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

[jps]

Nice bass, Jeff, a sibling to my own 4001 of the same era. Except..........mine has the über desirable square cornered surround.

[49_degrees]

Thanks, Jeff. She's an MD. The Vox is about the same early 70's vintage. I've had them both for many years. My main system is actually an Ashdown Mag 300 with Avatar neo 2-10" and neo 1-15" cabs. Your bass is nicely figured compared to my plain Jane. I appears the use of figured maple was hit or miss(?)

[jps]

Mine is an MC, and yes, the birdseye maple is pretty nice on it. I found it a few years ago on ebay, and it was only bout an hour south of where I live.

The only vintage amps I own are an early '70s Princeton Reverb Amp and a 1962 Concert Amp. Both sound great with bass through a bass cabinet.

[crimson_dynamo]

No judgement- not everybody is looking for the same sound or anything- but for those of us who use Rics to emulate our bass heros the 60s, a tube amp is a must. I know, I know "Oh, my aching back" and all that, but if that's the thing you're after, you have to really be able to ******** yourself that a dinky 12ax7 in the pre and a mosfet power stage sounds "just like the real thing". The real thing is the real thing.

I use a behemoth of a Trace Elliot all tube head called a V6 with 6 KT88s and giant British transformers through a 2x15 cabinet- or an Ashdown 1x15 cab for smaller gigs. I really want a 200 W Hiwatt, but this is quite good until I get the required cabbage for such an expenditure. When I get too old and weak to carry it, I'll consider something like an Ampeg V4B, but when you hear me start talking about not being able to hear the difference between an all tube head and some little GK or SWR combo, somebody come clip my strings.

[ricnbacker]

It's a Tech 21 VT Bass Sansamp pedal. Basically it simulates an Ampeg SVT,or the ampeg piggyback tube amps,and makes a great preamp for the markbass. Personally,i really like markbass speakers too. In addition to the 1-12" combo,i run an Avatar 1-12" extension cabinet. I tend toward a somewhat "middy" sound with the flatwound equipped basses,and more of a grindy bass/treble boost with the rw's. All of my basses are 4 stringers, but i have played a borrowed 5 string through the rig with no problem(other than not being comfortable on a 5 string bass!)
I'm sure the ampeg 1-15 cab would sound fine with the MB head.(be sure to check the ampeg's power rating) I always wanted to hear my old mesa walkabout/ scout cab with a markbass head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8kdWpB3U4

that is certainly an interesting little box. anther Tech 21 product came up when looking at the VT, the Sansamp bass driver....didnt really stand out to me as much as the VT.....

I have the Mark Bass Super booster that has the 2 filters Markbass amps have. makes my B100R sound un believable with the Steinie

[woodyng]

Later today i am getting an alembic f-1x tube preamp to try with the markbass power stage and speakers. I picked it up for a song,hopefully it works,and we will see how it sounds in the next day or so. I really like what the VT pedal does,but this would be the real deal all tube preamp stage,so i'm hoping it will sound great.

[marc61]

There was an article in a local music paper (I think the link was from the forum) recently saying that in NYC because pros can't get rigs around (they take public transportation everywhere) they tend to carry a nice direct box like a SansAmp, and that's it.

I find it interesting because I've had gigs where I realized my amp wasn't on, or the speaker cable either not working or not plugged in. I heard good bass so, no reason to change anything.

Yeah SVT may be the greatest bass sound ever but, I've seen some pretty large shows recently where the bassist went direct. Sounded great to me.

[jps]

Later today i am getting an alembic f-1x tube preamp to try with the markbass power stage and speakers. I picked it up for a song,hopefully it works,and we will see how it sounds in the next day or so. I really like what the VT pedal does,but this would be the real deal all tube preamp stage,so i'm hoping it will sound great.

I used to have two F-1X preamps, very nice but clean sounding, after all, the preamp is really only ½ of a 12AX7, the other half is for the buffered unity gain effects loop that is the first stage (between the bass and the gain stage), then after that it is all solidstate electronics.

[woodyng]

Jeff- Is it possible to only have half a tube? I may have misspoke about it being all tube,i have just done a very quick bit of research once i found the unit. Part of what i had lodged in my memory was the fact that you and Harry have mentioned using alembic preamps in a favorable light. I may find it isn't my cuppa, but it was basically offered at a price i couldn't refuse....

[Happyface]

No judgement- not everybody is looking for the same sound or anything- but for those of us who use Rics to emulate our bass heros the 60s, a tube amp is a must. I know, I know "Oh, my aching back" and all that, but if that's the thing you're after, you have to really be able to ******** yourself that a dinky 12ax7 in the pre and a mosfet power stage sounds "just like the real thing". The real thing is the real thing.

I use a behemoth of a Trace Elliot all tube head called a V6 with 6 KT88s and giant British transformers through a 2x15 cabinet- or an Ashdown 1x15 cab for smaller gigs. I really want a 200 W Hiwatt, but this is quite good until I get the required cabbage for such an expenditure. When I get too old and weak to carry it, I'll consider something like an Ampeg V4B, but when you hear me start talking about not being able to hear the difference between an all tube head and some little GK or SWR combo, somebody come clip my strings.

Right on righteous brother.

[jps]

Jeff- Is it possible to only have half a tube?

Well, the vibremolo circuit in my Concert Amp uses three 12AX7 tubes for it with one half of one tube unused (5 ½s only )! What a waste, I am sure CLF could have found some use for that, say, a gain stage for more distortion.

[woodyng]

Well i got the alembic preamp home and set it up between my 4000 and the Markbass input to check out. Put all the controls on both units flat.
.........WOW!
It basically does what the VT pedal has been doing for me,only better! And i had just disabled the tweeter in the markbass the previous week,which for me was a good thing. Per Harry's advice,i left the amp gain stage volume low,and started on about 3 for the alembic volume.verrrry nice clean sparkling tubey goodness. playing around a little bit with the controls,found my best rock crunch tone with the volume turned up to 5.5. After that it started getting a little too grungy for the already clanky 4000,but would probably sound great with my 4004's.
I think this may be the start of a beautiful friendship.......

[jps]

Put all the controls on both units flat.

You do know that "flat" on the Alembic is 2-10-2, deep and bright switches off, right?

[turlu]

Anyone use their Ric through Aguilar rigs by any chance??

I will be picking up a used Aguilar GS 212 cab soon and am very tempted to get the Tone Hammer 500 to make my Rics growl as they should be.

Let me known!!

[jps]

I don't use any Aguilar cabinets, but my Ricks all sound wonderful with my Tone Hammer 500, one really kicking amp!