What kind of bass amp do you use with your Rickenbacker?

[heinpete]

...so, that's my set: Mywatt 200 and FMC 2158 NeoL box.

Something you can lean on!

[berth]

...so, that's my set: Mywatt 200 and FMC 2158 NeoL box.

Amp 'n' Rick.jpg

How does this sound? Both FMC as MyWatt are brands in which I am heavily interested.

[heinpete]

...so, that's my set: Mywatt 200 and FMC 2158 NeoL box.

Amp 'n' Rick.jpg

How does this sound? Both FMC as MyWatt are brands in which I am heavily interested.

Hey Berth, you're not so far off!!! C'm over and try out yourself. You will be surprised. So far the best stuff I had!

[armybass]

Used this rig for the first time Saturday and Sunday. Used to have an Alembic F1-X in front of the GK, but I moved that to my multi preamp big gig rig and and made this my medium club rig.....back up GK 800 and another Goliath sat in waiting in the back of the 4Runner should I need them.

[gareth]

Two Trace Elliot SMP350 Power stages driven by GP12SMX and GP7SM preamps with dual compressors.

Two ported 4x10 Trace Eliiot ported cabinets with powered horns sat on two Trace Elliot ported 1x18's

It's not tiny. Here's a picture of it before I spilt the amps out into a rack.

Trace_Elliot.jpg

And here's a close up of the power stage now with the radio receiver.

trace_rack.jpg

Please tell me about your GP7SM preamp. I just got one and am taking it to my gig for the first time tonight. I am going to run mine through my GK 700RB II into an SWR Goliath 410.

Sorry for the delay in replying there. I see you've already done the gig with it.

I really like the GP7SM as an all round preamp. It's not got the dual compressors of the GP12SMX or the valve preamp, but the equalization on it is very good indeed.You can see in the photos of my amp setup that I run both the preamps with the mid dropped out and the bottom and high ends punched up slightly, This seems to be the key for that really transparent RIC punchy tone. The nice thing about this preamp, along with the other, is that you can use the graphic balance knob to "tilt" the EQ high or low without having to mess with all the faders on the graphic. This helps if you move between basses in a set. I use it to trim sound if I move between an older 4000 series and later one with hotter pickups. The preset button is also a must for the RIC too.

I find that the best speaker combo for this setup is a set of 4X10s and 1X18s. That gives RIC tones full range. I used to use all 10's but the sound was a little thin. From what I see of your setup, you're most of the way there already

As you can see, I've got a lot of stuff, but it's all very modular. I don't always truck it all everywhere I go

[RickyBubba]

I thought I would see more Hartke love....but maybe that says something?

A neighbor who is a fairly serious Jazz bassist bought a Hartke rig a couple of years ago and has been raving like crazy.

I need to go over and plug in and check it out....

[ricnbacker]

I was contemplating a thread like this myself as I just bought a new amp and I am not so sure its a good match for my 4003.

I have not have a head/cab set up since the mid 80's. my first and only amp like that was a 74 Fender Bottom with 2 X15's and a Fender head. got rid of that in 88 so I never will know what the Ric Sounds like through it but that thing was LOUD and the 68 P I had at the time sounded as good as it could through that amp.

anyway, I bought an Ampeg B100R when I got my Ric 11 years ago and that's all I have played through. So, it is the sound my Ric sounds like to me. never got anything but compliments on the pairing.

The B100R is 100 watts. I am not playing gigs, just jams with friends and it is ok for sound but sometimes it had to be pushed with a hard hitting drummer and a guitarist with a marshal half stack, 100 watt head and a pedal board that looked like a stage set up with all sorts of stuff.

I recently bought the Mark Bass super booster and WOW, what it does is amazing. it has brought new life to my amp as well as the Ric and the Steinberger is just incredible with this box.

after much research and trying some stuff in Stores I went for the Mark Bass 300 W 1X15 Jeff Berlin model. I have had it for 2 weeks and was starting to think it wasnt a good match for my Ric. It sounds great, good sound, loud as hell and easy to move around and its just a little bigger than the Ampeg.

