It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:46 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 47 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:31 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
None. Pig --> volume --> jack. In all honesty I hate the pickup. I jammed on it for an hour last night and it's terrible. The output is SOO HOT, it crackles all of my speakers unless the volume is down around 7 (then I lose a ton of punch). Even my Orange 412 with UK V30's was crackling. It's also really dark on clean tones and sounds like a swarm of bees through my Rocker 30. It really needs to come down but I can't lower it unless I route further down into the body. I plugged in the Stratosonic JR after becoming annoyed with the Pig, and was in heaven again :) So I'll say the TWIN probably did sound epic, but I got to thinking what is the point of buying an amp with so many features never to use them. I have a Strymon Bluesky for verb, and Timeline for everything else. In reality I would only ever use the normal channel at volume 2.

In my ever ending quest for clean headroom I picked up an AMT F1 when I decided to run my old Traynor as a power amp only. Apparently it's an identical model of a Twin preamp, but with jfet transistors in place of the tubes. It's a pretty convincing tone TBH. I tried it through my garbage PA and it sounded pretty solid. Best part of all? NO BREAKUP! It may not be conventional, but I really like the HI-FI, pristine clean sound I can get. Something you can't really get from tubes.

I've had a few people mention the AxeFX thing, but again too many features and too much money for just a dry clean tone. The sales guy yesterday mentioned that his friend runs preamp pedals into a QSC K12. WOW! Why didn't I think of this before? The F1 has a mountain of headroom, and the K12 is crazy loud. I would never have to worry about breakup. Plus the speaker is something like 30 lbs, and 1/3 the size of a twin. I then got to thinking about all the other uses for a powered speaker vs a guitar amp. Heading into the store tomorrow to test the preamp into the K12. Will report back.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 11:53 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:50 pm
Posts: 4602
Location: ˚ɷ˚
Boy_Narf wrote:
Even my Orange 412 with UK V30's was crackling. It's also really dark on clean tones and sounds like a swarm of bees through my Rocker 30.

With Rocker 30 being my "goto" amp, I have some experience there. For some guitars I tame it by reducing the guitar volume and using an analogue boost pedal. It seems to like that much better than overly hot pickups.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 1:21 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
Sorted. Put the old pickup back in :) A bit less bass, but sounds way better on cleans. My R30 sounds brilliant with any guitar I throw at it. My highest output guitar would be an early 2000's LP Studio. Sounds is full and thick. The Pig90, was just buzzy.

Oh well, will report back after I test out the K12.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 12:38 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
Alright, so I thought I could do the modelling thing but I just can't. I went into L&M today to pickup another item and tested out the 68TRRI. WOW! Talk about a difference. This amp is so much cleaner than the 65, I couldn't believe it. I think this is going to be the one! Channel 2 was a nice chimey clean tone, where channel 1 sounded thick and simply massive. Also nice that the verb/vib works on both channels, plus it's $300 cheaper than the 65. Glad I tried it out before I picked up the K12.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 5:13 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
The 68 is not a RI, it is a VM series (vintage modified), and no way it is "cleaner" than a 65. :roll:

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 6:57 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
shimmilou wrote:
The 68 is not a RI, it is a VM series (vintage modified), and no way it is "cleaner" than a 65.


+1

Correct on all counts. The 68 has some significant differences from the standard AB763 circuit that are intended to give to the amp more growl.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:57 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
Woops wrong name. My mistake.

Not sure what to tell ya. The 68 had a clarity and sparkle I could not coax out of the 65. Perhaps it breaks up a bit quicker, but I'm assuming it's still pretty loud before it gets there.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 9:21 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:21 pm
Posts: 393
Location: Oklahoma
Boy_Narf wrote:
Woops wrong name. My mistake.

Not sure what to tell ya. The 68 had a clarity and sparkle I could not coax out of the 65. Perhaps it breaks up a bit quicker, but I'm assuming it's still pretty loud before it gets there.
You should never have to coax a fantastic clean tone from a 65 TRRI. It's the king of clean. Perhaps the one you tested had a problem?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 10:28 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
LawFlow wrote:
Boy_Narf wrote:
Woops wrong name. My mistake.

Not sure what to tell ya. The 68 had a clarity and sparkle I could not coax out of the 65. Perhaps it breaks up a bit quicker, but I'm assuming it's still pretty loud before it gets there.
You should never have to coax a fantastic clean tone from a 65 TRRI. It's the king of clean. Perhaps the one you tested had a problem?


I'd put the blame on those Pig90 pickups.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 8:57 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
Pig is already up for sale. Hated that pickup. Already found one I would prefer with a mere 7K output. That said, I'm pretty happy with the old pickup I put back in, so I'll be rocking that for a while.

