Class D. Going back to the traditional ways now...

[Clarky72]

So I've almost always used Ampegs, I had a brief foray with Ashdown and Hartke, but then back to the Ampeg. I currently play in a covers band, a pretty rocky one at that. Earlier this year I decided I'd had enough of carting around my SVT and I'd give my back a well-earned rest with a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0

I plugged it into my Barefaced S12T and beauty poured out of the speakers; such a lovely clean and natural tone. I now had decent mids unlike the Ampeg (my only real criticism of them to be honest). A few hours later I sat down trying to work out how to recapture that great valvey grunting rock'n'roll sound I'd spend years with. Six months later and about a dozen pedals later I'm gigging with this super light cab and amp, plus a tone trunk loaded with 5 pedals to get my sound or as close as I can find to it. Why?

I've now bought myself a Gallien Krueger 1001RB-ii, its the nuts. It's pretty heavy, I cant throw over my shoulder in an accompanying manbag like the Genz Benz, and I'm glad about that actually.

I know a lot of people here are loving thier super light class-D amps, but for me there was always something missing, it just wasn't rock'n'roll. I don't need a bank of pedals to get the sound I want now, just my Fender and a lead...

My back will hate me again now but at least everything sounds good.

[LukeFRC]

horses, courses, and what you're used too...

[Thurbs]

Ever thought it could be the amp you bought rather than the amps power stage type?

[Truckstop]

Gallien Kreuger = awesome

[thisnameistaken]

Weird. I got a Shuttle 6.0 recently and I'm pretty chuffed with the way the valve sounds when you overdrive it - it gets nice and full and vintage-sounding and then breaks up quite nicely as you give it more power. I didn't expect it to be any good at that sound but it does it very well IMO.

Still, wouldn't do for us all to be the same.

[brensabre79]

Sorry the Shuttle didn't work out for you Steve, I did find mine a bit clinical at first, but I swapped the valve in it (big improvement despite what people say) and also go through a DHA pedal for a bit more of the warm and fuzzy. The Streamliner might have been more your cuppa...

But glad to hear you're happy with the GK - that's a proper ROCK amp, Duff would be proud

[chris_b]

From reading reviews in Talkbass a lot of players didn't get along with the STL 6. The STL 9 seemed to be the star in that range.

[Clarky72]

Its a real shame, I had such high hopes for the STL6.0 but it just wasn't my thing. To be fair I didn't swap the valve as Bren suggested, but I did try almost every drive pedal known to man...

[JTUK]

Not convinced by class D so far or NEO come to that....maybe it is a hunch theory or whatever, but I've not been inclined to buy one and I am looking for another amp right now.
20-40lbs is fine by me for an amp.

[wateroftyne]

Amen, Clarky.

[longtimefred]

good lad, big amps - big sound!

[Raslee]

I found the Orange terror bass to be the perfect solution & replacement for my SVT Pro 4...light and ballsey. Although limited on eq IMO.

[neepheid]

Less weight == happy neepheid. I don't feel that I have compromised on sound quality in my move to Class D amp/neo speakers and I sure as hell won't ever be going back to stuff that feels like it's got storage heater bricks in it. It was getting to the point when I was not looking forward to going to gigs. Now, I skip into venues/up stairs/onto stages with my gear and am happy to take it anywhere.

Don't listen to me though, I've never been that fussed about amps as long as they're loud enough and can be EQed so that I can hear myself somewhere in the mix along with the rest of the band.

[stingrayPete1977]

Obviously there will be lovers and haters of all sorts of gear but the amp choice was totally wrong for you in the first place, Its like someone saying they have used a Land Rover for 30 years and replaced it with a Micra then complained that it was to small and no good for towing, If that person had say bought a Nissan Nevara or a Toyota Hilux they might of been happier. If you had gone for something like a Streamliner, Orange or even Ampegs own offering you might not of come to this conclusion IMO.

[wateroftyne]

I've said it before, but I think there's a characteristic of the B&O modules these amps use, either tonal or dynamic, that doesn't sit right with me. I can't quite put my finger on it.

[51m0n]

Hope it works out for you, if the big amp thing is the only way to get your kicks then its the only way to go.

I'm dead lucky, I've never liked an amp more than I like the sound of the sa450, but I wish the Berg ae410 was half the weight as it is, the closest cab tonally (for me) is a Barefaced S12t, but its not quite exactly what I want, and the Berg is, so I'll keep lugging it around (at least it isnt an HS410!) because its the only tone that always makes me grin.

I dont really use pedals for grit, since its not a big part of my thing, but I'd love to know what your favourite warm overdrive through to just breaking up pedal was....

[WalMan]

I have a Genz Benz Streamliner 6 and the Barefaced S12T and it's lovely & warm.

