Shuttle 9.0, markbass F1 or EA iamp micro 550???

[gafbass02]

I've done quite a bit of research and have shifted myself from the 6 to the 9 having read that the 6 seems underpowered (I'm coming from a little mark 2) so I def don't want to loose volume. Also I'm really want clean power, I prefer to add drive myself. Crucially the amp HAS to be lighter than the LM2 (!) I like a punchy tone that's quite hifi. Think Bill Gould (meets cass Lewis!)
The 9 is really more than I can afford but this amp will gave to last a loooong time! So should I grit my teeth for the 9 or will the 6 do ? I've heard it lacks bass (bad!) I prefer to eq less to save power but my barefaced cabs seem to prefer being eq'd. Any thoughts folks?

Edited September 21, 2010 by gafbass02

[Musicman20]

9! Defintely. £615 now at the mo.

[gafbass02]

Wheres that from?

[Musicman20]

Few of the specialists. Apparently cuts in prices for Sept. Bass Merchant chaps mentioned it the other day. It's around £615 which is good tbh.

[gafbass02]

Cool, cheers dude. I'll do some calling on Monday, cheapest price I can find is bass direct at the mo, but that's slghtky more.

[chris_b]

Save up for the Shuttle 9.

I didn't like the Shuttle 6 much and it's the 9 that seems to get most praise on Talkbass.

[gafbass02]

Yeah looks like the nines the one. Cheers all

[Musicman20]

The 9.0 has a MUCH fuller low end apparently. I got one of the first units in the UK, and I sent it back due to a frame issue, (im 100% sure the frame wasnt straight as I measured it with a spirit level). Hence, the amp wobbled all the time, (it wasnt the feet btw).

I still would like one, and at £615 its a no brainer.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Musicman20

[JTUK]

Sounds like a miss-match with the cab..bin one of them.

[Prime_BASS]

The 6s response only goes to 45hz which isn't low enough, since some active basses low eq is set at 40!!
The 6 and 3 are designed to go with the respective cabinets by GB.

The 9 extra power warrants a lower low end I can only guess it's close 30hz which gives you the sub-bass IMO.
I'd never buy an amp that didn't comfortably go to around 30hz, especially with the Barefaced cabs as they can voice down to 33hz IIRC.
I tend to keep my amp flat with mine as the compact I had and the midget I know have have a pretty flat response once the speaker has broken in.

[gafbass02]

Interesting stuff. Cheers all Not sure where the mismatch is jtuk?
As I've been digging around I've come across the ea iamp micro 550 which people on talkbass say is under powered but it's very very light n compact so tempting but I'm concerned about it being 50% for upright which just ain't in my funk rock world!

Shuttle 9. Markbass F1 or micro 550?

I'll amend the title, the shuttle 6 is a no!

[Musicman20]

Out of those, the Shuttle 9.0 personally. I like Markbass and briefly owned an F500, but it just seemed too small and almost too many features crammed in. The LM3 is more my sound. I found myself tweaking the F500, which I never to with the LM3.

[franzbassist]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='961044' date='Sep 19 2010, 11:42 AM']I've come across the ea iamp micro 550 which people on talkbass say is under powered but it's very very light n compact so tempting but I'm concerned about it being 50% for upright which just ain't in my funk rock world![/quote]

There's no reason you have to use an upright with the Micro. The Doubler version has some extra upright friendly features for sure, but they both work perfectly well with electric basses.

I had a Micro and it was lovely. Really crisp and clean sound, and as long as you get the gain set up right it can go quite loud. It's not a "ballsy" amp though, it only really does clean. I sold it because I went for a tube preamp, but now I'm full circle as I've gone clean again with a PJB rig.

My advice would be to try a Micro if at all possible, just to be sure it has the sound and volume you want.

Cheers

Gareth

[gafbass02]

Cheers trying ain't gonna happen which is a shame, I do like a nice clean sound to add to

[JTUK]

punchy and hi-fi..?? you sure you are on the right tracks with amp and cabs..

