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Like the henriksens or a powerblock? Seems like a bunch of companies stopped makjng them?
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07-14-2013 09:53 PM
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AI's are still heads and there are a lot of small bass heads that would be fine for a clean Jazz sound.
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Hard to beat for $280 (but no reverb):
Carvin Micro Bass 250 W into 4 Ohms
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Mambo (John Shaw).
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Evans
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I suggest to make some investigation on this unit, because there are some bad reviews according to the build quality.
Originally Posted by medblues
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You could try the Gallien Krueger MB200 bass head. It's certainly small, cheap and loud Gallien-Krueger MB Series Bass Heads
Be aware that is is voiced but setting it to a flat voicing is easily achieved. Somebody at Talkbass hooked it up to an analyzer and came up with the tone control settings to make it flat. See GK MB200 "flat" settings - TalkBass Forums
I've tried it with guitar with a full range cabinet and it sounds fine.
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I've written to some of these bass companies that make great small head at good prices, that with a minor change in the tone stack they could have a Jazz guitar head. None seems to be interested. As a reformed Marketing-Slime I say it seems pretty stupid for a minor electronic change, a faceplate stencil change they get another SKU, and open up to a new customer base.
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Have you checked out TC? TC Eletronics makes several small class D heads. The new RH series has two models at 450W and 750W. What's cool about these is that they have a very flexible EQ, a four band semi-parametric EQ, with 3 memory presets. I haven't had a chance to try them out, and it's just as well since I've spent my music budget for this year.
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Just curious, what would that minor change be ?
Originally Posted by docbop
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I had not seen those, can you direct me ? I have this unit so I would like to know for the future.
Originally Posted by hans halmackenreuter
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As I said the tone stack. Being they are bass heads the tone stack is designed for frequencies ranges bass players typically adjust. So just a matter of changing to frequencies guitar players adjust. As someone pointed out if you run it flat then the tone stack isn't an issue. Originally Posted by medblues
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Yup. Originally Posted by docbop
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Not enough market - Evans or Mambo already offer that, there's probably not much space left for more companies. Not even AI does that, their heads are not for electric guitar. If a big brand like TC, who has bass heads, doesn't do it... Rock players don't care much about this products. Jazzers do but we're a very small market and I bet most prefer combos.
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this link is just one example. Carvin BX Amp reliability? - TalkBass Forums
just search the unit in addition with the word review and you get some other hits
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besides I am not telling this is true - I just wanted to inform you that the opinions on this unit a worth a closer look.
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I would like to hear your personal opnion on your bx, since from the paper it seems like a possible choice for guitar. Originally Posted by medblues
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I use a MB200. I'm happy with it (through a RE or redstone) but I'm not fussy. I basically wanted a cheap second amp (the other is a AI) to play in stereo on louder gigs. I end up using it for lots of duo gigs because it is smaller and lighter than the AI. As far the tone control settings, I basically dial it in bass to treble, until it sounds ok. Originally Posted by Subfeeder
Here's what it sounds like with a reverb pedal, into the RE twin 8.
SoundClick artist: Paul Kirk - page with MP3 music downloads
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I am a light user and usually keep my gear for a very long time so by being even more careful, I think I can prevent mishaps that might have occurred to other users.
However, I made an exception to the GK MB200 that I used to own and fried a component by sticking the active output of a small amp into the line out
After selling the burned out unit on eBay, I found out about the Carvin Micro Bass, it had 50 more watts and the EQ'ing seemed to have more flexibility, it had a mute switch and had a compressor, it was cheaper (although made in USA) and was less packed in construction, it looked less stylish but that did not worry me.
Upon buying it I have been using it more than I did GK and using the GK cab, it is much louder.
Originally Posted by hans halmackenreuter
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the eq is really something interesting and because of that the carvin was also on my list of a possible bass solid-state-head-list, but in germany it costs about 329€, so the tc or the gk micro head was cheaper. i trashed the list because the real reason why i searched for bass-heads was beacuse i thought it could make a decent and cheaper alternative to the mambo-head, which was a little bit earlier on my list. allthough i am still a little bit frustrated that every time i saved enough money for the mambo head, some annoying bills appear, but i rather save my money and wait a little bit more for the mambo instead of spending it for compromises.
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A few thoughts to add to the thread:
- If you like the more sterile/neutral/acoustic sounding amps, I don't think you can do better than AI. That said, Jim Soloway (and I came around to agree with him) and others don't care for the sterile tones. I recently sold my AI combo on ebay (at quite a loss, I'd add) because I felt like it was too much of a one-trick pony and I am not even playing a true archtop or acoustic that would shine with that set up.
- I have a Quilter 10" Micro Pro combo on order. They offer a lightweight head that is effectively the "top part" -- I can't offer any feedback here yet other than I seem to get consistent rave reviews from all I talk to about this amp.
- I have two electric bass setups now. A Carvin MB10 combo and an Aguilar Tonehammer into a Redstone 12. First the Carvin (Carvin.com : MB10 MICRO BASS AMP 10 INCH) -- the Carvin is reliable, durable and a wonderful "second amp" for me. I bring it to gigs where I double on bass/guitar and it works fine for both (provided I'm playing jazz, of course). This has happened 30 or 40 times and despite an ability to shlep a Roland Cube or AI combo setup along, I never felt the need.
I've played it in loud 200 person bar gigs w/out a mic and I've played it in whisper quiet practice sessions. For the price, I think you really can't beat it -- but I would not call it "inspiring". It feels like an "acceptable" tone. Nothing that causes me to say "gee my bass sounds fricken fantastic" or "my guitar is sounding rich and warm and wonderful" -- it's acceptable.
Moreover, it is NOT on par with the AI gear -- it has a bit more color to it (and it's obviouly noisier -- the AI is dead silent) and does not have multi channels/effects/etc. I've never heard any complaints about my jazz GUITAR tone through it (which is a tele/solid body electric guitar tone -- no effects, flat eq and straight in). I think it's an outstanding "grab and go" set up and probably beats my Roland Cubes in terms of volume, spread and efficiency. It obviously does not beat them in terms of amp modeling, etc as it does a single flat tone well.
- The Aguilar would probably be an equally suitable guitar amp if needed -- I had the GK stuff earlier but I found the amp hiss to be unacceptable in practice sessions. The AI stuff is dead silent and the Aguilar is very quiet. I found the GK MB200 to be hissy and that was very frustrating to me. I think of it as more of a bass amp, but what the heck. I've never been around to playing a lot of guitar through the Aguilar though, more bass.
Honestly, if I had all my gear disappear in a fire and was left with a Squier telecaster and the Carvin MB10, I wouldn't be too stressed about any jazz gig. It's far from "ideal" but so long as a room has decent ambient echo, I'm going to get enough natural reverb to sound fine.
I guess this is a long a$$ way of saying that I'm not terribly picky -- but I've had alot of junk over the years.
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Pod HD.
Cheap, reliable, portable
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Take a look at the EHX 44 Magnum or 22 Caliber. Little power amps in a pedal. Then add a preamp pedal and maybe a reverb pedal in front of it.
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This is what I was thinking of doing with a POD of some type into a 212 cab I have just sitting being used as a shelf...lol. Originally Posted by hallpass
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Have you tried them? I've read that they aren't that clean -- they start to distort when pushed above half way on volume, and that their sound is on the harsh side. Originally Posted by hallpass
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