Return with new gear (Content may result to GAS bassists hehe)

[JimBeed]

Well been absent from the forums for a while since i started back at uni, but over christmas got back into my playing and thought id give you guys a visit again  ccasion14:.

Heres what my recent GAS for ashdown amps has provided me with  :laughing7:

An ashdown MAG 300 EVOII

And after a good five hours on and off playing,i couldn't be happier with this thing, exactly what i wanted.

Along with it i got a Gig skins bass guitar bag which very nicely fits my warmoth, and so easy to carry aswell,

The amp on the other hand would require a taxi or car  :laughing7: but i expected that when i bought a bigger amp, but now i wont need to upgrade for ages, and still great for practising,
My only question is, would for instance the tuner/line out be alright for using headphones through? one consideration i didnt think of before i bought it but not too big a deal if it wont, as i just wont use it at ungodly hours then.... maybe  :headbang1:

 

[Cagey]

It's unlikely it would hurt it, but it's going to be a pretty low-level output so it may not drive 'phones the way you'd like. Worth a shot, but don't get your hopes up. If you don't have a set of headphones already to play with, I wouldn't spend money on a set in anticipation.

 

[JimBeed]

Ah right cool thanks cagey, Dont think ill bother then, dont fancy the idea of silent practice anyways, its just cause of moany neighbours.
Also it comes with two effects jacks, one send and one return, i know that is for your pedal board, but how would you operate said pedal board with the two inputs?
cheers

 

[Cagey]

I'm not sure I'm understanding you, but the effects send/return is only one input. Perhaps you're considering the front input as one, and the effects return as another? In any case, I'll try and run it down for you.

The effects send/return is usually (although not always) a break in the signal path that occurs after the preamp stage(s), but before the power amp. What that means in practical terms is you "color" your guitar's sound with whatever characteristics your preamp has before you feed it to your effects (send), then the effects get involved, and subsequently get sent to the power amp (return).

That's essentially a "series" loop, where everything gets sent through that connection set. I said "not always" before because some amps give you a choice where the effects loop is in parallel with your signal path, so you get some raw signal to the power amp, and some goes through the loop. That can be handy for some things, too.

When you plug things into the front input, your guitar always goes through the effects before the amp ever sees it.

Depending on the effects you're using, there are advantages to using one method or the other, and sometimes both make sense. For instance, time-based effects such as reverb and delay are there to simulate room dynamics, rather than to color the sound. In those cases, you want the effect to be the last thing in the chain. Other effects such as distortion/overdrive/tone bending (wah, flange, etc) are better starting at the source, so you want those in the chain early, at the first signal input available.

The reasoning for this is that reproducing room dynamics means the sound has already been created. You're hearing reflections of what you've already done. If you feed a time based or reflected signal to a coloring sort of effect, it doesn't ring true. The coloring effect is affecting multiple input signals, instead of just the original signal, so it sounds unnatural.

Of course, you can do whatever you want, and most guys do <grin>

 

[JimBeed]

Ah right thanks thought it was for what you said it was, well i just meant theres two sockets on the front one labelled send and the other return which both say effects under them haha , but thanks for clearing that up.
Thought it was such a thing but was not completely sure, cheers  ccasion14:

 

[Cagey]

I looked up that amp, not having ever heard of it... is this it?

If so, nice specs. That ought to serve quite well as a bass amp. I'm kinda surprised the effects loop is on the front. Those are usually on the back of any amp I've seen.

 

[JimBeed]

Yeah the effects loop was on the back of my marshall before this aswell
And you were half there hehe, its actually the combo version of that same head, but apart from a 15" speaker stuck under it :laughing7:
Yeah thought it would serve pretty well, was looking at the 180 watt blue ones they do,
but upon seeing the weight wasnt much different for each combo as both were 15" speakers i opted for the 300 watt as i thought it would have more life in it once i get past the bedroom practice stage  :headbang1:

 

[Cagey]

...i opted for the 300 watt as i thought it would have more life in it once i get past the bedroom practice stage  :headbang1:

Good move. Bass amps need more headroom than guitar amps, or they start to sound "blatty" or "farty".

 

[JimBeed]

Yeah, thats some advice that i remembered from a couple of months ago when i was first looking at a new amp and asked you guys what you thought  :icon_biggrin:
At that time i decided it would be ashdown.
Then i got my student grant and that dictated what size i got money wise, and from the site i got the 300 watt wasn't much more money.
Plus i went for the one that bordered on the sites delivery from normal delivery to two person bespoke delivery hehe,
and its just about ok me lifting it, but i dont intend to till i have serious gigs/ practice to go to. in which case taxis will be in order.