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Post by 4trakheadstak on Jul 22, 2013 11:08:29 GMT -6
I have a 67 Ampeg B-15 with the Altec 421. I just don't see how it could get much better.
What does Lenny Kravitz use? I've heard it is a small tube amp and he runs it pretty quietly.
In addition, I've heard that he doesn't mic it up close like you would think but moves the mic to better capture the fundamental and makes up for the bottom loss with a low shelf eq.
Can anyone verify this or speak more about it?
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 22, 2013 11:12:47 GMT -6
Maybe a RI Sta-Level or original Gates...but that sounds pretty fantastic to me...I know a few session guys, maybe I can draw them in for discussion...
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rolffz
Full Member
"skrizziks"
Posts: 38 
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Post by rolffz on Jul 22, 2013 11:36:51 GMT -6
This is debateable. Ampeg SVT is always a charmer on rock tracks.
(sidebar trivia - EveAnna Manley's dad was the owner of Ampeg at one time?)
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Post by 4trakheadstak on Jul 22, 2013 11:44:06 GMT -6
The trouble with an SVT is the volume. If you don't have a big room that sounds good, there is a lot of power in the SVT that is just wasted. Turning a bass amp up loud in a small booth just makes everything fold in on it self it seems.
How do most people use an SVT? Loud? Big room or Small?
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 22, 2013 14:03:53 GMT -6
I usually just adjust the volume in my IK plugin...  (That was a joke, BTW) |
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Post by eltonsbass on Jul 22, 2013 18:10:37 GMT -6
I have not had a lot of luck with miking a bass cab and running a direct signal. it doesn't seem like a lot of the younger engineers in town here are very experienced with it. and there's never enough iso for a cab.
That said, I've had great results running my direct rig
And an SVT Heritage head though a Palmer PDI-03.
Gain on 9, bass on 1or 2, mid & treble flat, master volume on 2 or 3.
B-15 is the cats meow when it come to recording bass amps.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 22, 2013 18:18:47 GMT -6
Thanks, Elton! Here's a session guy that does it every day in town...
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Post by wreck on Jul 23, 2013 10:54:21 GMT -6
I track with a mid 70's B15N and used to track with an SVT Classic. The SVT was just too much for me. Studio rattle and lack of articulation in the notes when I wanted it led to DIing bass. Then I picked up the B15 and it really is a dream to play on as a bass player. The articulation of each note is excellent, very level signal up and down the neck and being able to track a great tone at lower volumes is a godsend. I think the first mic I ever stuck on it was an AT2020 and I liked the take so much I haven't even tried anything else. I do close mic the B15 with the 2020, but maybe a few inches off the grill. Each song has a sweet spot for bass and it's really easy for me to find it with the B15. I will say that I occasionally DI still. Sometimes it just sounds better for a song.
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Post by scumbum on Jul 23, 2013 11:05:11 GMT -6
Whats a good price for an Ampeg B-15 ?
And whats a good year to get , old vintage , or newer one ?
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Post by wreck on Jul 23, 2013 12:43:39 GMT -6
Mid 60's is really popular, but my mid 70's sounds amazing to me. I think they made the new Heritage series based on both the 64 and 66, so those years must be the golden years.
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Post by wreck on Jul 23, 2013 12:52:13 GMT -6
Forgot to chip in on price - I picked mine up for $750 with bad power tubes. Rough condition on outside and a high end speaker replacement inside. That was a retail purchase, so I paid premium for it I suspect.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jul 24, 2013 10:28:44 GMT -6
I have the new Ampeg BA-12, and the IK plug. I like their BA500 sim. I do love the B-15, but mainly for certain styles of music, Motown, Country ballads, Acoustic singer/songwriter, but for punch, it's a little mushy to me. Sometimes I mic the BA-12, and add some BA-500 in the channel strip. The best currently working bass player I know uses a Gallien-Kruger, but I don't know the model.