A/B'd the Shuttle & the Streamliner before purchase - though I had gone to buy the Streamliner but thought I would check as bother were there. The Shuttle in the S12T was just too "clinical" and needed the tweeter rolled almost off, while the Shuttle was warmer and had tweeter rolled back in.

If you're at the SE Bash perhaps we should set up the two side by side to see?

EDIT - Just realised you're at the footie so a No this year.

Edited August 21, 2012 by WalMan

[BigRedX]

Surely not all class D amps use the same power module?

IMO class D amps are just like any other - some are right for you some aren't. I've owned three, two of them were pretty underwhelming (Ashdown Superfly and a 500+500W power amp). However the one I have now -Tech Soundsystems Black Cat) is the best sounding bass amp I've ever owned. It brings out the individuality of each bass while adding something to make them all sound great.

And just to prove that we are all different, there's a GK amp at the rehearsal rooms I sometimes use and it's the only amp there that I have been unable to get a sound I liked out of.

[louisthebass]

As much as I loved the sound of my Trace / Peavey rig, I don't miss struggling with heavy gear at all. Doing the lightweight gear thing has been a godsend for me & my back.

Tone-wise I've not really lost anything... Yes I would like to go back to doing 2 x 10 & a 15, but that's life....

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1345569880' post='1778989']
Surely not all class D amps use the same power module?

[/quote]

I think quite a few of them use the Bang and Olufson one and as I presume its a fairly electronic device most of them will be very similar anyway?
Like a lot of us here as long as I can get a decent stage monitor I am not that bothered anymore, loads of people still dont understand that a DI bass at a decent size gig has nothing to do with the amp anyway, I was at a Jewish wedding on sunday and the lady bass player/band leader who had also been playing piano at the Shul earlier in the day (very talented) was using an Ashdown combo and it sounded fatastic! It was all root and fifth Slavic stuff until later in the evening once the traditional dances had been done then it got into some more funky numbers and some sloppy love songs etc, how many people would come on here saying how good that Ashdown sounded yet it was all coming from the EV pa system! No mic and no XLR lead from the amp (I checked )

[Lozz196]

I recorded some tracks in the studio last week, using a Fender Bassman head, and an Ampeg SVT 410HE cab. I can`t lift the heavy stuff anymore, but as soon as I heard that sound, knew I had to go back to somewhere near it, so goodbye to Gallien Krueger MB Fusion 500 & Schroeder BMF 410, hello to Ampeg PF500 & PF410HLF.

The GK/Schro was a great setup, but after hearing the old-school tones, I realised my set-up was far too modern for me, and I needed to go "home". I know it`s still Class D, but the PF has to be the warmest Class D I`ve encountered (maybe OTB?) and gives a much more rounded old-school tone than any others I`ve used.

Edited August 21, 2012 by Lozz196

[davidlovellbass]

I'd be more than happy to use any of the newer class d amps as they'll all sound like my hands and my bass with various eq curves added. Every gig i play has a DI box before the amp, so the amp is only acting as a monitor and gives me the tone i need for the situation/venue and not always the tone i like. As much as i LOVE my valve amps and take them to every gig i play i also take a top quality DI with hopes that the soundman is in a good mood and knows his job

[karlfer]

Last couple of years been looking for "my amp". TDS650, Eden Nemesis 700, SWR Pro 350, Ashdown Klystron 500. Orange Bass Terror 500, ABM 500, TC Staccato 450, and GB Shuttle 600.
Liked all the above, loved the GB. Now got a second one but that's going .
Was offered a GB Shuttle 9 for my Schro 1515L, can't wait for it to arive .
Each to their own, but I love the GB Shuttle. Power, clarity, well built, simple eq that even a muppet like me can use. It provides me with a sound that can go from Ralphs, to JPJ, to Steve Harris just by using the controls on the bass.
Love 'em.

[dan670844]

I regularly gig with my all valve Ashdown LB30 in my side project band, Its DIed for FOH, and for monitors, but I find it more than loud enough for monitoring on small / mid size stages. Its all to do with volumes, the drummer and guitarist play at realistic volumes, so I can be heard the FOH makes the noise. The tone is lush! I have never found 'that tone' from a class D amp.

Edited August 21, 2012 by dan670844

[BassBod]

I've gone retro recently, even though most of my work is pretty small scale. 20 year old GK 200MB combo, SWR Baby Blue and Electric Blue head. My Euphonic Micro was fantastic, and it was tiny....but I always had to put something (Sansamp, Sadowsky or Aguilar) rougher in front. I think its something to do with the newer power amp module vs old style tranny power.

What surprises me is that I like a cleanish sound, and I'm certainly not a rocker....most often I'm playing for diners and trying not to get in the way.

Mind you, I doubt if anyone else I play with would notice the difference.