GearBlog.org » Bass

Phat Tube Tone for your Bass in a 4 Pound Package

Ryan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:08:20 +0000

Notice how I spelled fat, I mean phat. Yeah, that means it is fatter than the standard spelled fat. Anyway, gather around bassists, you’re going to dig this entry. If you are like other bassists on the everlasting quest for great tone but don’t have a huge vehicle to lug a gigantic rack case full of equipment and amps, then maybe you need to check out the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 Bass Guitar Amplifier Head. Now, I realize that I will probably get some grief for this entry from the players that still believe you need a case weighing 100 plus pounds to achieve great tone but I don’t care. The world needs to know about the Shuttle 9.0.

Providing the same great tube tone and compact head design as its predecessor, the Shuttle 6.0, Shuttle 9.0 adds additional power with exceptional headroom and responsive feel. Featuring a Class D amplifier and SMPS module, the Shuttle 9.0 is further enhanced by Genz Benz’ Patent Pending P.H.A.T. (Proprietary Heat Abatement Technology) topology, delivering robust and reliable, high output performance in a compact 4 lb chassis.

-Ryan

Ultra-Good Deal Of the Week

Ryan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:39:22 +0000

Ok, I have to first apologize for not posting this sooner because I have known about this deal for a couple weeks but it completely slipped my mind to post it here so I’m sorry. Moving along to the deal, get ready to scream at this fantastic bargain. Seriously, this deal is so good that I honestly cannot believe we still have them in stock. Here goes, the deal today is the Trace Elliot 715 Bass Combo Amplifier for a crazy-low price of $399.99. Seriously, do some looking around and I guarantee that you will be astonished at the prices other dealers are selling this amp.

The Trace Elliot 715 is a 200W bass combo amp with a 15 inch Celestion, high-frequency tweeter, and 7-band graphic EQ to fine tune your sound with ease. Highly efficient output stage uses MOSFET technology. Footswitchable features include Pre Shape, graphic EQ, compressor with self-adjusting, program-dependent attack/release times and an output mute. Cab is tuned to 42Hz with an unobstructed bottom slot for tight response. Seriously, you really better hurry if you want to pick up one of these great amps at this even greater price, they will not last long.

-Ryan

Add some oomph to your bass tone

Ryan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:53:55 +0000

Yeah, I’m sure oomph isn’t in any of the spell checkers on my machine so I’ll just ignore the red underline. Anyway, Bassists are always looking for that something to add to their rig that will give them a unique but usable something extra for specific passages in certain tunes. There are numerous pedals and effects processors that will work but most of them cost way more than the Dunlop MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe Effects Pedal. Priced at only $149.95, this pedal is as versatile as it is affordable. This dual-voice bass octave pedal from MXR Bass Innovations offers the sound, functionality and tone-shaping options that you’ve been craving for your bass rig. Compact, lightweight and easily powered by a single 9-volt battery, the M288 Bass Octave pedal utilizes MXR’s own 18-volt Constant Headroom Technology (CHT) that provides the kind of studio-performance headroom and superior tracking you’ve only dreamed about until now. You will dig this pedal!

-Ryan

Take a Bass Guitar Everywhere You Go

Ryan — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:30:48 +0000

For the most part, there really haven’t been many options in portable bass guitars. Not any options you would feel comfortable actually traveling to the beach with or any other unforgiving climate until now. Thanks to our friends over at Traveler Guitar, you can bring a bass with you anywhere you want. Introducing the Traveler Escape MKII Bass Guitar with Gig Bag. Long gone are the days of not bringing an electric bass and battery powered amplifier to the beach for a bonfire…now the bassist will be heard. This instrument is durable enough to go anywhere, literally.

Traveler Guitar consulted with revolutionary guitar builder John Carruthers to improve the ergonomics of the Escape line; making the MK-II feel more like a traditional bass than ever before. Not only has the body been updated, but the new MK-II also boasts a custom Hybrid-Element pickup system from none other than the industry’s leading pickup innovator, L.R. Baggs. The Escape MKII Bass comes equipped with the system which has onboard electronics with a 2-band EQ, a built in headphone amplifier, and like all Travelers, the ability to be plugged directly into a traditional amplifier for live applications. The entire Escape MK-II features classic laminate spruce finish with elegant binding. Every Escape MK-II comes equipped with a custom L.R. Baggs Hybrid-Element headphone amplifier, headphones, elegant binding, ebonized fingerboard and a sturdy, custom-designed gig-bag from High Sierra. Pick one up and start rocking anywhere and everywhere.

-Ryan

Get even more punch out of your bass gear

Ryan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:51:52 +0000

Bassists of most skill levels know without question the key to getting the ultimate punch out of their bass rigs and that is compression. It limits the amount of dynamic range allowed to pass into the bass amplifier and therefore it keep an extremely uniform and hot level all the time. This is especially good for rock and metal music where the detail of the bass should be heard without it becoming overpowering when the bassist plays harder for certain passages. A noteworthy compression pedal for bassists has to be the EBS MultiComp Compressor Pedal. Brought to you by the bass amplification specialists at EBS, this pedal with any rig will bring your tone to a new level of clarity and punch. The EBS MultiComp Compressor is a high performance, analog compressor pedal, with a choice between solid state, tube simulation and multi-band compression. Compact and perfect for anyone’s pedal board, the MultiComp can make a good sounding instrument sound even better. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never want to play without it! Check it out for yourself, you’ll be glad you did. Thanks for reading!

-Ryan

Punishing Bass Power in a Compact Combo Design

Ryan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:28:20 +0000

Just when you though you would never be able to downsize your bass rig, something like the Ibanez P5110 Promethean Bass Guitar Combo Amplifier comes along to give bassists more options to scale back their gigantic rigs to something more portable and manageable. Now, granted, most bassists are likely similar to my bassist and swear that they will never get the tone that their 8×10 cabinet delivers but I’m of the mind that they are crazy. Tone is not measured in magnitude and does not necessarily require a huge cabinet to create that ideal tone. In fact, many studio recordings utilize small bass amplifiers and cabinets because like I said before, it isn’t the size that makes the tone. Let’s take a closer look at the tiny tone giant called the Promethean, shall we? Packing a power section of up to 500 watts with the optional extension cabinet connected and 250 with the built-in, 10 inch subwoofer speaker, this puppy gets loud either way you set it up! The Promethean also has a high frequency dome tweeter with passive crossover for detailed highs. A 6-band graphic EQ with bass and treble shelving tone controls is also provided so you can dial up the tone you want with ease. Other features include an auxiliary input and balanced XLR line output for simple direct connection to a mixer in a live performance situation. Check this little giant out for yourself, I have a feeling that you will not be disappointed.

-Ryan

A Little Something for Everyone, Including Bassists

Ryan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:31:56 +0000

The fact is that you don’t see too many bassists out there playing upright basses anymore. I can’t help but think the reason is that they are just so darn expensive. That really has to be one of the main reasons. Think about it, most double basses or upright basses start at least a thousand dollars and go up from there. Who on the planet can afford that during our current economic condition? Not too many folks to be honest. Here is the solution for you all wanting to take the leap into the world of the upright bass while keeping your mitts on a lot of your savings. Allow me to present to you the Stagg Electric 4-String Upright Electric Double Bass with Gig Bag. Slightly shorter than a full scale upright, the Stagg Upright is what you would call a 3/4 scale bass but lacks none of the tone of a full length model. With extraordinarily high fidelity, the Stagg EDB electric double bass features a noise free sound reproduction that captures the pleasingly woody aspect of an acoustic double bass. The EDB series also features a headphone out for silent practice as well as a CD/MP3 input to play along with your favorite artists. This thing is designed to accommodate every player looking at getting into playing the traditional upright style bass. It is constructed of solid maple for incredible tone and excellent durability and includes heavy duty gig bag with two inner compartments for accessories and an outer compartment for bow. If you have been wondering when the right time would be to step into the world of the double bass, the time is now! The price is perfect, so what are you waiting for?

-Ryan

Tons of Bass Tone in you Backpack

Ryan — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:45:51 +0000

Have you ever wanted to arrive to a gig with little more than your bass case, a small 2×10 cabinet and a backpack? Well, now you can thanks to the new TC Electronic Classic 450 Bass Guitar Amplifier Head. This thing weighs in at a mere 8.8 pounds but packs sound like some of the top heavy weights of the industry. Its 450 watt power section seems small on paper but once you step down the gas pedal on this beast you will quickly change your tune about it. It utilizes TC Electronic’s Tubetone and multi-band SpectraComp technology. TubeTone emulates every characteristic of a tube pre-amp and power-amp to deliver the full tube sound. SpectraComp provides per-string compression that evens out the volume and attack across all the strings, delivering quality, punchy sound that your audience will adore. The Classic 450 really puts the bassist in the spotlight while keeping the player at the forefront rather than the amplifier. The Classic 450s four tone controls are carefully designed to grab your bass sound where it makes a difference. With great inspiration from a range of classic bass amp designs, the Vintage Tone control section is provides tonal simplicity and great sound. Thanks for reading.

-Ryan

Tons of Bass Tone in a Portable Package

Ryan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:54:58 +0000

I wonder if it is all bassists or just mine that has some kind of inferiority complex making him need to have the larges and therefore heaviest amp rig of everybody in the band. Is it all bassists? I dunno. Anyway, I’d like to discuss the Genz Benz NEOX 112T Bass Guitar Amplifier Cabinet. Now, for bassists that have a rig that is not a combo, or even guys with combos that have speaker outputs for additional cabinets, the NEOX 112T cuts down on space limitations or makes a nice additional cabinet addition to your combo. It has a custom designed 12 inch Neodymium cast frame loudspeaker which is rated at 300 watts and utilizes a 2 1/2 inch aluminum edge-wound high temperature voice coil. This thing belts out tight and loud bass tones. The cabinet itself boasts a dual edge porting system which places a shelf port in each corner of the baffle face, forming an X across the radiating surface of the enclosure for increased low frequency support and projection. Considering the size of this cabinet, it really packs a ton of tone.

-Ryan

New Bass Guitar Cabinet to Shake The Room

Ryan — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:41:18 +0000

It’s true that there are many bass amp manufacturers out there and therefore many amps and cabinet combinations to choose from. Well folks, there is officially one more. Actually I did post about a cabinet in the same line as the TC Electronic RS410 Bass Guitar Cabinet a while back but it was only a 2 x 10 model. I’d like to focus this entry on the RS410 bass cabinet. As in all the big name cabinets, the RS410 is constructed using 18mm plywood side panels and 18mm rounded carved hardwood corners so it is ultra rugged. In fact, it uses an anti-scratch finish and dual-component anti skid surface treatment to help cabinets stick together when stacked. The cab also has dual front porting so you get some seriously thunderous lows from this baby. The woofers are Eminence custom 10 inch drivers while the high frequency driver is a titanium diaphragm with a 33mm voice coil offering clear and articulate highs to compliment the deep and penetrating lows. Talk about perfect balance, the power rating of 600 watts, durability of construction and the awesome price; make this cab a perfect addition to any system or main cabinet for your rig. The RS410 is perfect for any style of music from funk to jazz. Check it out for yourself and have a great Memorial Day weekend!

-Ryan