Now that I am playing bass again (I know, I know...I can't make up my mind!) I have put my bass rig back together. I thought that I would share this FrankenAmp with you.
My rig is rather unorthodox in some ways, but it is perfect for the type and size of venues that I play. I came up with the idea for local clubs and such where most of the bass sound comes from the stage.
I started with my old Acoustic bass rig (that still works perfectly!). The cabinet is an old 402, which was ported with 2 front-facing Eminence 15” speakers in it. I removed the top speaker and ported enclosure, and put it face up in the bottom part of the enclosure. With the 2-15’s in the bottom, I re-ported it to a low-mid frequency and then redesigned the top half of the cabinet to hold 2 stereo 12” speakers.
Power is supplied by an Ampeg SVT 4 Pro and a Mesa 20/20. Here is where it gets weird. I used the SVT’s crossover and rout the low-end signal back to the SVT’s power amp. The high end signal goes to a dedicated stereo chorus, then into the 20/20 for the top end. By doing this, I get the cool effect of the chorus definition without the phasing signal loss in the low end. It is very effective in this application. I also run a G-Major for other effects (the G-Major runs through the standard
effects loop of the amp). I have an Art X-15 MIDI controller that I rewired to handle MIDI in, out, and phantom power through the same cable. This makes setup a breeze.
I get a lot of complements on this “FrankenAmp” from both the audience and fellow musicians. It sounds as good up close as it does out on the floor. I did recently replace the Eminence 15’s (150 watts each, 8 Ohms making a 300 watt @ 4 Ohm load) with 2 of Carvin’s PS15C-4 15” 4 Ohm speakers (giving me a 1200 watt 8 Ohm load, better for the power that the Ampeg can deliver).
My main bass is a Fender P (with a J-P pickup config) that I put together out of parts that I found all over San Diego stores one weekend in the 80’s I had noticed the body in one store, the neck in another, and the hardware & pick guard I got from a third. I had the pickups for a few years hangin’ around in a box – never used. It turned out awesome and plays excellent. I also use an old Godin/Lasido Fretless with a Zeta bridge (stock instrument).
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