Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

A SansAmp was designed to be played through a clean amp, i.e.: PA system, recording console, poweramp + bass cabs, home stereo system, etc. The name says it all; it is French literally meaning "no amp", meaning no bass or guitar amp is required. Nothing wrong with using with a bass amp, as long as you can bypass the built-in preamp. Runnning my SansAmp RBI into my Marshall hurts the tone, as the Marshall has a wide range of tone on its own and the SansAmp adds too much phase shift resulting in feedback cancellation at certain frequencies. Like having a neck that has 1/3 dead notes. I never get this effect through a powerful high end amplifier that is clean.

I ordered one of these (SansAmp Bass Driver DI) a few days ago and it came in today. Man I love this thing! Sounds great going direct as well as acting as a preamp (going into the effects return jack) on my Hartke head. But I am going to be tweaking this thing FOREVER, as I am a perpetual knob twiddler. I should have known myself better when I ordered it.

from Philco - "I never get this effect through a powerful high end amplifier that is clean."

Alright Philco and everyone else, lets get some examples of poweramps that fit this description well.

I'll be purchasing one to run my RBI through fairly soon. Here I go again$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Jon, the tech rep at Tech 21 said one of their customers used a McIntosh power amp. That could be solid state or tube depending on vintage. I use a B&K solid state mosfet amp which is also built in New York state. They are legendary among audiophiles, and J. Gordon Holt, founder of Stereophile magazine, called it one of the best amps made regardless of price back when they were rather new back in the 80's. Nothing compared at their price point. I had a Hafler DH-220, and my B&K definitely outperformed and is better built. Had to repair the Hafler, but the factory repair shop at B&K was one guy that had to fill in his time doing other things besides fixing busted B&K amps. Get the picture? You will find a review in Stereophile's archives of the B&K ST-140. I use the much more powerful ST-202+, and you should shoot for at least that much power, 300WPC @ 4 ohms. The ST-442 is better because it has a separate toroidal transformer and capacitor bank for each channel. I prefer the early models with rack handles for carrying, and mine weighs 38# so they come in handy. They all used the same front end circuitry and cabinet, changing only the number of output transistors and power supply section for the power to be delivered. You need at least 3 pairs per channel for continuous high power 4 ohm operation. They are stone reliable with almost no known breakdowns among users. The M-200 monoblock has 5 pairs of outputs and is reliable into 2 ohm loads, but an ST-442 with 4 pairs per side running 4 ohm loads will put out more power and gives you a backup as it is 2 complete monoblocks in a single chassis (if you can ever find anyone foolish enough to let one go). Of course, there is always the ubiquitous Crown PA amp that is sold everywhere PA gear is sold, and they are also legendary for reliability. Later B&K amps could be had with balanced XLR input jacks from the factory, or could be retrofitted. Mine is single ended RCA which easily converts to 1/4" phono plug. 5-way binding posts handle output connections and allow a variety of connections including bare wire when your connector breaks and the show must go on. The B&K amp uses internal and external fuses, and I have never blown one in 11 years of constant use. It has done nothing but sit there and play all day long for years on end with nothing more than a dusting off. eBAy has the old ones for sale, but you never get a ripoff deal any more because few owners want to let them go and there are always numerous bids on any B&K with a reasonable reserve price. They hold their original value better than almost any "cost no object" amplifier ever does (except for a vintage classic like a Marantz tube amp), because audiophiles with champagne taste on a beer budget diet are after a good used ones. Haflers are OK, but go a little extra for the B&K. Adcoms are noted for being brittle in the high end with full range speakers, and I never knew them to come with rack handles. The old Conrad-Johnson MV-50, MV-52, and MV-125 tube amps with rack handles make regular appearances on eBAy and Audiogon. Much better buys than an old McIntosh tube amp, if tubes are your bag (I would advise against tube audiophile amps for bass if cost and reliability matters. They were not intended for banging around.). C-J solid state is severely underrated, and the econo Sonographe line was very similar to the high end MF series. I own an MF series power amp, and it will NEVER come out of my rack to go on an outside gig. It's kicking out Dire Straits as I write, and sounding heavenly as ever.

www.conradjohnson.com

They fix anything they ever made and their classic gear section is great for looking up specs. An old MF-200 might work well. These amps are not as portable as bass heads because they do not rely on cooling fans, but use monster heat sinks instead. Audiophile amps work better in a studio/home/permanent installation environment, and they are more troublesome to move around due to their bulk. Ultimate sonic quality is their major selling feature, and they handle any audible signal you feed them with nary a whimper since they were made to handle any musical material you can think of through the cleanest of speakers. You have to get ALL your tone shaping ahead of the amp. They are NOT an SVT!!!

I recently bought a SansAmpBD/DI, and I love it. I use it with my 4003/4001V63 and a Hartke 400wt head. It is so much better than the Hartke preamp much more tonal possibilities and the sound is excellent. One of the best pieces of sound gear I ever bought.

My SansAmp has made my basses sound awesome! Even the Rotosound flats that were dead and lifeless before, became ALIVE when I used this box. Excellent piece of gear!