basshead56

[quote name='gillento' timestamp='1452154602' post='2946967'] Ampeg B100R. quite cheap and sounds very B15 like apparently [url="http://www.ampeg.com/products/diamondbluebass/b100r/"]http://www.ampeg.com...bluebass/b100r/[/url] [/quote] +1 I've got two of these and LOVE them. They can sound big and throaty, or old school motown at lower volumes and just about everything in between. No hum or noise either, so good for recording with a mic. In the absence of a ton of cash/availability of an original B15 in good condition, I would suggest trying one. They come up now and then for reasonable prices. On a side note, I would love to get my hands on a B15R (Blue Diamond series, same as the B100R and 200R) from the late 90's/early 2000's to compare to the B100R as I have read on a few sites that it is a bit more similar to the V4b than the original B15N and that the B100R is an all-round better amp... hmmm... Would have suggested the Micro VR but the fan can 'whir' a bit at times. Not sure about the new Ampeg 20 and 50 watt valve amps yet as haven't got to try one but they certainly look like a good recording option, though price would put me off a wee bit

First time in my life I can genuinely say without even so much as a tiny niggle, I am totally satisfied with every piece of gear I own. i will never buy another amp again. But if we are playing with house money, I'd line up a couple of old Ampeg B-15's. Even one of the late 90's/early 2000's B-15rs would be sweet.

To my ears, nothing beats the Ampeg tone. I've played and owned/still own some stunning amps and some less-than-brilliant ones too. Ampeg-wise, I've had (in order) the B500dr (great idea, poorly executed IMO), the SVT 3 and the SVT 3 PRO. Now I have an SVT 4PRO, Micro VR, 2 x B100R combos and most recently - an SVT Classic rig. I loved both 3's but found the PRO to have a little more power, but preferred the tone of the 3 both were run through 2x BSE 410hlf cabs. (actually have had two SVT III's over the years) Then moved onto the 4 PRO atop a 6x10 - unbelievable air moving power and has lots of lovely middy Ampeg tone - love this rig! Bought the Micro VR and 2 of the 2x10 cabs - stunning wee rig and seriously powerful given it's size and weight - again, a solid Ampeg tone getting close to that SVT sound. The last few years I've been using mostly Mesa gear (aside from my two B100R's) - MPulse 600 and PH 8x10 but with a VT Bass deluxe in front of it to get the SVT sound and it did a bloody good job too. But last month saw me come full circle and get my grubby paws on a US SVT CL and 8x10 - something I've always wanted but never had the chance to own. I will never buy another amp again. EVER! The tone I've been chasing for most of my life is now achievable with just a P Bass and this. only slight drawback is it is big and very, very heavy. Given the fact that I am not strong as I used to be, lifting the b*st*rd is a mission - so not the most practical amp in the world - would love if it even more if it weighed the same as a 3PRO. haha But I digress, Sonic Heaven indeed. Excellent choice sir!

The training must you complete...

I had one briefly as a backup to my SVT 4PRO but never really had to use it. Good solid amps these. Great reputation for a reason. Nothing wrong with them in terms of volume. Tone-wise, they get into SVT territory, but nowhere near as warm or big. Definitely one-up on the 350H or 450H. But they weigh more than they should I reckon. There was a 400watt rack version aswell, similar styling to the SVT 2. These had proper heatsinks in them as well so they cool properly. I've never heard of one having any major faults (a couple of mates have them aswell). The knobs on some are quite flimsy though, so just be careful in transit. Don't know if this one you are looking at is the first of second gen as the ones I've dealt with were blackface with blue line styling. This one looks cooler than mine though as it has the Classic series styling. $350 may be a little steep for one of these though.

[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1445187414' post='2889429'] Sorry it wasn't your best ever weekend! [/quote] Alas, it was not to be. Still, I can console myself by basking in lovely, tubey goodness. That should warm the soul a bit

So now I have a credit card payment I don't need but, I'll figure it out! I thought the pair of B-100R's I got earlier in the year was the end, but I decided to pull the trigger on a mate's rig. Finally got my hands on a US Ampeg SVT Classic and 8x10. Can't say enough about the sound. Just incredible!!! The downside is that I now have to sell my beloved Mesa Rig. Oh well, the heart wants what the heart wants...[attachment=202949:20151018_1812411.jpg] And on the weekend my band released our EP too. Now if Ireland can beat Argentina tonight, this weekend will truly rank as the best one ever

The SVT and 8x10 is absolute garbage. I wouldn't waste another second dwelling on it. PM me your address and leave it on the curb and I will fly north and cart it off for you...

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1443653122' post='2876707'] Old (late 60s/early70s), made by Matsumoku, not very common at all, and them ain't the original tuners. Jon. [/quote] Cheers Jon. Have you seen one before then?

