redstriper

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='276983' date='Sep 4 2008, 01:46 PM']Generally in life you get what you pay for.[/quote] I'm not so sure about that. Years ago I remember going to Switzerland to visit one of the two factories where 90% of all watch movements were made. The identical movements went into watches with vast price differencies and it was explained to me that some people like to spend more for the name on the dial. I soon learned that I could sell more watches with a trendy name costing twice as much as the same watch with an unfashionable name. It's called marketing.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='276648' date='Sep 4 2008, 12:32 AM']Alex - you of all people should know that the difference between the 350 watts of my old HD350 and the 500 watts of this new Hartke and the 600 watts I get from my Shuttle is pretty much inaudible in terms of percieved volume; and I did think the last Hartke I tried sounded quiet for the watts it was supposed to have, but that was a long time ago. Yes sound quality is a question of taste, and one mans meat is another mans poison. I liked my old EBS and my current Genz Benz cos I can hear my basses, not the amp. I have tried other rigs where everything I plugged in sounded the same, cos the sound of the amp was stronger than the sound of my basses. I presume having spent loads on a custom bass with esoteric pups you would want to hear what the bass sounds like not what the amp sounds like. I am not dissing the Hartke here cos I have not tried it, and it may have the clarity and transparity I look for in an amp, but I very much doubt it.[/quote] I don't get why you presume these new amps to sound worse than yours without even trying them. If they were twice the price and had a more esoteric name on the front would you think differently? I played through quite a few amps this summer. My favourite sound was a new Hartke which was brought in to replace an Ampeg that sounded harsh and kept conking out. I think the Hartke I used may have been the LH1000, but I'm not sure - it had a very simple front panel is all I remember and my bass definately sounded like my bass through it. The sound suited me down to the ground, but I'm not big on clarity or transparancy - I'm more the big fat warm bottom type and it had that with knobs on (not too many though).

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='276499' date='Sep 3 2008, 07:41 PM']Well I would be very surprised if they sound better than my old EBS or my current Genz Benz. There is more to bass amps than just watts.[/quote] Sorry to be pedantic, but I believe sound quality is subjective, the Hartke may sound better or worse than other amps depending on the listener's taste and spending more money does not guarantee a better sound. What do the more expensive amps have to give them this better sound and in what ways do they actually sound better in the real world away from the marketing hype? I have recently come to believe that the main thing to bass amps given a reliable build quality, is in fact watts - the more the better . Shoot me down in flames if you like..............................

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='276467' date='Sep 3 2008, 06:57 PM']Limiting is a form of compression. It has a high threshold and hard compression that reduces the power amp clipping.[/quote] So it's a kind of safety device with no musical effect other than to prevent distortion and damage? Is that the kind of thing some newer amps have built in and always on eg. markbass? I don't think I'd be likely to run the LH1000 to clipping volume in a hurry, but I've always used my ears as a limiter and if I hear distortion I turn down the volume or bass eq. Sorry to sound thick - my last amp purchase was in 1985ish, a trace 150w which is what I'm thinking of replacing.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='276446' date='Sep 3 2008, 06:13 PM']Sure has the best bang per buck for a new amp. Not sure if thats a good reason to buy one if you can afford better though.[/quote] What would you suggest as a better alternative and in what ways will it be better?

I might be getting limiter mixed up with compressor - what does a limiter actually do? I've never had one and can't say I've missed one so far, but I'm always open to learn. I have used compressors and don't like their effect. I presumed the bright button just boosted high frequencies at any volume - wrong again? I've always found a deep button to be more useful for me. [quote name='alexclaber' post='276215' date='Sep 3 2008, 01:04 PM']The bright switch is a standard feature on that valve preamp design (Fender Dual Showman / Alembic F-2B etc) - using a capacitor to shunt high frequencies past the gain pot so at full gain it doesn't do anything. However I'm not sure why anyone would want to turn the limiter off on a bass rig unless it's a really rubbish limiter! Alex[/quote]

[quote name='ped' post='276189' date='Sep 3 2008, 12:35 PM']Crikey, have you folks seen the 'Kilo' amplifier?[/quote] The kilo has way too many features - the LH1000 already has 2 more than I need in the bright and limiter buttons. I like to things as simple as possible.

