Barefaced Big Twin II and What Class D Amp?

[stevecaronna]

I just ordered a Barefaced Big Twin II and was wondering which Class D amp I should pair it up with. I do currently have a TH500 but am looking for a backup or to have the TH500 as a backup. The Barefaced Club has many pages and plenty people commenting daily so feel free to comment here and help me with this decision, please. Aguilar is also coming out in April with the AG700 that I can't wait to hear. I have listed most of the amps that I found to be in the $1,000.00 and under range which is about where I would want to stay.
I am also open for suggestions of some that I may have left off.
Thanks in advance for all of your comments and choices.

 

[jakka1]

I just ordered a Barefaced Big Twin II and was wondering which Class D amp I should pair it up with. I do currently have a TH500 but am looking for a backup or to have the TH500 as a backup. The Barefaced Club has many pages and plenty people commenting daily so feel free to comment here and help me with this decision, please. Aguilar is also coming out in April with the AG700 that I can't wait to hear. I have listed most of the amps that I found to be in the $1,000.00 and under range which is about where I would want to stay.
I am also open for suggestions of some that I may have left off.
Thanks in advance for all of your comments and choices.

The Mesa D800 sounds great with the Big Twin II. Might as well throw more than 500 watts at that cab. It can definitely handle it. I have also owned a TH500 but that was before owning a barefaced. I played the Mesa/Big Twin II rig for 6 months until recently selling the D800 to move up to a Noble 1000w amp.

 

[Djadja]

I voted the Genzler which is on my serious GAS list...

I would add the new 800 watt Trickfish to your list to consider, the Eich, and maybe the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 or 9.2 in used amps as well.

 

[stevecaronna]

The Mesa D800 sounds great with the Big Twin II. Might as well throw more than 500 watts at that cab. It can definitely handle it. I have also owned a TH500 but that was before owning a barefaced. I played the Mesa/Big Twin II rig for 6 months until recently selling the D800 to move up to a Noble 1000w amp.

Yeah, thinking back that Noble is probably way out the range I want to pay at this time. I still have to pay for the BTII, I just sent the down payment like Wed.
Thanks Jakka1

 

[jakka1]

Yeah, thinking back that Noble is probably way out the range I want to pay at this time. I still have to pay for the BTII, I just sent the down payment like Wed.
Thanks Jakka1

I hear you... it's probably way out of the range I should have paid but no regrets. I somehow managed to to sell off the Mesa & several pedals to make it happen.
Regardless, there are plenty of great options out there. You'll love the Big Twin II... best cab I've ever played through.

 

[jakka1]

I also have experience with the Demeter 800 with the Big Twin II. It was an excellent pairing as well.

 

[Dave Hill]

Crest Prolite and the pre of your choice.

 

[stevecaronna]

I hear you... it's probably way out of the range I should have paid but no regrets. I somehow managed to to sell off the Mesa & several pedals to make it happen.
Regardless, there are plenty of great options out there. You'll love the Big Twin II... best cab I've ever played though.

So how did the Mesa and TH sound compared to the Noble or was there any comparison?

 

[jakka1]

So how did the Mesa and TH sound compared to the Noble or was there any comparison?

It's been a couple of years since I've had a TH so I don't have a direct comparison of even the luxury of playing that through the BTII. The Noble is superior but it should be for the price. I did a couple of gigs running a Noble pre through the Mesa aux in & just using the Mesa for its power (that seemed like a waste).

For the money, the Mesa is hard to beat and definitely pairs well with the BTII. I would love to have another for a backup.

 

[10cc]

Crest Prolite and the pre of your choice.

SVP!

 

[nostatic]

I would suggest D800+ over the D800 as you'll get more eq possibilities and a few other features (and still be well under $1K).

I have gigged the TH500, Streamliner, Mesa D800/800+ (have both now, 800 is my backup), Puma 500/900, and GK MB500 Fusion. Also had a Demeter Minnie power amp running with a Monique. Haven't gigged the new Magellan but did have Shuttle 9.0. All different voices, depends on what you like/want.

I would vote the GK and TH off the island first as I find them to be too bright/edgy (GK) and too furry (TH). While you can eq some of that away, then I find you lose the mojo of those amps. I think you have to dig the inherent voice because they really aren't chameleons. Same with the Streamliner.

Puma 900 is a great amp, fairly neutral, and the taste knob I found useful. Some guys find the Mesa to have a baked-in tone but for me it is reasonably neutral. A little low-mid thickness, a little rolled-off on the highs (but not nearly like the TH). For me it is a great all-around amp, made in the US, transferable 5-year warranty, and it kicks hard.

The AG700 will be interesting as I liked the AG500 when I had it in backlines. To me that is more open sounding head than the TH or the DB751, though the 751 has its own charms.

 

[packhowitzer]

GK all the way.

 

[monsterthompson]

Voted Demeter 800 because I have a BB2 and that head. It is an awesome pairing. I've stacked a SM and SC and run a Two10 with that head, and they have all been lovely. It isn't a colored head, so it helps to have pedals if you want coloration. Otherwise, you've listed some nice choices. I'd go Mesa, or the Darkglass if you like their overdrive, or wait on that new Aguilar head. I've also run a Genz Shuttle 9.0 and if the Genzler head is similar, it should be a nice pairing.

