andydye

Well, the cat is very much among the pigeons now that I've tried the orange... AD200B through the OBC115, utterly jaw dropping tone with a usa p bass, mind numbingly terrifying amount of power! I really really want this rig! Powerscaling is totally essential though!! As a tiny test I turned the volume and gain up to 50% and lightly touched the strings, my chest felt like I'd been kicked, adrenaline rush from a bass rig! I turned it down to 1 after that and it still sounded beautiful, every note had gravity, clarity and a sweet sweet valvey goodness! Yes it might be as heavy as a small moon and the cab is only slightly lighter but... I'm in love with its sound and that has never happened to me with bass gear before!

[quote name='Ray-kwen-do' timestamp='1387531637' post='2312923'] Hey guys. I'm looking for a new bass overdrive pedal to upgrade to from my Boss ODB-3. I have been reading up on the Bass Big Muff and it seems to be a winner so far. Any advice on what I should look at regarding overdrive pedals. I am looking for a chunky bass sound for the Hardcore/Metalcore/Metal band i play in.. Thanks guys, look forward to hearing from you. [/quote] Have a look at the james lomenzo hyperdrive pedal, a metaller's sig pedal but also v versatile

another sweet & easy transaction with Paul this time he's rehomed my EHX bass muff, cheers matey

bought Chris' ac-2 for a mate of mine, arrived safe & sound despite the Christmas post, all good news here too folks

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1387529258' post='2312890'] Martin (MJW) installed power-scaling on a JTM45 that he built me a fair while back. It worked superbly ! And I had tried and compared a number of power-soak type devices to compare to. If budget was no object, I'd go with a 200W MJW with his power-scaling. [/quote] Having checked with Martin about a 100w variant it's not that much cheaper so mebbe a 200w version with power scaling would be the nuts of the mutt...I'll try out a 200w orange over the weekend if I get chance just to see how frightening that much power really is, Martin's 200w would still be cheaper than the Orange too! I really like this idea!! Buy British!!

[quote name='Guinness21' timestamp='1387307832' post='2310576'] I thought I had sorted what my next purchases would be - the W&C tfr and b3k. But after that demo, the deluxe bass muff might have changed that. Probably wouldn't be as good, but the deluxe bbm and the lomenzo hyperdrive could maybe get a similar sound, at more than half the price of my original choice. Thanks 1976Fenderhead! [/quote] Are you really in Newton-Le-Willows, Wensleydale? If you're interested, I can deliver a Lomenzo Hyperdrive to you on the 27th December as we'll be passing that way to get to the in-laws in Harmby? We may even have to call in and see my wife's cousin who lives in Newton...

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387448029' post='2311974'] Going way off piste for a second, an idea I toyed with before going the Matamp route was to take my 1971 WEM Dominator on stage and mic it up. It's an all-valve 15W open-backed unit with a 15" Celestion, at low volumes (by modern standards, anyway) it sounds simply divine darling, and of course with just 15W to play with you can crank it up beautifully without having blood gushing from your ears. OK, in the end I decided to go big heavy louder-than-I-need old-school, but the idea has legs. [/quote] I had thought of this approach too, I briefly owned a Selmer T&B a few years back but never had chance to try it as once I'd had a lot of work doing I had to sell it to pay a bill, I'd still like to try one at some point... It all gets a bit 'more stuff to carry' once a decent mic & stand are factored in and I really like the idea of turning up with a bass, head and cab and that being it

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387403776' post='2311691'] Haha, go on then. Would you like to borrow my weights? [/quote]

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1387369621' post='2311123'] Ashdown CTM100 should do the job. Mine is [i]very[/i] loud! [/quote] The CTM100 is my other favoured option and this shop do carry ashdown stuff but would have to get one in for me to try which might be a tad tricky...I'll ask him [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387369795' post='2311124'] Those Orange amps have controls on them which allow you to adjust the loudness... [/quote] ah but, that there volume knob would reduce the amount of use of the power stage wouldn't it? if they've got a preamp gain that would give me a similar (but nicer) sound to my current setup but if I'm gonna do the carrying I wanna use the whole thing!

another option to submit to the experts... if [i]say[/i] a 200w orange head came up at a very reasonable price (obviously it's going to be unnecessarily loud but I know the owner of the shop) and I had a power scaling setup installed in it, would that do the job?

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1387365696' post='2311067'] I had an AD200B and it was barely ticking over on the gigs I played with it - 100W tube amp should be perfect for small to medium venues. [/quote] That's pretty much my thinking too, I want to be able to get it into 'slight grind' territory without killing people! This is impossible without being able to try something!!!!!!!! maybe MJW could install one of his power scaling thingumies into a 100w version of the GT200...will depend on how the power scaling works...

slight update... Martin has got back to me with the following: "Anyway, yes, I could do a bass amp if required. I designed a 200 Watter for Matamp, so could do something along those lines. Price wise you'd be looking at around £1200-1300 for the first one" Sounds like he may have designed the GT200 when he worked there? I need to try a 200w and a 100w head to get some idea of what would suit my needs, I'm leaning towards 100w I think, a local shop has (I think) an orange 200w thingy in so I may have to rumble round on Saturday morning for a butchers...

