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Bass valve head conundrum


danbanbass

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I'm looking at purchasing a valve bass head within the next couple of months, I've discounted Ampeg as I've owned/borrow a couple over the years which I found them  to be unreliable and the eq relatively useless too.

I like the look of the Orange AD200B but the lack of D.I puts me off, what other offerings are there?

Cab wise I'll be using an Ashdown RM610.

I use a Precision bass and play pick style.

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26 minutes ago, danbanbass said:

Cab wise I'll be using an Ashdown RM610

Checkout Ashdowns website for some special builds or speak to Mark.

During the lockdown period Mark has been having a "tidy up" and found tons of gear he didn't realise he had so turning the components into some awesome amps.

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I would definitely recommend the Ashdown CTM heads. I have the 300 and it is an amazing sounding amp. Gets pretty rocky and grindy with the gain cranked, but also does the nice subtle 'warm and round' sound that you would expect from Ashdown and a tube head. The 100 also gets a lot of good reviews, with a bit less weight and a chance to get the power tubes wroking for that really rich sound.

Has a DI and can be user biased, so a few modern amenities. The EQ gets a bit of getting used to, but does a decent job once you know how everything interacts. The buttons, particularly the Shift button, make a massive contribution to what the amp can do.

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Agree on the CTM300 fantastic amp and a straight DI and a tube DI.

Honourable mention to the Laney NX400 tube. Great amp, and a valve and mosfet option - kind of 2 amps in one and blendable. They come up quite rarely, but can be got cheap. Just be careful - there are 2 models, one in the full on valve and one the solid state one.

I love the self biasing option on the ashdown. That should save a fortune in trips to the tech etc, and it's a fantastic sound. More of a classic valve sound than the laney which isnt quite as warm to my ears.

Also, check out the impedance out of your amp - some will only do 4ohm or 2 ohm (no use if you have an 8ohm cab). The CTM300 and NEXUS have outputs for 2, 4 and 8ohm.

The one major thing I'd take into account is protection. Both the valve amps above I've had in pristine condition and you really want to protect them. However, a hard case makes them pretty uncarriable - the 2 amps above are around 30-35kg - with a case pushing 40kg. So I had a padded cover made from hot covers. Fantastic quality. Will protect against scratches and minor dings. Also keeps handles free, so literally you only need to remove the cover when it's in position on top of your cab, and only put back on when ready to move off the cab. With a hard case it's the lifting in and out of the case and extra awkward carrying that really get to you.

Edited by la bam
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Ashdown CTM's, Orange AD200, or the Laney Nexus.

You could always try and find a Marshall MBA400, or there's the Eden 300w valve head (don't know what it's called).

Or, you could look at the Matamp GT200.

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Thanks for the suggestion guys.

The issue I’m having is that I’m trying to get an idea of stuff during lockdown but due to being a pick player most videos are finger style or slap. If there is any pick stuff it’s usually heavily overdriven or muted with flat wounds which isn’t any help to me.

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I had a Handbox WB100, incredible thing and super loud and light and the Ashdown CTM100, again excellent. The handbox with flats and a pick was excellent mate, believe the hype from @wateroftyne he speaks the truth! Didn't really want to sell mine but needed funds.

Still have my Ampeg SVT VR which I absolutely love and yeah its heavy but well worth the carry and an incoming Ashdown CTM300 Nate Mendel build custom head.

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7 hours ago, danbanbass said:

I like the look of the Orange AD200B but the lack of D.I puts me off, what other offerings are there?

I have the AD200B. Orange’s recommendation if you need a DI is to use the slave output on the back of the head in conjunction with an external DI.

I’d recommend the Orchid Electronics Micro, attached by a short patch lead, and velcroed to the back of the head or cab.
 

Alternatively, consider a cab-sim DI like the Radial JDX 48 which can be inserted between the head and cab to get an even more ‘full’ sound. 

Edited by Bankai
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2 hours ago, walshy said:

I had a Handbox WB100, incredible thing and super loud and light and the Ashdown CTM100, again excellent. The handbox with flats and a pick was excellent mate, believe the hype from @wateroftyne he speaks the truth! Didn't really want to sell mine but needed funds.

