Have Darkglass M900 - Upgrading to Aguilar DB751 or Mesa M9 Carbine?

[hbabels]

Nice ! Those heads always sound pretty killer the demos I've heard !

 

[sunbeast]

Good choice! The Super Bassman heads I think are probably some of the best mass-manufactured bass tube heads these days for versatility.

To add to the conversation, I played a Mesa Carbine M6 for a few years as well as an Aguilar DB750. Those two amps are on pretty opposite ends of the heavy-hitter solid-state spectrum! The Carbine is very bright and mid-heavy with a super fast response (but with a deep low-end that I could never tighten up enough for my taste), while the DB750 was much more round, scooped in the high-mids, and sort of "soft" in feel (it was super punchy because of that beastly power section, but the voicing favored this certain upper-bass/ low-midrange area so heavily that it just didn't cut through like I wanted without extreme EQ'ing- the SVT has a similar hump in response but would fill in the mids as you pushed it which the DB750 was incapable of IMO). The DB751 ugraded the DB750 with some EQ changes that help flatten out its response and add some midrange tweakability, but ultimately the weight combined with the "one-trick-pony" EQ made me happy to flip it for a Mesa Prodigy (the DB750 in a rack was a beast to carry around, and that's coming from a long-time tube amp user).

I haven't tried the Darkglass amp yet, but have owned a B3K, B7K, a VMT, VMTD, and now a VMT-Ultra. I get most of my native tone from the Darkglass so when most of my house-sound is DI (or if I have to use a house bass rig, as is more and more common in venues these days), it still sounds like me! In that sense I like to have a fairly neutral amplifier, and neither the Carbine or any of the Aguilars really fit that bill IMO. The Mesa Prodigy can get more into that ball-park while also having its own punchy tube thing going on...

 

[zwish]

Good choice! The Super Bassman heads I think are probably some of the best mass-manufactured bass tube heads these days for versatility.

To add to the conversation, I played a Mesa Carbine M6 for a few years as well as an Aguilar DB750. Those two amps are on pretty opposite ends of the heavy-hitter solid-state spectrum! The Carbine is very bright and mid-heavy with a super fast response (but with a deep low-end that I could never tighten up enough for my taste), while the DB750 was much more round, scooped in the high-mids, and sort of "soft" in feel (it was super punchy because of that beastly power section, but the voicing favored this certain upper-bass/ low-midrange area so heavily that it just didn't cut through like I wanted without extreme EQ'ing- the SVT has a similar hump in response but would fill in the mids as you pushed it which the DB750 was incapable of IMO). The DB751 ugraded the DB750 with some EQ changes that help flatten out its response and add some midrange tweakability, but ultimately the weight combined with the "one-trick-pony" EQ made me happy to flip it for a Mesa Prodigy (the DB750 in a rack was a beast to carry around, and that's coming from a long-time tube amp user).

I haven't tried the Darkglass amp yet, but have owned a B3K, B7K, a VMT, VMTD, and now a VMT-Ultra. I get most of my native tone from the Darkglass so when most of my house-sound is DI (or if I have to use a house bass rig, as is more and more common in venues these days), it still sounds like me! In that sense I like to have a fairly neutral amplifier, and neither the Carbine or any of the Aguilars really fit that bill IMO. The Mesa Prodigy can get more into that ball-park while also having its own punchy tube thing going on...

Awesome info! Thanks for sharing your experience. I've always thought the Prodigy looked really cool. I'll be sure to post thoughts of the Super Bassman.

 

[Ser Phalanges]

Before I went to all the expense I think I'd try an overdrive pedal. I use a SansAmp BDDI and just adding a touch of DRIVE and RESONANCE really changes the entire character of my pf500. You can get pretty much the same pedal in a plastic case from Behringer for $29 bucks or $200 bucks in a metal case from SansAmp.

Yes! I have the Behringer pre and I just can't believe how much it adds to my tone. It's thanks to that little, cheap pedal that I can even stand to play my Rogue 5. It just sweetens and punches it up way better than anything else I've been able to try.

 

[gillento]

Fender Super Bassman 300 or maybe an Ashdown ABM 600

+1 on the ABM600 .... or even the Mesa Walkabout

 

[svtb15]

Its been years since i played an Ashdown. But i have the yearning again. There just isn't enough info on the new ashdown gear .My friend just bought a ABM 600 that have not seen just yet... I had an Older 500 and it was Thick sounding.. .

+1 on the ABM600 .... or even the Mesa Walkabout

 

[gillento]

Its been years since i played an Ashdown. But i have the yearning again. There just isn't enough info on the new ashdown gear .My friend just bought a ABM 600 that have not seen just yet... I had an Older 500 and it was Thick sounding.. .

I played all the ABM500(EVO 1 to 3). The new EVO4 CAN be a bit brighter and agressive.

 

[SteveFromBerlin]

Good choice! The Super Bassman heads I think are probably some of the best mass-manufactured bass tube heads these days for versatility.

