New head for my Dr Bass 2460

[ryan0583]

Hey. I've recently invested in a Dr Bass 2460, and I'm trying to decide on what head to pair it with. I reckon my options are:

* Eden WT550
* Genz Benz shuttle 6.0
* something by Mark Bass
* EA iamp 500/800

Basically i'm looking for something reasonably small, but with plenty of guts. I play a variety of music, from hip hop to funk to rock, so it needs to be versatile. I like the sound of both my main basses (Warwick thumb and G&L L2500) straight into my computer with headphones, so maybe the EA would be good since it's very transparent. I'm also favouring the eden and EA since they can do 2ohms, since the cab is 4ohms and I'll be able to add another later if I want to.

Advice/experience would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks,

Ryan.

Edited December 24, 2008 by ryan0583

[bass_ferret]

Thunderfunk ?

[Josh]

As a previous owner of both a Thumb bass and an Eden Wt550, I would strongly advise you don't go for the 550.

[d-basser]

EBS will do 2ohm as well. worth considering. the idea of a 2460D with my fafner is a tempting option

[Hamster]

My WT550 rocks - brilliant EQ

[Mr.T]

[quote name='Josh' post='363057' date='Dec 24 2008, 07:48 PM']As a previous owner of both a Thumb bass and an Eden Wt550, I would strongly advise you don't go for the 550.[/quote]

Why?
Say more....

[Josh]

[quote name='Mr.T' post='363150' date='Dec 24 2008, 11:49 PM']Why?
Say more....[/quote]

I bought a whole Eden rig ( 2 x XLT 4x10's and WT550) after reading countless reveiws and seeing and hearing various recordings of that very set up in action and was always impressed. To my ear it was the pure Gospel bass tone, Warm, Hi-Fi and sits above the mix with authority. Both my cabs were in great condition and had no faults at all, and the head worked perfectly.

At that time I was playing a 1999 Warwick Thumb BO (All wenge neck) and a 1990 Streamer Stage 1 (Modded with Nords), so already being pretty damn growly basses I was hoping for them to go with the rig perfectly. Boy was I wrong.

After figuring out all of the pull/push business (Which needs to be done everytime you switch the thing on!) I finally managed to change the EQ, every time I tried I could not achieve a sound remotely near what I had hoped. The only useable tone I got was a very farty like growl and that was only at the lowest volume, turning it up just made it become muddy and very harsh. The treble had no Hi-Fi qaulities to it at all, they just added to the harshness. The head was not able to drive the horns in either cab, both alone and together.

I tried 2 new sets of strings on both basses to see if that might of been the reason, but it didn't make any signifcant difference at all. I stuck with the head for a few months, in which I tried a few varied jams and I just got more and more irritated with it until I traded it for an EBS TD 650.

As soon as I hooked up the TD650 to the cabs the horns actually made their presence known and the warmth was right there, the Hi-Fi zing I was looking also was now much more apparent and basically the tone I had hoped for from the 550 was just oozing out of the EBS, and the clairty and volume were a major improvement as well.

Basically the 550 was a huge let down for me, it might of been a duff one but ultimatley it put me off Eden gear.

[ryan0583]

Cheers guys, good responses! I do like the sound samples that thunderfunk have got on their website, but that amp's expensive and I haven't seen any good deals on a second hand one. I'm only considering the eden and EA because I've seen them second hand for under 1K.

That's interesting about the eden. I'm kind of dissapointed since that was my front runner. The stuff you say about the sound is exactly the problem I've got with my current setup. Anyone else have any experience with it?

Thanks,

Ryan.

Edited December 27, 2008 by ryan0583

[warwickhunt]

I think that Michael 'WaterofTyne' has tried pairing his Mesa amp with the DR cabs to good effect (to the point where he has ordered the DR cabs IIRC). I'm sure there are others but you might want to drop Mark 'Marcus' a PM as he has plenty of experience with Eden and either recently owned (or still does own) DR cabs.

I can't comment on what might match well as I have no experience with the DR cabs though I have owned a pair of Markbass amps... but as amp/cab combinations are so idiosyncratic/personal my view of the MB amps is skewed by the cabs I had paired with them.

[BassBod]

I am a very happy EA500 user, and a former EdenWT300 user. Can't speak for the current WT550 version, but my 300 would go into thermal shutdown very quickly when given a 4ohm load. Also it does always sound "warm/dark" or whatever you choose to call it.

The EA500 has lots of power, the eq isn't as complicated as it looks and generally feels like a real improvement to me. I find it a lot easier to have a clean sound I can warm up with eq settings.

The other thing that always niggled me with the WT300 was the valve thing - I could never hear any difference If I changed the valve. With other amps (SWR, Alembic) I can hear some change. Nothing you'd notice in a gig setting, but a slight character change. I couldn't help thinking it was there for marketing rather than its contribution to the sound of the amp.

[bumnote]

[quote name='BassBod' post='364264' date='Dec 27 2008, 04:35 PM']The other thing that always niggled me with the WT300 was the valve thing - I could never hear any difference If I changed the valve. With other amps (SWR, Alembic) I can hear some change. Nothing you'd notice in a gig setting, but a slight character change. I couldn't help thinking it was there for marketing rather than its contribution to the sound of the amp.[/quote]

The pre amp valve used makes no difference,[someone told me all the electrical theory why it doesnt which I have forgotten] I like my WT 400, it is relaible and sounds great paired with over the period a 210xt with a 15
a 2x15 XLT and an ashdown 4x8 and a 1x15


The best thing to do is to go and try out a number of different amps. because no matter how hard people try to describe sound, it probably wont match up to the souind you hear in your head.

[Josh]

[quote name='bumnote' post='364281' date='Dec 27 2008, 05:01 PM']The best thing to do is to go and try out a number of different amps. because no matter how hard people try to describe sound, it probably wont match up to the sound you hear in your head.[/quote]

+1.

As I previously said, I was after the famed Gospel tone, which is almost bang on similar to what your after Ryan, and that is: Warm, Hi-Fi, Crisp and prominent in any live or recorded situation. I'd recommend an EBS HD350 because IMHO it does the Modern Gospel tone perfectly, yet they all prodominantly use Eden (Bar a select few) and SWR and in some cases Epifani.

If you want examples man just ask .

[BigRedX]

I now own Marcus' DR cabs.

They go very nicely with the Tech Soundsystems Black Cat I got from warwickhunt...

[johnnylager]

Hartke LH-1000. Lovely.

Edited December 27, 2008 by johnnylager

[bass_ferret]

[quote name='ryan0583' post='364142' date='Dec 27 2008, 01:19 PM']Cheers guys, good responses! I do like the sound samples that thunderfunk have got on their website, but that amp's expensive and I haven't seen any good deals on a second hand one. ...........snip[/quote]
Robbie at RIM Basses was doing the TF for £1050 so it might be worth dropping him a PM.