Depending on your choice of cab, but you have no chance of hi-fi if you are stuck with cabs that fizz out at 3k or so..

[gafbass02]

Sorry I'm bring dumb! I don't get what fizz out at 3k means? I'm using a compact and midget T if that's any help? My main priority tbh is portability as I've found that as I'm the only one who benefits from the amp sound onstage I'd rather sound less than perfect and have an easy load in/out/carry across town. Even backline only gigs i find that the bass tone tends to be less of an issue as opposed to volume and cut, and at practice volume, well I guess EQ can do pretty much anything at low volumes. So although in general I prefer that hifi punchy tone (albeit a compromise as my playing can go from fingers, to fingernail plectrum to slap in one song) that any sound I end up will always be' compromised pretty heavily. So I'm very much talking 'ballpark' here. Basiclly I don't wanna sound like the guy who wishes it was still 1976 with that godawful plunky farty sound! But not Marcus miller either, I guess check out loungefly in my sig, what I want is to sound as close as possible to that sound, as loud as possible, in a package that's as light as possible!

Moon on a stick!

Edited September 19, 2010 by gafbass02

[Prime_BASS]

I understand what you mean if there was no negatives I'd be trawling the scene with a bloody great Goliath of a rig.

The sound I roughly go for is the sound tim commerford has on bullet in the head. Or as flat as possible.

Get the genz it's got a good clean tone, and will be as loud as hell, and it should sound great with your Barefaced cabs, it's a very articulate head.

[fatback]

+1 on the micro.

I'm running an EA Doubler with a Midget and it's top class. Same amp as the Micro.

Don't believe the stuff about not being loud. I've not tried it at 4ohms with two cabs, but with just the one @8b it'll peel paint off the walls. Great combination.

Part of the 'not loud' idea might come from it having linear knobs, so 12oclock is genuinely half way, not 3/4 like most amps.

Although it's a 'clean' amp, it's definitely not clinical or hifi. I play a kind of down and dirty country rock with it and it can be very mean indeed.

Use a pedal if you want more grit, but fwiw I ended up leaving my DHA VT1 at home.

[gafbass02]

Well the shuttle 9.0 arrived, if it dosnt work out next stop is the iamp micro!! I managed five minutes at bedroom volume into my midget t.
At that low volume it needed a fair bit of treble boost and sounded very punchy and flexible. I don't find the switches too extreme at low volumes but we'll see.
I do miss separate low and hi mid controls though. Only having a sweepable one sucks a bit cause I can't boost the low mid and cut the high. It's pick and choose!
It felt loud so low on the dial although the preamp volume confused me, cause with the gain set low you loose load of volume anyway so it seems a tad redundant.
Beautiful build, although goodness knows how I'm gonna get it to sit on top of the midget, on the handle side the handle is too high, and on the top it's too sloppy, and I found my sorbothane feet melted the finish !! Hmm maybe russ Andrews oak cone feet of something.
A proper review will happen presently

[Ghost_Bass]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='963681' date='Sep 21 2010, 07:34 PM'](...)
A proper review will happen presently[/quote]

Yes pelase! I'm looking forward to hear how the 9.0 sounds with the Midget T alone

[gafbass02]

Sounds cool

I've managed another twenty minute and managed to eq my way back to near flat with an upper mid cut. Much less eq needed than the lm2

[urb]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='963681' date='Sep 21 2010, 07:34 PM']Well the shuttle 9.0 arrived, if it dosnt work out next stop is the iamp micro!! I managed five minutes at bedroom volume into my midget t.
At that low volume it needed a fair bit of treble boost and sounded very punchy and flexible. I don't find the switches too extreme at low volumes but we'll see.
I do miss separate low and hi mid controls though. Only having a sweepable one sucks a bit cause I can't boost the low mid and cut the high. It's pick and choose!
It felt loud so low on the dial although the preamp volume confused me, cause with the gain set low you loose load of volume anyway so it seems a tad redundant.
Beautiful build, although goodness knows how I'm gonna get it to sit on top of the midget, on the handle side the handle is too high, and on the top it's too sloppy, and I found my sorbothane feet melted the finish !! Hmm maybe russ Andrews oak cone feet of something.
A proper review will happen presently[/quote]