I really wanted to try an Ashdown amp before buying the Mark bass. no one around me for 100 miles in any direction has any of this brand.I wanted to try the MAG115C-300 which according to the sales rep I spoke to was built in China and mentioned the higher end line, the ABM, hand wired in England. I looked at the ABM C115H-500 EVO III and it seems interesting.

I am not un happy with the Mark Bass amp. I am finding sounds that I am happy with and in general its a very well built amp.The Steinberger sounds terrific through it. but the Ric is not wow'ing me just yet. is it that I played the Ampeg for so long that I am just so used to its sound that it seems its not a good match?

so, with all that blabber being said

do any of you have experience with an Ashdown Combo? how are they, whats their story? I dont hear or read people talking about them very often or at all for that matter.

[ricnbacker]

I thought I would see more Hartke love....but maybe that says something?

never liked the sound of them and the metal cone

[blueflamerick]

Either a Markbass LM Tube head with a Rickenbacker Transonic cabinet, or a Rickenbacker B-22 Supersonic head and cabinet.

[Low End Lover]

No Genz Benz love?... Well, I have a ShuttleMAX 12.0 head with a 4x10 Uber cab. It is so versitile and transparent. It really lets my Rics come through with their own character. I want to try and pick up a Uber 2x12 used to pair with it to really bring out some good low end thump, but supposedly Rics have no low end... WRONG! As we all know, it's there and it's sweet. I don't miss my old P basses at all!

[gareth]

do any of you have experience with an Ashdown Combo? how are they, whats their story? I dont hear or read people talking about them very often or at all for that matter.

I used one on my last tour of the UK in 2008. I don't remember the model, but it was a 100 watt combo with 2X10's in it and was one of the UK hand wired versions.
It took a little getting used to, as I'm used to mt Trace Elliot setup, but once I got it dialed in, it had a great RIC sound. I used my '75 4001 on that tour, and I managed to get wgat was essentially a classic RIC 70's flatwound tone out of it whilst using roundwounds. It had a sub bass feature on it which really made a lot of difference.

As it was a combo, it didn't have the throw of my big stack, but it did have a nice balanced DI built in that delivered the sound to the desk.

It was impressive enough that if I was ever to move off Trace Elliot, I'd be getting Ashdown gear.

[woodyng]

Hi,Chris S. i like the power and transparency of the markbass combo.(i have the 1-12" combo),but didn't think it got me quite what i wanted til i got a VT pedal to preamp it. It really makes a spectacular difference. I imagine the markbass head with the tube preamp might also come close. Of course after playing through Gareth's rig this past weekend at BARC II,i do see that there's no substitute for power and more speakers!

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

I thought I would see more Hartke love....but maybe that says something?

A neighbor who is a fairly serious Jazz bassist bought a Hartke rig a couple of years ago and has been raving like crazy.

I need to go over and plug in and check it out....

love their aluminum driver cabs. rented some on tour on hollywood a while back...GREAT WITH AN SVT !!!

[LONNIE4003]

I have an old Peavey mark six (600w) head pushing a Peavey single 15 cab loaded w/a 15" black widow. I also have a Hartke 120 kickback w/a 12" aluminum cone spaker.

[ricnbacker]

Hi,Chris S. i like the power and transparency of the markbass combo.(i have the 1-12" combo),but didn't think it got me quite what i wanted til i got a VT pedal to preamp it. It really makes a spectacular difference. I imagine the markbass head with the tube preamp might also come close. Of course after playing through Gareth's rig this past weekend at BARC II,i do see that there's no substitute for power and more speakers!

"Of course after playing through Gareth's rig this past weekend at BARC II,i do see that there's no substitute for power and more speakers!"

lol some one else always has something bigger and more impressive....about 3 years ago a friend invited me on stage at his gig( he was the bass player) He asked me to bring my Ric, I thought he wanted to try it out. I looked at his amp head and was like what the hell is that! it was a MB little mark sitting on top of a SWR 6 speaker cab....wow is all I thought as I hit the first few notes. The guitarist after said he loved the sound of my Ric through it.

how much of a difference do speakers make anyway? I am sure ****** cheap ones are just that but I am wondering now if say an Ampeg SVT 1X15 cab with the MB head would be better. one would think that if MB was so popular right now and its so well built they wouldnt cheap out on the important part...the speaker ( not saying it is) just wondering

whats a VT?