Best amp head (500W to 1000W) you've ever owned? (Or should definitely avoid!)

[Al Krow]

 

8 minutes ago, walbassist said:

It's the only amp I have ever used that stayed clean and clear and yet also retained authority and presence (dare I say "heft"?) at any volume.  Quite remarkable.

...hmmm interesting, that is almost exactly the same description that Glockenlang owners give to their amps. You also tried a Glock? If so, you still prefer your Demeter?

There was a LOT of excitement about the VTB 800Ds when they came out a couple of years ago but I'm not sure how much they caught on / sold? I think I'm aware of just a couple of VTB owners on the forum. Doesn't, of course, mean you both don't have a real gem on your hands!  

Edited December 4, 2017 by Al Krow

[franzbassist]

The Demeter isn't cheap, and while I love the look I'm sure it put some people off.  The EQ looks basic too, although is actually super powerful.

I've never tried a Glock amp, but I probably should.....

10 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

...hmmm interesting, that is almost exactly the same description that Glockenlang owners give to their amps. You also tried a Glock? If so, you still prefer your Demeter?

There was a LOT of excitement about the VTB 800Ds when they came out a couple of years ago but I'm not sure how much they caught on / sold? I think I'm aware of just a couple of VTB owners on the forum. Doesn't, of course, mean you both don't have a real gem on your hands!  

 

[dannybuoy]

@Al Krow converted eh? As in using it clean, or have you come to enjoy the microtubes engines?

As I've said I'm a fan of the B3K mode at low gain not as a distortion as such, but more of an 'enhancer' with a pre-baked EQ curve.

[Cuzzie]

@dannybuoy I think you’ll find @Al Krow is not allowed to use the microtubes engine on principle, or it will represent as big a turnaround as Jeremy Corbyn announcing a switch to UKIP or for Donald Trump to drop social media and actually behave like a world leader instead of a teenager full of Haribo and E numbers

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, dannybuoy said:

@Al Krow converted eh? As in using it clean, or have you come to enjoy the microtubes engines?

As I've said I'm a fan of the B3K mode at low gain not as a distortion as such, but more of an 'enhancer' with a pre-baked EQ curve.

Using it clean for sure - it's very much what I'd hoped it would be.

I see where you're coming from at low gain (what is that 4/10?).

I need to play around with the microtubes some more to see if I can make it work as a dirt. Like you I'm definitely preferring the B3K to the VMT as it has a less muddy edge to it, but I need to figure a way of cutting out the top end fizz / hiss. I've got the tone dialled back to 3/10 which is certainly helping but wondering whether if I turn the tweeter right down on the cab this will solve (I'll have a play later) and / or use an LPF with a high 'shelf' setting to attenuate just the highest frequencies. If I need to use a separate LPF well I guess I might as well simply continue to use a separate dirt pedal with the DG on clean. 

...Now had a go at adjusting the tweeter. Turning the crossover point on the cab to essentially shut down the tweeter certainly does help on this for me. Ok think I'm getting there! But, having said that, I certainly wouldn't want be adjusting tweeter cross over constantly in a live situation if I am flipping between dirt and non dirt, but it's good to know that there's a workaround for when I'm not having to do that.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Al Krow

[dannybuoy]

I keep the gain between all the way off and 9 o'clock, tone around 2 o'clock. Then that's what I consider my clean tone, and add a pedal on top when I need to.

I solve the high frequency issues by using a cab without a tweeter, as every proper bassist (i.e. none of this slapping, tapping, chords and harmonics nonsense) should.

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, dannybuoy said:

I solve the high frequency issues by using a cab without a tweeter, as every proper bassist (i.e. none of this slapping, tapping, chords and harmonics nonsense) should.

Lol! So I'd better return my lovely VK 210 then and stop spending time working on slap technique and as for turning my Ibby six string into a Fender Bass VI clone and playing chords...

Is your BF 210 retros tweeterless then?

[dannybuoy]

Indeed they are. Actually I've used some cabs with horns that sounded pretty good with distortion (Orange OBC410 springs to mind, and I bet the Darkglass cabs do too of course) but it was the piezo unit in the Markbass CMD121P that was responsible for turning me off tweeters!

[Al Krow]

25 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

Indeed they are. Actually I've used some cabs with horns that sounded pretty good with distortion (Orange OBC410 springs to mind, and I bet the Darkglass cabs do too of course) but it was the piezo unit in the Markbass CMD121P that was responsible for turning me off tweeters!

Yes - fair enough on the CMD 121P, you're definitely not the first to have disliked the piezo unit. The Markbass 121H cabs seem to be universally better liked. But the 121Ps are just so darned portable!  

Anyway we digress! Getting back to the plot: as an amp the DG M900 has an excellent clean power unit providing 900W of power at 4ohms; at second hand prices the amp is worth getting for this alone. It's also IMHO a very good looking / well designed amp, with one of the best EQs in the market. If you also like the B3K and / or VMT drive sound (which, for sure, is not for everyone) then that is an added bonus.

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow do you like the drive sound......?

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, Cuzzie said:

@Al Krow do you like the drive sound......?

