SamPlaysBass

My pleasure. The cabs are great - not just for the weight - just great cabs all round. I’d be tempted by a 4x10 to take on tour but the price is a tad eye watering. I do love a Neo cab, though. The 1x12 could do some damage, especially if you’re in a small or not particularly loud band. 2 stacked together would be great in most situations. 1 on its own would be a perfect accompaniment as a monitor for a bigger gig. May be tempted by a 2x10 because old habits die hard. I’m not sure of the origins of the power section in the V3 but it doesn’t sound like it gives up very easily - clear and punchy right through the sweep of the volume knob. Didn’t appear to compress too much at high volumes but I didn’t run it too hard or for two long. It sounds much, much louder than the 250 watt unit that was in the old TC amps and the like.

Stayed for the morning and helped to make this video with the guys at A Strings. Admittedly, I didn't know I was doing it until I turned up but here's a demo of the Ampeg Venture V3 through the DI and general thoughts on the series. Enjoy!

Based on the assumption that all the cabs carry the same flavour as the 1x12 and 4x10, they certainly haven't got FRFR clarity but are very open useable in the bass frequency department. Like a very good quality modern Neodymium-equipped cab should be, in my opinion. Clear and articulate, even in the highs.

Cheers @Linus27. If you like the Ampeg sound I'd certainly give them a look and the V7 seems to be the sweet spot. Sounds perfect for what you want. I haven't tried a Markbass IV but the Venture is a world apart from the LM3 I had a few years back - much more character to the sound and the character is typically Ampeg. Hopefully it'll match the Markbass for long term reliability! I get the feeling after speaking to the retailers (who I know well luckily) that Yamaha seem determined to lose the old stigma of reliability and quality inconsistency they've had for the last few years.

I've just spent a morning test driving the V3 and 1x12 cab and I have to say it's a marked improvement over the PF range. It's much better built (or at least higher quality materials from a tactile perspective) and a great deal lighter. The EQ feels more modern and useable and the 5 position switch is gone in favour of stacked sweepable mids knobs, again which are very useful. Before the EQ section there are some preshape settings based on the SGT DI circuit, though these can be defeated and it can be run clean (i.e. just 3 band EQ and hi/low switches). The SVT section sounds like an SVT (from smooth-ish to gritty, with the ultra hi/low buttons putting you into the SansAmp SVT world pretty quickly) and the B-15 section rolls off the lows and highs, but also makes for some pretty interesting EQ options if you use the presets as a starting point. The drive and level knobs work well together and can sound like a driven SVT if that's what you're into. If not, the amp and cab sound generally very good - articulate, clear, but with a strong hint of Ampeg flavour. The 1x12 is loud, light and felt as though it had a lot more to give than the 1 o'clock on the volume knob I was giving it. In fact, the small room I was in became very rattly above 1 o'clock but I'd rather not comment on the volume until I'd gigged it or at least had some live experience in a band context. At the shop volume I was playing it at, it held the B string well and I never thought the cab lacked in any department, even though I didn't get to really work it very hard. Not super hifi, but balanced, clear and articulate. For the amps, I'd say the price point is about right, if a little high. The V3 felt like a £400-£500 amp, so that's about right. Over £1k for the V12 seems steep, but we'll see what happens to the prices in time. Certainly pointed at the premium end of amp pricing. V7 may be the sweet spot, though they didn't have a demo V7 in the shop to try. Cab-wise, the 4x10 is hilariously light and those who have owned Ampeg cabs in the past will feel the full force of the hilarity when you pick it up. Certainly looks like it should throw a disc out but weighs about 15kg. Prices of the cabs seem VERY steep, though. Around £800(!) for a 1x12 and closer to £1500 for the 4x10. That's high end money for a relatively unknown design. Overall, a nice return to form for Ampeg - hopefully. Yamaha want to make an impression by improving quality, but I suppose we should give it a year to see what the reliability and support is like; SVT Pro owners rejoice. On that note, it feels much closer to the SVT Pro amps than the Portaflexes ever did. Very solid amps and great lightweight cabs, but pricey. 8/10. Would gig.

