matt_logic Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 One these days I will be upgrading from my hartke stack to something that has more bump and volume. So Ampeg and Mesa make great bass amps...and I just cant decide between the 2... You know...when you squint your eye a bit and close your other one it looks like everything is in wide screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Originally posted by matt_logic: So Ampeg and Mesa make great bass amps...and I just cant decide between the 2... I didn't realise there were only two manufacturers of great bass amps... Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siggimund Blue Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Well they're both awesome rigs - But have you tried out some other manufacturers e.g Ashdown or Aguilar? I have a Ashdown 400 head and 2x10 + 4x10 it sounds massive! If I had the need for a new rig I think I would go for a Aguilar rig - serious amplification.. Just my humble thoughts Once you're lost in twillights blue you don't find your way the way finds you My Band: http://www.vanityfair.dk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenstrum Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Originally posted by C. Alexander Claber: Originally posted by matt_logic: So Ampeg and Mesa make great bass amps...and I just cant decide between the 2... I didn't realise there were only two manufacturers of great bass amps... Alex Rubish!! Everyone knows there is only one! ampeg! AMPEG!!!!!!!!! Tenstrum "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Harry Dresden, Storm Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Hey Tenstrum - take that tongue out of your cheek. Matt_logic - We'd be interested in knowing what amps you have available at local retailers, and what amps you have heard in clubs that are not locally available. For example - maybe only Mesa and Ampeg are in your stores, but you heard a band/bassist with an Eden rig. Tell us what you like about the sounds that you hear. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric VB Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 I played a friend's Mesa combo 2x12 w/a Mesa 4x12 cab. It was nice because it was (1) louder than a Peavey TNT100, and (2) the combo was angled so some of my sound was directed to my ear and didn't just roll past my ankles like normal. However, it was a heavy bugger (and I only ever tried to lug the combo around). The worst part was that the tubes hung upside down and would eventually vibrate loose during playing. It was never fun to have to reach behind the combo and tighten all 4 HOT tubes. (and they were still hot even if you let them cool for a bit.) The 4x12 cab sounded great with my Hartke head, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Originally posted by matt_logic: One these days I will be upgrading from my hartke stack to something that has more bump and volume. So Ampeg and Mesa make great bass amps...and I just cant decide between the 2... You might want to keep the Hartke head and carry that around to check it out on another cabinet. SWR and Eden come to mind, as do Acme, Aguilar, Bergentino...* a friend of mine picked up a Carvin 4x10 (with horn) and says I HAVE to check this combination out. I ran into the same thing in my guitar days. Lots of tube heads and some solid-state heads sounded great on a Marshall 4x10" angle cabinet where they blew chunks on their own namesakes. I'd have to say the cabinet/speaker combo has a lot to do with better sound. Never hurts to have backup gear just in case... * (from "Star Trek: First Contact") "So much for the Enterprise E." -- Beverly Crusher "We barely knew her." -- Picard "Think they'll build another?" -- Crusher "There are plenty of letters left in the alphabet." -- Picard to Beverly after they and Worf start the auto-destruct sequence on the Enterprise E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenstrum Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Whose kidding around??? Give me an A! Give me an M! Give me a P! Give me an E! Give me a G! What's that spell???????? Incredible freaking sound!!! I do seriously recommend Ampeg. Especially if you are going to be playing rock. And from the 2 choices that you've listed it kinda sounds like you are going that way. Tenstrum "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Harry Dresden, Storm Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basskickerboy Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Originally posted by Fred the bass player: Originally posted by matt_logic: [qb] * (from "Star Trek: First Contact") "So much for the Enterprise E." -- Beverly Crusher "We barely knew her." -- Picard "Think they'll build another?" -- Crusher "There are plenty of letters left in the alphabet." -- Picard to Beverly after they and Worf start the auto-destruct sequence on the Enterprise E Was that from the one with the Borgs? That was a pretty good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 Originally posted by Basskickerboy: Was that from the one with the Borgs? That was a pretty good one. Yes it was. Some say it was the LAST good Star Trek film, myself included. More to the point, there are more good bass cabinet makers out there than there are letters in the alphabet. The choices out there are awesome compared to what was available a generation or two ago. And my back is grateful for it. Coming around full cirle, here's a quote from "ST3: The Search for Spock" that I feel applies to amplifier design in general: "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." - Scotty about the USS Excelsior. (isn't there