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 24, 2013 11:28:27 GMT -6
These boys are talking real-deal...above our ability level!  (Well, I should speak for myself.) |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jul 24, 2013 13:04:29 GMT -6
I'm with you J. I've worked with some of the worlds finest bass players. Busta Jones, John K, among others. They've played with David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Sparks, Chris Spedding, Brian Eno, David Byrne, Talking Heads, Gang Of Four. Don Henley, Barry Manilow, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Rolling Stones, and more. If I think on it, they sounded great on anything, but usually, if memory serves, it was an SVT. I wish I had them on my demos! My bass playing is less than adequate..
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Post by jimwilliams on Jul 30, 2013 10:43:46 GMT -6
Liked those in the early 1970's, until they blew up (everyone's else's amps were louder).
These days, not enought top end definition and nothing below 55 hz. They sound rather middy to me now. And those rattles, no good for recording with those problems
Played with a fellow with a SVT for years. One day we connected an outboard preamp to the power amp input jack. Then we heared all that deep low end the guitar preamps in the SVT roll off (at 90 hz according to my R/C calculations).
Yes, I've rebuilt it to get that missing depth, it was a PITA as I had to add additional B+ filter caps and resistors. The player ended up selling the head and he used an old beat up modified Sunn Colosium head I bought used for $125. That brain did an honest 40 hz, no problems. It beat bringing a Fluke meter to every gig to set bias on the SVT.
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Post by jimwilliams on Jul 30, 2013 10:45:57 GMT -6
Liked those in the early 1970's, until they blew up (everyone's else's amps were louder). These days, not enough top end definition and nothing below 55 hz. They sound rather middy to me now. And those rattles, no good for recording with those problems Played with a fellow with a SVT for years. One day we connected an outboard preamp to the power amp input jack. Then we heard all that deep low end the guitar preamps in the SVT roll off (at 90 hz according to my R/C calculations). Yes, I've rebuilt it to get that missing depth, it was a PITA as I had to add additional B+ filter caps and resistors. The player ended up selling the head and he used an old beat up modified Sunn Colosium head I bought used for $125. That brain did an honest 40 hz, no problems. It beat bringing a Fluke meter to every gig to set bias on the SVT. |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jul 30, 2013 12:17:42 GMT -6
I've seen ads for a Matchless bass amp for $5,000, I've always wondered if it was something amazing, or just hype.
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Post by tonycamphd on Jul 30, 2013 12:53:27 GMT -6
I've been bypassing my svt classic pre, and using...you guessed it, the CAPI Vp28, it sounds insane! Waaaaay more juicy than the built in svt pre. here's the chain, true 1972 jazz bass  - bo hansen DI-Capi Vp28-power amp in on the SVT. Make sure you turn the gain and fader on the vp28 all the way DOWN, plugging into the power amp in on the svt bypasses the svt front controls and turns the amp to 11! |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jul 30, 2013 15:49:06 GMT -6
cool
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Post by frans on Jul 31, 2013 6:52:42 GMT -6
Hiwatt DR103, Reeves area. Nothing I heard in more than 30 years beats it. Once, a modded Fender Blackface had similarities in tone, but was lacking headroom and "solidity"/impact. The Hiwatt is as solid as a good DI, but it can add compression, hair and crunch in whatever dose you need, while fully retaining its solid and fist-of-iron-boot-in-your-face tone.. and lowend. The thing missing from nearly all bass amps is much easier to catch with a D.I., and for clean tones I wouldn't bother. But anything beyond clean...
I've heard/used/recorded various Traynor, Fender, Marshall, Ashdown, Ampeg (original and newer SVTs), Eden, Aguilar, TraceElliot, Orange, Dynacord, Echolette, etc.etc.
You could come closer with a split: lowend from a DI, the rest into a Plexi. Funny enough, I find most tube bassamps dissapointing - maybe because I'm spoilt. Some transistor amps do at least the clean thing nice and okay, but nearly all (sans old Acoustic or the 80s-era Marshall) suck horribly at crunch. Some pedals where you have a mix know for clean through/ distortion can work okay into these amps.