Slight thread resurrection… Tried one of these out in PMT recently and was genuinely blown away. I’ve been working alongside another bassist who’s got the full size version (WHB1005MS-PLF I think, or that could be a washing machine. Who knows 🤷🏼‍♂️) tuned to drop A and the low A was so tight and well defined. I was really intrigued as I’ve always found Ibbies well made but a bit bland - and that comes and as a former Ibanez owner myself. Trying out the short scale one, I didn’t realise at first that it was actually short scale. The 32” B doesn’t feel dissimilar to a 34” and the tension was great. The low B sounded awesome - better than my Fender Professional Jazz V. It was like a little hot hatch to play; ridiculously comfortable and such a fast neck that it defied belief. So much fun to play, which I hadn’t felt for a long time in the serious world of bass playing. That said, it had obviously had a knock or something as the EQ knobs spun as though the pot wasn’t properly attached to the body anymore and a few had been pressed in, making them difficult to turn. The hard life of a bass dangling 10 feet in the air in a shop. Love the refin on yours. It really makes the neck wood ‘pop’ and stand out. 6 months on, how are you finding it?

John’s playing on Grace and Danger by John Martyn is some of my favourite bass playing ever. Rest in Peace, John. Effortless fretless with the most wonderful, expressive playing.

That would’ve fit the bill - the Fender is still a wonderful cab but you’ve got to give it the Genz stuff. Wonderfully engineered. Shame about it being late!

So, a few gigs in and some observations on the ol' Sampeg Stack. The Fender Neo 8x10 is a doddle to cart about. Much easier than I expected to get up a flight of stairs due to its shape and handy handles on the bottom. I've even had the guitarist offer to help me take the cab up the stairs whereas he used to take a wide berth around my old 4x10. The sound/monitoring on stage is spectacular and to feel the air move around me is lovely. The drummer likes it because he can hear me at ear level and the sound guy is happy because it does some heavy lifting in smaller venues. FYI - I'm also very responsive to our sound guy because ultimately they are god in a live show. On the rare occasion I'm too loud, I use the magic volume knob and take it down a few notches. It's still visceral, even at lower volumes, and makes me enjoy playing live more than my old rig. It sounds great, looks good on stage. I'm very happy with it. As it's a lot lighter than a traditional 8x10, I'm not afraid to lever it up onto a stage on my own. I can't say I'm noticing a huge difference with the sealed/unsealed cabs I've used in the past so I can't comment on which I prefer. Either way, I always use ear protection as the speakers are closer to my ears. Unlike my last rig, I genuinely don't mind using ear plus as now I can feel the notes as I play them. Shoutout to the Ampeg SVT CL as well - a wonderful bit of kit. IMG_4731.heicObligatory practice room pic. Sam

Thanks, itu. It’s literally a clean, non-EQ DI that can provide a pure clean signal to FOH. I’ve got a SansAmp and the big amp for the good sound. I just need a solid, reliable and slightly pleasing clean signal to combine with my buggery of FX and EQ shaping! Thomann suggestions is a shout 👍🏻

I’m looking to run a clean DI to the FOH in combination with a mic’d cab and/or DI from the head. I’ve been borrowing various venues’ DI boxes which vary in quality from Behringer silver boxes to Radials and ancient Countryman units which look ‘well loved’. This is at the suggestion of our sound guy who uses a two channels for bass: one dirty/effects/EQ’d signal and another for a clean DI to blend in and fill out the lower frequencies. Speaking to the sound guy, he likes the Radial J48 as it gives the signal a little boost (passive P bass and a Ric 4003) but he’s said there’s lots of options. He’s even run an Aggie Tone Hammer pedal with the EQ flat for a good clean tone in the past. As I’m waiting for responses from said sound guy, anyone got any good experiences with straight DI pedals? I don’t need EQ options and already have a SansAmp/SVT CL for heavy lifting. I’ve tried an Acme Motown DI in a studio and that was lovely, but it’s passive. And expensive. Same for a REDDI and Noble, though I’ve not tried them. So, suggestions for a ‘buy once, buy right’ clean DI to go after my tuner to give my sound guy a clean signal to be blended with the dirty? Acme Audio, J48, Countryman 85, RNDI feedback all welcome!

