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Adding Tube Warmth to Solid State amp


Sharkfinger

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3 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

@Beedster out of interest what set up do you have now , as I’ve just started looking at tube amps , and you’ve been on this journey 🙂

Hi mate, an Ampeg all-tube head, a Mesa hybrid, and two Mesa 2x10s. I have only one word of advice at this point in time; buy Mesa, they seem to be going for stupidly low prices by comparison with the quality (for example, there are two all tube heads on here at present for around £100 that retail close to £3k, and a few decent deals on eBay also). 

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2 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Hi mate, an Ampeg all-tube head, a Mesa hybrid, and two Mesa 2x10s. I have only one word of advice at this point in time; buy Mesa, they seem to be going for stupidly low prices by comparison with the quality (for example, there are two all tube heads on here at present for around £100 that retail close to £3k, and a few decent deals on eBay also). 

Thanks very much beedster , much appreciated 👍

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On 10/01/2019 at 15:45, Beedster said:

Which assume that the journey itself wasn't what allowed you to decide what it is that you wanted :)

All joking aside, this stuff is fun, expensive at times, but fun. I'm playing pretty much the same rig I when I got back into bass about 10 years ago. This would be OK if it wasn't for the fact that I've probably owned about 15 different rigs in the intervening years! What did I learn? I like tubes and I don't like things that pretend to be tubes. I like to carry heavy gear (which given the previous point is fortunate). I like to simply plug and play, bass-cable-head-cable-cab. Took me a while to get there though, but it was fun. We should never deny anyone else the same journey just because we know better :)

Got to echo that.  I tried so many leading d class  amps which I wanted to love but couldn’t.  Every time it was back to hybrids and now all-tube -  Ampeg and Mesa.  There are so many deals out there for rigs that once cost a small fortune.  That is if your happy with a bit of weight!

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Well, got my BSS and initial impression through just my in-ears are good.  This is just going through my Tascam GB-10, not my main amp.  Will gig it a few times and have a play and see how I get on.

I'm surprise no-one has mentioned the Darkglass Vintage Microtubes. @Bigwan don't you have a clone of it?

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16 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

I'm surprise no-one has mentioned the Darkglass Vintage Microtubes. @Bigwan don't you have a clone of it?

I used to, and have another kit waiting to be built (which I'll probably sell on now I have a Helix). It's good, but not good enough for me to pay Darkglass prices. I prefer the Hartke to any Darkglass pedal I've owned.

Edited by Bigwan
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40 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

Well, got my BSS and initial impression through just my in-ears are good.  This is just going through my Tascam GB-10, not my main amp.  Will gig it a few times and have a play and see how I get on.

I'm surprise no-one has mentioned the Darkglass Vintage Microtubes. @Bigwan don't you have a clone of it?

I used to have the VMT, never liked it. Very dark sounding to my ears. I liked the first gen VMTD though, but still didnt think it was a warm tone like a BDDI.

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I've used the BSS at a gig and a rehearsal my thoughts so far are this: while it adds the overtones I'm after, it doesn't quite have the EQ or 'low end grunt' I'm looking for. 

Was fiddling with the pedal's EQ but as it just scoops and 'moves' that scoop around, wasn't quite getting what I want, so tweaked the EQ on my amp.  Getting there....

I'm going to use it in combination with my ampegulator pedal, see where that goes.

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On 25/01/2019 at 07:44, Sharkfinger said:

I've used the BSS at a gig and a rehearsal my thoughts so far are this: while it adds the overtones I'm after, it doesn't quite have the EQ or 'low end grunt' I'm looking for. 

Was fiddling with the pedal's EQ but as it just scoops and 'moves' that scoop around, wasn't quite getting what I want, so tweaked the EQ on my amp.  Getting there....

I'm going to use it in combination with my ampegulator pedal, see where that goes.

If you're not getting the low end grunt you're after, it could be your pickups or your bass that are the culprits.  Though it depends on what gear you've already tried.

Another thought for low end grunt, have you considered an octaver with just a touch of -1 octave dialled in with clean?

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On 26/01/2019 at 12:51, xgsjx said:

If you're not getting the low end grunt you're after, it could be your pickups or your bass that are the culprits.  Though it depends on what gear you've already tried.

Another thought for low end grunt, have you considered an octaver with just a touch of -1 octave dialled in with clean?

Well, it turns out that the BSS and Ampegulator together are enough to have me not bid on that SVT-7 pro on eBay!  Working for me right now, a satisfying sound.

