Author Topic: Full tube amp?  (Read 8913 times)

4stringer77

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1903
    • View Profile
Contrary to what James Bond says, a good Gibson should be stirred, not shaken.

drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #16 on: March 25, 2013, 08:20:12 AM »
:popcorn:

Ha, ha, Al!  I'll try to keep you entertained!!!!
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!

drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!

4stringer77

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1903
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #18 on: March 25, 2013, 09:36:14 AM »
Nope. I have one like it. This looks like a nice example. Great all tube amp. Lots of power.
Contrary to what James Bond says, a good Gibson should be stirred, not shaken.

Denis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4036
  • Harvester of Appendixes
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #19 on: March 25, 2013, 09:38:05 AM »
Seems like a good price for that 2000S and it looks like it's in really great shape.

A 200S would be a good option too. Less powerful than a 2000S but less expensive as well. They also sound great.
Why did Salvador Dali cross the road?
Clocks.

dadagoboi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4213
  • huh?...HUH?
    • View Profile
    • CATALDO BASSES
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #20 on: March 25, 2013, 10:48:15 AM »
I'd be snagging this but I don't want to make the 300 mile round trip.
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=7878.15

drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #21 on: March 25, 2013, 11:46:58 AM »
It does look pretty cool.  I've never played a Sunn amp, I was hooked on Ampeg as a youth and into my recent playing days.  Mesa was my first non-Ampeg excursion.
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!

copacetic

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 370
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #22 on: March 25, 2013, 11:58:53 AM »
I really liked my Mesa Walkabout as well and as you said it has a kick but sound. However in some of the acoustic settings with a lot of space the fan on that thing was just too loud (really). So I traded it in and got one of the new Roland 120's and new GK 200( like hieronymos'). One for home living room and the other for gigging around smaller venues.

drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #23 on: March 25, 2013, 02:42:55 PM »
I really liked my Mesa Walkabout as well and as you said it has a kick but sound. However in some of the acoustic settings with a lot of space the fan on that thing was just too loud (really). So I traded it in and got one of the new Roland 120's and new GK 200( like hieronymos'). One for home living room and the other for gigging around smaller venues.

Duh, I was supposed to get back to you about my fan noise and I just realized I forgot!  My fan is not all tht loud, but we never play at a low volume. 
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!

Aussie Mark

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1579
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #24 on: March 25, 2013, 03:34:32 PM »
Another vote for the Ampeg V4BH - tremendous sounding 100 watts.  Just as nice sounding, but at 200 watts and no heavier is the Traynor YBA-200.  I've owned both, and they are both fabulous amps.  The Traynor is very well made, in Canada and isn't very expensive used because Traynor tends to fly under the radar.
Cheers
Mark
http://rollingstoned.com.au - The Australian Rolling Stones Show
http://thevolts.com.au - The Volts
http://doorsalive.com.au - Doors Alive

drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #25 on: March 25, 2013, 03:42:59 PM »
Another vote for the Ampeg V4BH - tremendous sounding 100 watts.  Just as nice sounding, but at 200 watts and no heavier is the Traynor YBA-200.  I've owned both, and they are both fabulous amps.  The Traynor is very well made, in Canada and isn't very expensive used because Traynor tends to fly under the radar.

Thanks mark.  I looked at the Traynor online and it is a nice looking amp.  Might be one to move up to later on if I get into the tube thing.
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!

Granny Gremlin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2942
    • View Profile
    • Granny Gremlin home page
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #26 on: March 25, 2013, 05:50:42 PM »
We're trying to keep those in Canada, Mark! Too many Yanks buying them up and taking them home already.  :D

Personally, when it comes to classic Canadian amps, I prefer Garnet.  Traynors are great, and tough as nails (they used to test amps by throwing them off the factory roof - if they could put the tubes back in and it worked it passed), but Garnets are just a tad better sounding to me and have (usually) better feature sets (i.e. there ain't no Traynor with on board reverb, or not many.... a few had master volumes, but most higher powered Garnets, 50 and up, did).  In particular the Garnet 'stinger' distortion circuit is particularly good.  The "Pro" line even had rocker EQ boost switches like Ampeg (later models; earlier ones just had push-pull switches on the bass, treble and vol knobs instead, but did the same, or similar thing).

... just don't bother with any Canadian (Traynor or Garnet) bass speaker cabs.  Some Traynors were OK (better drivers in the higher end models) but Garnets were not so great unless you had a lot of them or really over rated (power handling wise) vs your amp.  Love their guitar cabs though; again due to the speakers (I have a  special love or 12" Marslands for guitar use).
« Last Edit: March 26, 2013, 06:03:20 AM by Granny Gremlin »
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (drummer and bassist of Deep Purple, Jake!)

Psycho Bass Guy

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 2312
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #27 on: March 25, 2013, 10:56:27 PM »
Any of the Ampeg V-4 series would be good. The vintage V-4 and V-4B only vary my reverb and the midrange frequency tone control. The V-4BH is a completely different animal, much less bassy and more mid-focused as well as lower gain and power, but it is an option. The B-25 is as close to a B-15N as you'll get in a separate head, but be aware that it does have a different preamp and no more power than a B-15. Vintage Musicman amps do pretty well because they're designed for much more 'clean' power than their Fender contemporaries. Vintage Traynors are basically Marshall copies built much better with better parts. Their more recent amps like the YBA-200 have had serious issues with autobiasing, but they abandoned the concept for the second version and the 300 watt head. If you're adventurous, many old tube PA's make for excellent bass amps with very little modification.

Psycho Bass Guy

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 2312
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #28 on: March 26, 2013, 12:43:52 AM »
BTW, "Bugera" is just Behringer's brand for their copies of SLM-era Ampegs,the SVT CL, SVT IIIPro and IVPro (which are just s/s amps with tube preamps anyway) which are made even more poorly than modern Ampeg tube amps, and that's saying something.


drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
Re: Full tube amp?
« Reply #29 on: March 26, 2013, 04:17:59 AM »
Thanks for the Bugera and Traynor info.  If things go well with the MM, I might explore more options down the road.  Having a couple amps with different characteristics is appealing.  Got enough basses for now!
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!