That’s still cutting edge technology around here! The cassette tape has taken Merthyr by storm. Those and the horseless carriage 🤯

Well, this is what I’ve ended up with. 45kg for the cab and 40kg for the head. Not bad! Sounds monstrous. The Fender NEO 8x10 is surprisingly hifi - different flavour to Ampeg but I like it a lot. Turn the tweeter down and it’s got the Ampeg 8x10 flavour. Just over a month or so until I get to give it a proper gig bashing. (Queue the ‘my back hurts just looking at it…’ comments 🤦🏼‍♂️ )

If that’s what you want. Or if you wanted something a bit less traditional I’m sure you could have a chat with Bruce and he’d be happy to design something. There’s an Explorer-esque design on his Instagram which looks interesting which I believe to be a custom design for a customer. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cmok_q3K39P/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= What’s drawing me to Bassworks is the engineering solutions behind things like the neck pocket and the fret ends. Some designs are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but all are logical and solve issues I’ve seen on basses I own/have owned.

Second for @Bassworks. Bruce has got some really innovative designs and extensive engineering experience. New breed for UK luthiers and I’m genuinely excited by the engineering he’s putting into his basses. http://www.bassworks.co.uk/home

I found the CTM 100 to ‘default’ to a rock amp. It had some beautiful overtones and broke up without being crazy loud. Not loads of bottom end and the EQ was very narrow, but plenty of grit and mids/highs. The first gig I did a few years back with my (now sold) CTM 100 I used my old Stingray which sounded great. Switched to a Squier Precision with roundwounds to try out my then new acquisition and it came ALIVE. Think John Entwistle Live at Leeds tone. No pedals, just P bass, rounds and gain and volume. A couple of regulars commented on the sound of the P bass and usually they’re too taken with the keys player’s hand acrobatics to comment on the bass. Loved it, did the rock thing very well. I ended up selling it a year or so later after using it at an originals funk / soul gig with a 5 string Fender Professional Jazz and an Ampeg HE410 cab. It just wasn’t deep or clean enough, and wanted to break up at too low a volume to be useful. Great amp, wrong application. P bass, Pick, rounds, CTM 100 = 🤘🏻

This is what the rational side of my brain knows and yet I’ve bypassed sensibility in favour of playing what I see my heroes playing. On a practical level, 100% agree with everything and realistically I could turn up with nothing more than a bass, tuner, a SansAmp and a couple of leads and play Wembley tomorrow. However, a £400 Sire will do nearly everything a Pre-CBS Fender does, but dare I say many people would choose the vintage option over the sensible if the position allowed for it? I would, because I feel I would enjoy the opportunity to use something that is regarded as special in a hobby/line of work. It’s more an emotive decision than an engineering solution. In the (hopefully distant) future, I’ll no doubt get to the point where I’ll need to go lightweight/ampless etc. and hopefully I’ll pass on my rig to another young SamPlaysBass in a few years time, most likely at huge financial loss to me. To shave the fat off my question, is a ported 8x10 with a tweeter vastly different in sound to a sealed Ampeg 8x10?

I know what you mean, I was being genuine in my reply haha. I always think of Ampeg 8x10s as pushing the air over me without a load of bottom or top end. Always nicely balanced, but mid focused to a certain extent. My current ported cabs tend to throw more low end frequencies out. Not bad, but different. I like the mid focused tone of a sealed cab but always wondered if a ported cab ever too much in an 8x10 configuration. Also, just to wade into the mix, we’ve got a band van and we’re pretty hands-on when it comes to load-ins. This cab will never be in a car or used down the Dog & Duck - I’ve got a TC RH750 and RS112 cabs for that. It’s a pure band acquisition that will be toured around the UK and Europe in a rock/soul band setting.