I've had a Shuttle 9 since late last year and I have to say for me it's the best amp I've every owned, I've previously owned Nemesis, Epifani, SWR and EBS - while they all have their merits, the GB 9 just nails all the best bits together in one small but perfectly formed package. I think your comments on the lack of separate high and low mid boosts is a fair point but to be honest if you combine your bass' tone controls with your desired settings on the amp, and then use the trebele/high boost switches on the amp you should be able to achieve a great degree of control - I usually set the amp up and then do most of the mid cutting and boosting on the bass, but then I have an active pre. I can get some beautifully punchy tones at most volume levels but I've found - having gigged the amp a fair bit - that it really comes to life at high volume, and the power under that little hood is amazing.

Also using the Gain and Tube control to crank the amp will bring out its more beastly qualities, it can sound a bit polite otherwise, but it's so flexible and sounds great with both modern and vintage basses I think it's an absolute winner. I recently checked out a TC RH450 and was mightily impressed, but in spite of all its massive array of tonal possibilities my major problem with this approach is just getting that one, benchmark, tone that you can then do pretty much anything - switching between fingers and slap, lead and low bass tones - all controlled from the bass and your technique rather than always changing things on the amp. For me the fundamental quality of the GB 9 is the winning factor here, having an almost infinite set of digitally enhanced possibilities with the RH450 is great, but you have to know what sound you want otherwise you could be tweaking to infinity and beyond rather than getting stuck in and enjoying the amp in a playing situation....

Everytime I plug into my 9 is just love it - all I need now is 410 to really explore what 900ws feels like

M

[gafbass02]

Great post. Having just passive jazz basses does somewhat limit me tonally. I've done the active thing to death and come full circle. Although should funds ever allow I do fancy another go with an audere.

[gafbass02]

aarararararaghghghghg!!!!!

Ive got the 9.0 and its great but i cant help thinking id be better off with the F1?? Id like to boost the low mid and cut the top, and the VPF is just so easy, compared to the shuttle. Im not sure the shuttle will be any louder either tbh. stuck now!!, Mark has kindly said he'll exchange but im so not sure and no band rehearsals for a fortnight so im doing all my figuring out off running it backline only at an open mic gig with the midget T (and at home in the half hour before the nipper gets in!)

what to do!!!!!

Grrrr!!!!

Edited September 28, 2010 by gafbass02

[Musicman20]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='970730' date='Sep 28 2010, 02:46 PM']aarararararaghghghghg!!!!!

Ive got the 9.0 and its great but i cant help thinking id be better off with the F1?? Id like to boost the low mid and cut the top, and the VPF is just so easy, compared to the shuttle. Im not sure the shuttle will be any louder either tbh. stuck now!!, Mark has kindly said he'll exchange but im so not sure and no band rehearsals for a fortnight so im doing all my figuring out off running it backline only at an open mic gig with the midget T (and at home in the half hour before the nipper gets in!)

what to do!!!!!

Grrrr!!!![/quote]

Hmm

Ive been in the scenario before, albeit with the LM3 and Shuttle 9.0

Personally, I never tried to Shuttle 9.0 at high volumes, but it never seemed to be that much louder than the LM3.

In the end, I kept the LM3 and went with the RH450, which is probably the loudest and most versatile small amp Ive used.

I think if you are a die hard Markbass fan, those filters are amazing, and you will always crave the simplicity.

Upto you. The F1/500 is super punchy, clean and tight.

I like the additional features the 9.0 has, like headphone in etc, but for sheer tone and simplicity, the LM3 won out.

Personally, I nearly bought another 9.0, but I realised what Ive got is : A) enough and B ) versatile.

Hope this helps.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Musicman20