[quote name='2x18' post='276001' date='Sep 3 2008, 08:18 AM']I bought one and can confirm they are excellent value for money ( i also have a MarkBass LM2 ) Very simple controls but a good range of sounds. I swopped the Sovtek ECC83 Pre Amp valve for an old but good Brimar,and it made a noticeable difference to the gain ( ie LOUDER ) and also seems to make it a little smoother at higher levels ( although it was already very clean ) A very impressive bit of Kit at a great price! Anyone in the Leeds area that is thinking of buying one is welcome to come and try mine! Will.[/quote] How does the sound compare to the LM11 ? I like a very deep warm undistorted tone for dub and reggae. I was considering an LM11 but like the idea of the Hartke LHI000 with 750w into 8 ohms it has more power for less dosh although it is heavier. Steve.

This post is very interesting indeed and I really wish I could have 3 identical cabinets, each loaded with one of the three different drivers under recent discussion to compare their sound when played with the same bass and amp on identical settings. If that were possible I wonder what would be the most noticeable differences in audio quality, in terms of volume, depth and clarity and forgetting weight or price considerations? I am also considering the purchase of a replacement driver and would like to hear from people who have actually heard all 3 in the flesh or from anyone who believes they know of an even better 15" driver for bass guitar. Thanks in anticipation.

Here's one - [url="http://archives.telex.com/archives/EV/Builders%20Plans/TL606%20Builders%20Plans.pdf"]http://archives.telex.com/archives/EV/Buil...ers%20Plans.pdf[/url]

To clarify my requirements - I'm considering an SWR Big Ben 18" cab - how would the BFM omni without horn and tweeter compare in sound and weight?

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='229408' date='Jun 30 2008, 12:35 AM']O15, standard or tallboy, leave the tweeter out. As for lightweight and portability, google 'Hoffman's Iron Law'. Big bottom does not from small cabs come.[/quote] How about leaving the midrange horn out as well? I'm only interested in hearing deep bass and have been using a Fane 15" driver in a Trace Elliot combo with all frequencies above 1 khz reduced to - 15 db on the graphic eq. I'm not big on DIY and like to keep things as simple as possible.

[quote name='gilmour' post='229415' date='Jun 30 2008, 12:52 AM']Finnbass over at www.finnbass.com has built this cab with the omition of the tweeter, you should check it out, he's been very happy with the results. Whils this cab isn't lightweigh it caertainly is lighter than most similar sized cabs, and lighter than my trace 4x10, although it is still quite a big cab once you've played through it you'll want to make the effort to take it around.[/quote] Thanks - I'll check it out now........

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='229408' date='Jun 30 2008, 12:35 AM']O15, standard or tallboy, leave the tweeter out. As for lightweight and portability, google 'Hoffman's Iron Law'. Big bottom does not from small cabs come.[/quote] Had a feeling that was the case after trying lots of small lightweight cabs with no depth of tone. Which model, (standard or tallboy) would give the deepest sound and what are the approx. dimensions and weight?

I'm intrigued by this cab and wonder if one would suit me. I only play dub reggae and don't want any treble or upper midrange in my sound - just deep warm bass. Which of BFM's cabs would be most suited to my sound and desire for lightweight and portability?

I have tried all 3 combos you mention and was disappointed with the low bass response of them all at volume. The 12" speaker is no good against a loud drummer. The 2 x 10 is the loudest, very punchy aggresive sound but won't go very low and is not as light as you might think. The 15 is my favourite, for warmth and smooth tone but it will struggle against a very loud drummer if you want deep bass. You would need another speaker to comfortably do the job, which adds to the cost and weight. I would advise buying a markbass head and teaming it with a more powerful speaker cab - the heads are so light you can easily carry one in a shoulder bag. The problem is cost again, but I came to the conclusion that the markbass combos are not quite powerful enough - then again I play reggae and like a seriously deep sound.

[quote name='stevie' post='222951' date='Jun 20 2008, 02:19 PM']I reckon that anyone playing reggae bass in Anglesey deserves all the help they can get![/quote] You are so right about that - I'm the only one in the village ! I'd like to take you up on the speakons offer - 1 for the cab and maybe 1 for the amp if I can widen the hole. I might splash out on some ply - this MDF is really heavy. Speaker wise, I'd be very interested to hear any suggestions for a suitable replacement that has the 3 Ls (light, low & loud).