If everything is set on flat with my cab in mid crossover setting, then microtubes is too fizzy / hissy for me. If I make the various adjustments noted in the earlier post above then I get to something I quite like / compares favourably with my current dirt pedals and which I'm sure would sound good in the mix. But I don't want to have the faff of adjusting cross over points on my cab mid set etc. So I'd rather have a dirt pedal with a base sound that will be even better than microtubes at its best (IMHO and YMMV etc) and that avoids me needing to be faffing about with EQs and cross over points on the fly (got enough to be thinking about just remembering all the material for a 2 hour set!) But that's cool. Most folk who have dirt pedals have them because either they prefer their dirt pedal to the drive on the amp or because the amp does clean only. So definitely no biggie. Besides I kinda think I've found that dirt pedal...answer to that one is on the dirt pedal thread, but given that it has a 12 week build time I won't be posting a review anytime soon  

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow why do you have to adjust crossover points for each pedal?

is it impossible to dial in a sound of each pedal leaving the cab dial in a fixed position?

tweeters eh.....?!

 

will you still like the drive sound next year ?

Edited December 4, 2017 by Cuzzie

[Al Krow]

I don't my friend. The starting point is to get the cab to sound right for the bass alone on clean and without any pedals and for me that is actually with the cross over dial set half way on my VK210 (and btw I'm then actually fine with the rest of my pedals with that base sound). It's just for me (and I appreciate this is completely personal) that microtubes sounds better without a tweeter. So maybe we could request DG to include a LPF / HPF in their next incarnation of the amp? That would make an already great clean EQ, awesome.

[Cuzzie]

Road to enlightenment, it’s what you personally like.

glad to see you working through all angles, you’ll defo get the best out of all your cool equipment 

[Al Krow]

On 19/11/2017 at 14:54, RW1965 said:

In recent years I’ve had the TC RH460, Aguilar TH500 and now with the Darkglass 900. The Aggie was a definite uplift on the TC, although the fan noise was a bit announcement . Now, I’m totally sold on the Darkglass.  Great build quality and looks, lightweight, bundles of power and a great tone paired with my Vanderkley LNT210. I dial in just a little overdrive and it gives a great sound.  Whilst all the video ad’s show the head being used for metal, I’m playing soul and funk and it gives me a great sound and exactly what I’ve been looking for. 

Ok I'm a convert to the DG M900 / VK combination. I've got pretty much the identical rig to RW1965 (I have the MNT variant of the VK cab) and in my case, two bands: also both non-metal. Although there have been 8 listings of DG M900s since Oct, which does make you step back and think, I guess the flip side is that ALL 8 have sold or been traded as of today, so clearly happy homes are being found for them as fast as they are coming up FS; and at second hand prices and nearly new condition certainly no regrets from me: I think mine may well last even longer in the Krow household than it did in Cuzzie's  

[Cuzzie]

@Al KrowGlad you like it Agent Zig zag.

i think you read too much into the frequency of stuff selling though, there have probably been about hundreds of Fender jazz basses up, there is some mark bass gear regularly there etc. does that mean they are poo?

Nah - some of them up for sale were duplicate or additional amps to existing set ups that people decided was not for them especially as they already had DG pedals in their set up so they kept pedals and moved amps. Some people rationalise consolidate and create funds for stuff.

Is DG/VK the holy grail? Dunno, but you like it.

its the same with all this best of stuff. Is my Hartke VXL the best pre-amp pedal out there?Probably not, but it’s best for what I like currently  and  it’s what’s best for each individual.

So if you are a true convert, you may go back to the DG thread I created where you accuse me of bilious vitriol against their product line (even though we have established it was only against price points, not what they are) and you can write a convert statement saying, “sorry I jumped on the bandwagon, I take it all back”

As for keeping it longer than I kept mine, well first i’d have to tell you how long I had it for exactly, but we all know what you are like with your sweeping statements....!

[Al Krow]

7 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

@Al KrowGlad you like it Agent Zig zag.

i think you read too much into the frequency of stuff selling though, there have probably been about hundreds of Fender jazz basses up, there is some mark bass gear regularly there etc. does that mean they are poo?

Nah - some of them up for sale were duplicate or additional amps to existing set ups that people decided was not for them especially as they already had DG pedals in their set up so they kept pedals and moved amps. Some people rationalise consolidate and create funds for stuff.

Is DG/VK the holy grail? Dunno, but you like it.

its the same with all this best of stuff. Is my Hartke VXL the best pre-amp pedal out there?Probably not, but it’s best for what I like currently  and  it’s what’s best for each individual.

So if you are a true convert, you may go back to the DG thread I created where you accuse me of bilious vitriol against their product line (even though we have established it was only against price points, not what they are) and you can write a convert statement saying, “sorry I jumped on the bandwagon, I take it all back”

As for keeping it longer than I kept mine, well first i’d have to tell you how long I had it for exactly, but we all know what you are like with your sweeping statements....!