But then again, concerning cabs - I like the early90s Trace Elliot 15" cabs (loaded with celestions) because they are LOUD and have a nice "cough" to them that is flattering to rock/punk/ styles. Had more luck with 15"s, found most 10"s to have their resonant frequency clash with lower root notes (eq till the cow comes home). Never recorded an 18" (shame on me...) but a few 12" work well - there was a company that built bassguitar bodys from some hi-tech granulate which made good cabs, but I don't remember their name right now.
At my place I can run a fullstack at 10 or a 8x10" from a SVT without bothering anyone, so I'm lucky.
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Post by matt on Jul 31, 2013 7:31:47 GMT -6
Hiwatt DR103, Reeves area. I have been exploring the use of guitar amps for bass, as well. Next I am going to try an Egnater Tweaker loaded w/El34s + DI. But I need a cabinet first, probably a 15-inch. Looking for an old Trace. It's funny, I sold music retail in the '80s and we had a mixed opinion of much of the gear made in those days - with exceptions, of course. Now much of that stuff is "collectible". Hmm. |
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Post by cenafria on Aug 2, 2013 1:17:35 GMT -6
The b15 is a great sounding amp, specially useful when recording an entire band in one room. It would be great to have one around. You can never have too many amps... A lot of bass players need more volume to feel comfortable, though. Most bands have bigger bass rigs. it's good to have some louder options available. In my world, it wouldn't be the best "all rounder". Maybe a blackface Bassman.
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Post by gouge on Aug 2, 2013 1:29:30 GMT -6
we use a musicman hd130 in the studio and it's excels on bass. the other amp I really liked was the jcm900.
the b15 is an amp i'd love but not gotten yet.
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Post by cenafria on Aug 2, 2013 1:43:21 GMT -6
Hiwatt DR103, Reeves area. Nothing I heard in more than 30 years beats it. Once, a modded Fender Blackface had similarities in tone, but was lacking headroom and "solidity"/impact. The Hiwatt is as solid as a good DI, but it can add compression, hair and crunch in whatever dose you need, while fully retaining its solid and fist-of-iron-boot-in-your-face tone.. and lowend. The thing missing from nearly all bass amps is much easier to catch with a D.I., and for clean tones I wouldn't bother. But anything beyond clean... I've heard/used/recorded various Traynor, Fender, Marshall, Ashdown, Ampeg (original and newer SVTs), Eden, Aguilar, TraceElliot, Orange, Dynacord, Echolette, etc.etc. You could come closer with a split: lowend from a DI, the rest into a Plexi. Funny enough, I find most tube bassamps dissapointing - maybe because I'm spoilt. Some transistor amps do at least the clean thing nice and okay, but nearly all (sans old Acoustic or the 80s-era Marshall) suck horribly at crunch. Some pedals where you have a mix know for clean through/ distortion can work okay into these amps. But then again, concerning cabs - I like the early90s Trace Elliot 15" cabs (loaded with celestions) because they are LOUD and have a nice "cough" to them that is flattering to rock/punk/ styles. Had more luck with 15"s, found most 10"s to have their resonant frequency clash with lower root notes (eq till the cow comes home). Never recorded an 18" (shame on me...) but a few 12" work well - there was a company that built bassguitar bodys from some hi-tech granulate which made good cabs, but I don't remember their name right now. At my place I can run a fullstack at 10 or a 8x10" from a SVT without bothering anyone, so I'm lucky. The vintage DR103 is an amazing amp for bass. The word "punchy" is overused, but, in this case... This thing will give you a bloody nose! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2013 10:08:44 GMT -6
I use a Sansamp DI, a clean DI and an SVT Classic profile on the KPA. I usually reamp the bass through a distorted guitar amp for a little bit of overdrive. Works well for me. Have a well set up bass and almost anything will sound good.
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(Well, I should speak for myself.)
- bo hansen DI-Capi Vp28-power amp in on the SVT. Make sure you turn the gain and fader on the vp28 all the way DOWN, plugging into the power amp in on the svt bypasses the svt front controls and turns the amp to 11!
