Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Has anyone gone from lightweight back to heavy?


AndyTravis
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've really been enjoying my Ashdown RM800 (original model rather than the evo) recently. With a SansAmp BDDI in front of it and a Markbass 4x10 on the output it's sounding just great, and yeah, the ABM might sound a bit better and the CTM maybe even a bit better than that, but I'm still not up for carrying them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Picked up a Trace AH350SMX last week. My Aguilar AG500 sounds lovely but when I used the Trace at last week's gig it just filled out the sound of the whole band more and really hit you in the guts.
As other people have said, it still weighs less than one of my DB112 cabs and is about okay as a one hand lift if needs be so I'm happy to have both options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At church, we normally all use IEM & play through the PA. Last night was team night, where all the musicians turn up to learn one or two new songs. There's 4 bassists (we work on a rota) & I was asked if I could bring a rig so that 2 bassists could practice playing at the same time.
I had intended on taking the wee 1x12 Vox combo, but decided to take the Radiovox/EBS rig & glad I did, as I was competing with the rest of the band going through PA.
Got nothing but compliments on the sound & the other bassists & a few other musicians all asked for a play.
One bassist has a rather nice Sandberg & when he played my bass his first words were "Ooooh, that's a very comfortable bass. I love these flat wound strings too".

The downside (which I can live with)... The amp weighs an absolute ton!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been very pleased with the Bugera 1960 I picked up. Marginally less than the Orange AD200b in weight (a fifth of the price too) but the glass and iron puts a huge grin on my face and the notes seem to bloom more and have more presence; seems to fill the band sound out more.

Happy to take the weight hit for what I get in sound until I can carry it no more!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having gone 'lightweight' a couple of years or so ago (at least on the cab front) I am forever thinking about hauling the diesel cab back out on gigs. The weight is wonderful but I am convinced that the old stuff just has more sonic presence.

While I accept all the arguments about the science, my ears just aren't convinced.

By the way, nice to be back. After Bassman Steve was rather more rude to someone that he would like to think he would be, I killed him off and have returned after a lengthy self-imposed exile.

Edited by Steve Browning
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Steve Browning' timestamp='1491120099' post='3270553']
Having gone 'lightweight' a couple of years or so ago (at least on the cab front) I am forever thinking about hauling the diesel cab back out on gigs. The weight is wonderful but I am convinced that the old stuff just has more sonic presence.

While I accept all the arguments about the science, my ears just aren't convinced.

By the way, nice to be back. After Bassman Steve was rather more rude to someone that he would like to think he would be, I killed him off and have returned after a lengthy self-imposed exile.
[/quote]

I tend to believe what Bill Fitzmaurice and Alex Claber have to say on the subject.. What you're probably hearing (if anything) is driver breakup and/or tonal "character" in the driver/enclosure.. The voice coil and cone don't know what sort of magnet is installed.. I can sort of buy into the SMPS vs traditional power supply argument for amps (though again I suspect this is partly down to belief)

But as always, whatever makes you happy sonically is all good..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1491120901' post='3270559']
I tend to believe what Bill Fitzmaurice and Alex Claber have to say on the subject.. What you're probably hearing (if anything) is driver breakup and/or tonal "character" in the driver/enclosure..
[/quote]

I'd agree with that.

What does make me smile a little is back in the day when I said there was something about Neos that didn't connect with me, I was told it was the enclosure, or some other factor. A driver is a driver regardless of magnet, right?

And now there's an acknowledgement... well, actually, there's a chance they do sound a bit different. :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have no personal experience of lightweight stuff but at our gig on Thursday a local guy was in the bar and listened to our first set through the door. He came up in the interval and asked what I was playing, turns out he has been messing about with different amps and cabs for years and his present set up is a lightweight rig costing over £1500 he was more than a little surprised when I told him it was an old Marshall combo that weighs about the same as a small car. His opinion was that it had far more oomph and presence than his kit. I did (jokingly) offer to swap but I wouldn't be surprised if a lightweight rig turns up on eBay close to me in the near future. He also couldn't believe the tone I was getting from a cheap 80s Aria but that's another thread entirely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest bassman7755

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1491122800' post='3270582']
His opinion was that it had far more oomph and presence than his kit. I did (jokingly) offer to swap but I wouldn't be surprised if a lightweight rig turns up on eBay close to me in the near future. He also couldn't believe the tone I was getting from a cheap 80s Aria but that's another thread entirely.
[/quote]

I've met people like this - everything and everyone sounds better to them than their own gear because they cant grasp the idea that everything sounds different when your just listening with 100% of your attention vs listening and playing at the same time. They are very useful people to know though if you want to pick up perfectly good gear at knock down prices because somehow it doesnt have "that sound".

Edited by bassman7755
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1491129587' post='3270653']


I've met people like this - everything and everyone sounds better to them than their own gear because they cant grasp the idea that everything sounds different when your just listening with 100% of your attention vs listening and playing at the same time. They are very useful people to know though if you want to pick up perfectly good gear at knock down prices because somehow it doesnt have "that sound".
[/quote]

This is a really good point. The amount of times a support band's bass player has plugged into my amp and it's sounded far better to me than it did when I was playing through it myself in the soundcheck only for the other guys in my band to then comment that my bass sounds better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, I've had that with my own rig, especially on nights where you're just not happy with your sound, and you come home and start Googling rig options and GASsing. Then you have one of those nights, but someone else gets up with your rig and it sounds great, and you realise maybe it's more a case of perspective than rig...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In what mught be logic or may be well off, I`ve suffered from this in the past, where no matter who, they sound better through my rig than me, and put it down to the fact that when I`m hearing someone else using my rig the sound is actually coming towards my ears so I can hear the details better, rather than ploughing past my ears from behind me. I suppose it`s better than accepting that I`m rubbish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...