Still have my Ampeg SVT VR which I absolutely love and yeah its heavy but well worth the carry and an incoming Ashdown CTM300 Nate Mendel build custom head.

Probably a stupid question but which did you prefer between the Handbox and Ashdown CTM100?

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9 minutes ago, danbanbass said:

Probably a stupid question but which did you prefer between the Handbox and Ashdown CTM100?

Hmm, they are both excellent and you can’t go wrong with either. I was blown away by how good the Handbox was though. Super good. But the Ashdown CTM 300 will be my main gigging amp now

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3 minutes ago, walshy said:

Hmm, they are both excellent and you can’t go wrong with either. I was blown away by how good the Handbox was though. Super good. But the Ashdown CTM 300 will be my main gigging amp now

My only concern is with Manufacturer back up if anything goes wrong.

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That’s my CTM100 though a Barefaced Four10, nothing in the PA except vocals. Two loud guitars, loud drummer. Bass is fitted with Nordstrand Big Splits, which are a bit like a P pickup in a fat J housing. Sort of. This clip it’s just the neck pickup on full, and me hammering away in a ham-fisted fashion with a plectrum.

Hopefully gives a vibe of what the CTM100 can do. I bloody love it. Can’t justify it but bloody love it :D

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1 minute ago, Merton said:

That’s my CTM100 though a Barefaced Four10, nothing in the PA except vocals. Two loud guitars, loud drummer. Bass is fitted with Nordstrand Big Splits, which are a bit like a P pickup in a fat J housing. Sort of. This clip it’s just the neck pickup on full, and me hammering away in a ham-fisted fashion with a plectrum.

Hopefully gives a vibe of what the CTM100 can do. I bloody love it. Can’t justify it but bloody love it :D

My kind of Bass player!!

I'm liking the sound of that very much, cracking band and song too!

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Thanks for the offer, I used to be an East Sussex lad but I moved north of the border (Watford) to Stamford in Lincolnshire where north of the border has now moved to Humberside apparently? :lol:

From there over to New Zealand for a couple of years and then back to Stamford.

You could say I get around but here feels like home.

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Toured with the Orange AD200B and 8x10 for years and was an incredible amp. My favourite of all classic valve amps. The eq did very little but you could get very nice glassy clean tones and full on overdriven tones. Great amp. Always felt it was quite midrange focused especially when used with an ampeg classic 8x10. It sounded deeper with the matching orange 8x10 

Ran a sansamp live but one show the sound guy did take 3 feeds... Sansamp, slave out and mic on cab..

I sold it after getting an Eden deal, which was a huge mistake as the WTP600 was a total dog of an amp. 

 

 

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2 hours ago, danbanbass said:

My only concern is with Manufacturer back up if anything goes wrong.

Ashdowns customer service is legendary. Their amps are guaranteed for 5yrs and they can repair virtually anything they have made. They have an account on here as well.

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9 minutes ago, BassBunny said:

Ashdowns customer service is legendary. Their amps are guaranteed for 5yrs and they can repair virtually anything they have made. They have an account on here as well.

Thanks for that, I ment in regards to Handbox.

 

All my dealings with Ashdown over the years has been great!

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8 hours ago, danbanbass said:

My only concern is with Manufacturer back up if anything goes wrong.

I’m sure @wateroftyne can help on that score but obviously Ashdown are brilliant at that side of things too! One of the reasons behind my wholesale change. 

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On ‎11‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 06:59, walshy said:

I’m sure @wateroftyne can help on that score but obviously Ashdown are brilliant at that side of things too! One of the reasons behind my wholesale change. 

 That's good to hear and I'm sure (Hopeful) I'll have no need for anything bigger than 100w as I've 500w A/B Class solid state heads and of course my old beloved (No longer with us Trace Elliot SM 300 GP7 ran at 8 ohms) which were more than plenty.

I have no desire to own another D class amp after my brief foray into an Aguiler TH500 which in my eyes was a complete disappointment, couldn't get a sound I liked in gig/rehearsal settings which I sold and ended up using a Ampeg Svt450 amp which in my eyes/ears blew it out of the water in my old Foo Fighters Tribute band.

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