What kind of amp do you guys play out of?

[Raffaele Calegari]

Hi all!
I actually use a Walter Woods blue light and an Ampeg 4x10HE, but i am evaluating to switch to bergantino EX112..
After 15 years of amateur gigs my back wants some relief!

[Roger Vaughan]

Just for fun, in light of what's on display here, I'm posting my humble dog-eared rig:

The gig-rig is...
-ART Tube EQ (preamp);
-Crest FA 1201 (power amp);
-Avatar 210 NEO, 4 ohms;
-EV B-115 cab, BW 1504-8 ohm loaded (needs to be a 1504-4 ohm, but it works);

The rock band (read: "Garage-Level Punk band") rig is...
-Peavey Mark III head;
-2x Peavey 115BX/BW cabs, BW 1502-8 loaded (need to change these to 1504-4, to get the most out of the Peavey MK III Battle-Axe).

(Playing a Smith Burner CR4, Godin A4 fretless, Squier Classic Vibe 50's P-Bass and Peavey Dyna-Bass Unity according to the mood of the evening and ferociousness- or not!- of the set list.)

I'm more into "Thump" than nuance/high freq's, so I've kept my amp expenses down to a minimum- seems to work that way, and frankly it's necessary at this point. But I love the feel and play of the Smith Burner- and it looks cool! It has a classic 'mojo' going on somehow, in a Post-Fender Era kind of way. So in this way I'm "wasting" the Smith on this old funky gear, but it works for me.

[Dave Martin]

Compared to you guys (at least the last half dozen posts), I'm really a slacker. I tend to use an SWR Super Redhead for both electric and upright bass. No outboard preamps, no cool effects - just an old, beat up amp. I took an Eden Metro out on an upright and an electric gig this week, but it didn't do it for me on either. If I thought that 30 watts of pure tube power would work, I'd start taking my old B15 out on all my gigs, but as soon as a drummer enters the equation, the B15 loses...

[Roger Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Dave Martin

Compared to you guys (at least the last half dozen posts), I'm really a slacker. I tend to use an SWR Super Redhead for both electric and upright bass. No outboard preamps, no cool effects - just an old, beat up amp. I took an Eden Metro out on an upright and an electric gig this week, but it didn't do it for me on either. If I thought that 30 watts of pure tube power would work, I'd start taking my old B15 out on all my gigs, but as soon as a drummer enters the equation, the B15 loses...

Nothing wrong with an old beat up amp! Doesn't the SWR do it for you? Man, I'd use that Super Redhead with an extension cab- maybe a Bag-End SD-15. Done deal.

I'm only using the outboard EQ and power amp because they were available cheap. I'd love an SWR Bassic 350 head and Goliath II cab- or a Bag End. But I'm building a Bill Fitzmaurice Omni 15 Tallboy cab this spring, and at that point will look for a head in earnest, probably give up the Crest poweramp. Simple is really the way to go for amps, for me. I don't like having a lot of pieces of gear.

[Dave Martin]

Originally Posted by Roger Vaughan

Nothing wrong with an old beat up amp! Doesn't the SWR do it for you? Man, I'd use that Super Redhead with an extension cab- maybe a Bag-End SD-15. Done deal.

I'm only using the outboard EQ and power amp because they were available cheap. I'd love an SWR Bassic 350 head and Goliath II cab- or a Bag End. But I'm building a Bill Fitzmaurice Omni 15 Tallboy cab this spring, and at that point will look for a head in earnest, probably give up the Crest poweramp. Simple is really the way to go for amps, for me. I don't like having a lot of pieces of gear.

An extension cabinet? Jeez - one of my complaints about the Super Redhead is its weight!

Actually, If I just replaced the wheels, the SWR would still be good for the electric bass work that I do (with an extension cabinet for the loudest gigs), but for the upright stuff, I'm not completely satisfied with the sound I'm getting from the SWR.

[Roger Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Dave Martin

An extension cabinet? Jeez - one of my complaints about the Super Redhead is its weight!

Actually, If I just replaced the wheels, the SWR would still be good for the electric bass work that I do (with an extension cabinet for the loudest gigs), but for the upright stuff, I'm not completely satisfied with the sound I'm getting from the SWR.

Have you tried standing the SWR on it's side? Word has it that speakers arranged in a vertical orientation will give up a more 'hearable' sound, and a little more of it. Dunno, just a thought. That and an EQ tweak might bring the right noise.