Is it possible the 68 has more of a scooped tone on channel 2 causing the perception of enhanced clarity? Next time I'm in the store I'll put the 65 and 68 next to each other and do the proper shootout. I am still leaning towards the 68 though. I like the shared effects, and the custom channel sounded simply massive! It produced a thickness I've not heard since I traded away my RV100H. Seems some of you folks have a hate on for the 68 :)

Stay tuned. Will head in early next week to do the comparison.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 2:10 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:56 am
Posts: 1677
Location: Coastal Bend, Tx.
Maybe the tubes/speakers in combination with the 68 custom circuit are causing slight variations.
No hate for the custom 68, its just an oddball from the originals.
Get the one that appeals to you the most!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:54 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
OKAY!

So I stopped in the store tonight and lucky me there just so happened to be a 65 and 68 stacked together. SOOOO I did a shoot out :P Lets stick to the Vibrato channel for my comparison as I preferred it on both of the amps.

You kids are right! 65 is cleaner, but muddier. With a humbucker, it was tough to dial it out. Very low mid heavy. With the P90 less so. The 68 is much more scooped and has more presence/clarity in the upper register. I did find that once the dial got to 3.5 it started to get a bit too warm for my liking. 3.5 was not loud BTW. It would be close to rehearsal volume. The verb on the 68 was much more smooth. I found the 65 verb to be very harsh, and hard to find a sweet spot. 68 verb sounded great all the way up.

Overall tone? At low volume I much prefer the 68, but lost myself a few times while jamming on the 65. There is some magic about it, but it did not translate well to my style of music, the 68 was much better for that. So what have I decided???

Neither! Back to back, I found that neither is the tone I am looking for.

Just for fun the sales guy said to try out an AC30. I said I know it won't have enough headroom but sure why not. In all honestly, I found it to be pretty comparable volume wise. Both the TWIN and AC30 has a thick pushed tone around the same volume. I did really like the sound of the AC30 though. Great rig, but not for me.

Don't really know what I'm going to get at this point. I'll just keep my eye open for new products, and may even give the JC120 a shot if I ever meet on in person.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 10:00 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:21 pm
Posts: 393
Location: Oklahoma
Boy_Narf wrote:
OKAY!

So I stopped in the store tonight and lucky me there just so happened to be a 65 and 68 stacked together. SOOOO I did a shoot out :P Lets stick to the Vibrato channel for my comparison as I preferred it on both of the amps.

You kids are right! 65 is cleaner, but muddier. With a humbucker, it was tough to dial it out. Very low mid heavy. With the P90 less so. The 68 is much more scooped and has more presence/clarity in the upper register. I did find that once the dial got to 3.5 it started to get a bit too warm for my liking. 3.5 was not loud BTW. It would be close to rehearsal volume. The verb on the 68 was much more smooth. I found the 65 verb to be very harsh, and hard to find a sweet spot. 68 verb sounded great all the way up.

Overall tone? At low volume I much prefer the 68, but lost myself a few times while jamming on the 65. There is some magic about it, but it did not translate well to my style of music, the 68 was much better for that. So what have I decided???

Neither! Back to back, I found that neither is the tone I am looking for.

Just for fun the sales guy said to try out an AC30. I said I know it won't have enough headroom but sure why not. In all honestly, I found it to be pretty comparable volume wise. Both the TWIN and AC30 has a thick pushed tone around the same volume. I did really like the sound of the AC30 though. Great rig, but not for me.

Don't really know what I'm going to get at this point. I'll just keep my eye open for new products, and may even give the JC120 a shot if I ever meet on in person.
You need to get what you like and not rush in. There's a myriad of amps out there and it can get confusing.

Of course I'm biased (no pun intended really), but I'm scratching my head that the 65 TRRI doesn't measure up to your clean standards. I can only think maybe it's the pickups you are playing through? My American Standard Strat with Fat 50's thru the 65 TRRI is absolutely lush, clear and no muddiness at any volume. The reverb cannot be matched IMO. Also, no hiss or other extraneous noises. Maybe I lucked on to a good one.

Good luck on your quest and keep us posted. This is very interesting.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:10 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
Not rushing into anything. Just want to be sure I have the perfect fit before I buy. Spent too much time/money trying to get the wrong tool to work for my needs.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bassbreaker 45 Clean Headroom?
Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 7:06 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:07 pm
Posts: 37
Reporting back after quite a while it seems. So I settled on a Traynor Iron Horse for a few months but the lack of a proper EQ, fairly low head room (34's I know!!!) cause me to sell it off. In the mean time I've switched over to my Traynor SB500H and TC1510 bass rig for my clean tones. It sounds pretty solid with the tweeter dialed up a touch. It's still missing something in the high end though. So I'm back on the hunt I suppose. I really like the idea of a super portable rig meaning I'm still looking for something to run clean into 1 side of my Port City OS212 (V30 at 8 ohms). Didn't know how tough it would be to find a clean 60-70 watt SS amp, or a 30-40 watt tube head. My latest discovery is a DV Mini Jazz 50. 50 watts RMS at 8 ohms which is PERFECT! But there isn't much info out there yet. Also read some bad repots about the combo version getting muddy at higher volumes, so I'm not sure at this point.

Anyone have any other suggestions? I'm even open to a bass head at this point, but haven't had any luck finding anything SS that is 60-70 watts @ 8 ohms.

Thanks,


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 47 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: