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Amp for both electric and upright bass
- Thread starter Dennis Bender
- Start date
I use an AI Focus series III for upright and EB, but really for EB it is very flat sounding, and I have trouble getting the right color sound using it for EB...don't get me wrong, the AI is just fine for EB, and it is my backup for EB gigs, just not terribly satisfying for me tonally for EB. The speaker you choose can help this. The Thunderfunk may get you what you need tonally for upright and EB...it is a very musical amplifier. I have an Eden WT550 I usually use for EB and it too is very musical sounding tonally, but I have yet to really try it out for upright. I love the idea of an amp or combo that can fit the bill for both upright and EB, but for now I've really bifurcated and use separate rigs for upright and EB, likely due to my own ignorance, but mainly because on ability to shape tone, especially for EB. I guess I am still learning how to deal with upright amplification, but for now my PJB bass cub and Double 4 plus running in a PA when I can really do it for me for upright, and they are great for practice on EB at home. The PJB combos would not cut it, even with PA support, for EB gigs, and I find tonally they are like the AI for EB.
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I have doubled with an SWR baby blue (not sure if they are still making new ones) and a bass bone tone bone.
I had tried a simple a/b switch but found the volume output levels from upright/electric varied too widely for a simple switch. the bass bone has been great.
I had tried a simple a/b switch but found the volume output levels from upright/electric varied too widely for a simple switch. the bass bone has been great.
Hey Peter, how do you like the JDV for doubling gigs? are you using it with a full circle? I am looking for an alternative to Bassbone V2 that have variable impedance for the full circle as well as a phantom power input to use mics.thanks
I use a planet wing pickup on my kolstein travel bass and i have an Fdeck HPF Velcro to my tail piece. Lives on there full time.
The JDV is a nice solution for no amp gigs I can gain match for easy switching and if I want to get fancy I throw my Vintage Microtubes pedal in front of the EB.
My best solution is Jule Monique on top of an AI Focus. I run DB directly into the Focus and Monique into the effects return of the other channel for EB.
If I don’t mind using a single cable and unplugging from DB to EB I will run both into Monique into a Bergantino IP112 and add a second cab when necessary. My favorite if there is no FOH.
I also really like the acme Motown DI. Both instruments direct and swap cables. This is the simplest.
The JDV is my least favorite of some really good options. But still very nice.
The key to all this is the fdeck living on my DB
The JDV is a nice solution for no amp gigs I can gain match for easy switching and if I want to get fancy I throw my Vintage Microtubes pedal in front of the EB.
My best solution is Jule Monique on top of an AI Focus. I run DB directly into the Focus and Monique into the effects return of the other channel for EB.
If I don’t mind using a single cable and unplugging from DB to EB I will run both into Monique into a Bergantino IP112 and add a second cab when necessary. My favorite if there is no FOH.
I also really like the acme Motown DI. Both instruments direct and swap cables. This is the simplest.
The JDV is my least favorite of some really good options. But still very nice.
The key to all this is the fdeck living on my DB
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Thanks man, I do use the Fdeck as well. Using the Monique into the focus is a great idea too.
I have an AI Focus 2 series III...very uncolored in sound. It works for electric but has a very dry sound. AI is much more suited to amplifying acoustic instruments with its preamp...use a different preamp to get the color you want on electric through an AI.
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A cheap and good solution for a two channel amp. Buy a cheap Kustom PA 50 watt powered 10? woofer $100. Replace the woofer with a good electric bass speaker $75. Get an AudioBox computer usb audio preamp with two channel combo jack mic/instrument input $100. Get a dual piezo pick which as one piezo for each wing of the bridge $60 from Vic?s Pickups wired for stereo. Plug the dual pick into each of the channels on the Audiobox. Allows you to control how much much is blended in from the G string side and how much from the E string side. You can get the perfect balance between the levels of the two channels. Audiobox has two output jack one for the Kustum and 1 for DI into the house PA system. Big natural bass sound from this gear. The Audiobox as a preamp to the powered PA amp puts out an amazing sound level. Total investment $335 for a boutique bass amp sound IMHO. A little DIY required to install the replacement speaker, a few screws inside the cabinet. The general purpose Audiobox is high end audiophile sound, better than most bass specific preamps. No tone controls, but with the two piezos with seperate level controls they perform better than tone controls.
I'm lucky that I like how both of my basses sound with no EQ. I use a carvin bx500 and like it. Really I think any amp would work well if you're willing to mute and switch cables or have a switcher.