A revolution is sweeping the world of bass amps, with increasing wattage and decreasing footprints.
A mere decade ago, we bassists were doomed to sacrificing our backs for our love of low end, dragging around heavy speaker cabinets and massive heads. Then something happened: the Class D amplifier.
Innovations such as Class D power and neodymium speaker magnets have significantly dropped the weight of most rigs. In the past, getting 300 to 500 watts of power at a gig meant hauling around 60 to 80 pounds of gear. Today, that same power can be had in an amp weighing half that.
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Class D is a relatively new type of solid–state amplification that drives a lot of wattage at minimal weights. Class D offers very high–quality sound and has swept live sound and home listening technology alike. And for the gigging bassist who needs a lot of power and easy load–ins, Class D is a godsend.
Many Class D amps today feature useful additions as built–in features. Compressors, effects, tuners, and user preset banks are becoming common offerings on modern amps.
So where does that leave the fabled all–tube rigs of the past. Will tonal (and literal) heavyweights like the Ampeg SVT maintain a foothold in today’s world of continually shrinking gear?
Companies are still investing in the R&D required to keep Class A amps relevant and functional for the modern market, but the lightness, convenience, and growing product lines of Class D suggest the all–tube amp’s days of stage dominance may be coming to a close.
Ampeg’s two new all–tube Portaflex amplifiers, the PF–20T and PF–50T, for instance, can run sans speaker, making it a whole lot easier to get great tube tone with just a DI. This may well be how that classic Portaflex sound can survive a landscape where amp and cab simulators create jaw–dropping emulations of classic sounds that require neither a heavy head nor cab.
All–tube amplification has survived all these decades and will likely persist in the age of simulators thanks to that je ne sais quoi, but to stay out of the technological trash heap where VCRs and payphones are damned to, it'll see some changes.
This is our look at the future of tube bass amps, from their modifications that will keep them in the studios to the competition that will keep them off stages.
Though they are heavy and use a lot of power, the classic all–tube amp — featuring tubes in both the preamp and power amp sections — have lots of headroom, natural compression, and a warm sound that has kept them in style for a long time.
But tube amps face competition from both sides of the market: those vintage options still kept in service that do their job beautifully, and lighter–weight, more reliable solid–state and digital alternatives that render the tube difference moot to the less faithful. So it’s no surprise that tube amps are changing.
Ampeg V–4B
The reissued V–4B is the lesser talked about little brother of the SVT. It provides 100 watts of all tube power and is 25 pounds lighter than its original version, making it loud enough for and easy to transport to small and medium–sized venues.
Ampeg seems like it was set on making sure it’s good old V–4B design would be revived as a one–trick pony. It’s equipped with an integrated DI for use through a PA in larger venues or recording. There is also a host of tonal flexibility, with its –15dB pad and responsive EQ control.There are even three discrete impedance levels for running it into whatever you please.
Ampeg PF–20T & PF–50T
The PF–20T and PF–50T, as their names suggest, provide 20 and 50 watts of all–tube power. They also manage to deliver this in surprisingly compact packages, weighing 15 and 20 pounds, respectively.
These bring the classic Portaflex series tone to a format that’s ideal for the studio, not requiring a speaker load to operate safely. That makes them ideal for being DI’d, perhaps even run through a cab simulator.
As far as features go, the PF–50T offers a little more in tone–shaping flexibility with selectable mid–range and Ampeg’s familiar ultra low and high switches. It also, obviously, has a decent amount more headroom than the 20–watt version.
These new offerings from Ampeg are probably the strongest case to be made that all–tube amps can truly modernize to meet the shifting demands of today’s heavy emphasis on recording with the advent of the home studio. That really seems to be what these amps are positioned for, since their relatively low wattage wouldn’t give them much room to fight on a stage.
Korg Nutubes
While not a vacuum tube — the kind conventionally used in tube amps — Nutubes may start appearing in amplifiers pretty soon.
Nutubes last longer, draw less power, and are more compact than their conventional vacuum counterparts. Nutubes are rated for 30,000 hours of continuous life and run on less than 2% of the power needed for those traditional tubes.
Right now, Korg’s Nutubes are only designed for use in preamps, and they sound impressively similar to vacuum tubes. It’s not unreasonable to expect that Korg will develop Nutubes that can be used in an amp’s power section, and that’s when we may start seeing some truly cutting edge, hyper–portable, all–tube bass amp designs.
They’re already being used in Vox’s impressive sounding and shockingly small MV50 series.
Though solid–state, Class D have quickly gained popularity because they are lightweight, feature rich, and extremely powerful. All of the amps in this section run at around 800 watts and 4 ohms, are priced at or less than $1,000, and weigh less than 10 pounds. With Class D, bass players finally have serious, professional–grade equipment that’s easy to transport to a gig.
Gallien-Krueger MB800
Gallien–Krueger recognized very early on that Class D would become the new standard in solid–state bass amplification. The MB800 offers what many bassists would consider essentials for a professional–grade amplifier.
This head offers 800 watts at 4 ohms along with two distinct gain channels, a 4–band EQ, and contour control. On top of that, there are goodies including an effects loop, a mute switch, and a –10dB switch for active basses.
All of this comes at around 4.9 pounds and $700. This versatile, clean, and loud amp makes it great for backlines and touring rigs alike.
TC Electronic RH750
The value of the RH750 is its versatility. It is by far the most feature rich of the amps listed in this section with its on–board compressor, tuner, tube emulator, and preset patch bay. The RH750 comes very close to an amp that has it all.
Performing bassists will appreciate its 750 watts of power at 4 or 8 ohms, but its crowning feature aimed at gigging bassists must be its preset capabilities. The applications here are extensive, allowing a bassist to quickly change between basses, genres, or playing styles without frantic middle–of–set adjustments to their amp or wild tap dancing on a pedalboard.
However, if you do want those foot controls, TC Electronic offers an optional footswitch to manage the presets This amp weighs a respectable 8.8 lbs and lists for $999.99 new.
Genzler Magellan 800
The Magellan 800 is Genzler’s flagship amp. Its design is as modern as a player could want, from its lightweight aluminum chassis and mute switch to a semi–parametric EQ right on the amp. It clocks in at a formidable 800 watts running at 4 ohms.
Two of Genzler’s newest innovations include a dedicated drive channel and a contour control for dialing in just the right voicing. The Magellan 800 is a fantastic option for bassists seeking a lightweight package (6.25 lbs) that delivers a great deal of tonal flexibility. This amp is priced at $759 new.
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