That’s a dream room right there, Walshy! Down to brass tacks - what are the main differences between the pair of cabs with the SVT? Main things I’d like to know are: • Can you hear and feel the 6x10 as much as you can the 8x10? Is the height difference of the 8x10 noticeable? • Is there a difference in tone or are they near enough identical? • Is the Barefaced a compromise over the Ampeg? i.e. ‘It’s very nearly as good as the SVT but sooo much lighter etc.’ but the SVT realistically has a bit more to it. Cheers in advance mate!

After some thought I’m set on a big cab, as impractical as they are… Is an 8x10 an 8x10 or is there a ‘better’ and ‘worse’ cabs 8x10 cabs?

Thanks, Bill. Honoured to have input from a legend! In a roundabout way, I can see that an 8x10 is not the most efficient design by any stretch and two 2x10s will work well. However, I do worry about putting a big SVT on top of a couple of 2x10, although I could just leave it on the floor and save the backache of getting it up there in the first place.

This makes insanely good sense. Thank you, Fretmeister! Sealed would make more sense, less hard work for the sound engineer and less boom on stage. I’m lucky enough to be playing 500+ capacity venues fairly regularly so a big cab as much for looks as well as functionality.

Again another great idea, I love that if a speaker ever goes pop then Mark, Dan and co. are the most helpful guys in the business for replacements and spares. They are heavy, though. Heavier than the Fender and on par with the Ampegs. Out of interest, any comments on the sound of the Fender? I’m used to Ampegs but if there is a way of shaving a few KG off, I’d be happy to entertain the thought.

I’ve often thought about the Barefaced 6x10 and they are a real contender. I’ve never used one, so I was wondering if by the magic that Alex manages to cram into them they achieve the same ear-level monitoring as an 8x10? I’m 5ft 9” and an SVT 8x10 is a great fit to be able to hear and feel the notes. The Barefaced looks quite squat but I’m aware, having owned a Compact many moons ago, of the design and engineering that goes into them. I don’t run an 8x10 particularly loud either, it’s a tactile/haptic thing about feeling the air and movement in my body. Otherwise I’d just wear in-ears all the time if it was purely for monitoring purposes. Also, as much as I hate to ask as describing sounds is so much more difficult than actually hearing them for yourself, but what sonic differences are there between big sealed and ported cabs?

I’ve recently acquired my dream head - an SVT CL. I love it to pieces already and is rendering many of my pedals semi-redundant as it’s made me realise how my pedalboard was entirely geared up to try and emulate the sounds of an SVT. Long story short, I’ve got the real McCoy (except for maybe an early 70s SVT) and I love it. In the spirit of upgrades, I’m playing through Ashdown ABM 4x10 and 2x10 cabs which do the job admirably. However, I’ve always fancied an 8x10. I’ve played many over the years and I played through one on Saturday night. There’s something so visceral about the playing experience. The air moving around you, the monitoring that having speakers so close to the ear creates - I’m sold. The only consideration for me regarding an 8x10 is weight, and it’s more for weight in the van rather than loading purposes (though that will inevitably be a factor). I’d love a Barefaced 8x10, but cost is prohibitive at the minute. Fender’s 8x10 Bassman Neo is a bit lighter and comes with a tweeter, and I always have the tweeters engaged for a bit of sizzle. I’ve read that the Fender 8x10 is a ported design and I’ve never played a ported 8x10 - any major sonic differences to the sealed SVT cab? I’ve also heard from a couple of veteran bass player mates that the Orange 8x10 is a worthy contender and that the Ampeg SVT 610 HLF is a real gem in the lineup. Meanwhile, Talkbass rates the 410 HLF as a complete dog, which seems contradictory if the 610 is essentially the same design but with 2 extra speakers and is considered a bit of a darling in the range. I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where an 8x10 makes sense (or a 6x10, if that seems more viable). The man maths checks out but before pulling the trigger, I thought I’d ask the Basschat hive mind about a good recommendation as I’ve always found the best advice from Basschat. So, good 8x10 (or 6x10) cab recommendations for an SVT CL that isn’t going to make a full van burst its tyres? (Pic - current set up)