richrips

Pre-amp now SOLD

Crown Power amp still available, make me an offer!!

Bump. Lady Gaga is wireless, you can be too!

on a recent ecological survey to Tobago, i went to a sweet steel band gig followed by some reggae DJ sets played through this (well the photo only shows half of it...) makes a 1x15 look a bit dull!!

any other "funny lookin" monster PA or unusual bass rigs out there??? Bring out the freaks!

[attachment=41863:IMG_2438.JPG]

I have the mark 1 and it's a super sweet bass. loads of different sounds and amazing looks. anything under 500 quid is a deal.


[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330400660565&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

I'm actually in contact with Mark and Chris at Ashdown who are being really helpful with this issue so that may help too. i'll forward them all suggestions thus made.
cheers,
rich

Excellent transaction. Fast, good communication, no hassle, a pleasure doing business. i reckon my ODB-3 has gone to a good home!

cheers,
rich

Am i correct in thinking that R6 is a variable resistor (i.e. a potentiometer or pot) on the diagram? i can't really see anything variable on the photographs. it looks like a fixed value standard resistor in the photos (i'm thinking its the one that sticks up rather than lying flat like R1, R2 etc). should i use a 100k resistor here?

also, is anyone a good german translator? i'm trying to work out where in the signal path the circuit goes. will i see increased gain on the visual meter or will it just be louder with no change in the display level?

i may have a few more questions when i come to install it.

thanks very much for the help so far. once again impressed by the wealth of knowledge out there!

cheers,
rich

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='730263' date='Jan 31 2010, 03:05 AM']The voltage rating is the nominal maximum voltage that the capacitor can withstand before the dielectric fails & the Magic Smoke escapes.

In the circuit you've posted the only one that it would really apply to would be the electrolytic at C4. Anything around or over 25V should be plenty.

I'm bemused by that circuit... Why have a 0.22uf cap on the input side & a 10uF on the output? Surely it should be 10uF on both sides?

I've got to ask... Why are you trying to do this? Is the Ashdown not loud enough? Or have I completely misread this & you're after building a booster stomp box?

Pete.[/quote]

Hi pete,
the ashdown has a weak preamp, which has been pointed out by various other people here and on other forums/reviews. i can't get the input level indicator up to halfway, even with the pre-gain maxxed out completely. This guy made this circuit to boost the gain on his lg350, which has the same preamp, so i should be able to use the same schematic to boost my lg1000. i think (according to google translator) he built it in to the effects loop.

[url="http://klaas.homeip.net/wb/pages/diy/amps/ashdown-little-giant-350.php"]http://klaas.homeip.net/wb/pages/diy/amps/...e-giant-350.php[/url]

i like the idea of not having a seperate stompbox as this keeps everything neat and portable with no need for extra power supplies, pedals, cables etc.

do you think his circuit would work? i'm assuming it worked for him? i don't really know how the circuit works so can't comment on which cap should go where.

any advice much appreciated.

cheers,
rich

i'm trying to build a circuit to boost the gain on the preamp section of my ashdown little giant 1000.

[url="http://klaas.homeip.net/wb/media/pdf/Ash_Giant_Buffer.pdf"]http://klaas.homeip.net/wb/media/pdf/Ash_Giant_Buffer.pdf[/url]

i've not made a circuit recently and am not sure which capacitors to use. maplin sell several different types with different voltage ratings. what is this voltage rating and which ones should i use for the circuit? does anybody have experience in this type of thing? apparently the circuit is based on a standard volume boost pedal.

any help much appreciated,
cheers,
rich

This is my rig, 2 x BFM jack 12's

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60932&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60932&hl=[/url]

and an ovation magnum or stingray

Thanks guys. All good answers. i think the weak preamp may be the problem indeed and from whats been said, there seems to be little to gain from swapping out speakers. i'm keen to put in the boost circuit from the link above as this would mean no boost pedal needed and give me the plug and play portability i want. i hope boosting the gain in this way works as my other band (i've only used this in the jazz/funk group) need loud deep bass as it is ska/reggae.

has anyone tried the preamp boost mod on their little giant? looks like a cool fix to a simple problem in what is otherwise a very good amp, and much improved over the much tackier superfly.

cheers.
rich

[url="http://klaas.homeip.net/wb/pages/diy/amps/ashdown-little-giant-350.php"]http://klaas.homeip.net/wb/pages/diy/amps/...e-giant-350.php[/url]

i don't know if anyone would know, but is there, or is there likely to be a difference in the preamp section for the 1000 and 350? I saw the link above recently on here and wondered if it applied to both models, as maplin sell all the necessary.....

also, what's the deal with overdriving a class d power amp? does it clip? or does it just expire? i'm worried about damaging it if i run a boost pedal in to it (got an aphex punch factory which i guess would do)

any thoughts?

