Question using a MM Sterling bass with a vintage ampeg SVT head

[joe7623]

Anyone have any experience with this?
I've got an old SVT (72-75 timeframe) that doesn't seem to like the high signal coming out of my musicman bass. It breaks up pretty much all the time. I could turn the bass down, but then that doesn't sound quite as good as it could.

Anyone have luck running active instruments with older amps?

 

[oli@bass]

Why do you think turning down the bass wil make it sound less good?! It's an active bass... it sounds the same at any setting of the volume pot.

 

[ivbenaplayin]

Maybe try a compressor pedal...?

 

[joe7623]

it could just be in my head, but i feel like it looses some punch at lower volumes.

 

[Jimmyb]

Why do you think turning down the bass wil make it sound less good?! <snip>

People are always telling me that I sound better the lower the volume I'm playing at...

 

[Velska]

Anyone have any experience with this?
I've got an old SVT (72-75 timeframe) that doesn't seem to like the high signal coming out of my musicman bass. It breaks up pretty much all the time. I could turn the bass down, but then that doesn't sound quite as good as it could.

Anyone have luck running active instruments with older amps?

Try change the first 12ax7 tube to a high quality 12at7. Should work - worked for my ´62 blonde Bassman and ´79 Marshall Super Bass.

Both sound marvelous played with the Sterling I just bought. I play both heads through a Marshall 4x12.

 

[kevins]

i heard mutes were actually made to keep the sound range on the bass in the lower frequencies therefore keeping the amp alive instead of blowing it. new age tubes probobly would help but if you got mutes on it try applying them! and oli is right there, another thing about the active basses is that their output is about 2x that of your passives

 

[Musicman Nut]

Anyone have any experience with this?
I've got an old SVT (72-75 timeframe) that doesn't seem to like the high signal coming out of my musicman bass. It breaks up pretty much all the time. I could turn the bass down, but then that doesn't sound quite as good as it could.

Anyone have luck running active instruments with older amps?

I Have 1969 SVT and every bass I've ever owned just kills through that amp.

 

[maddog]

Anyone have any experience with this?
I've got an old SVT (72-75 timeframe) that doesn't seem to like the high signal coming out of my musicman bass. It breaks up pretty much all the time. I could turn the bass down, but then that doesn't sound quite as good as it could.

pad down the input so you aren't overdriving the front end. I'm not getting the logic that "breaks up pretty much all the time" sounds better than turning the bass volume down.

i heard mutes were actually made to keep the sound range on the bass in the lower frequencies therefore keeping the amp alive instead of blowing it.

wut?

new age tubes probobly would help but if you got mutes on it try applying them!

Yanni or Vangelis?

 

[kevins]

yanni

 

[joe7623]

since making this thread i spent a lot of time messing with settings on the amp/bass and taking notes.
seems like if i have the mid switch on the amp switched to the middle selection and then turn the mid knob down about 45 degrees, everything sounds great. i can pretty much do whatever i want with the treble/bass and volume seems to be less of an issue.
now it sounds the way i want/expect it to.