The tight percussive bass of a solid state amp!

[jerryjg]

Is there anything like it?
I was just getting this real tight and percussive bass sound on my old 80's little Peavey Envoy 110 practice amp this morning. Its got this tradtional bass rig type tight and solid ( not warm) bass with a lot of immidiacy in the note that I really dig. Its not like I dont have tube amps either- Ive got many and some good ones.
The clean treble sound isnt anything to brag about, but I think thats the fault of the amp. Ive got another little Yammie solid state that has very nice cleans(at low volume).
I can get somewhat of a similar bass sound with a tube amp and EV12l speakers, but its warmer . I think the 10" speaker in the little envoy may also have something to do with the sound.

 

[SpaceShipOne]

Re: The tight percussive bass of a solid state amp!

I like my tube amps now but I have yet to get as tight a sound out of em as I got outta that old Hughes and Kettner Attax halfstack. That thing would shake the floor on low volume.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: The tight percussive bass of a solid state amp!

My favorite metal tone ever was a Peavey Rockmaster tube preamp running into the front of a Roland JC-120 (solid state 2X12). My Jackson Dinky w/ EMG 81s into that thing was like Slayer, Pantera, and Machine Head all mixed up.

I really wish I still had that rig.... that tone was seriously all the best parts of all my favorite heavy tones. Peavey's active EQ controls are badass for that type of tone.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: The tight percussive bass of a solid state amp!

My favorite metal tone ever was a Peavey Rockmaster tube preamp...

I had one of those also, great preamp.

Jerry, the closest I have found to a happy medium between solid state and tube are some of Peavey's tube amps, like the Ultra series and the Triple X. They have a very tight, solid low end for a tube amp.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: The tight percussive bass of a solid state amp!

A tube amp is hard pressed to do that, particuarly at low or moderate volumes. At high volumes, tube amps tighten up quite a bit, but maybe not as much.

The tightness of a tube amp can be profoundly effected by the amount of filtering in the power supply. The greater the filtering and the more massive the power supply of a tube amp; the more tight it's response in many cases.

Another factor is the simple fact that the most common power tubes, such as the 6L6, EL34, and EL84 are not the tightest. The 6550 family of tubes are much tighter, but it still takes volume.

 

[kjrocks]

Re: The tight percussive bass of a solid state amp!

My old Fender Roc Pro can knock you off your feet.