My Bassman is erm, bassy!

pickerg

I use a tweed 5f6a clone in a head, Ceriatone kit, but professionally made. I'm using it with a Zilla 2x12, modern I think with a Marshall branded V30 and a G12h30. It sounds great but I find once it is turned up to gig level, around 5, it seems a little boomy and harsh, even with bass turned right down. I use a Liquid Sunshine and a compressor in front of it. Just wondered if anything obvious in the setup, namely speakers might be causing this, or it's just a characteristic of the circuit. Was thinking of trying with 2 vintage 30s instead, does anyone recon that would make a difference, or any other suggestions? Thanks for reading.

martinw

The 5F6 is a bassy circuit, obviously, but this and the JTM45 usually work well for guitar with the bass on or around zero, so you should an able to dial out excess bottom end.
Are you using the bright input only? Avoid the normal channel (jumpering the 2 will make it worse) and keep the normal volume down, as it still affects the sound, even when not in use.
Your cab doesn't seem like it would cause any issues.
It's quite an easy circuit to tweak for less bass if all else fails. The quickest way is to change the 1st stage cathode bypass cap. Going to around 10uF is a good starting point and tightens things up just enough IMO.

ICBM

Bass on zero?!! I don't think I've ever run an amp like that, not even one of these .

I always turn the mid up full to take away the boominess - just use the treble and presence to tune the top-end.

A G12H-30 is not a good speaker choice though, it is too loose at the bottom end really - and in my opinion is not a good pair for a V30 despite it being a popular combination, because the relative power ratings are too different and end up making the wrong speaker reach its maximum power first. I probably wouldn't go for another V30 though - I would pick something with a warmer sound as well as tight bottom end and similar power handling to the V30 - the new G12M-65 Creamback is ideal, I've just put one of those in a friend's Harley Benton 2x12" and it sounds great.

Cirrus

pickerg;40174" said:

...it seems a little boomy and harsh...

It sounds like your G12H30 is working just fine, then. )

paulmapp8306

I used a v30/g12h30 combo for aged, then swopped the g12h30 out for a g12h70 creamback.

Much better really. Similar core tonality but when wound up the v30 mids are more prominent and the g12 bass less do.

martinw

ICBM said:

Bass on zero?!! I don't think I've ever run an amp like that, not even one of these

But that's you.  

I have, although I would generally adjust it slightly higher (which is why I said 'at or around').

Excessive boomy bass on JTM/5F6s is something I've come across a lot, and have done the mod a fair few times. However, I sometimes get asked to mod amps, and find that the owner has got all the EQ at 12 o'clock and expects the sound to be correct at that point. This amp being a bass amp may not run best at that, and I've found that being fairly brutal with the bass control, particularly when you have the amp cranked for crunch works well.

It is a bass amp after all.

I'd also dial the mids and treble well up too.

pickerg

Thanks for the input and suggestions. I do tend to use the normal channel, as was thinking bright channel + telecaster would equal ice pick but I'll try the bright at volume at next rehearsal, it does sound great at low volume. I do like to run the middle quite high too. Would putting in a g12m creamback in not be a bit of a sensitivity miss-match with the v30? Cheers.

ICBM

pickerg said:

Thanks for the input and suggestions. I do tend to use the normal channel, as was thinking bright channel + telecaster would equal ice pick but I'll try the bright at volume at next rehearsal, it does sound great at low volume. I do like to run the middle quite high too.

Nah, the bright channel is where the 'right' sound is! If anything it's less different from the normal channel as you turn it up. You'll just get that great Bassman ringing crunch, not ice-pick.

I take back what I said about turning the bass up if you're actually using the normal channel, it didn't occur to me that you would be .

pickerg said:

Would putting in a g12m creamback in not be a bit of a sensitivity miss-match with the v30?

It will be fine - you barely notice a 3dB difference when the speakers sound different.

The one in my friend's cab sounds the same volume as the Classic Lead (99dB) he has in it, which doesn't sound any quieter than the V30 did.