To add to the conversation, I played a Mesa Carbine M6 for a few years as well as an Aguilar DB750. Those two amps are on pretty opposite ends of the heavy-hitter solid-state spectrum! The Carbine is very bright and mid-heavy with a super fast response (but with a deep low-end that I could never tighten up enough for my taste), while the DB750 was much more round, scooped in the high-mids, and sort of "soft" in feel (it was super punchy because of that beastly power section, but the voicing favored this certain upper-bass/ low-midrange area so heavily that it just didn't cut through like I wanted without extreme EQ'ing- the SVT has a similar hump in response but would fill in the mids as you pushed it which the DB750 was incapable of IMO). The DB751 ugraded the DB750 with some EQ changes that help flatten out its response and add some midrange tweakability, but ultimately the weight combined with the "one-trick-pony" EQ made me happy to flip it for a Mesa Prodigy (the DB750 in a rack was a beast to carry around, and that's coming from a long-time tube amp user).

I haven't tried the Darkglass amp yet, but have owned a B3K, B7K, a VMT, VMTD, and now a VMT-Ultra. I get most of my native tone from the Darkglass so when most of my house-sound is DI (or if I have to use a house bass rig, as is more and more common in venues these days), it still sounds like me! In that sense I like to have a fairly neutral amplifier, and neither the Carbine or any of the Aguilars really fit that bill IMO. The Mesa Prodigy can get more into that ball-park while also having its own punchy tube thing going on...

Sorry for the necro bump. As far as I know, the Prodigy and the M6 share the almost identical preamp technology but differ in the power section: TUBE vs MOSFET.

I just bought an M3 and am really surprised by the great tone!

That being said: I‘d love me a Super Bassman! And someone to carry it for me...

 

[sunbeast]

Sorry for the necro bump. As far as I know, the Prodigy and the M6 share the almost identical preamp technology but differ in the power section: TUBE vs MOSFET.

I just bought an M3 and am really surprised by the great tone!

That being said: I‘d love me a Super Bassman! And someone to carry it for me...

Having owned both and read quite a bit on them including some great write-ups on both lines in Bass Gear magazine (with lots of great frequency-analysis graphs- definitely a fantastic resource to visualize what’s happening with all these heads!), they are actually quite different. There is a clear inspiration from the Carbines in the Prodigy/Strategy, but their voicing really exists somewhere in between the Carbines and the 400+ (which I also owned and loved before I grabbed a Carbine). Even though the Voicing control and general look mimic those of the Carbine, the voicing curves are functionally different and the overall top and bottom response give a much different overall feel. Apparently the Strategy is even more inherently biased towards the 400+ side than the Prodigy

 

[agedhorse]

Sorry for the necro bump. As far as I know, the Prodigy and the M6 share the almost identical preamp technology but differ in the power section: TUBE vs MOSFET.

I just bought an M3 and am really surprised by the great tone!

That being said: I‘d love me a Super Bassman! And someone to carry it for me...

Except that the preamps are nowhere near identical.

 

[Al Kraft]

I just bought an M3 and am really surprised by the great tone!

I really like the natural voicing of the M3 the best of all the Carbines (and I own all three models). I have no idea why it seems a little warmer/more polite to my ear, but I find I do the least amount of knob turning to dial in the tone I want with that head...which is really good since it has less adjustability than its bigger brothers.

 

[SteveFromBerlin]

Having owned both and read quite a bit on them including some great write-ups on both lines in Bass Gear magazine (with lots of great frequency-analysis graphs- definitely a fantastic resource to visualize what’s happening with all these heads!), they are actually quite different. There is a clear inspiration from the Carbines in the Prodigy/Strategy, but their voicing really exists somewhere in between the Carbines and the 400+ (which I also owned and loved before I grabbed a Carbine). Even though the Voicing control and general look mimic those of the Carbine, the voicing curves are functionally different and the overall top and bottom response give a much different overall feel. Apparently the Strategy is even more inherently biased towards the 400+ side than the Prodigy

Except that the preamps are nowhere near identical.

Very interesting! So I seem to be mistaken, sorry for that! I studied the manuals and discovered they both have passive mids, shelving bass and highs as well as the mid presets and it says it is derived from the carbines. Thats why I assumed the similarities.

The M3 is really awesome. I just got it and still am getting to know it. But I LOVE passive mids with active bass and highs! Like a mixture of Fender tone stack and Ampeg maybe?

I wish this would be an optional preamp. I haven't played the Subway Pedal but I would be all over a tube M3 / M6 pedal with CAB IR on the output.

 

[agedhorse]

Very interesting! So I seem to be mistaken, sorry for that! I studied the manuals and discovered they both have passive mids, shelving bass and highs as well as the mid presets and it says it is derived from the carbines. Thats why I assumed the similarities.

The M3 is really awesome. I just got it and still am getting to know it. But I LOVE passive mids with active bass and highs! Like a mixture of Fender tone stack and Ampeg maybe?

I wish this would be an optional preamp. I haven't played the Subway Pedal but I would be all over a tube M3 / M6 pedal with CAB IR on the output.

Being derived from the carbines is very different from being identical. The Subways are derived in part from the Carbines too, but are nowhere near identical.