Advice re amplification

[David Burgess (dnburgess)]

I have just started playing bass seriously again. My 1990 Alembic plays beautifully but I need to update my amplification.
 
Is it possible to get by with a really good combo amp (DI'ing for larger gigs)? If so, what do people recommend?
 
Alternatively, what is a good pre + power amp + speaker combination - once again seeking to minimise size & weight?

[Matt Bulmer (prime)]

I use a SWR Workingman's 15 for my combo. It has a some nice features for a combo, especially at the price (you can get it under $550 at most places), and it sounds great.
 
Grab the specs at
 
http://www.swrsound.com/products/wmseries/wm15.html
 
Pay no attention to the MSRP. I got it from Guitar Center for like 549.
 
Matt

[Jerome Edwards (jerome)]

Well I play a MK Signature deluxe 3 weeks old . For amplfication I use a three cabinet setup,Goush 15 spkr. in a hartke cabinet,then 4 10 aluminum spkrs.(hartke 4x10 console)and on top I use hartke 4x5 console( 4 5 aluminum spkrs.) crown pt1.1 power amp hartke 4000 head and peavy crossover...........Killer sound ,at low volume levels the low end cuts like a knife and the high end is crisp and sharp..I belive in giving God my best when I minister through music.
 
(Message edited by jerome on January 13, 2003)

[Jerome Edwards (jerome)]

Well I play a MK Signature deluxe 3 weeks old . For amplfication I use a three cabinet setup,Goush 15 spkr. in a hartke cabinet,then 4 10 aluminum spkrs.(hartke 4x10 console)and on top I use hartke 4x5 console( 4 5 aluminum spkrs.) crown pt1.1 power amp hartke 4000 head and peavy crossover...........Killer sound ,at low volume levels the low end cuts like a knife and the high end is crisp and sharp..I belive in giving God my best when I minister through music.

[Adriaan Simons (adriaan)]

The SWR Workingman's 15 is probably very good - I know I like the WM 12 a lot, which has a 12 speaker and 120W power amp (140W with extension cab).
 
The midrange control on the WM 12 is just +/- 12 dB whereas the WM 15 has an additional pot for setting the center frequency (but the fixed frequency on the WM12 is just fine).
 
On the WM12, don't be afraid to turn up the master volume, keeping the gain at 7.
 
I was going to check out the SWR Baby Baby Blue: 120W, 10 with a horn and a full parametric mid section, but it's not in my budget range. I loved the original Baby Blue (now Baby Blue II) which has two 8 woofers and a cone tweeter but it wasn't very loud for its 160 watts - must be the effenciency of the speakers.
 
They're now also selling a Workingman's version of the classic 2x10 Redhead combo, if you're looking for that type of sound.
 
On any SWR amp, do not set the aural enhancer to anything above 9 o'clock unless your strings are very dull - too much of the effect will ruin your low-end definition and will add a lot of fuzziness to the sound.
 
Also, I notice that sound engineers don't really like the DI on an SWR - it can be pretty noisy, so they usually have you plug into one of their DI boxes and run the instrument out into the bass amp.

[Jonathan Johnstone (stoney)]

Hey David, Welcome to the club.  Check out the discussion under Miscellaneous: Eden vs. SWR.  There's a lot of input there.  How about posting a pic of your '90 Alembic under the Introductions?

[David Burgess (dnburgess)]

Thanks everyone for the input - especially the reference to the Eden vs SWR thread - I knew there must have been a discussion like that somewhere here.
 
After much research the choices for me seem to revolve around Acme or Euphonics speakers (maybe the Euphonics combo). Amplification still seems uncertain - Eden / SWR / GK appear front runners amongst the bass specialists - or a pre / power combo with an Alembic pre-amp.

[Brian Ceasar (bbe1020)]

Hello David and welcome to the club. I noticed in your profile that you play a series bass. Well with that in mind I recommend purchasing an ALEMBIC pre-amp, either a F-1X or F-2B. Then for some REAL fun you can add a superfilter!
I use a CREST AUDIO FA-1201 power amp in my setup, and I've had it for more than six years. It's an EXCELLENT power amp and quite versatile too...
   

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi David,
 
welcome also from my side.
I agree with Brian for the pre-amp and filter thing: the Alembic products are great also in that department.
Anyway: it's the direction I'm heading to. I started once a thread on Poweramps and maybe you can check also that part.
Brian: I had e-mail contact with the Crest-Audio people. They are very friendly. They noticed that the FA-1201 is not in production anymore but there is new model. Unfortunately I got a e-mailer-problem lately and all my messages are gone (*sigh*) so I can't check the type.
Also the QSC-people are very co?perative.
Take care!
Paul

[Joey Wilson (bigredbass)]

I'd experiment with combos, THEN try a preamp/power amp combination with a similar cabinet.  Try a Super RedHead, then try a pre/power package with a Goliath Jr.
 
I say this because to my ears, ALL the combos have a sound and feel that is just different than a pre/power package.  
 
To me, the pre/power packages are always noticeably cleaner.  And sometimes they are just TOO clean and transparent for some people.  Dedicated bass amps (the combos) always have a pinch of distortion built in.  Not the Marshall stack distortion, but enough in a small percentage that most people will hear it  as 'warmth'.  But compared with typical power-amp specs, it's a noticeable difference if you compare them side by side.
 
One's not better than the other.  It's just a difference in tone irrespective of the brand.  It's a difference in tone due to two different types of equipment.
 
Aside from that, a rack system does allow separate components for each link in your sonic chain, at the cost of portability, simplicity, etc.  On the other hand, selecting each piece of a rack system is much harder than just buying a combo or stack.  
 
I promise you, your ears WILL tell you:  A fliptop, tube Ampeg will NOT sound the same as an F2B, a Crown D75, and a single 15 cabinet.  The great thing is that YOU decide what's best for you !

[Jazzy Vee (jazzyvee)]

Dave, if you are looking for a great sound and portability. Can I recommend you try out the Mesa Boogie M-Pulse Walkabout. It's a hybrid Tube/Mosfet amp head which is quite small 12W x 12D x 3.5h weights in at only 13 pounds. Try it with one of their 2 X 10  and or 1 X 15 powerhouse cabs and see what you think.
Regardles of size and portability the sound it revealed from my Alembic was AMAZING.
Like you I'd been looking for a combo for portability but this combination is about the same size as a decent combo and after trying virtually all the bass rigs in the store both separates and combo's this was the sound that made my alembic SING like a Diva... :-)
 
I'm saving up my gig money for one at the moment.  
When it arrives my audiences will hear the full clarity of my 4 string Alembic bass playing mother plucking techniques. :-)
 

[David Burgess (dnburgess)]

Jazzy - I tried just such a combination (Mesa walkabout with Mesa 2 x 10) the other day. Unfortunately I didn't have my bass with me - but from what I could tell it sounded nicer than a humungous SWR amp running through the same speaker. The Mesa is amazingly small.
 
The salesman also showed me pictures of a new Mesa bass combo which is effectively their Mpulse 600 amp (which is more comprehensively featured than the Walkabout) and 2x10 in a single box. Would be an excellent combo, I'm sure, but hellishly expensive.
 
Based on my recent research, it seems that by the time you get into the size, COST & power of such a supercombo you may be better off with a separates setup based around compact speakers such as Acme or Euphonics.