Anyone using a Bass or Super Bass?

[Dave L]

Hi guys, I´ve been on a Marshall kick lately and came across a pretty cheap 1986 Bass from the early 80s online, so not a local deal. Never really considered one before, but I got a bit interested since it seems like something different from my ´75 Super Lead and ´68-´69 spec SLP. It´s stock and fresh-looking, so serviced but not obviously modded.

I gather that these didn´t have nearly as many revisions as the Super Lead or Lead did and probably is more similar from era to era, and some players definitely seem to enjoy them... but you don´t see them mentioned that much. More of a blues thing, maybe, with a rounder sound? Perhaps a touch of JTM45 or the earliest plexis in that preamp section?

 

[SoooRad]

I don't know if it was modded, but I believe Gary Moore was a Super Bass guy. John Norum owns it now.

 

[skoora]

If it’s just a bass, not a superbass, it may actually be their 80’s bass amp which you can tell because it has a sweepable mid. I believe these are a lot cleaner sounding as they were designed for bass guitar.

 

[Dave L]

If it’s just a bass, not a superbass, it may actually be their 80’s bass amp which you can tell because it has a sweepable mid. I believe these are a lot cleaner sounding as they were designed for bass guitar.

It is a four-holer 1986, not the JCM800 version. Still in JMP clothing, to boot, as was the style for Scandinavia.

 

[VonBonfire]

My old bandmate in Tampa has a Ceriatone super bass clone he paired with an OCD, a Wagner pickup equipped Les Paul, and a 2x12 vertical cab (not sure of the speakers but I could ask) for gigs. That's one of the sweetest sounding rigs I've ever heard. Dickie and Duane tones all day long.

 

[Anje]

Duane Allman, Gary Moore, Landau... just a few who come to mind as examples; lots of bass spec old Marshall used to create classic tones.
What makes them great and set them apart from lead spec amps IMHO is the way they take pedals or anything in front; they love being pushed & affected by some tone sculpting devices.
Fuller body & balanced spectrum and more progressive volume pots without the highs & mids push from the bright cap.

I've played several 67-72 Super Bass for years; actually my first old Marshall was a white '72.
Good old strat into one of those is for some of the best guitar tones I've ever had; I have 2 particular examples still deeply engraved into my memory:
- volume on 6-8 + pushed by a Treble Booster into bass cone G12H Marshall and/or Fane Hiwatt 4x12 = instant early Blackmore tone
- volume on 2-4 + pushed by a Korg SDD-3000 delay into lead cone G12M Marshall 4x12 = one of the best clean sound ever, very much like The Edge on steroids.