a book out there called "I Learned Everything I Know Watching Star Trek"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTRBass Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 The AMPEG's rock. The new Fender Bassman 400 heads aren't half bad either. Just swapped out my Hartke 7000 heads for Ampeg SVT III Pro's. Couldn't be happier. I looked at the Ashdown stuff. Quite good, but a bit overpriced IMHO. They remind me of Trace Elliot. I thought about Aguilar, but too heavy and too expensive. The SWR and Eden stuff is great if you're looking for a real clean tone. I'm looking for that classic SVT character & reliability, which is why I got rid of the Hartke's. (That said, I do have an old SWR workingman's combo that I use for certain things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 If you want to Rock: Read Purity Crest CA6 Bergantino NV610 (and NV215 if you're feeling silly) Or for the all-tube thang: Vintage Ampeg SVT Bergantino NV610 Why the NV610? Lighter louder clearer deeper than ye olde SVT810 but with all that punchy growly thumpy old school sealed tens goodness. A-M-P-E-G it's just five letters, a lot of history, a wodge of different owners, and a whole pile of amps that claim to be the same as the original monsters but aren't. And the fortunate position to be showcased on every big stage from East to West. Do you want to pay for every Ampeg endorser that's getting their rig for nothing? Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverm3 Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 I've got the Mesa M-Pulse 600 with a 2x10 and a 1x15 cab. The sound is huge and great. I love it. However, I was also looking at the Ampegs. I played a gig with a svt-4 out of a 8x10 cab and it sounded incredible. If you've already narrowed your options to those 2 manufacturers, I'd seriously try to get them next to eachother and plug in at the same shop to compare. To me, they both sound so good I still find myself questioning whether I should have gotten an Ampeg - Although I still think I chose right. Its a tough choice with all the great stuff out there in that price range. Good dillema to be in though brother! I can hardly suspect that you can go wrong with either. If you get one and decide that you want something different, at least both hold value well and the resale should be easy. Good luck my Mesa Boogie Gear for sale on Craigslist.com chicago http://chicago.craigslist.org/msg/125111811.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenstrum Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 Originally posted by C. Alexander Claber: A-M-P-E-G it's just five letters, a lot of history, a wodge of different owners, and a whole pile of amps that claim to be the same as the original monsters but aren't. And the fortunate position to be showcased on every big stage from East to West. Do you want to pay for every Ampeg endorser that's getting their rig for nothing? Alex And its not just for breakfast anymore! Not too crazy about Ampeg heads, but I really do believe that with Ampeg cabinets, you get what you pay for. I've tried many cabinets and nothing quite compares to that robust Ampeg sound. As far as price goes, I picked up a brand new Ampeg SVT-HEN 4x10 for $389 US dollars... It's all about where you shop baby! Tenstrum "Paranoid? Probably. But just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face." Harry Dresden, Storm Front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mongorilla Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I've had my Mesa 400+ for 13 years now, and I've never had any problem with the performance even agains two guitar players with Marshall stacks in a high volume metal band. As the Ampeg SVT2, it is all tubes, except the 400+ has 12 6L6 tubes (500W) and the SVT2 has 6 6550 (300W). For a defined low B you need a serious amp, but for a standard 4 string, hybrid's (tube preamp/ mosfet power) will perform well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Originally posted by mongorilla: ...except the 400+ has 12 6L6 tubes (500W) and the SVT2 has 6 6550 (300W).Twelve 6L6 tubes = a bit less than 300W on a good day. Six 6550 tubes = closer to 300W than 12 6L6 can manage. Originally posted by mongorilla: For a defined low B you need a serious amp, but for a standard 4 string, hybrid's (tube preamp/ mosfet power) will perform well IME, the cabinet makes much more difference than the amp. But if you want to get loud and defined, a large wodge of solidstate power will get you further than an equal weight of tube power (predominantly because you can get 10 times the power for the same weight and price with SS as with tubes). Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloclo Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 well, if you ask the question i'll give my opinion: Ampeg Marvelas Something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzilla Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I'll add fuel to the fire: Nothing against Ampeg per se, though I've played a few heads that I didn't like. Yes, they are "industry standard" and usually live up to their legend (speakers, at least). But I do prefer the Mesa's. ESPECIALLY the heads. I've played M400's, M-Pulse 600, and even the Walkabout; I'm impressed with their versatility in tone shaping, and just their flat sound, as well. Haven't played their Powerhouse cabinets, but they look like a well-designed and functioning series. "Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion) NEW band Old band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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