Jam experiments and revalations

Granny Gremlin · December 30, 2013, 07:38:26 AM

A thread for things we've played around with or discovered at practice or casual jams, I'll start.

...So I had to close my studio/venue (new kid coming, lease was up, not enough time to run it with the day job) a while back and so the band has been jamming at an hourly place until I/we find a new spot to call home. This place stocks each room with modern solid state heads (GK, Ampeg, and at least one Markbass) and 4x10s (occasional 8x10). This is the antithesis of what I typically use (I have an 8x10, but don't use it often due to huge/overkill for practice) which is a medium wattage tube (PA/Vocal) head and a Musicman 115RH.

I have learned a few things jamming at the hourly with their rigs:

1) I am just not a fan of solid state Ampeg stuff (actually haven't used the tube stuff), or 4x10s (at least modernish ones). I dig the Markbass, and I already knew that GKs were alright too.

2) After a few jams of not liking my tone, or just taking too long to dial it in (diff amp/cab in every room) it occurred to me that the exact things about the amp/cab combos in there that weren't working for the Triumph (hyped midrange mostly) would probably work really really well with a mudbucker (in addition to solid state preamps generally being more robust when it comes to handling that 30K output). So I took the EB3 to jam yesterday and, sure enough, that was a much better match (full mud; choked was not so great, I prefer that setting into tube amps). Even though the EB3 was not ideal for every song, I was surprised at the number it really worked well on. I did have to dispense with the fx a lot though (exacerbated speaker cab resonances). I think I still would have preferred a 1x15 to the W ported GK 4x10, but the GK head was a good match.

Barklessdog · January 01, 2014, 07:45:15 AM

long live Granny and his Mudbucker!

Granny Gremlin · January 01, 2014, 10:24:33 AM

Oh, how I have missed her. Paula has been just about the only bass I have used for a few years due to her congeniality with amps and supreme versatility (with the exception of Betty, who I used for one song in studio).

Now that I have confirmed the above, that Lucy will get along with modern solid state gear, I might just take her out more... depending on the setlist and if I am not bringing my (tube) rig, but using the house or opening band's rig (always something unfamiliar and solid state). I just can't bring myself (yet) to take more than one bass.

slinkp · January 01, 2014, 09:22:42 PM

It's funny, Granny, I have a similar dislike of 4x10s. I don't know why, but I've never tried one yet that I liked.
My usual rehearsal place has a stack of Epifani 4x10 cabs in nearly every room. They're powerful as hell, but, eh. The low end just doesn't work for me. I feel like I either can't hear what I'm playing or I'm too loud. I have borrowed and gigged through or rehearsed through a bunch of other 4x10 cabs over the years as well (ones I remember include GK, Ampeg, SWR, Hartke, Carvin) and not one ever made me happy.

I am really curious about the EA 4x10 cab, because I love love love my little EA rig, even outdoors; but you're never going to see one of those in a rehearsal studio

gweimer · January 02, 2014, 09:52:23 AM

It warms my heart to find fellow 15" fans here. I've also never liked anything I heard from a 10", but have found a few 12" cabs I liked.

My staple right now is my Ashdown 1x15 EVM combo.

Pilgrim · January 02, 2014, 11:36:13 AM

Quote from: gweimer on January 02, 2014, 09:52:23 AM
It warms my heart to find fellow 15" fans here. I've also never liked anything I heard from a 10", but have found a few 12" cabs I liked.

My staple right now is my Ashdown 1x15 EVM combo.

I grew up on 15s, but I've found that the G-B 12" sounds great, too...and adding their 2x10 cab also sounds good to me.

Granny Gremlin · January 02, 2014, 12:29:19 PM

Yeah, been thinking that a 2x10 plus 15 might work for me, and I have a nice pair of vintage Rolas, but not going to get to that project until I sell the 8x10 I built and loaded with those same Rolas - I never need the power and it's a bitch to hump around, though it was handy as stationary backline at me old studio/venue.

gweimer · January 02, 2014, 12:56:49 PM

The irony is that I really liked what I heard from the Phil Jones Flightcase combo, and he uses 5" speakers. His website breaks down some of the science and talks about efficiency of response time.

slinkp · January 02, 2014, 09:33:11 PM

I don't actually have anything against 10" drivers per se. I do like the classic sealed 8x10 Ampeg fridge, and I love my little EA CXL110, and I've heard some 210 cabs that I liked fine.

I don't know if it's a coincidence, or if 410 cabs (usually? always?) have something in common that bothers me, or what. It just seems like the low end and low mids are too boomy and mushy for my taste.

Rental studios are a great place to learn what gear you do and don't like... thanks for starting this thread

Highlander · January 03, 2014, 12:57:41 AM

I tried the Hiwatt through one of those "fridges" and it was not a pretty sound but it always delivers the goods with 15's and 12's, guitar or bass...
Still happy with my 4x10 combo

rahock · January 03, 2014, 05:48:25 AM

Quote from: gweimer on January 02, 2014, 09:52:23 AM
It warms my heart to find fellow 15" fans here. I've also never liked anything I heard from a 10", but have found a few 12" cabs I liked.

My staple right now is my Ashdown 1x15 EVM combo.

I was a die hard 15 guy for years but there are a lot of 2 12 cabs that are really nice theses days. They deliver the bottom and stay a little tighter and better defined. 12s are the new 15s

Rick