Guitar combo advice for tracking Bass

[Richierich]

Anyone get good results tracking the bass through a small guitar combo. What are you using?
Years ago I did a session and the engineer mic'd up a small fender guitar combo + a DI and it sounded huge. Wish I could remember the model. It was solid state with one 10" speaker and it added some serious grind to the DI track. Surprisingly, it didn't lack in the lowend either.

[mtlin]

Originally Posted by Richierich

Anyone get good results tracking the bass through a small guitar combo. What are you using?
Years ago I did a session and the engineer mic'd up a small fender guitar combo + a DI and it sounded huge. Wish I could remember the model. It was solid state with one 10" speaker and it added some serious grind to the DI track. Surprisingly, it didn't lack in the lowend either.

Not surprising that he got a good result like that. A classic Fender tone stack has good bass response down to 10Hz and a ten inch speaker will be nice and punchy. The only problem there is volume, but that might not be a problem while tracking. Should sound fantastic really!

[bgrotto]

JCM 800 combo mic'd with a RE20.

Instant stoner rock bass. Perfect alongside an SVT.

[gabehr]

I love bass tracked through guitar amps/cabs. I've got a 4x12 GK bass cab, an 8x10 Ampeg bass cab and a 2x12" mesa guitar cab. I use the 2x12 for recording every time.

I generally run the bass through a preamp first (Demeter tube bass preamp, Shadow Hills Mono GAMA, or Randall guitar preamp if I want serious distortion), then a compressor (Distressor), then to a tube power amp and into the cab. Mic it just like I would for guitar. Sounds fantastic.

For small combos I'll second the Fender recommendation. If you need something cheap and with more volume control Line 6 and Vox both have small amps that are okay for the money (the ones I had I sold off, but not 'til I dropped 2 grand on a serious rig...)

But seriously, if you're micing a cab of any sort for bass, a tube power section driving it is a must in my book. If it's too loud get an attenuator. I never heard the sound I wanted for bass until I pushed some tubes.

[Digitar]

Carol Kaye bassist with the Wrecking Crew and veteran of over 10,000 sessions (Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Sonny & Cher, Frank Zappa, The Righteous Bros., Etc.). Used a DI and a Fender Super Reverb open back w 4x10s w/ a Precision Bass on the majority of the 60s dates.

[Croaker]

I use a kendrick gusher amp and mic it with an ifet7 or peluso 2247 and md421. I have the combo version. Oh yeah its a hella guitar amp too

Kendrick Online Store: Texas Crude Series Gusher
Kendrick Online Store: Texas Crude Series Gusher

[Santiago]

Great thread

Any ideas about how not to damage the guitar amp's speakers?

Santiago

[nickolo]

I think a speaker is either blown or not and i would not worry too much about that.Any half decent combo or cab[speakers] will take it98% of the time.Besides,for recording getting that 'big' sound will probably be based on other issues and turning up to 11 will be counter productive to getting that lovely big noise..

[mikey]

i been running direct thru my guitar Tone Lab for a better sound

[gabehr]

Originally Posted by Santiago

Great thread

Any ideas about how not to damage the guitar amp's speakers?

Santiago

Cranking up the bass isn't (usually) the secret to getting great bass tone, especially on a guitar cab. And cranking the volume enough to warm up the tubes is excellent, but hitting 120 dB won't help you either.

If you're not doing either of those, the speakers in your cab should do just fine.

[newfuturevintage]

tube fender champ.

straight into it, running the volume ~ 3-5, tone controls to taste. Sounds really nice with something like a 4050 up close. Very 'round' sound.

[Santiago]

Thanks for the advice, I'm certainly going to try that out!

Santiago

[rcm]

Its not a combo, but I use a Rivera TBR-2SL when I am doing the bass into a guitar amp trick. always run a DI with it for the tighter low end.