Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Best solid state head you've had


la bam

Recommended Posts

22 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

If we're widening the net then M-Pulse 600 with Walkabout a hair's breadth behind.

Oooo, yeah - this, but reversed, with the M-Pulse 360 in third; with a couple of efficient cabs, I never really had any power/volume issues...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Muzz said:

Oooo, yeah - this, but reversed, with the M-Pulse 360 in third; with a couple of efficient cabs, I never really had any power/volume issues...

The M-Pulse got it because it's the more powerful head and powered my stage rig. The Walkabout is mainly my recording/rehearsal amp. The eq sections are near identical of course.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure if I'm ever in the position again of needing big stage power (tho the Walkabout with two BF cabs goes ear-protection loud), or even if I had some spare cash to indulge myself,  I'd have another M-Pulse - that bit more cleaner headroom would do it...

Sadly, with things as they are, that may be a good way away... 😕

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know what? My Eden Nemesis 650w was probably my favourite. Back when I was gigging a lot and on proper stages it travelled all over the country with me. 

Incredible tone controls and a wonderful sound through old school 8x10 cab. This was back before the days of multiple basses, new strings and such! It still sounded great. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, stewblack said:

You know what? My Eden Nemesis 650w was probably my favourite. Back when I was gigging a lot and on proper stages it travelled all over the country with me. 

Incredible tone controls and a wonderful sound through old school 8x10 cab. This was back before the days of multiple basses, new strings and such! It still sounded great. 

I actually wouldn’t hesitate to buy an old NA320 or 650 just for nostalgia reasons. Really very good amplifiers and completely solid state/class AB. If I could find one and the price was right of course 😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Merton said:

I actually wouldn’t hesitate to buy an old NA320 or 650 just for nostalgia reasons. Really very good amplifiers and completely solid state/class AB. If I could find one and the price was right of course 😂

I sold mine, convinced that I was fully committed to the Class D revolution. The NA650 was old tech and way too heavy. 

I subsequently bought an SVT. 

🤦🏼‍♂️ 

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me I would go with the Thunderfunk 550B Model. Had also the 750a but somehow I liked the 550 better for its tight lows. Unfortunately Dave has retired and is no longer making them. The amp has always been reliable except it needed yearly input cleaning. Very punchy and Transparent. The EQ was excellent. At  20 pounds it was easy to carry.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/10/2020 at 14:09, SzunaP said:

Wow,  that would be much interested I think!!  Lovely!! What year built, S/N does it have?

 

On 26/10/2020 at 05:11, stewblack said:

I sold mine, convinced that I was fully committed to the Class D revolution. The NA650 was old tech and way too heavy. 

I subsequently bought an SVT. 

🤦🏼‍♂️

 

SVT that is a difference from the class D. But it sounds incredible..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mazdah said:

100% Solid stare: AMP BH-420, which is also the best solid state amp ever created (Thunderfunk I consider as the same amp, with tweaks).

hybrid: I think I loved my SVT-3PRO, my ABM300 and currently I love my SWR PB-200. 

I agree I think all of the Thunderfunk models were great. Made extremely well.  The 420 were the early one's. He continued the AMP Gibson who bought out AMP in 88 I think. When thunderfunk bought them out around 2000. He made them better and improved the sound. AMP was a few members from SWR who designed it so it had a little bit of SWR in it. And a lot of EDEN. SWR and EDEN never liked each other when SWR pulled away from EDEN who was making their cabinets. That's why EDEN came out with the David series while SWR had the Goliath. Get the resemblance? David and Goliath. Sorry for getting away to far from the amps. But again I really liked Thunderfunk.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 06/11/2020 at 14:57, 4&5 String said:

I agree I think all of the Thunderfunk models were great. Made extremely well.  The 420 were the early one's. He continued the AMP Gibson who bought out AMP in 88 I think. When thunderfunk bought them out around 2000. He made them better and improved the sound. AMP was a few members from SWR who designed it so it had a little bit of SWR in it. And a lot of EDEN. SWR and EDEN never liked each other when SWR pulled away from EDEN who was making their cabinets. That's why EDEN came out with the David series while SWR had the Goliath. Get the resemblance? David and Goliath. Sorry for getting away to far from the amps. But again I really liked Thunderfunk.

