Lap Steel Through Bass Amp

David Graziano · Post by **David Graziano** » 22 Jun 2018 2:50 am

I recall reading a discussion about someone playing this way. Just can't find where. Was it here? Anyone have an opinion or a tale to tell?

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 22 Jun 2018 2:58 am

Modern solid-state bass amps tend to have a fairly flat frequency response compared to guitar amps. That gives them a different sound with relatively strong highs and lows and not as much of a mid-range hump. That difference isn't necessarily a bad thing; I've run a steel through my Markbass bass rig and it sounded surprisingly good. I'm guessing that pedal steel players may like the sound more than folks going for a traditional non-pedal sound.

When it comes to old tube bass amps, most of them are really just guitar amp circuits with bigger speakers and the effects removed. Any Fender, Gibson or Valco bass amp from the '60s, for example, sounds terrific with guitar or steel (and often lousy with bass). Even an Ampeg portaflex, which was truly designed for bass, has a mid-range hump that many guitarists like.

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 22 Jun 2018 3:52 am

As a bass player, there have been numerous odd instances where for sheer convenience I plugged into a bass amp (more for practice than for performance though). The sound is typically flat, uninspiring (and so matches the player, ha!). I agree old vintage tube bass amps are more likely as not going to sound a lot better than the hifi modern SS bass units. I wonder (don't know) if it depends a bit on the pickups too...typical passive electric guitar pickups of the usual vintage design, compared to perhaps active EMGs such as are in the Asher Alan Akaka signature...I wonder if that kind of wide range, preamped pickup would sound less weak into a modern bass amp perhaps.

But the one area where I do find this working nice...as part of a biamp rig. Purely as a matter of parsimony and convenience...my lap steel amp is a tiny, inexpensive 5W tube amp with reverb and a basic tone circuit. It sounds fine by itself. I then had the idea of using a small bass amp (GenzBenz shuttle, 100-300W with 10" speaker but only weighs 22lbs) that I already owned in a biamp rig, but EQed only for the low end, not getting much midrange or highs out of the otherwise very clean and sterile sounding amp. Most of the "tone" still comes out the guitar amp, but flip on that second bass amp and my low B/C strings on my stringmaster now have some oomph to them! It is subtle but you switch it off and immediately miss that extra fullness...

But playing that amp by itself? No, don't love it for steel. Besides I like a -little- bit of reverb, anyway.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 22 Jun 2018 5:57 am

I've always liked the low end punch of a closed-back bass amp. Here's a demo I made a couple of years ago, playing through a Fender Bassman amp. No reverb, no effects, no volume pedal. Just the lap steel patched into the amp.

----> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbmbUQbLN8

David Graziano · Post by **David Graziano** » 22 Jun 2018 6:22 am

Good info, y'all. Nice deep sound, Doug.

Just bought this sweet ol' Epi. Can't wait to try the bass amp experiment.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1930-0 ... true&rt=nc

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 22 Jun 2018 6:25 am

That Epiphone is in nice condition!

Steffen Gunter · Post by **Steffen Gunter** » 22 Jun 2018 10:48 pm

Sometimes our car is too full for my tube guitar amp or just just don't want to carry it for just two songs (â€˜cause I switch instruments a lot). Then I just play my Stringmaster trough a Roland Bass Micro Cube RX and I more and more like the results. Very different sounds depending on the chosen amp simulation. And when cranked up there's a soft distortion with almost endless sustain which reminds me of those vintage recordings.

David Graziano · Post by **David Graziano** » 23 Jun 2018 5:06 pm

Won't go so far as to say it's a dumb question, but what is the function of the 3rd knob on this Epi I bought?

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 23 Jun 2018 5:27 pm

David Graziano wrote:Won't go so far as to say it's a dumb question, but what is the function of the 3rd knob on this Epi I bought?

It's a bass roll-off.

David Graziano · Post by **David Graziano** » 23 Jun 2018 5:36 pm

Thanks! Wow! What a complex nuance!

Check this out, Doug.

https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/view ... hp?p=49151

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 24 Jun 2018 8:05 am

I would use my Peavey Nashville 1000 as a bass amp. As far as I'm concerned it's a bass map. A 300 watts clean solid state power amp, 15" Blackwidow speaker which are used in many bass maps. The EQ section on the amp is common to what is used on many bass maps with the sweep-able mids adjustment.
To be honest I don't use it as a bass amp. I like the punch of multiple 10" low frequency sub woofers with high end horn tweeters. I run two, ported cabs, with 1x10 sub woofer with horn in each cab.
For may bass sound I have very few mids. Lots of lows and lots of highs to make the low sound clear.
If my bass rig was on the mend I wouldn't hesitate to use the Peavey Nashville 1000 as a bass amp.
But, I wouldn't use my bass rig for steel. I would grab a different guitar amp. I need more mids that my bass rig isn't designed to do. Yes, I can turn up the mids on the EQ but it will still sound weak.
My bass rig cabinets and speakers have a frequency hole in the mid range which is perfect for loud thunderous clear bass. But sucks for guitar or steel or anything that requires strong mids.
In a nut shell. Some bass amps could work very good for steel if they have a full range woofer and the cabinet isn't overly ported.
Sorry for answering the question in such a strange way, but I felt this was the best way to be clear.