 

[stevecaronna]

I would suggest D800+ over the D800 as you'll get more eq possibilities and a few other features (and still be well under $1K).

I have gigged the TH500, Streamliner, Mesa D800/800+ (have both now, 800 is my backup), Puma 500/900, and GK MB500 Fusion. Also had a Demeter Minnie power amp running with a Monique. Haven't gigged the new Magellan but did have Shuttle 9.0. All different voices, depends on what you like/want.

I would vote the GK and TH off the island first as I find them to be too bright/edgy (GK) and too furry (TH). While you can eq some of that away, then I find you lose the mojo of those amps. I think you have to dig the inherent voice because they really aren't chameleons. Same with the Streamliner.

Puma 900 is a great amp, fairly neutral, and the taste knob I found useful. Some guys find the Mesa to have a baked-in tone but for me it is reasonably neutral. A little low-mid thickness, a little rolled-off on the highs (but not nearly like the TH). For me it is a great all-around amp, made in the US, transferable 5-year warranty, and it kicks hard.

The AG700 will be interesting as I liked the AG500 when I had it in backlines. To me that is more open sounding head than the TH or the DB751, though the 751 has its own charms.

Wow, good information here nostatic, i appreciate your comments. Great things to think about. I do like Aguilar and am curious to see how the 700 sounds, I wish I had the funds for the Demeter 800 because I have read reviews and am really curious about it. I am heavily leaning on the Mesa though because it seems like the best bang for the buck. I have time to consume everyone's thoughts and comments because I still have to pay for the Barefaced. Once I get it paid off though hopefully I will have made a decision on the amp because my quest is for the best sound I can get. Today we really have a lot of options so there is no reason for not being completely satisfied with our sound.

 

[stevecaronna]

Voted Demeter 800 because I have a BB2 and that head. It is an awesome pairing. I've stacked a SM and SC and run a Two10 with that head, and they have all been lovely. It isn't a colored head, so it helps to have pedals if you want coloration. Otherwise, you've listed some nice choices. I'd go Mesa, or the Darkglass if you like their overdrive, or wait on that new Aguilar head. I've also run a Genz Shuttle 9.0 and if the Genzler head is similar, it should be a nice pairing.

Thanks monster, I have been researching different amps that are more off brand than what everyone else plays and there are quite a few companies out there that the mainstream have no idea exist. Really before I got on TB I had not heard of most either. The biggest problem is that you can't just go to a local music store and sample all these combinations of different heads and speakers so it is difficult to make an educated decision on exactly what is going to give you the sound you are looking for. I thought long and hard about what Barefaced was going to be best for me and I won't really know until I have it and gig with it. I just want to love my sound and am pretty close with my current setup but something is still missing.
Thanks again monster.

 

[Mystic Michael]

There are so many new Class D amp heads now on the market, including a number that are well under $1,000 in price. Such as...

* EBS Reidmar 750
* Bugera Veyron BV1001M
* Carvin B1000
* Peavey Mini Mega 1000
* Orange Terror Bass 1000 (discontinued but available on the aftermarket)
* Genz Benz ShuttleMAX 9.2 (also discontinued but available on the aftermarket)

MM

 

[The Deep End]

I use the Streamliner 900 with BB2 and SM and thought I couldn't possibly be happier. Turns out I was wrong: after rolling a few tubes on SL, I got happier. I like a warm, tube tone that I don't have to fiddle around much with. That's the nature of SL.

 

[HolmeBass]

I use the Streamliner 900 with BB2 and SM and thought I couldn't possibly be happier. Turns out I was wrong: after rolling a few tubes on SL, I got happier. I like a warm, tube tone that I don't have to fiddle around much with. That's the nature of SL.

I hate to thread jack, in my mind I would go Eich/Demeter/Puma/Monique and maybe a ShuttleMax 9.2 with that cab (not that I own one, but I wish I did!) but I do have a Streamliner and am not terribly happy with it right now (the ShuttleMax however does its thing reall well). What tubes did you end up switching to in your SL? Is there a concern with matching the tubes used, or do different ones work better for the different sections of the amp? Thanks.

 

[Agosix]

Magellan or a Quilter Bass Block 800

 

[The Deep End]

I use the Streamliner 900 with BB2 and SM and thought I couldn't possibly be happier. Turns out I was wrong: after rolling a few tubes on SL, I got happier. I like a warm, tube tone that I don't have to fiddle around much with. That's the nature of SL.

I hate to thread jack, in my mind I would go Eich/Demeter/Puma/Monique and maybe a ShuttleMax 9.2 with that cab (not that I own one, but I wish I did!) but I do have a Streamliner and am not terribly happy with it right now (the ShuttleMax however does its thing reall well). What tubes did you end up switching to in your SL? Is there a concern with matching the tubes used, or do different ones work better for the different sections of the amp? Thanks.

I ended up using a Genalex Gold Lion in V1 (preamp) and a Tungsol 12AX7 in V3 (mids / hi). The Genalex had perfect impact - added refinement to tone while keeping liveliness. Tungsol seemed to add definition. Sorry - all vague words. Only ones that come to mind. I worked with tube guy from Chicago who listened to what my goal was and nailed it 1st try. Can dig up name if you're interested. Very reasonable as well. There's also a good SL900 tube rolling thread on TB. Will tell you ending - put a Philips JAN 5751 in V1. Tried but didn't like as much as the Gold Lion. Best of luck!