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NEW AMP DAY x 3


thebassman
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Hi guys, I will be like a kid in a sweet shop this weekend.

My Mesa M6 has been playing up so i have returned it for repair. I got a call last night from Westside distribution telling me it has failed and needs replacing, in about 2 weeks. Luckily they are sending me a loan amp to keep me going.

I also thought it would be a good idea to buy a spare amp to take to gigs, so i have been shopping on Basschat.

So tomorrow i will be trying out:

Mesa Boogie Mpulse 360 - Thanks Westside distribution

Orange Bass terror - Thanks JPJ

Genz Benz Streamliner 600 - Thanks Tonyxtiger

I will be giving them all a run through tomorrow daytime through my Mesa 2x12 powerhouse, the winner will be taken to a gig tomorrow night, a big wedding reception................... watch this space for reviews/ comments.

I will be advertising the loser on here, obviously not the Mesa, as it's not mine.

cheers

thebassman

Edited by thebassman
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[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1342189171' post='1731221']
Be careful how you phrase that advert. Not sure loser amp will work. Lol

But it is always good to have a play around with what is out there. Good fun.
[/quote]

Haha yeah,
i didn't mean it like that, they are all awesome amps, but I can't keep them all.

cheers

thebassman

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Sorry guys, been a bit busy over the weekend.................. too many amps to play with :D

Please note, this test is all subjective and IMO etc. the results may sound completly different with various cabs/ basses.

So, my set up is a follows:
Stingray 5 3eq model, Mesa Powerhouse 2x12 and normally go through a Mesa M6 carbine.
People say this is the Mesa amp for people that don't like Mesa, not sure i agree with that as i have had A buster bass, walkabout and 400+ over the years. I loved all those amps but the M6 has so much more definition, nothing gets lost though out the range of tones. It's the only amp i have had where people comment how "musical" the bass tone is.

Anyway back to business.


1st up was the Mpulse 360, first impressions quality piece of kit, lovely solid build and good finish. There is a lot more control at your finger tips than my M6 with the parametric EQ and solo channel settings via the footswitch.
This was a Mesa test bench amp so it was a bit beaten up.

The tone was very warm and slightly distorted/ fuzzy. Bags of headroom. I was expecting to love this amp as i had always gassed for one before i finally got my M6. I must admit i was a bit underwhelmed.
I played through a few familiar songs with my mate on guitar and a backing drum track. I got very lost in the mix. I think a lot more tinkering may be needed. I moved on as i am not keeing this amp.

Next up was the Genz Benz streamliner 600. This is also a fantastic looking bit of kit. Expensive looking Aluminium construction. Not too overcrowded on the front panel.
When switched on the subtle blue neon behind the little window exposing the valves looks really cool.

I set all the tone controls to 12 o'clock, gain on 1 o'clock, gain volume on 12 o'clock, gain button out. The amp had a massive fat tone to it. I attempted to dial in a bit more clean crunch without too much success.
I then pressed the gain button and knocked up the gain knob a little, it sounded much better.
The jury is out on this one, i really want to like it because as a spare it is the best size/ shape/ weight to take with me to all gigs.
I will be taking it along to full volume rehearsals this weekend.

Next up was the Orange bass terror, i only bought this out of curiosity. It looks very odd sitting on top of my Mesa 2x12, this cab is huge for a 2x12, nearly square on top.
I had read a bit about the setting, i.e. Bass on very low, i set it to about 7 o'clock (2 on the 0-10 scale). I set the mid to 1 o'clock, same for treble. I had the gain on 4 o'clock (8), master volume to taste.
What an incredible sound :gas:
I know this amp is not stock, the pre-amp valves have been swapped out with NOS jan phillips and JJ's. I was just blown away by the ease of use and incredible tone, straight out of the box. Perhaps i was lucky and just hit the sweet spot.

I took this amp to a gig that evening, large hall venue, on a big high stage, 300+ guests with no PA support for the Bass.
This thing absolutely rocked, i could not stop grinning all night, especially when i looked round and saw how small it looked compared to the rest of the backline. Even my mates Ashdown peacemaker 20 dwarfed it.

I am not giving up the group test just yet on these 2 amps, as i said the Mesa Mpulse is not mine, just on loan until the M6 is sorted.

I will take both the Genz and the OTB along to my next rehearsal at the weekend to give them a back to back same environment test.

I feel i need to sit down and really experiment with the Genz, i am sure "my" sound is in there somewhere.

If anyone has any suggested settings or comments, much appreciated.

cheers

thebassman

Edited by thebassman
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Don't be frightened about really using the extremes of the streamliner's EQ. Bass usually about 9-10 o'clock is a good starting point.
With the mids there are 2 basic strategies that seem to work really well (obviously depending on bass/cab etc). Either cut heavily at 220 Hz or a solid boost at either 600Hz or 2.5 KHz. And treble to taste.
Also try the gain button in and out. Even on clean settings, you will find a slightly different tonal range with each.

I must play one of those OTB's one day soon !!!

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[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1342612159' post='1737818']
Don't be frightened about really using the extremes of the streamliner's EQ. Bass usually about 9-10 o'clock is a good starting point.
With the mids there are 2 basic strategies that seem to work really well (obviously depending on bass/cab etc). Either cut heavily at 220 Hz or a solid boost at either 600Hz or 2.5 KHz. And treble to taste.
Also try the gain button in and out. Even on clean settings, you will find a slightly different tonal range with each.

I must play one of those OTB's one day soon !!!
[/quote]

Thanks I will give that a go.

You should have a play with the Orange, definatley lives up to the hype.

cheers

thebassman

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The M-Pulse mid control is passive whereas the bass and treble are active. The upshot of this is that if you set them all to 12 o'clock you actual have a mid-scooped sound. The nature of the passive mid means that to get a mid flat sound you need to whack the mid pot all the way up.
I spent a lot of time getting lost in the mix before I discovered this.

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