Bass Amp Thoughts

[Joe in PNG]

One of the joys about my life in PNG is the ability to use the internet to shop for things that I just can't buy quite yet. Firearms is one, but bass guitars and accessories are another.
I've more than enough bass guitars, but nowhere near enough amps. My SWR Bassic 350 into an Ampeg PF-115HE works fine, but I could always use a nice combo amp...

-What my heart really wants: A GK MB150S micro combo
-What I'm distracted by: various old Acoustic 126 combos
-What I should get: an old Rickenbacker/Road TR35 or similar combo. I have one here, and they're great.
-What I would get if available locally for not too much: a silverface Fender Bassman 10 4x10
-What I should really, really do: Get a 2x10 cab for the SWR, and throw an Ampeg PF500 on the current 1x15 cab.

[omega9]

That’s an awesome list but if the heart wants a a GK, get the GK. I used to have an RB

400DB and it was awesome. IMHO, no other amp sounds like a GK.

I currently have a mesa subway 350 with a 2X10 cab and it rocks. If I had to make a purchase today I would look hard at the mesa TT 800, which has a channel based off of the 400+ as well as a solid state channel. The ampeg venture line sounds awesome on paper but I haven’t done much research since the 350 is meeting all my needs.

Side note: I just bought a broughton audio joshwah and scorpion and they’re awesome. The Joshwah isn’t as wet as I would like, but it has a ton of flexibility. The scorpion is perfect though, I can dial in the perfect amount of grind. I also have a couple preamp pedals from sushi box which I really like as well. They have a few based off of ampeg amps that I think sound really good and add a ton more flexibility to the mesa 350.

ETA: I’m not sure if I helped at all since I have no idea what available in PNG. I’m just excited to see some bass talk around here.

[Joe in PNG]

I've got a couple of Growling Krizzley pedals- which are the classic 400RB/800RB preamp circuit in a pedal form. I do love the way those sound. A great project if you have some soldering skills.

Then again, I also love the sound of my Ric TR35B- I've even cloned that preamp circuit a few different times as a pedal. It's simple, but very versatile. Tragically, most of the ones currently on Reverb are "Local Pickup Only", or just a touch more $$$ than I want to spend.

Of course, I can just run the Krizzly into the "Preamp In" jack- the TR I have here sounds pretty awesome with most of the preamp pedals I've run that way.

Pedal wise, I've build a ton. One of my surprise favorites is the Freidman Golden Pearl. It's mainly a guitar overdrive, but works great as a not-too-harsh bass grit pedal, kinda with a nice, slightly driven tube sound.

[HeavyDuty]

I have a GK MB150S and even an extension cab for it, it’s a very handy thing to keep around. However, I can’t help but wonder if better combos are available now. I don’t shop for them anymore since I’m set.

My main rig is a GK MB500 and a GK Neo 410 cab. I keep a MB200 for a backup head, and I have additional older Bag End cabs that I really should sell off.

I tend not to chase tone and prefer simple. I used to have an Eden WT500, too many knobs for me!

[Lex Luthier]

I’m just listening in with nothing to currently add.

[omega9]

I've got a couple of Growling Krizzley pedals- which are the classic 400RB/800RB preamp circuit in a pedal form. I do love the way those sound. A great project if you have some soldering skills.

Thanks for the link, I haven’t seen that pedal before. I already have a fender and a ampeg pre so that would round things out nicely.

[Joe in PNG]

It's one of the reasons I'm so strongly leaning to the Ric- I can just throw together a preamp, plug it in, and boom- it's a different amp.
I'm about to clone up the 360 preamp this summer- we'll see how that goes.

[TCB]

60’s Flip top blue diamonds tolex Ampeg (small box). There really isn’t a better bass amp (for bass) ever made. Although I sold Flea a 50’s Tweed Bassman (best bass amp ever made (for guitar)) once, he’s actually the only person I’ve ever seen use one…for bass.

[Lex Luthier]

60’s Flip top blue diamonds tolex Ampeg (small box). There really isn’t a better bass amp (for bass) ever made. Although I sold Flea a 50’s Tweed Bassman (best bass amp ever made (for guitar)) once, he’s actually the only person I’ve ever seen use one…for bass.

A dude I knew in high school played a Rick 4001 through a 59 Bassman. It possessed a bit of crunchiness.
The neck pickup tones could sound like a Rhodes electric piano, too.

Amped flip tops are my personal favorite too, especially when playing with flatwound strings. They just won’t stand up for loud live work.

[HeavyDuty]

I still want a B12 or B15…