Seeking advice on amp and cab purchase

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WarrenBass

Mar 24, 2023
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1
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#1
I am looking to buy an amp and cab to pair with a Nash PB-63. I have been running a Fender Rumble 500 combo for a while, and it produces enough volume for my purposes.

However, I recently got to run through Hartke HD410 speakers (w/ Darkglass Microtubes Head), and unfortunately for my wallet, I now know what the next level of amplification sounds like. The tone was so tight; it stripped away the sort of vague boominess I had come to accept from my Rumble and really allowed me to cut through the mix.

My budget would be around $1500 with some wiggle room, and I am open to any suggestions. I do not know much about how to pair amps with cabs beyond making sure the ohms and wattage are compatible. I play mostly rock, indie, and southern rock music for reference, and I prefer playing with flats.

Any general tips for speaker sizes, any recommended manufacturers, and any other advice is welcome!
 
#4
My Nash PB-63 (fralin pickups) sounds great through the Rumble but I’m using some pedals that improve the sound (Cali Comp, Origin Bassrig Super Vintage etc..). The 210 extension cab ‘opens up’ the amp too.
If you’re gigging regularly it might be good to design ‘your sound’ with pedals instead of an amp as you’ll have way more options with backlines and stuff.
 
#5
FilipL82 said:
My Nash PB-63 (fralin pickups) sounds great through the Rumble but I’m using some pedals that improve the sound (Cali Comp, Origin Bassrig Super Vintage etc..). The 210 extension cab ‘opens up’ the amp too.
If you’re gigging regularly it might be good to design ‘your sound’ with pedals instead of an amp as you’ll have way more options with backlines and stuff.
Click to expand...
Oh yes, and Darkglass B7K or Vintage microtubes should do a lot. Small cab vs large/multiple just sound different.
 
#9
It looks to me like you’ve just discovered that you prefer an amp and cabs with a more transparent sound rather than the “baked-in” Fender sound of your Rumble.

I don’t know anything about the Darkglass head you tried out, but it’s my impression that most Hartke cabs are designed to accurately replicate the signal being fed into them. Billy Sheehan has used them for years because he says that he wants his amplified sound to be the same as his unplugged bass.

So maybe you’re just not a Fender amps guy.
 
#10
WarrenBass said:
I am looking to buy an amp and cab to pair with a Nash PB-63. I have been running a Fender Rumble 500 combo for a while, and it produces enough volume for my purposes.

However, I recently got to run through Hartke HD410 speakers (w/ Darkglass Microtubes Head), and unfortunately for my wallet, I now know what the next level of amplification sounds like. The tone was so tight; it stripped away the sort of vague boominess I had come to accept from my Rumble and really allowed me to cut through the mix.

My budget would be around $1500 with some wiggle room, and I am open to any suggestions. I do not know much about how to pair amps with cabs beyond making sure the ohms and wattage are compatible. I play mostly rock, indie, and southern rock music for reference, and I prefer playing with flats.

Any general tips for speaker sizes, any recommended manufacturers, and any other advice is welcome!
Click to expand...
I think what you are hearing is the sealed cabinet HD410 versus the ported Rumble enclosure. The sealed cab has a much more controlled, less extended low end response which can result in a punchier less boomy tone. I loved my Hydrive 410 cab for exactly that reason. If you want more low end it's simply a matter of using the amp's EQ to boost it.
I'm not sure how many other manufacturers offer a sealed 410 cab? Although Hartke seems to be a little unfashionable, maybe because they're relatively low cost compared to some other brands, their own design neodymium drivers are excellent.
 
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#11
Very interesting. I’m sure it’s all a matter of taste, and I have nothing against Rumbles (I think they’re great products). I was bypassing the Darkglass head anyway, since I run through a VT Bass deluxe. It could be that the Hartke with my preamp just suits my ear better, but I still like the sound of my Rumble, especially since I added the preamp.

Artman said:
It looks to me like you’ve just discovered that you prefer an amp and cabs with a more transparent sound rather than the “baked-in” Fender sound of your Rumble.

I don’t know anything about the Darkglass head you tried out, but it’s my impression that most Hartke cabs are designed to accurately replicate the signal being fed into them. Billy Sheehan has used them for years because he says that he wants his amplified sound to be the same as his unplugged bass.

So maybe you’re just not a Fender amps guy.
Click to expand...
Sparky Mark said:
I think what you are hearing is the sealed cabinet HD410 versus the ported Rumble enclosure. The sealed cab has a much more controlled, less extended low end response which can result in a punchier less boomy tone. I loved my Hydrive 410 cab for exactly that reason. If you want more low end it's simply a matter of using the amp's EQ to boost it.
I'm not sure how many other manufacturers offer a sealed 410 cab? Although Hartke seems to be a little unfashionable, maybe because they're relatively low cost compared to some other brands, their own design neodymium drivers are excellent.
Click to expand...
 
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#12
Since you are running tone with VT maybe a used Quilter BB800 with Hartke 410
Quilter has direct input that bypasses all preamp circuitry and you like what you heard from Hartke Cab.

Yes you can get maybe even better performance from Mesa, Genzler or Bergantino but a 4x10 from any of them will eat up your budget even used.
 
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