Well done Alex, it looks like just another speaker cab, but how it sounds and how much it weighs are the main things. I look forward to having a go sometime, meanwhile I've decided to chop my TE combo into 2 pieces for short term weight saving reasons. Check out my latest ideas here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20911&pid=222571&st=40&#entry222571"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry222571[/url] I expect you're kicking back with a cold beer now - think I'll join you........ Red Steve.

Just thought of something else - I've got some spare 3/4" MDF sheets - would they do instead of plywood? Also, I forgot to thank Stevie for the offer of speakon sockets - so belated thanks for that.

Stevie, you could be right about it being a Studio 15B - I did some research online and couldn't find a vintage 250 watt Fane speaker at all even though the guy at Fane thought it was 250 watts going from the model number. It says 200 watts on the speaker itself, as you can see here - These are the specs I found - Manufacturer/ Dia. Power Z SPL Vas Model RMS ohms 1W/1m Fs cu ft Qts xmax Fane Studio 15B 15" 200W 8 102dB 45Hz .10 0.44 0.440" This seems to show a high sensitivity which may explain why it's so loud. Not sure whether there is an alternative neo speaker that would do any better all round, bearing in mind my thirst for deep dub bass.

[quote name='stevie' post='222448' date='Jun 19 2008, 08:04 PM']Ah well, jack sockets it is then. The TEF is Trace's own number, but it looks to me like the Fane Studio 15B, which was their version of the Electrovoice 15B. Fane made lots of OEM models, so you can never be sure, but Trace could tell you. It would also make it easier to find a lightweight alternative if you wanted to. I'll post the pics of my modest conversion over the weekend. Maybe it will help.[/quote] I spoke to someone at Fane and he had details of my speaker on file, which I can find out more about if necessary. He suggested the Colossus 600 watt neo speaker as a possible replacement, but he wasn't sure whether my amp would be powerful enough or how it would sound in my cab. He even said I could take my cab to the factory to try various alternatives. Basschatter Alexclaber is very impressed by the Eminence Kappalite 3015LF, but he didn't advise putting it in my cab. It's all a bit of a minefield and I think I'll try splitting the amp and speaker into 2 cabs for now, using the original speaker and see where that takes me. If I can manage the joinery and electrical work, it should put less strain on my back at least. Pics would be great.

Thanks again Stevie, this is all very useful. The holes are definately for jack sockets and I have seen the same amp on ebay as a stand alone head with the sockets installed, like this - The speaker is a Fane TEF 153 250 watt 8 ohm made in 1985. I could stick with this speaker if I can lift the cab without the weight of the amp, or I could change it for a lightweight neo alternative. I am happy with the sound of the speaker, but it would be nice to have a little more volume before distortion at louder gigs. Just need to find where my wife hid the toolbox and I'm in business...........

Very 'andy - thanks again.

[quote name='stevie' post='222290' date='Jun 19 2008, 04:33 PM']You would have to unsolder the speaker wire at the speaker end, fit a couple of jack sockets and connect the wire to the jacks. I'm not sure if that would be a step too far for you, but it is a very easy soldering job. You would probably also have to duplicate any vent holes in your existing cab.[/quote] The wire is not soldered to the speaker so no problem at that end and I can fit a jack plug to the cab and solder the speaker wire to it. Re: attaching the wire from the amp to the 2 jack sockets to give the possibity of an extension cab - Do I split the 2 wires and solder them to each socket identically and would this give 2 x 8 ohm outputs?

Thanks again Stevie - that's really encouraging although I'm a hopeless DIYer - I ended up in casualty last time I tried anything and am now banned from Stanley knives for life. But this doesn't look too difficult, it looks like you screwed the pre amp directly into the ply wood and I guess the power amp is screwed separately to the back and/or base. My amp needs a slot for air vents as you can see in the pic - Another problem is that the amp is hardwired to the speaker although there are holes for 2 1/4" jack output sockets that are not installed. I'm not sure how to wire these correctly from the 2 wires that now go to the speaker.