Hi. Im playing synth a lot, but up to this point it has been at home, through a mixer and studio monitors. I stumbled onto a fun setup that allows me to get some heavy fuzzy distorted loops and layers building up to create some cool textures. I really really want to get super loud and dark with this, perhaps find a drummer and possibly stat playing out.

This has me thinking about getting a bass amp. Something that has a crunchy low end and a chewy middle, but can still let some highs punch through. And I want it to be obnoxiously loud and droney (think Sunn O)))), Jesu, Boris). My Bassman 70 has some chops but it’s super fragile and I’m afraid to fuck with it too much. I’m not sure if I am ready for a Model T or an SVT. What about a newer solid state like an Aguilar? Are those too clean? Vintage Solid State (Sunn beta lead?) Any other obscure/under the radar brands to look out for?

Here is a video of what I have going on (line out straight into the phone)

I've been working on something similar: not really loud and doomy but I do want to project a fairly full version of the synth. (I suppose most modern groups just show up and plug into the PA but I like to be self-reliant, and also able to play non-trad places).

SS bass head is the right approach IMO (powerful, clean-ish, reliable), and I use 2 cabs: one more of a 'pure' bass cab with an Eminence Delta Pro 15a, and the other an open back 'guitar' cab with a Swamp Thang (150w) to handle the frequencies the Delta Pro rolls off. Maybe others will recommend you basically get your own PA setup, but this was all stuff I already had and am having fun with it so far.

We’ve just been using a GK400rb through a cab with a Kappalite 15” and a 6” midrange driver and it’s great.
I would rock a 15 and 2x10 for what you want to do. Those Peavey cabs set up with an 18 and 2x10 would be great and often cheap.

Otherwise your own PA

The first question you should be asking is "do I like the sound I'm getting directly recorded?" if so, you probably should be looking to accurately reproduce the sound instead of going after an amp and cab that are designed to shape the tone of an instrument like a guitar or bass. What I'm getting at is that your best solution for that is most likely a small self-powered PA with independent subs.

If you're looking to give the sound some character then you can tone chase by trying to get amps and what not but yeah this will radically change what you are hearing and projecting. That could be cool like how a rhodes sounds through an overdriven fender amp for instance, but guitar/bass amps and their speaker cabs are voiced for those individual instruments so it will very much alter what you end up hearing. in fact, w/out tweeters, if you were just using guitar or tradional bass cabs, you will lose all your high end information. that might be ok? it might not. And even very few bass cabs will really give you LOW lows and that's one of the cool things about electronic instruments is that ability to put out everything across the spectrum.

but yeah the unsexy, non-vintage, decidedly un-hip non-doom lawyer suggestion I would recommend for this is that you should get a pa w/ some subs. You will get a lot closer sound out to what you are putting in.

Really depends what you're after. If you want lo-fi, then would go the guitar amp route. If you want low mids, go bass amp. if you want everything and LOUD, would go with self-powered PA speakers. If you really want to avoid subs, you can get almost all the way there w/ a pair of self-powered 2x15 Pa columns like JBL PRX825W or something like that (but you won't nearly as truly deep brown-note lows).

Piggybacking off the last post, 2 more questions/considerations:

-Stereo, or is mono fine?

-Will it remain a 'pure' electronic thing (solo) or will other instruments/collaborators be involved. I did a thing with a synth player a few years ago and quickly learned it was easier to mix after I ran the synths into a cab, emulator, and/or plugin gain stages. Otherwise it was always too dynamic and ate up way too much sonic space.

I'd try to find a 'full range' bass stack to test out first to see if that's the right direction. A PA will more or less do what you think it will.

What makes your Bassman 70 fragile? My experience is that vintage Fender heads are some of the most durable amps ever made.

But to answer your question, get a Peavey Musician or a Peavy Bass amp (avoid the Centurion). The Mark III ones from the early 80s with multi-colored knobs (the series right after the one shown above). Cheap and loud as hell with wide EQ range. The Auto Mix input is loud as hell. Midwest Buy and Sell had one of each in there a couple weeks ago. As always, they are price tagged with the expectation of haggling.

penningtron wrote: Mon Aug 28, 2023 6:39 am Piggybacking off the last post, 2 more questions/considerations:

-Stereo, or is mono fine?

-Will it remain a 'pure' electronic thing (solo) or will other instruments/collaborators be involved. I did a thing with a synth player a few years ago and quickly learned it was easier to mix after I ran the synths into a cab, emulator, and/or plugin gain stages. Otherwise it was always too dynamic and ate up way too much sonic space.

I'd try to find a 'full range' bass stack to test out first to see if that's the right direction. A PA will more or less do what you think it will.

I think mono is fine. I want to partner with a human drummer. I’m stacking 2 fuzzes and then everything is kind of falling on top of itself via the asynchronous delays which definitely creates the “wall of sound” with the various tones and frequencies providing texture. While I want that to be heard I don’t want it to be too technical/bleep-bloopy/clean and I want to have some grit & growl.

I get the idea of having all the character come out of the pedals and just providing a clean platform. But on the other hand as someone who grew up in the loud alternative rock era, I guess it’s more of a romantic thing for me to gravitate towards the huge giant loud AF amps.

tommy wrote: Mon Aug 28, 2023 9:37 am What makes your Bassman 70 fragile? My experience is that vintage Fender heads are some of the most durable amps ever made.

Loose tube socket. I even had it replaced but the tube (replaced as well) still wiggles itself out on the reg. It’s a quick fix at home but it would be annoying AF for it to happen on stage.

Honestly I think you may want a bit of that extended range if it's just you and a drummer to kinda fill up the space, IDK. A little less carving and tone-shaping going on as you're going to be less likely to "step on" the drummer sonically.

Or you could always hybrid, which is what I've done w/ some of solo experiments. I have some stuff going to bass/gtr amps but drum machine goes to a portable PA. In your case, you could have a loud half-stack gtr amp or overdriven old bass amp or something for the stank but also a powered speaker or two for some clarity or powered subs for the low lows.

Fortunately you have enough friends where you could probably borrow stuff and try it out.

For your loose tube, pretty sure it wouldn't take much to get a couple springs on there to hold it in place.