Sunday, January 22, 2006

New Gear

If you don't know me or know anything about me, knowing that I play bass guitar for a living is important to understanding this blog. I love playing the bass but I've never really been much of a gear guy. You know the kind of person who knows every brand and model of every guitar ever out there. It's not that I don't want to be; it's just that my brain isn't wired that way. Lately I've been thinking I should at least try to learn a little more about my instrument and its history. The electric bass guitar is one of the youngest instruments around so you don't have to go too far back to learn about it. Anyway, that's another blog. This blog is about my new amp!

For the last almost 5 years I've been playing through my Euphonic Audio, iAmp 600. I have a 2x10 Euphonic Audio speaker cabinet that I used to play through too. Three years ago I picked up an Ampeg 8x10 speaker cabinet (this just means really big speaker) to boost my volume and make me feel more like a man. It worked!

Over the past 5 years since I've been playing bass full time, I've had the privilege of playing many different amps and speaker cabinets. It seems the sound I really like to hear in an amp has changed in that time. My iAmp 600 could be considered a “boutique” amp, a real high fidelity amp that only amplifies the sound and doesn’t change the sound of your instrument at all. This is the sound I really liked a few years ago. I guess my tastes have changed now though. What I’m really digging now are tube amps. The tube amps that I’ve played have such a great warm sound, plus you have the ability to overdrive the tubes to get the perfect crunch.

So, all that said – the iAmp and cabinet are being retired and sold (money for a new Jazz bass). The new amp I decided to go with was the Fender Bassman 300. Forgive me for talking bass amp shop for a minute, the Bassman is a 300 watt all tube amp very much like the classic Ampeg SVT. The difference is, it has two channels (one for clean, one for crunch) and lots of tone/compression controls. Plus, it’s less expensive!!

So anyway, I haven’t had a chance to play it at a gig yet but it is definitely LOUD and it sounds great. For the bass players who read this, I can’t wait till you have a chance to hear this thing and maybe even try it if we have the opportunity.

11 comments:

Tracy 1/22/2006 8:42 PM  

I don't know about presently, it was probably a few albums back, but I'm sure I read or heard that Lenny Kravitz uses all tubes.

Dale 1/23/2006 8:59 AM  

As a fellow bass player and another "not much of a gear guy" I could relate quite a bit to your latest blog post, Glenn. I too like the tube amp sound (although I don't own a tube amp presently) and I am also itching to get my hands on an 8x10 cab and am saving for a Jazz bass as well (a Fender 5-string, to be honest). I also need to learn more about my instrument and gear/sound electronics so I can be a wiser musician and make smart, educated choices about what equipment to buy and what types of gear will get that perfect sound I want. Do you use any effects pedals or do you run straight to your amp? No apologies for posting a very interesting blog entry for us bassists! We don't get enough as it is! Sweet rig, dude! Can't wait to catch you guys on tour so I can hear it live!

kathryn 1/23/2006 4:41 PM  

wow, this is soooo much like 'Greek' to me! Have fun with your new toys!

nickt 1/24/2006 9:14 AM  

I was disappointed to see that the master volume only goes to ten. You couldn't get one that goes to eleven?

To borrow from Spinal Tap, "Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. One louder."

kathryn 1/24/2006 12:51 PM  

ha ha!!! 11 . . that was such a funny moment in that movie!

supersimbo 1/24/2006 4:38 PM  

glenn.......... sweet amp! i am pretty jealous cuz i dont have a real bass amp as such right now, last time i played out i used a trace elliott cabinet that had been totaally rewired and "re-speakered" cuz the owner thought it looked good and sounded crap.....its a beauty! i have a line 6 flextone amp which pretends to be anything you want but i never play electric so its kind of redundant right now

glennlavender 1/25/2006 2:00 PM  

I need to respond to bob here. Only 300 watts he says! Seriously though, I don't get it either. 300 watts of tube amplification blows 600 watts of solid state amplification out of the water. This amp will power two of those big Ampeg 8x10 speaker cabinets that you see in the picture no problem. Two of those things running at 2 or 3 on the volume knob would be enough cause for your neighbours to call and complain. So putting it at 5 with only one cabinet in a 500-1000 seat room will already make my sound man angry enough with me.

300 Watts is plenty!

Jessica Lewis 1/26/2006 10:56 PM  

at least it's out of my living room... haha j/k.

Dale 1/27/2006 1:25 PM  

I'm with you, Glenn! 300 Watts is plenty!

Alexis 2/03/2006 12:05 AM  

wow I do not know much about this stuff but it sounds awesome and I look forward to hearing you again in concert somewhere soon.

when you in the area again?

hope to see ya again soon

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