0175westwood29

[quote name='tonyxtiger' post='718589' date='Jan 19 2010, 11:52 PM']thought I'd chip in as I've had all of these... That sounds like I'm showing off but I'm trying to help honest. I still have an Orange AD200. Great amp, great tone breaks up far nicer than the ampeg and can go really dirty. Good volume for a 200 watt as long as you go for the KT88 version. Fat old school but very tight and growly. Not old school flubby indistict like an ampeg VB4 100w head or the Newer ampeg CLs. Drive the Ampegs and they fall to pieces tonally. Kills me to say it but avoid the ampegs. The mids are great but everything else is poor. The big Aguilar head (the 750) is the best ampeg replacement. Daft given it has a s/s power amp but try one. I still have mine and its fantastic. As you can imagine I am very much a believer in valves but after I started using the aguilar I shut up pretty quick. Humble pie all round. Believe the hype on these amps. The Trace V8 was very loud and very clean, tons of power, again KT88s. Good rock amp if you want the power and keeping it clean. Basically Ashdown make a new version of that head now as the BFA If you want a rock amp that sounds a bit more hairy, go Orange / Boogie. Again the Hiwatt head I really convinced myself I was going to like and it was the worst of the bunch. No bottom end whatsoever. It must have been a bad 'un because I can't believe they would make a bass amp that sounds so thin. The mesa 400+ I still have. Its a killer. Clean and powerful with headroom and fantastic for rock. works well when you drive it or use overdrive pedals. It will easily compete with two guitars and a kit. Used this for 10 years in loud bands and was always heard. Best amp period for staying in the mix at rehearsals. Great definition and punch and gives you a lot of confidence. Don't think I've ever needed to have the master set past 6. Pair it with an 8x10 or a 4x12 and it's all you need. Any amp can overdrive but Grit, growl,drive, distortion whatever you want to call it - its pointless on the bass if the amp can't hold it together so your still driving things along with the bottom end intact. my two all valve winners are the orange and Mesa. Engineers love them, band mates smile when you play them. Safe with both but Mesa is the better choice for competing with the volume of 2 stacks. I'm selling a few basses at the moment and I'm considering selling my 400+ along with a 4 x 10 and 2 x 10 boogie cabs. The older 90's ones with the EV drivers, again, rock classics. I don't play as full on these days so I don't really need a rig like this now. let me know if you are interested or have any questions. hope this helps?[/quote] Thanks man that was really an in depth review! Cheers! Oh and pm sent bout the mesa Andy

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='718525' date='Jan 19 2010, 10:51 PM']What impedance is the 6x10? Had dubious feelings with the 6x12s nominal 6 ohm, that is actually 5.3.[/quote] 4 ohms andy

[quote name='jonthebass' post='718515' date='Jan 19 2010, 10:36 PM']For all the details look [url="http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Out_of%20_Production/Bass_400_/bass_400_.html"]HERE[/url] at the Mesa website. Off that page - 12 x Power amp valves and 4 x Pre amp valves! As for what to listen for - Once it's connected to a speaker cabinet and powered up it should be quiet when you're not playing/no instrument connected. If there's crackling, whistling or any weird noises then it probably needs new valves in there somewhere. At gigs I always have the amp on it's own socket, just to be sure all will be well. As for your massive rig idea - it will do 2 Ohms all day & night, as it has the dedicated outputs for it! Jon[/quote] thanks man ill keep an eye out, ill ask some questions about the power thing when im at the shop. from what you guys have described it seems like it will be just what i need! andy

[quote name='jonthebass' post='718464' date='Jan 19 2010, 09:43 PM']Hi Andy, It is as loud as sin and with a couple of sensitive & high powered cabinets it truly is a trouser flapper! I think you're right about the risk part, it's true of any second hand kit. All I can suggest is look and see if it all looks original and all the parts/valves/etc are present and correct. Mine's been solid as a rock and has been gigged hard up & down the country - a true war horse. Apart from regular maintenance it's been grand. As for power consumption I don't know. It has 2 of the biggest transformers I've ever seen in an amp though... Hope that helps a little? Jon[/quote] right dnt mean to sound thick but what should it have? i know what tubes look like but thats it? anything to listen for while im playing? well as far as cabs go im gonna stick with my 610 hlf, i really like it! i know some people disagree but we'll see im also looking at getting a set of mesa ph210's to use on the smaller gigs we do. basically on the power draw thing what do you plug into? ie do you have to be in your own plug of have you plugged into the same supply in small gigs with the guitarists? (did that make sense?) might have to get a massive rig on the go if it works really well at 2 ohms?! :-) andy

[quote name='misrule' post='718440' date='Jan 19 2010, 09:26 PM']My guitarists tell me to turn down at about 3 Cheers Mark[/quote] woh! so pretty loud then! 300rms is gonna be loud enough i think with tube power! the only thing that worries me is the secondhand part and cost of repairs if it goes wrong but i guess theres that with all amps! just like the idea of being covered with a warranty. all you 400+ guys had any problems? also does the amp draw loads of power? my pro 6 does and has created some probs at gigs because of this? andy

ive updated the thread to include some more amps lets hear what you think of em? also whats the 400+'s output at 4 ohms? andy

apparently the svt pro 7 is meant to be like a bigger version of this? ive not heard or played it tho andy

[quote name='alexisonfire' post='716207' date='Jan 17 2010, 11:50 PM']But you NEED it in orange [/quote] well i would get it in orange unless i could get the black for free andy

[quote name='Musicman20' post='716084' date='Jan 17 2010, 10:20 PM']+1..... Even Alkaline Trio have started using them. Also, Every Time I Die had one through an Aguilar DB810. [/quote] cool just a bit annoyed that they do the white cover instead of orange for free! and you have to pay 150 quid for the black! how does that make sense! andy

