Music Man HD-130 and Ampeg cab review

drbassman · April 19, 2013, 11:12:37 AM

Quote from: Granny Gremlin on April 19, 2013, 10:54:02 AM
I'd totally take one of thiose 115RHes off your hands if you got it and didn't want both cabs.

Cool. I'm going to call them in a bit and see if they will deal on it.

drbassman · April 19, 2013, 11:27:36 AM

I have a meeting in Buffalo on Friday next week, I'm going to swing by and check it out then.

drbassman · April 23, 2013, 08:32:43 AM

Quote from: jumbodbassman on April 18, 2013, 07:40:14 AM

DR try the guitar channel. It is much better....and the deep switch , which i seldom use, is on the master circuit so works for both

Hey Jim, you are right, the guitar channel is really sweet sounding. I was surprised. With exactly the same settings, the guitar channel is cleaner but doesn't de-emphasize the low and mid ranges. It's just cleaner/clearer and that helps when playing a hollow body with flats on it! I'll stick with this channel for the next gig. Thanks for the hint.

drbassman · May 05, 2013, 02:09:38 PM

Scott got to hear the Musicman/Ampeg/Mesa rig last night at a gig. I think he liked it! I sure did. My first gig with it and it filled the room with a really nice full bass sound, warm and vintage! I'm hooked on those tubes now.

godofthunder · May 05, 2013, 02:43:48 PM

The Musicaman really did sound great! First thing I noticed when I walked in the room. Bill's band is three piece with vox so the bass has a big job to do. The room looks like it might hold 100 or so to code, there were about 30- 40 when I got there last night. Sound was sound on a stick looked like 12s with horns. Nice mix out front, folks dancing and having a good time. with no help from the PA the MM sounded great warm, full with just enough grit and character. More importantly it filled the room, the band didn't sound empty at all nice and full. It was great to see/hear Bill play I was more than impressed. A side note the singer and I went to college together over 30 years ago! Bill had posted a pic of his band and i said hey wait a minuet that's Julio! So it was great to see and hear him as well. All in all a fun night And I look forward to the next invite. Oh ! Btw Bill was playing his black Gretsch single cutaway shorty, man what a great sounding bass! It's giving me a bad case of GAS at the moment.

drbassman · May 05, 2013, 07:53:30 PM

And Scott's vintage NR bass sounded great through the amp too. He did some jamming at the end and it was all good!

jumbodbassman · May 06, 2013, 05:22:53 PM

Quote from: drbassman on April 23, 2013, 08:32:43 AM
Hey Jim, you are right, the guitar channel is really sweet sounding. I was surprised. With exactly the same settings, the guitar channel is cleaner but doesn't de-emphasize the low and mid ranges. It's just cleaner/clearer and that helps when playing a hollow body with flats on it! I'll stick with this channel for the next gig. Thanks for the hint.

my tech told me to try it. for some reason they put stuff on the bass side or left stuff out. can't remember - chemo brain.. enjoy

drbassman · May 06, 2013, 06:16:54 PM

Quote from: jumbodbassman on May 06, 2013, 05:22:53 PM
my tech told me to try it. for some reason they put stuff on the bass side or left stuff out. can't remember - chemo brain.. enjoy

Yeah, I hear ya, I still have chemo brain even after 9 months off the stuff. My wife says the excuse is wearing thin! But I don't listen to her.

I hope you're doing we'll with the treatments. Are you working while taking them?

jumbodbassman · May 07, 2013, 07:20:59 PM

actually got laid off on dec 14 so timing was great or really bad depending on your perspective and what you are looking at on an individual item/reason basis. Medical and severance run thru june 14 so all the treatments will be covered. just the follow up stuff will be my headache. starting to talk to folks about a job sometime late in June however. i got 2 in college, one in private school. and a huge mortgage.... probably need to work about 6 more years then move to cheaper easier place to live.

Today was hump day. treatment 17 , 16 to go. Believe it or not the radiation is much worse than the chemo overall. Mouth and throat is pretty much like a thousand razor cuts.....Down to soups, very loose eggs and milkshakes/smoothies. and some good prescription drugs which i have resisted so far except to sleep a few days last week. Great news is the Doctor looked in my mouth last week and said it has reacted great and shrunk more than he expected so everyday that precious healing percentage we all hang on feels like it is moving up to what I expect for me at least of 100%.....

"gettin better every day"

Jim

Dave W · May 07, 2013, 08:05:54 PM

Positive news, Jim.

drbassman · May 07, 2013, 08:06:50 PM

Thanks for the update, Jim. Hang in there, half way done is a good place to be . Hope the job thing works out. I am retiring and I just got a couple offers for part time work. Who knew? Good luck and prayers!

Bill

drbassman · May 07, 2013, 08:08:09 PM

Quote from: Granny Gremlin on April 19, 2013, 10:54:02 AM
I'd totally take one of thiose 115RHes off your hands if you got it and didn't want both cabs.

I have to go to buffalo tomorrow for a meeting and will check out the rig.

jumbodbassman · May 08, 2013, 07:06:20 AM

love my 115rh but has a newly reconed 4 ohm EV 400 watt pro in it so it probably sounds nothing like the originals did. this came with the cone ripped so can't say.

Have one of my 130's over a 15" cab loaded with a neo eminence? . - the one everyone raves about. just ok but nice and light and fine for reherasal space.

the 115RH been using it lately around the house under a 1976 fender super twin head. 180 watts of pure fender cleanness. what a sh#tty guitar amp but makes a great bass amp. great with passive basses. think of the old black face amps nugent used....

drbassman · May 08, 2013, 07:38:12 PM

Sounds good Jim. I played the rig today and I want it, but they won't deal on it. So, I gotta think about it.

drbassman · May 09, 2013, 06:15:27 AM

Last night was a quick post, so here's my assessment. The rig is nice and in really pristine condition. Whoever owned it, took really good care of it. I'm going to go back next week and see if they will deal on it. As far as I could tell it was all original. I could see a silver center on the speaker cones. Was that typical for speakers in this rig?

The tone and output of the rig is perfect for my needs. Lots of volume and that old time vintage sound. Actually a little cleaner than my current set up, but I'm sure that's due to the different speakers and maybe the tubes (newer ones) in the rig.

So yeah, I want it and I'm going to do my best to snag it. Stay tuned.