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387363967' post='2311038'] Did I mention that my dog is a professional [i]commis-chef[/i]? Correction duly noted ... and thanks! Oh, what the hell: [/Pedant] You'd need a lot of [i]coulis [/i]to cover a desert. [/Pedant] [/quote]

[quote name='Mikey R' timestamp='1387303742' post='2310527'] There you go - chat with Martin and see what he can do He might even have a bass amp in at the moment, you never know. [/quote] I've sent him a cheeky little emither to see what he thinks... I had one of his geetar amps a few years ago and it were amazing!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387294352' post='2310374'] I'd say it was more like the beginning. I'd have opted for a Matamp too, given sufficient folding paper - but it's not to be. Not yet, anyway. [/quote] it may take me some time to be able to try one and then some time after that before I can approach buying one, but I love the 'buy British' concept and Matamp are king, unless my mate who used to work for them can build one for me in which case MJW here I come woohoo!

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387291959' post='2310335'] I like the sound of my GT100 too. I run it through a Barefaced 69er and it looks & sounds [i]les coulis du chien[/i]. [url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Equipment%20and%20stuff%20CURRENT/VisittoBarefaced8_zps67f42db9.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Equipment%20and%20stuff%20CURRENT/Matamp_zps76e8c9ce.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] that does very look the danglies of the dog sir I like it's simplicity, just very very smart looking indeed!

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1387291528' post='2310324'] Yep THE 200 valve watts for 500 solid state watts suggested above is perhaps a bit crude, I've played 600w of solid state that wouldn't get anywhere near my 100w of Ampeg tubes. Speaker efficiency is a big part of the equation. C [/quote] I'm flying very much blind here, just trying to get some info together before I set off trying to test stuff

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387290365' post='2310290'] A 1970's Matamp GT200 or Orange AD200 (they're effectively close cousins) would come in at about 27Kg. Come down to 100W and the weight drops to about 23Kg. My GT100 Special was built for me with lower weight as a priority, and it weighs just under 18Kg. Only one in captivity though. Incidentally, I have yet to take my GT100 anywhere near full volume playing pub gigs ... just saying. [/quote] I like the sound of your GT100 special, is there a thread about it somewhere (a quick search hasn't turned up anything much in amps/cabs)? Lightweight (ish), classy matamp goodness! I'm already swaying heavily towards a matamp...is this the end for me

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1387285211' post='2310188'] Are you sure you want to go all-valve though? Great as the DHA is (I have one) with a solid state amp, it's not the same as a valve power amp, nothing is, believe me I've tried! [/quote] I think that you've hit the question/nail precisely on the head there matey! I've never tried one on bass so have no idea whether it will be what I imagine it to be or if I'll be over or underwhelmed by my imagination / reality... I need someone around here (Sheffield/South Yorkshire) to loan me one briefly don't I

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387283174' post='2310149'] I came to the same conclusion as you and have just bought myself a 1972 Burman MPA Pre and SL100 Powerpak Slave. I'm preparing myself for their arrival by doing weights for at least an hour a day... [/quote] that sounds exciting! I look forward to a n.a.d. thread with pics of you lifting them above your head when they arrive

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1387283072' post='2310146'] Valve amp heads are VERY heavy (like 50kg+) The new Mesa Prodigy and Strategy are pretty lightweight. I have not tried them - too expensive for me - but on paper look like my ideal amp... a bit more than your budget though. You'll be looking at a beaten up second hand one for that price range. Or a Bugera . I'd be looking for about 200W+ Valve amp to compete with your 500w solid state and give you some headroom. the all valve SVTs are about 300w I think, Mesa Classic are 400w I have a 160w and it's not quite enough. Don't forget to allow for a service and replacement valves if you're buying a used one off eBay [/quote] I've had all valve guitar stuff in the past (a '74 twin reverb that I couldn't lift without assistance, a '80s Marshall non master vol head that was mega...a few other things too) so am sort of prepared for the weight... had a quick google and the Ashdown CTM100 is 19kg and the CTM300 is 33kg, no idea how heavy a Matamp is though (GT200 seems to ring a bell as to being [i]the[/i] valve bass amp king?) Thanks for the 200w tip, I know I really need to go somewhere that's got some so I can try them (and get an idea of volumes / weight etc) but where has this sort of thing apart form hopping across to Matamp but then they only have Matamp don't they...