New Kid in Town, Familiar Face
A classic, straightforward SVT-style control layout makes up most of the RB-115’s top panel—a welcome and reassuring sight. It includes knobs for volume, bass, midrange, and treble. There are also push buttons for the ultra hi and ultra lo boost/cut functions that take the place of an SVT’s rocker switches. The 1/8" jacks for headphones and aux-in are located immediately adjacent to this section. On the opposite side of the panel are controls for the SGT overdrive. This section includes an on/off switch and rotary controls for grit and level. The Rocket RB-115 features two separate instrument inputs. One offers a -15db pad for active basses. The rear section of the RB-115 features a group of ¼" inputs: effects send/return, external speaker out, and a footswitch in to engage the SGT distortion circuit. A DI with a ground lift switch rounds out the features on the back panel. The checkered pattern vinyl and silver cloth grille, by the way, are nice nods to tradition and make the combo look a lot like a B-15 at a glance. At 34 pounds, the RB-115 is relatively light, too.
- Fingerstyle on neck pickup
- Spector P/J with pick
- Nordstrand Acinonyx with overdrive
Straight Into Battle
Immediately after unpacking the Rocket RB-115, I brought it to a low-volume, in-ear-monitored corporate gig, and a few of the other musicians offered compliments on the tone coming via the Ampeg’s DI to their in-ears. Because there’s no tweeter on the RB-115, (a tweeter is available in the RB-210), the speaker output is heavy on low end. Not surprisingly, the DI signal sounds bright by comparison. But in spite of that brightness, my bass never sounded too modern or harsh when listening to the DI signal only—even when playing slap-style with fresh strings.
While the combo might be visually reminiscent of a B-15, the preamp sounds more like a miniature version of a full SVT stack.
Looks Like One, Sounds Like the Other
Back at home, playing through the 15" speaker, the Ampeg sounded warm and massive in the low end with a slightly scooped midrange and very SVT-like high end that emphasizes warmth and personality rather than definition—in the very best way. This is the natural sound of this amp with all the controls at 12 o’clock. And while the combo might be visually reminiscent of a B-15, the preamp sounds more like a miniature version of a full SVT stack—particularly with the ’60s-style passive Lollar neck pickup in a Shabat Tiger 5 J-style bass.
As a longtime fan of the ultra lo boost on older SVT models, I longed to see how the RB-115 handled the switch to hard rock tones, so I grabbed a pick and a Spector Euro LX 4 with active EMG pickups. For starters, the -15db input did its job beautifully, even when I ran the Spector’s onboard EQ at full boost. Very impressive! To achieve more aggressive pick tone, I engaged the ultra hi and ultra lo switches and added midrange from the EQ section to offset the heavy scoop generated by the preset filters. No matter how aggressively I played, the Eminence driver delivered clear highs and lows without breaking a sweat. Recording this tone with a microphone in the center of the cone and no DI, the speaker sound felt better suited for aggressive pick playing than most VST amp simulators I use. Even the very clean, super-articulate EMG pickups responded like they were going through a tube circuit of some kind, because the amp naturally generates a slightly spongey compression—a quality I always appreciate when playing with a pick.
The SGT distortion circuit, which certainly isn’t a feature on a vintage Ampeg, felt less familiar. Playing just a few notes suggested a raw indie rock or garage tonality, so I switched to a Goya-style Nordstrand Acinonyx short scale with flatwounds. It turned out to be a great pairing. The SGT circuit offers midrange-heavy distortion with hints of bright fuzz at times. For players looking for a more scooped Darkglass-type distortion, the SGT might not be a suitable replacement. But it’s great for more old-school sounds.
The Verdict
With its accessible price, manageable size, easy-to-understand design, and modest but classic array of tones, the Ampeg Rocket RB-115 would be an excellent investment for a player looking for their first true professional combo, or somebody moving on to slightly larger shows and bigger sounds. This is also a combo that a seasoned professional could take to a gig with confidence that many essential, fundamental Ampeg tones are there and easy to access. The Ampeg Rocket RB-115 is a great example of how to properly balance tradition and a modern touch—a valuable skill for amp manufacturers and players alike.
Gibbs’ Mesa/Boogie Big Block 750 is his core sound source. Whether playing DI on sessions or running a 2x15, his rig delivers a heavy tone but can still fit in a yellow cab.
Through four decades, Melvin Gibbs has devoutly taken the bass into uncharted territory, both as a leader of his own bands and in a series of projects so poised on the cutting edge that they’ve drawn blood. He broke out in late-’70s New York City as a member of punk-funk outfit Defunkt, and then, along with that band’s guitarist, Vernon Reid, became a staple of drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson’s Decoding Society. He played with Sonny Sharrock for a decade, formed Power Tools with Bill Frisell and Jackson, and created alongside John Zorn, Arto Linsday, and many other notable downtowners. In the Rollins Band, Gibbs and guitarist Chris Haskett built raging bonfires of improvisation. Today, he has his own sound-design and bass project, which released the 4+1 equals 5 for May 25EP via Bandcamp earlier this year. He also co-leads the anything-goes trio Harriet Tubman, God Particle (a duo with cosmologist and saxist Stephon Alexander), and the Zig Zag Power Trio with Reid and drummer Will Calhoun. That sounds like a lot, but it’s just the surface of Gibbs’ resume—which runs as deep as his tone.
Brooklyn native Melvin Gibbs has been an important figure in New York City’s innovative music scene since the ’80s. He was also bassist in the classic Weight-era lineup of the Rollins Band.