[attachment=201797:rickyfaker.jpg] Anyone know much about these Aria's? One inbound...

Videos with Dino are up on the facebook. Looks and sounds cool. Not sure 50watts would cut it, but still a tasty little amp. I like the ability to use minus cab load also, cool little feature

I just bought some for my B100R combo, after a nightmare trying to get the right ones. If the cabs have the receiver plates already in place, you will need a set of 2"swivel casters. Beware, they are American and as such, hard to find as most places stock metric ones (including industrial and specialist distributors) and they cost a bit to ship - $75 US Dollars to ship to NZ for a $30 item - greedy toads!!! Ampeg used to sell them as an extra but the New Zealand (my local) distributor were hard to get hold of and still have not replied. However, Ernie Ball do a set that are EXACTLY the same and are easy enough to get direct from Ernie Ball. http://www.ernieball.com/products/guitar-hardware-parts-cables/2029/amp-caster-set-deluxe-pop-in-socket If the cabs are not set up for 'pop-in' style casters, any ones will do really, just don't use cheap plastic wheels and make sure they can take the weight. Or a dolly

[quote name='ljbass' timestamp='1434448784' post='2799601'] I´ve seen this bass several times, but never hear it. It is an old Resonet Arco EUB made in Czechoslovakia. Factory in Blatna, named Drevokov (means Woodmetal), was producing them from 1955 and only about 100-150 of these basses were made. It has got a golden medal in Brusel in 1958 (bass for the exposition was made in transluscent violet colour with real gold plated metal parts) and instruments were distributed by Selmer then, on the end of 50´s, under the Futurama name (your EUB was for 52 pounds with waterproof bag for 4 pounds and 10 pence in Selmer catalogue from 1959 ). If it is not a rumour, John Paul Jones was playing this EUB, while Grazioso/Futurama guitar from the same factory was the first electric guitar of young Jimmy Page and George Harrison was also the owner. There were some really interesting people in 40´s and 50´s with great knowledge in developing electromagnetic pickup systems for musical instruments, but everything has gone down with communism later. More info and pictures here [url="http://www.jolana.cz/arco-resonet/"]http://www.jolana.cz/arco-resonet/[/url] or here [url="http://www.jolana.info/menu_blatna.html"]http://www.jolana.in...enu_blatna.html[/url] Private museum with Arco EUB in the corner here [url="http://retrojolana.cz/"]http://retrojolana.cz/[/url] It surely has a lot of similarities with Framus Triumph bass (later Warwick), which was in serial production from 1953 in Germany, but (I guess) it has slightly different construction (small resonant chamber of Resonet Arco?). [/quote] Thank you very much for this. It is greatly appreciated I had no idea these were so rare. I had read something about a slight connection with Led Zeppelin. Very happy, at least I will be when i have finished fixing it up

Hi all, As part of a trade on an amp I was looking to shift, I managed to land myself a rather beat up old (late 50's I'm told) Selmer/Resonett Arco Futurama Bass What a weird but fun little instrument! Needs fair bit of work to get her back up and running again, but lot's of cool potential... Couldn't find a hell of a lot of info on it last night so if anyone knows much about them, feel free

Some porn from the land down under-er...

Hi All, Just picked one of these up very cheaply while looking to build a second pedal rig for my upright setup. I got it and a Tech21 Bass Boost Chorus (for my electric bass pedal rig) for about 100 pounds, so pretty damn cuffed! I was hoping to use this as my DI box for shows where I won't have my upright amp (Ampeg B-100R), so running the bass (Baby clone) into my new Korg Pitchblack and into the Xciter. So far, I have tested it out going to the amp via the jack output and I have to say, I am quite impressed with the overall sounds I'm getting. First tried it on my 51 RI P bass with flats into my Mesa rig. So bass to Xciter to amp. WOW, what a beautiful tone. Nice little lift in the bottom without killing the mids or highs and spiking the volume - all straight out of the box! But not the reason I bought it, so onto the main affair - upright. Bass to tuner to Xciter to amp. Firstly, it is definitely true-bypass and there's absolutely zero noise, hiss or hum from this unit. It has even dampened some of the (very, very low level) feedback from the bass and amp setup. First set everything to 12 o clock and it sounds a little muddier than I'd like but it couldn't be perfect instantly! It definitely takes some getting used to and I initially just started by driving the Lo end (I guess instinctively) but it takes a wee bit of a play to get the balance right so as not to colour the sound too much. Otherwise it just gets subby and woolly. After about 40 mins of upping and downing the pots, I reckon i have found the right sound - at least for use with the amp (but again, this will most likely be used only for DI as I love the tone of the B-100R).\ I have set the Lo Tune to 8 and the Lo blend to 5 with the Hi Tone and Blend both around 7. I'm getting some decent bottom end from the bass and the highs are still clear without overpowering everything else. The character of the bass (with weedwacker style strings) is still very much there, but with subtle lifts in the 'boom'. I have a band rehearsal tonight so will report on the DI aspect later, bearing in mind that the PA at the rehearsal space is limited to say the least. I really hope it cuts it, cause I like the idea of slapping this and the tuner onto a Pedaltrain Nano and having a simple, space-saving rig (Hey a VW Golf can only fit so much in). If it doesn't work out, I thought I might spring for a Doctor J Sparrow and use that as the pre/DI, after the Xciter and tuner (obviously with the 'dirt' dialed back a bit) as I love my VT Bass deluxe but can't afford the VTDI at the mo. Cheers Colin