I know that story :) To be honest, I was so hooked up by that when I got my AMP few years ago, that I end up with corresponding stack: 

AMP-BH-420
SWR PB-200 - first SWR model, unfortunately mine is a little older - from 1987
Eden D-410T - "original David" - unfortunately newer one - with golden horn and plastic recessed handles. There is one older - looking just like Goliath - dirt cheap nearby, but the thing is so damn heavy, that I won't be able to take two to the gigs :(
SWR Goliath JR II - I'm afraid not many original " Made by Eden Goliaths I" survived to this day. 

This setup made me ultra happy and ultra worried at the same time. The amps are perfectly serviceable nowadays, but there is no way to find replacement speakers or recone parts so I must be careful :(  

No gigs in the future because of the covid outbreak, so I took them all home, to make neighbors mad... ;)
Dragging 40,5kg Eden to the fourth floor almost killed me. 

 

 

A4BBA531-FBA0-43B8-AD48-5ADEB1840E4A_1_201_a.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, it's the Ashdown ABM600 evo iv.

So much power. So much versatility. And a nice manageable weight too.

Best advice I got was spend time learning what each eq slider does, and give it a name for easy reference.

Was so interesting to see that the 100hz slider induces so much more what we call 'bass' than the actual bass knob.

You can make the amp sound however you want, and easily adjust the sliders for a quick on stage fix.

The preshape (for me) definitely needs turning off (button IN) and then it really opens up.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, la bam said:

For me, it's the Ashdown ABM600 evo iv.

So much power. So much versatility. And a nice manageable weight too.

Best advice I got was spend time learning what each eq slider does, and give it a name for easy reference.

Was so interesting to see that the 100hz slider induces so much more what we call 'bass' than the actual bass knob.

You can make the amp sound however you want, and easily adjust the sliders for a quick on stage fix.

The preshape (for me) definitely needs turning off (button IN) and then it really opens up.

Agree, I went and bought another one yesterday, I just missed my ABM600 too much. It has so much flexibility and yes, that 100hz slider has much more control over the bottom end. Similarly I find that the 5Khz slider has more effect on the top end than the actual treble knob.

Just waiting for Black Friday or Xmas sales for the Neo cabs to come down a bit, will be nice to have an ABM set up that I can carry easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Agree, I went and bought another one yesterday, I just missed my ABM600 too much. It has so much flexibility and yes, that 100hz slider has much more control over the bottom end. Similarly I find that the 5Khz slider has more effect on the top end than the actual treble knob.

Just waiting for Black Friday or Xmas sales for the Neo cabs to come down a bit, will be nice to have an ABM set up that I can carry easily.

Nice one Lozz!

I have the rack version - love it.

It may sound weird too, but I've found putting the 3 right of mid sliders near fully up gives it a real valve amp sound somehow. I need to test that in a band setting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Just waiting for Black Friday or Xmas sales for the Neo cabs to come down a bit, will be nice to have an ABM set up that I can carry easily.

I've just looked on the Ashdown site, and the Neo cabs are discontinued?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahhh, the catchily-named ABM-112H-EVO IV-PRO NEO...can't think why I missed it...😁

The description is peppered with terrible grammar and looks like it's the same as the 210, but the 12" cab is apparently 'sealed to deliver powerful attack and clear definition as well as lower bass frequencies.', which seems...interesting...hmmmm...

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a long time I had a Laney Probass, just 150W and in many ways a Trace Elliot rip-off but actually with more knobs and three effects loops (count 'em!) Still got it and it only let me down once (at a practice). This is actually the same (model) of amp that Krist Novoselic used on Bleach.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...