Thank you Agent Big Hand. All good points. Actually my praise for DG is more nuanced as I've been trying to make clear (and btw your comments were a long way from being the most bilious on your thread!). Certainly no snake oil for sure, but if there was no microtubes on my DG M900 I would not be rushing out to buy (and probably will never be a fan of) a VMT, B3K, B7K or AO pedal. But that's cool right? We can admire some things greatly without having to admire everything without question e.g. I love my Mesa M6 Carbine a LOT - still my favourite amp by a country mile (which I'm guessing must be longer than a City mile?). But I'm not ever going to buy a Mesa D-800. Plenty of other folk will have and be very happy with their purchase.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Al Krow

[Cuzzie]

Yep all good big bad Bas, you know I support you all the way.

one pedal I will slightly differ on and support a bit more is the AO, I think actually it’s not a bad one at all for not losing the bottom end like the other distortion circuits can. It still not for me, as the others aren’t at this point in time.

i will say though that when you get going with the microtubes circuit, you may find you dial in a tiny soupson into the mix and it will cut nicely.

good luck in your gig tonight bro xx

[Al Krow]

On 21/11/2017 at 19:07, Kev said:

I have no experience with the combo, but I am almost certain it will just be the rackmountable version of the M6 in there and should be whipped out easily ; it's only usually cheaper combos that tend to have the head more built in. 

For some reason (probably because I got mine at an end of line discounted price) I had got in my head that my M6 combo was one of the "cheaper combos" you referred to. But reading back, I see you weren't meaning that at all, because there is no such thing as a cheap Mesa combo (even after discount)! So with a bit of gentle (and very patient) prodding from @krispn, I got my screwdriver out yesterday and, just as you said, it can be whipped out very easily! 

Edited October 12, 2018 by Al Krow

[three]

Aguilar DB750 is definitely the one to own for me - I'm on my third.  I prefer these to the 751 and can put up with the fan noise.  Way too heavy - mine is in a foamed rack on wheels.  A creation that sounds imperious in itself but takes external pres very well indeed (and this is a way to get around the noisy AU7 if you can't be bothered to change it).  I use mine mainly with a Hellborg pre as a front end.  Works beautifully with a Noble or a Millennia too, depending on what one wishes to achieve.  I use an SF2 as well but that's just nuts.  

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, three said:

Aguilar DB750 is definitely the one to own for me - I'm on my third.  I prefer these to the 751 and can put up with the fan noise.  Way too heavy - mine is in a foamed rack on wheels.  A creation that sounds imperious in itself but takes external pres very well indeed (and this is a way to get around the noisy AU7 if you can't be bothered to change it).  I use mine mainly with a Hellborg pre as a front end.  Works beautifully with a Noble or a Millennia too, depending on what one wishes to achieve.  I use an SF2 as well but that's just nuts.  

You have some amazing kit! I'm guessing you're in a band - if so what genre and what is the rest of your signal chain in terms of bass and cab? 

Interested that you clearly have a strong preference for the 750 over the 751. Any particular reason for that? 

[three]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

You have some amazing kit! I'm guessing you're in a band - if so what genre and what is the rest of your signal chain in terms of bass and cab? 

Interested that you clearly have a strong preference for the 750 over the 751. Any particular reason for that? 

I'm with a band just now (one that I was with years ago!), but work wherever it comes - mainly dep jobs and recording - fortunately, I enjoy playing across genres.  The pres are used mainly for recording (and I like having them around).  Until recently, I was working with Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the lure of exotic gear became great.  The preference for the 750 is mainly the tone stack - I know that the 751 is supposed to sport improvements, but for me (of course) it wasn't a positive change.  There was a slight cheapening of production too (though 751s remain superb amps).  The '50s scifi aesthetic is lovely on the 750 as well.  The one cab I have just now is a Berg hd210 (but as you can imagine, I've had all sorts from Cerwin Vega bins and 4x12s in the '70s and '80s through to di only in the 90s and 2000s).  Main gigging bass is a Spector Shorty (light and small) and main recording basses are a Status Series II (an old one) and an Alembic SCD...I like compact.  To be honest, in many situations, I just use house amps or take along a BAmp with the Berg - the Agi is extremely heavy (about 85lbs with the pre and the flight case).

[Dragonlord]

Used to have a Glockenklang Heart Rock which I loved, preferred it to the DB750 I had tried back then which sounded a bit wooly... but years went by and I didn't want to carry it any more. I tried some of the newer class D Glocks but they felt like a clear downgrade. Got a Bergantino B|Amp as my last attempt at class D and wow. Still love it after a year+. Not exactly better than the Heart Rock, but a worthy replacement for me tone-wise, plus the weight and versatility/various options are delicious. No amp GAS after that. Just cab GAS 😅 - which, after a small journey with Aguilar, Vanderkley and Bergantino, seems to also have been cured after I got an Audiokinesis TC212. I'm very happy with this setup. Broke, but happy!

[Al Krow]

That's not going to be the least bit helpful for @bassfan to hear, who currently has a very bad case of Berg BiAmp GAS...Status GAS...I guess just all round expensive GAS 😄

Nice post, btw - thanks.

[paul_5]

Ampeg SVP Pro preamp into an SVP1500 power amp. 

Weighed as much as a small horse, but my god! what a sound.

I still use an SVP preamp but into a more sensible power amp.