Mavbassman

Hi Bass peeps, I'm trying to determine whether my Spyder 550 head has a specific issue or if this behavior is just part of its design. I'm playing a P-Bass equipped with hot DiMarzio Model P pickups. I typically run the Gain on the amp close to or at maximum to get a rich, warm tone. However, when I really dig in on the lowest notes, the volume suddenly drops—almost like a strong compression effect kicks in. I'm wondering if this is a built-in protection feature of the amp, or if there's something wrong with it. Has anyone else experienced this with the Spyder 550? Edit: this doesn't happen with my ABM 500