Fair point chaps. Right, well here are a few candids with some of my more retro-looking basses. Haven't had a play with any of the Fenders (bar the 51) yet, but it's Saturday morning and raining outside, so who knows what will happen today... [attachment=184480:20150220_170240.jpg][attachment=184482:20150220_172247.jpg][attachment=184483:20150220_172321.jpg][attachment=184481:20150220_172219.jpg][attachment=184477:20150220_165705.jpg][attachment=184478:20150220_165856.jpg][attachment=184479:20150220_170228.jpg]

Finally, after years of putting it off, I decided I HAD to have this amp. All I can say is WOW! Been using it with every bass in the arsenal for the last two days and no matter what, it needs virtually no tweaking. Vintage tone heaven. Main reason for getting it was for use with my Baby Bass clone and it does not disappoint! Buckets of thick, creamy vintage upright tone. Amp GAS totally cured and all it took was a trip on a little blue rocket

Marketplace here on this very site, my good man - plenty of decent fare for you're budget. If it has to be new, I like the new American Specials - excellent value. As are the original run of the 50's - pretty much the Roadworn basses without the relic job. lovely basses. Haven't tried a Nate Mendel but I hear they are excellent. Love the looks.

I sent an enqiry about that bass on Ishibashi a few weeks back! Damn, you got a sexy bass there! I bet it sounds anazing!!!

I've got a US SVT 4 PRO and a US 610HLF - big sound, big heavy gear. Worth it though - headroom for miles. Never had a moment's grief with this rig other than weight (it's all cased). Played a US SVT II and 80's 810 a couple of times and I think it was the nicest tone I've ever had (in my head anyway, maybe I am romanticising it a bit) - Just P Bass and SVT. Played a support slot last Saturday night using the main band's backline, which included a Vietnampeg SVT VR, through a Chinese??? B series 410 - awful, awful sounding cab. Couldn't get a decent sound out of it all through soundcheck, sounded really 'thin' and rattled a bit. Maybe a speaker issue, not sure but I quickly went home after soundcheck and chucked my Mesa Scout Radiator 15 in the boot. I asked the other guy if he minded if I used my cab for our set and offered to let him use it for his. He said go for it but was happy with his sound so wanted to keep using the 4x10 - he didn't like 15's anyway, "too flappy". I plugged in the cab and it was right first time, no tweaking at all needed - I even used his eq settings the way they were for our set too, just turned the volume down a touch. I played our set and the VR was huge through the Mesa cab, amazingly clear, a touch of grit and big! First time in ages I've turned my VT pedal off - no need to simulate an SVT when playing through the genuine article! The other guys went on after us and all but emptied the venue; feedback, hiss, terrible timing (not sure the bass player and drummer had even met before!!!) bass was noisy and in & out in terms of clarity and the singer was a twat! I love the 'Ampeg sound', it's that growl that gets me. I like my Mesa M Pulse for its clarity and the Marshall VBA for sheer old-school valve goodness, but Ampeg SVT's just have 'that' sound. When I get this wedding out of the way I will definitely be going on the hunt for an SVT AV and matching 8x10 (this may take a while!) Anyway, I guess the heavier US stuff is better, at least in terms of cabs, in my limited experience of nowt much else!

I've got a silver sparkle one and wouldn't part with it for anything. Had been searching for one for forever and found one down here for mere peanuts. Always loved Fat Mike's DC and a couple of other fave punk players have wielded them over the years. Missed an original 70's one in Black on Trademe last week for only $395 NZ!!! It was on there for about 2 hours... GUTTED!!!! If only i could get a commie red one... Anyone know where to get an aftermarket pg?

Preamp tubes perhaps? Do you sit the amp directly on top of a big cab?

I'd be quite keen on a $$ in black. Also a Vampyre.