I just purchased an ashdown little giant and played my first gig last night.

I found the both the pre-gain and master volume were both nearly maxxed and this was a jazz gig in a room barely bigger than a large living room.

The LG 1000 has a rated output of 1000 watts in to 4 Ohms (and before i get jumped on, i know it is 2 seperate power amps and you would need 2 4 ohm cabs to get full power).

i have 2 cabs rated at 8 Ohms. they contain kappalite 3012HO drivers with rms 400watts each.

I'm guessing the power i should be getting in to 8 ohms would be between 250-350 watts per speaker (this depends on output voltage from the amp i believe??)

Oddly, my previous amp, a crown xls 402 with peavey alpha valve preamp, kicks out 450watts per side in to 4 ohms- apparently less than the ashdown, but seems much much louder....

[url="http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls.htm"]http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls.htm[/url]

is there something i have overlooked which makes the crown more powerful with my cabs than the ashdown?
would it be worth swapping my kappalites for some 4 ohm 12's?

tech help much appreciated!

cheers,
rich

Bump Bump Bumparoo!!

Offers??????

Bump!
let me know if i have the price wildly wrong!

Hi,

This shoul be of interest to anyone looking for a quality power amp to go with a nice pre-amp or could easily be used as PA or for the sound system in a small club.

[b]Crown XLS 402 power amp[/b]. A very loud, modern, good quality power amp from a respected brand. it puts out 450watts per side at 4 Ohms and is bridgeable to be used as 900w in to 4 Ohms. speakon outputs or binding posts. with a nice valve preamp and BFM jack 12 cabs it made things fall over at the other end of the house at just over half volume.... kept in a rack all its life, may have a few tiny scratches that i am not aware of but i think its pretty mint.

[url="http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls.htm"]http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls.htm[/url]


[b]XLS 402- £260 new on ebay, so £180
[/b]

i'm in cardiff should you want a trial!

cheers,

Rich

Hey,
i recently got a samson stage 5 wireless system in a trade and have no need of it.

includes the base unit, power adaptor and bit that clips on your waste. i guess you need a cable from maplin to connect your guitar/bass/mic to it. having read the review below, the supplied cable isn't the best anyway.

its like this one:

[url="http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/stage-5-handheld-q7/66554"]http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/stage-...ndheld-q7/66554[/url]

reviews:

[url="http://theguitarresource.com/guitar-gear/gear-review-samson-stage-5-wireless-guitarbass-system/"]http://theguitarresource.com/guitar-gear/g...tarbass-system/[/url]

i can take pictures if people so wish.

£45 ono

i'm in cardiff, postage included, pickup fine.

cheers,
rich

Hey this is probably the dilemma facing just about everyone with a wallet, a band and a spine:

How can i get a light amp, that sounds good, which is powerful enough for me, for the least amount of cash???

[b]Light?? = class-D then!

Tone? = decent eq, low THD, solid/valve pre options

power? = Lots!!
[/b]
I'm finding this a tough balancing act and would like to draw together the experiences of others in a measured way to make sense of that crazy marketplace.....

[b]Me as an example:[/b]
I have a huge crown power amp and peavey alpha valve preamp which feeds 2 BFM jack 12 cabs rated at 8Ohms and 400watts rms each.
The amp combined weighs approx 15-20kg which is pretty bad on my already bad back. having said this it sounds incredible and drives the cabs to nuclear volume without even getting out of bed.

i want a smaller amp for similar money so where do i start?

current amp: total 600w in to 8ohms, 17kg (approx), used value £250-300

Markbass? sounds very nice, also very light, but to get similar power in to my cabs i'd be many hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

Genz benz? Sounds equally nice, has a valve in there too, very light, very flexible, but many hundreds of pounds out of range for anything near as powerful.

Orange? Bass terror seems to have issues with the sound being good (eg for rock) but limited flexibility due to only valve pre amp and few eq options. switchable output impedence means you get more power from 8ohm cabs than many of the larger amps by manufacturers mentioned above. price is again a few hundred over my current amp value. light too.

Yamaha? Not enough power realistically.

TC? Not much power and very pricey. again they sound rather good though!

Ashdown? the superfly recieved mixed reviews and seems not that reliable. The little giant 350 seems underpowered (weak preamp section apparenty does it no favours) but is more reliable and WITHIN BUDGET!!! best of all, the little giant 1000 i played yesterday (along with markbass sa450 and bass terror) seems to tick lots of boxes. 1000 watts in to 4 ohm, less in to 8ohm but still very powerful. for £250 off the'bay you get the case thrown in and postage too and still half the price of anything of similar power. I didn't think the markbass warranted such a price tag for its benefits. The sa450 (£650) puts out only 300w at 8ohm. the tone is very clean (almost harsh by my standards, but very good for the whole low volume, low action clean freaks). i can't afford it and the power isn't really enough to feed my cabs. tone on the ashdown was warmer (this may be interpretted as less defined, woolier, smoother, more old-school etc depending on your preferences/opinion. basically a higher THD than the more expensive amps but whether you see this as a good or bad thing is personal). i liked the sound of the ashdown.

