Little bastard...

[whyachi]

As in, the Ashdown Little Bastard. http://ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?section=valve&ID=229

I can't find so much as a review or an actual photo of this thing. I know its probably outrageously expensive, I'm just curious. I've called a few dealers listed on Ashdown's website and either got no answer or an unhelpful one.

I'm looking for any and all information and I'd be happy with vague rumors right now. I've had this amp in the back of my mind for a few months but never found anything when searching for it.

:help: :tard:

Why aren't there more small tube bass amps? Bass tube amps seem to start at 200W. Is there a reason?

 

[mayfly]

Why aren't there more small tube bass amps? Bass tube amps seem to start at 200W. Is there a reason?

Yep.  That's the starting point for being able to be heard over the drum kit. 
The rule of thumb for bass wattage is:
1 - add up the wattage of all the guitar players in your band
2 - double it
3 - add 50 watts

that's the power that you need.  This formula is interesting since if there are NO guitar players in your band, it still says you need 50 watts ....
... which is probably about right

 

[tfarny]

You need a GK MB210, I already told you. That amp will do anything you want from headphone / ipod practice to full bar-volume jam, & one hand carry. Huge range of tone shaping - there's parametric EQ, filter, defeatable tweeter and limiter. Modern tech is the bass player's friend.

 

[-CB-]

Heck, I thought this thread was gonna be about the general manager at work

 

[m4rk0]

Heck, I thought this thread was gonna be about the general manager at work

I thought it was about Max 

 

[dNA]

Why aren't there more small tube bass amps? Bass tube amps seem to start at 200W. Is there a reason?

Yep.  That's the starting point for being able to be heard over the drum kit. 
The rule of thumb for bass wattage is:
1 - add up the wattage of all the guitar players in your band
2 - double it
3 - add 50 watts

that's the power that you need.  This formula is interesting since if there are NO guitar players in your band, it still says you need 50 watts ....
... which is probably about right

to elaborate on this:
The human ear (and all related systems) does not have a linear frequency response. We hear certain frequencies better than others. There's a whole theory to it and charts and science and all that- but the long and the short of it is that you hear midrange frequences (say approx 1k-5k) much better (and therefore perceive them as louder) than very high frequencies or very low frequencies.
Guitars, particularly electric guitars, and distorted electric guitars even moreso, are pretty much all midrange. Yeah they have some lows, but not much. and most guitar speakers don't produce much if anything above 5k.
Snare drums are all in that range too, and acoustically some of the loudest acoustic instruments made.
Bass (at least good bass. ) is mostly below 500 hertz. there's midrange, and it depends on the style. But generally speaking, electric bass is meant to fill up the lows (usually just above the kick drum, which often has the lowest frequencies in a mix) and in order to amplify those to levels that you percieve as loud as a guitar, you need a lot more power.

that's not all of it. but that's a good chunk.

 

[whyachi]

You need a GK MB210, I already told you. That amp will do anything you want from headphone / ipod practice to full bar-volume jam, & one hand carry. Huge range of tone shaping - there's parametric EQ, filter, defeatable tweeter and limiter. Modern tech is the bass player's friend.

I know. I'm not about to run off and buy the t00b amp. Its overpriced and underpowered and I don't need it. I was just curious as I'd never seen a low wattage bass tube amp, and there are some fairly smart people on this board that could have some answers as to why.

 

[dNA]

i imagine expensive low-wattage bass amps are meant for recording - specifically for people who don't like the sound of a bass recorded direct.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Several reasons for the power are:

As listed above, we don't hear the dB's of low freq as being as loud as higher freq (meaning midrange).
You have to physically move a lot of air to produce the low frequencies, requiring power, or watts.
The speakers distort if underpowered, and this generally doesn't sound good for a bass.

On that last one, bass fuzz sounds great, if you don't amp up the higher freq's.  Unfortunately, buzzing noises are generally associated with the higher frequencies, and underpowered speakers do this.  Either that or they just do not compete at a level that is heard.
Patrick

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

This Little Bastard is 30 watts, is limited to 100 units - 25 of which aren't leaving England, and costs 521 British Pounds (about $780 USD).

 

[ironeddie]

SWR makes a little bass head that is 400 watts and only 3.8lb and it does have a tube in it...  But because its class D wiring its not as loud as other 400 watt amps.

 

[OzziePete]

I was always under the impresson that the reason why bass amps were so powerful was because of the sheer effort to push the lower frequency sine waves out at a reasonable projection. Needed more power to throw the sound the same distance as the higher pitched instruments?  :dontknow:

But competing with the guitarists and the drummer also would be a factor... But at what wattage do we reach 'brown note' level on that low E note, he he? :evil4:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Wattage for Brown note on low E?  I've heard low Es through stadium PAs.  How many watts was that?  No brown note.

 

[OzziePete]

Wattage for Brown note on low E?  I've heard low Es through stadium PAs.  How many watts was that?  No brown note.

Me too..... but the legend says:....that at some stage... there's a point where bodily functions can't be controlled. I'm sure I have seen a few bassists who have worked hard on getting it, but never succeeded  arty07::evil4:. Pub rock in Australia, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was pretty much way too loud, yet I never saw anyone rushing for the toilet (holding their pants) after the low E on a bass was hit. :doh: I guess it's one of those Spinal Tap type myths..