Although I'm giving an Ampgeg Classic Analog preamp pedal a go, if I see one cheap enough...

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On 25/01/2019 at 07:44, Sharkfinger said:

I've used the BSS at a gig and a rehearsal my thoughts so far are this: while it adds the overtones I'm after, it doesn't quite have the EQ or 'low end grunt' I'm looking for. 

Was fiddling with the pedal's EQ but as it just scoops and 'moves' that scoop around, wasn't quite getting what I want, so tweaked the EQ on my amp.  Getting there....

I'm going to use it in combination with my ampegulator pedal, see where that goes.

i found mine to be a bit scooped as well at first, and although it sounds great in isolation it wants what i was looking for (i have the BDDI for that). But, after playing with it a lot, and finding as with the BDDI, the trick is in the blend knob, i find its adding just enough 'difference' to leave on all the time. Combined with my Spectradrive (just been replaced with a BH800 head) there is a lot of fatness and bite there if i want it, without the obvious colourising the BDDI does.

Overall very happy with the SS, it does what its supposed to and no more, but i wish it was a different shape, or the in and out jacks were further apart.

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24 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

i found mine to be a bit scooped as well at first, and although it sounds great in isolation it wants what i was looking for (i have the BDDI for that). But, after playing with it a lot, and finding as with the BDDI, the trick is in the blend knob, i find its adding just enough 'difference' to leave on all the time. Combined with my Spectradrive (just been replaced with a BH800 head) there is a lot of fatness and bite there if i want it, without the obvious colourising the BDDI does.

Overall very happy with the SS, it does what its supposed to and no more, but i wish it was a different shape, or the in and out jacks were further apart.

Yes, that 'blend'/'intensity' knob only operates on the EQ, Which is not immediately obvious.  The enhance  and gain knob are unaffected by it an can be used separately.

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On 28/01/2019 at 10:43, Sharkfinger said:

Yes, that 'blend'/'intensity' knob only operates on the EQ, Which is not immediately obvious.  The enhance  and gain knob are unaffected by it an can be used separately.

Yeah, the manual/instructions aren't clear, although the YT videos are.....sort of. i found i can get quite a nice dirty tone with the Enhance turned right up, although its not a tone id find a real use for as i have better ways of doing it.

Edited by dave_bass5
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On 26/01/2019 at 12:26, Sharkfinger said:

Will check it out, thanks. 9v too...

I have one (or had one, it went through some wars on the road and needs a new valve and some TLC) and it is 12v AC. 

It is good for adding a bit or tube warmth to the front end of an amp. I used it with the EBS Fafner so that I could make it sound like the amp had two preamp valves rather than one. 

I pretty much stopped using it after I bought my all valve V6, which coincided with my Valvedrive starting to fall apart/crackle in any event. 

A 9v version with a dedicated DI though looks cool.

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Bingo! Got something I'm (at least temporary) happy with. I'm using just the enhance/harmonics on the BSS (unity gain), but I've rolled off the bass and treble from my ampegulator (running at 9v)  to get a flat as possible response, so just using its gain. Never liked it's EQ for some reason. Using the contour and deep EQ buttons on my amp.

Also, I've taken my amp out of the Mesa combo. The weight has just tipped it over the edge of being easily manageable. The amp is now in a rack case, so could have had that Hughes and kettner preamp  @Beedster. Kicking myself now.

Will lookout for one in the future

 

 

 

IMG_20190202_2259459~2.jpg

IMG_20190202_2259234~2.jpg

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I've been reading this thread with interest as I am in the same place more or less as the OP.  Without boring everybody with my deliberations I clicked Buy on a Basswitch Sonic Spark too so fingers crossed.

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On 03/02/2019 at 15:47, Sharkfinger said:

Bingo! Got something I'm (at least temporary) happy with. I'm using just the enhance/harmonics on the BSS (unity gain), but I've rolled off the bass and treble from my ampegulator (running at 9v)  to get a flat as possible response, so just using its gain. Never liked it's EQ for some reason. Using the contour and deep EQ buttons on my amp.

Also, I've taken my amp out of the Mesa combo. The weight has just tipped it over the edge of being easily manageable. The amp is now in a rack case, so could have had that Hughes and kettner preamp  @Beedster. Kicking myself now.

Will lookout for one in the future

 

 

 

IMG_20190202_2259459~2.jpg

 

That's sort of the setting i was using last night at rehearsal.  EQ  blended in very slightly, but mainly using it for the harmonics side. Its a subtle effect though. Im now not sure its worth keeping for me, but i need to play with it more in a live environment before deciding.

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