[b]So the idea of this thread is for people in a similar position to me to say what they have done/propose to do to balance the three factors of power, tone and price to see if there are any other routes to high power and good tone in a way i (and others in a similar situation) can afford:
[/b]
[u]Please give your examples in the following way:[/u]

[b]amp name
power rating (with relevant ohms)
cost (current)
your opinions on tone (preferably compared to something else)
[/b]

Cheers,

rich

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3VMV4Tk8Lw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3VMV4Tk8Lw[/url]

Juan Nelson. Incredible always, spectacular at 2.18 onwards and at various others.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3R-UlspWEM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3R-UlspWEM[/url]

Obviously, being the worlds best song, this has an unfair advantage, but that does technically make 1.15 onwards the best bass solo ever, i mean why is this even open for debate???

i think there are arguments either way. the pictures are certainly of an original magnum. the feedback indicates that the majority of buyers were satisfied and the one who received a different les paul to that pictured still recieved a les paul. and that would hardly be a possible mistake with a magnum. also, considering the lack of english skills demonstrated, it would seem an obscure bass to use in any attempted scam when a fender etc would likely sell more readily???

hmmmm...

[url="http://www.dhgate.com/bass-ovation-magnum-2/p-ff8080812571f078012572b5b95b6c28.html#2"]http://www.dhgate.com/bass-ovation-magnum-...b95b6c28.html#2[/url]

a totally awesome bass (i got a magnum 1 just before christmas and its amazing). It has all the ingredients for bass perfection: ebony, mahogany, brass, carbon-fibre, individual string volumes, and complete hideousness.

do any of you have experience with dhgate? what do you think of this seller? seems like a few people have been unhappy with what arrived, but then you can't really fake a magnum, it's been scientifically proven to be impossible, so is it a horrible financial trap, or a golden opportunity?

What's the import tax like from china?
anyone imported anything from there?

cheers,
rich

Hi everyone,
I recently arranged to buy an effects pedal from someone on the forum. payment was arranged via PM and email and the last message from over 2 weeks ago said "ok i'll post it tomorrow". The pedal never showed and i have had no contact or reply from the seller, despite sending multiple PM's and emails. I know he has been on basschat from his profile page at least 4 times (and easily more) since i paid, but i have had no reply to these.

Has this happened to anyone else and what should i do?

i don't no how long to wait before putting feedback on the forum (very negative...) or naming names?

Any advice much appreciated and happy new years eve to all!

cheers,
rich

[quote name='dave.c' post='645947' date='Nov 5 2009, 07:56 AM']No Magnums among my basses at the moment I'm afraid, but I have a similar scratchplate somewhere if you want it!

Dave[/quote]

i'd actually be quite keen on the scratchplate if you have it. is it magnum 1 spec? picking up the bass at a suspicious M5 junction on sunday.....

cheers,
rich

[quote name='dave.c' post='645539' date='Nov 4 2009, 06:13 PM']And some pics!

[attachment=35725:Ovation_...m_1_copy.jpg]
[attachment=35720:650c.JPG]
[attachment=35719:Dave_C_M...um_07_lo.jpg]
[attachment=35718:Dave_C_Magnum_01.JPG]
[attachment=35723:03062007146.jpg]
[attachment=35722:Magnum_I.jpg]
[attachment=35724:Magnum_II.jpg][/quote]

NO WAY!!!
that blue (white?) magnum with the metal scratchplate is pretty much the sweetest looking bass i have seen in ages! it's like a prop out of some 70's sci-fi! i saw it archived on some website and thought damn thats tasty..... do you still have it? do you fancy swapping it for the one i'm buying (longshot!)? i'm almost tempted to refin mine in a similar vein....

lets start a magnum club (the whole thing's gone to my head...)....

nice basses

Cheers guys,
Seems like the general message is "go for it" so i think i may just have to!

does anyone know if there is a way of dating these? i know they were late 70's/early 80's but is there any way of telling the exact model/year from the serial? (i'd kinda like to know whether it was originally a magnum 1 or 2 i guess).

As for you guys who play them, what is the best way to go about amplifying? is one of the pickups better for clean or effects? is bi-amping actually of benefit with this bass? do you recommend compression? what strings? is there a global ban on slapping on one of these (i feel there probably should be.... i saw the guy from Aswad plays one!) or is there a way to get a useable slap tone out of it?

Picking it up this saturday, in all it's hideous, obscure, 70's mix up glory.....

and i'm checking out barry adamson as soon as i get home!

Thanks,
Rich