bass amps

[i love everyone]

so my friends and i are trying to start a sludge band (ala Corrupted, Sunn 0))), Neurosis, etc), which is basically very very slow and very very heavy. anyway, we just started practicing with bass, but it feels like the bass is kind of lacking in the mix, like it doesn't add that thunderous, bowel-shattering low end we're looking for. once it gets to the point where it sounds like it could be good, the amp starts clipping and it all just gets ugly.

anywho, i was wondering what we could do about this to give the bass some serious bass, the kind that makes your body vibrate even if you aren't near the amp, because it's got to stack up against 2 full stacks on guitars. we probably have enough money between the four of us to replace the weakest link in the chain, whether that's the amp or the cab. right now we have an old Peavey 215D cab with brand new 350-watt Black Widows in it, and a 1980's Peavey Mark VI 250-watt head that we bought for our last band when we were in kind of a jam after our previous bass head blew up.

i'm thinking a more modern, higher-wattage amp would do the trick (i've been looking at a 1000-watt Ampeg that's on sale for $500 at the local used music store), but do you think the cab itself is just not made for putting out that huge bass like, say, an 8x10 cab would be? what do you guys think?

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: bass amps

The Peavey Mark heads are nice pieces of gear, but I think they're a little more polite than you're looking for. I would suggest looking at something with tubes and likely from the 70's where they typically made them ungodly loud. If you can afford a vintage SVT then you'll be all set.

 

[James Rock]

Re: bass amps

Look at some Ampeg stuff even just the hybrid stuff.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: bass amps

believe it or not, a 4x10 would probably put out more lows

reason being 15's kind of tend to fart out at a certain point, like the lows just get... too low. They do sound a lot darker but 10's can get more thunderous

tried just picking up an EQ?

 

[ModestCargo]

Re: bass amps

believe it or not, a 4x10 would probably put out more lows

reason being 15's kind of tend to fart out at a certain point, like the lows just get... too low. They do sound a lot darker but 10's can get more thunderous

tried just picking up an EQ?

He's right.

I find 10s "flap out" as well but at higher volumes than a single 15".

For me nothing beats 2x12"s for bass.

Except maybe three or four 12"s

 

[jeremy]

Re: bass amps

the cab sounds fine, get a better head. im a huge ampeg fan

 

[baritone]

Re: bass amps

When playing along with full stacks, a bass amp needs to be really loud.

 

[ModestCargo]

Re: bass amps

When playing along with full stacks, a bass amp needs to be really loud.

Unless the guys with the full stacks have dynamics or control.

And if the bass player can't keep up, maybe *don't use full stacks*?

 

[baritone]

Re: bass amps

Yeah, I'm not big into high-volume playing, but a lot of people are. My 35-watt head with either my 2x12 or 4x10 is too much for my weekend jams at people's houses.

 

[Hoss]

Re: bass amps

it's really, really hard to beat an ampeg...i mean there's other good stuff out there...genz-benz, gallien-kruger, Eden, etc...but a good ampeg and say a 4x10/1x15 stack is perfect!

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: bass amps

If you can't hold your own with a 1x15 combo amp with 200-300 watts, then the band is too stinking loud.

These guys don't know much about DOOM or sludge...hahaha

The rule of thumb with guitar and bass is you want your bass amp to be at least twice as powerful in wattage than your guitar amps...so you're probably just barely making it with the head you've got now.

I'd get a 4x10 and use it in conjunction with the 15"...best of both worlds until you can get something bigger and DOOMier.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: bass amps

The rule of thumb with guitar and bass is you want your bass amp to be at least twice as powerful in wattage than your guitar amps...so you're probably just barely making it with the head you've got now.

Actually, if you want any headroom at all you're going to want it four times rather than just two. A 400 watt bass amp head versus a 100 watt guitar amp.

This is the only formula I could find I was able to keep up in my old band with a 100 watt Mesa head. and 4 x 12 cab.

 

[i love everyone]

Re: bass amps

i was thinking more in the 800-1000-watt range. i tried out a used Ampeg B4 in 4 ohms bridged mode (1000 watts) today and it sounded good, but it crapped out in the store while i was trying it. hopefully the store will fix it, because i was very much digging it.

 

[jeremy]

Re: bass amps

i have an ampeg svt 5 pro which is about 1000w rms, great amp that does everything i could ever need it to do

 

[baritone]

Re: bass amps

Ampegs with 8x10 cabs are pretty popular with the bands around Las Vegas.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: bass amps

I don't know if any of the three of these that were built are left, but if there were one, it'd make your bandmates' full stacks sound like combos.

:nana:

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: bass amps

Now THAT is DOOM!!

 

[i love everyone]

Re: bass amps

Ampegs with 8x10 cabs are pretty popular with the bands around Las Vegas.

yeah, i wish i could afford to get rid of the 2x15 too and get that setup...from what i've seen it's a pretty standard LOUD setup everywhere.

 

[Rich_T]

Re: bass amps

You want something vintage with valves for the sound you are going for. Hybrids and SS amps aren't very popular in the doom world. Something like an ampeg SVT or V4 would probably do the job nicely. An old Sound City head would probably do the trick too.

 

[Imp]

Re: bass amps

just pick up a Mark VIII peavey if you can.. i can't get over how good mine sounds and i paid £80!

i've never plugged into a 15 inch speaker and chosen it a second time. i run a heavy 2x10 - that focus and tightness is really important to me - and it still rumbles like all mother of hell!