CTM100 should do the job. Mine is [i]very[/i] loud!

[discreet]

Those Orange amps have controls on them which allow you to adjust the loudness...

[andydye]

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1387369621' post='2311123']
Ashdown CTM100 should do the job. Mine is [i]very[/i] loud!
[/quote]

The CTM100 is my other favoured option and this shop do carry ashdown stuff but would have to get one in for me to try which might be a tad tricky...I'll ask him

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387369795' post='2311124']
Those Orange amps have controls on them which allow you to adjust the loudness...
[/quote]

ah but, that there volume knob would reduce the amount of use of the power stage wouldn't it? if they've got a preamp gain that would give me a similar (but nicer) sound to my current setup but if I'm gonna do the carrying I wanna use the whole thing!

[discreet]

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1387370351' post='2311132']
...ah but, that there volume knob would reduce the amount of use of the power stage wouldn't it? if they've got a preamp gain that would give me a similar (but nicer) sound to my current setup but if I'm gonna do the carrying I wanna use the whole thing!
[/quote]

Haha, go on then. Would you like to borrow my weights?

[3below]

Keep looking and waiting. Bargains do appear - my VBA 400 was cheap and I sold it on cheap. I have a bedroom use only sound city 120 plus 2x12 cab (amp has original mullards as a bonus), bought on ebay. It was a giveaway- cheaper than a peavey milestone bass... Boot sales also yield good buys. Asking around, many carlsbro, simms watt, laneys about from aging rockers who have given up. This route may take a long time however. I remember the days when Marshall or Hiwatt valve amps were dirt cheap - late 70s - early 80s. Happy days.

100W will be ok with an efficient cab. The VBA was immense - both in volume and mass