[quote name='alexisonfire' post='716068' date='Jan 17 2010, 10:07 PM']Just to add the the CL vs AD200B, I had the same decision, and as you can see from my sig the Orange won. Oh and if you play heavy metal, Norma Jean, Cancer Bats and Converge to name a couple, use the AD200B[/quote] ok 2 people can't be wrong ill have to give it a go! im guessing they must be louder than the 140b i used to own. so far my list of all tube amps that i wanna try has grown to 4, i really fancy trying out the laney nexus heads aswell as the ad200b, svt and the 2nd hand 400+ andy

ok ive just found a mesa 400+, its the same price second hand as the orange and peg are new but ive heard they awesome so gonna try that out to me thinks andy

[quote name='basshead56' post='710808' date='Jan 13 2010, 12:46 AM']Are there two versions of this-two different ratings? Can one of these heads power two (matching) cabs? Anyone got one? The reason I ask is... [url="http://www.dv247.com/search/0/0/ProductQuantity/Descending/ampeg+micro/1/"]http://www.dv247.com/search/0/0/ProductQua.../ampeg+micro/1/[/url] Two different descriptions and two different prices hmm crap, I've put this in the wrong place! Why is Spooks so bloody enthralling? Please move to amps and cabs discussion[/quote] its a mistake i'd say as the pics are the same head, and there is only one version. the heads are 200w at 4 ohms, yeh it powers to of the matching cabs just fine, only really loud enough for small gigs tho. but would be wicked for studio stuff! andy

[quote name='robocorpse' post='700862' date='Jan 4 2010, 07:53 PM']Fantastic late NWOBHM feel there, good stuff, but the drummer needs a lot of work, especially on his fills and double kick. Classic intermediate player trying to cram too much in, running out of time, then having to get back on the groove. Having said that, I'd definitely go and see this band if they played locally.[/quote] really? probs doesnt help that the drums sound isnt great. thanks for the kind words tho. any more people with some views out there? andy

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='710004' date='Jan 12 2010, 02:05 PM']Ah, I see now - Yes, yours is the black one, isn't it? The painted or stained models seem to get the gloss neck treatment, but the natural is horribly unfinished and rough to the touch. Rich.[/quote] indeed it is so maybe just the naturals that arent great? andy

here are some pics here's the bass just on the strap as you can see no dive ( really sorry bout the hands! ) here's a side pic, the bass does tilt forward slightly but only a little! and as you can see in this pic while playing your my right hand corrects the tilt, im not pushing on the body or holding it, just when my hand is resting there it brings the body of the bass into mine. andy oh and really sorry about the gut!

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='709394' date='Jan 11 2010, 09:17 PM']Is yours the natural one, Andy? If so, I'd imagine I played a bad one. It was awful.[/quote] nope its not so your probs right! my bad andy

[quote name='Musicman20' post='709322' date='Jan 11 2010, 08:29 PM']With amps like this....I would always get it mic'd anyway....sounds much better. Most sound guys probably dont have good quality mics, so you can use a Tech 21 Sansamp BDDI if you need a nice warm valvey tone to the PA. As yet....Ive not had any issues. But, if I had the choice I'd always get the speakers mic'd.[/quote] indeed i have to agree that my pro 6/ 610hlf sounded really nice mic'd tbh im not really sure im bothered, just found that i can try out a gk 2001rb as well as the 2 big valve amps so we'll see how that goes! andy

[quote name='Musicman20' post='708236' date='Jan 10 2010, 09:49 PM']This is all IMO, but Orange beat it hands down for the following reasons: Better customer service, based in UK, 3 years warranty with PMT, (think its 1 or 2 normally anyway). Orange looks cooler. Plug in and awesome tone instantly....no messing about. Brilliant classic Orange tone. Great for fat clean warm tube tone, or really really gritty dirty tube tone, and all in between. Lighter amp Better grit at lower volumes IMO, better grit overall, (purely amazing tube grind when you have the gain up to about 3/4). Still incredibly, incredibly loud. Very simple design, with no bells and whistles, short signal path = tone heaven. Orange are more boutique in my eyes....not so everyday. Let me know how you get on.[/quote] will do. does the no di become a pain? im guessing not just get a good di box? andy

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='709223' date='Jan 11 2010, 07:29 PM']I've got a pupil who has one of the sub £200 ones and it's a great bass for the money. Lovely gloss neck, grunty sound and great playability. More recently I played the pro in the natural and while it's a great sounding and highly spec'd bass for the money, I didn't like the rough-arse unfinished neck at all. I'd still go for the cheaper one. Lovely instruments. [/quote] my necks not rough or unfinished? andy

[quote name='Damn-Deal-Done' post='709166' date='Jan 11 2010, 06:47 PM']Hi, After moving the strap button to the neck does the bass now want to tilt forward? Example, the top starts leaning further out from your body than the bottom? Don't Gibson's already have the strap button on the back of the neck? Don't they also have neck dive? Been considering this bass somewhat, but I want neither forward tilt or neck dive. How about some more picks of you wearing the guitar with no hands holding it, side and front. If it's not too much bother? Cheers[/quote] kk ill try and get some. the neck dive is gone, and it tilts a little but not alot! i have my basses low so its really playable now! i would def get one if your thinking bout it! ill get on those pics later 2nite. andy

[quote name='Musicman20' post='707191' date='Jan 9 2010, 10:38 PM']If you where nearby Id say come and have a test of mine. Seriously, A/B them if you can. Thats what led to me getting the Orange.[/quote] Indeed that would have been handy. Yeh I know they have a svt cl and I think they have a 200b so ill play them both if I can. What would you say are the differences between the orange and the peg? Andy