Photo by Kirk Edwards
The radical bassist began a highly exploratory period while playing with the free-jazz-and-melody-driven guitarist Sharrock. He searched for a thumbprint tone and stretched as a soloist, trying to—as Sharrock put it—“find a way for the terror and the beauty to live together in one song.” That’s not an easy task while playing through club and festival backlines, where an Ampeg SVT head is manna, and one in good repair even better. But after joining Henry Rollins, Gibbs found his sound in Mesa/Boogie—initially a Basis M-2000, and then the Big Block 750 that’s been his stage compadre for many years now.
The Big Block 750 is a Gamera of bass amps—a high-flying hybrid. It pairs solid-state and tube tech, with four12AX7s in its preamp stage and a dozen power MOSFETs. It has a 4-dial EQ that includes both passive and active mid controls, plus a frequency knob that helps zero in on precise attack. There’s also a footswitchable all-tube overdrive circuit, with its own drive and master controls. Around the back, there’s an effects loop and a slave output, with its own level control. These 30-pound amps have a reputation for deep resonance and snappy response. And proponents like Gibbs favorably compare their voice to old-school, all-tube heads that need a crane to place atop a cabinet.
“I want to have that thick Brooklyn tone and something that sounds angry at the same time,” Gibbs explains. “The ’80s were a real sonic struggle for me, because the standard Fender bass sound and the Jaco sound were the bookends, and that’s not what I was hearing.” His hunt led him to Michael Tobias Design basses, and his main instrument remains an active 5-string MTD. But the right mix of amp and speakers was elusive until he tried a house Basis M-2000 at New York City’s SIR during a rehearsal.
“It’s better to have something like the Big Block 750 or an SVT at medium volume than a smaller amp at loud volume, because that will eat up your headroom and tone.”
“I liked the sound,” he recalls. “Living Colour was using them as well. I used a dark tone and the brightness bump of the speakers in Mesa’s bass cabs, which is exactly the thing a lot of people don’t like about them, but works well for me live.” So Gibbs decided to Boogie down himself, using the Mesa to simultaneously run a 2x18, a 2x15, and a 4x10 on the Rollins Band’s Weight tour. The 18s were especially helpful to nail the bottom, since Gibbs often used a wah that would cause low-end signal loss. He eventually gravitated toward a Yamaha wah, which sidestepped that issue, and, ultimately, a Moogerfooger filter stompbox. “I like to use the Moogerfooger’s resonance control for 808-type stuff,” he notes.
After his last tour with the Rollins Band, he switched to the more streamlined Big Block 750. “To get a good bass sound, you have to have the power. You can’t really cheat,” Gibbs says. “It’s better to have something like the Big Block 750 or an SVT”—despite that classic tube bass head’s 85-pound heft—“at medium volume than a smaller amp at loud volume, because that will eat up your headroom and tone.”
Gibbs’ doesn’t use the Big Block 750’s built-in overdrive, preferring a Big Muff, a Bogner Burnley, or a Protone that’s so scuffed it’s impossible to read its model name. “I don’t really like any of the bass overdrives I’ve tried, because they don’t have the definition I want,” he notes. An Eventide TimeFactor is also in his chain. For sessions, Gibbs often runs the Big Block direct, and since leaving the Rollins Band, he’s pared down his cabinets, gravitating to a single 2x15 for its more practical dimensions and more effective balance of sound.
Prototaxite
Hear Melvin Gibbs get filthy weird with his Mesa/Boogie Big Block, distortion pedals, and Moogerfooger on “Prototaxite” from the latest Harriet Tubman album, which has the Sonny Sharrock-inspired title The Terror End of Beauty.
For at least a decade, the classic Ampeg SVT was the dominant bass amp for power and tone.
Since the beginning of our instrument's history, bassists have faced the fundamental and existential problem of trying to be heard. It's solved now, but too many players don't seem to be interested in how we got here. And it's not just bassists. Even some amp manufacturers haven't been concerned with the details. A few readers might remember that in my September 2019 column, I discussed class-D amp technology. As part of my research, I called a very respected amp manufacturer to get his insight into class-D technology. His stunning response was: "We simply checked some Asian-made modules and chose the one we thought sounded best, but I don't know and never cared how they work." Even the offer of a short technical introduction was met with blissful ignorance. So, if anyone thinks they don't need to know how their amp works, at least you're in good company!
Over the course of the last 80 years or so, the fundamental technology used in our amps has been replaced—and not just once. The technological changes came in several waves and another might be on the way.
Here we are now after this last wave of amp-tech: down from 300 watts at 40 kilograms or 88 pounds in the 1970s, to 500 to 1000 watts at 1 to 3 kilograms or 2 to 7 pounds today.
For the greater part of the last century, bass amps relied on tube circuitry, and it took until the middle of the century to make decently powerful, but heavy and fragile, amps. Unfortunately, guitarists used the same technology—and sometimes even the amps that were initially made for us. (Remember that our low-end needs about 10 times the power of a guitar amp to cut through!) So, as their volume increased, our need for more power just became greater. Our problem remained until the 1960s when amps like Ampeg's B-15 Portaflex and SVT entered the scene. High-output amplification manufacturers sprouted everywhere, enabling loud rock bands to move from clubs to stadiums.
Though the transistor quietly altered the landscape of radios and small solid-state amps during the early 1950s, it took until the late '60s before this technology made it into our rigs. The first companies to make solid-state amps were those who possessed a higher engineering background. Vox, for example, released one of the first solid-state bass amps, thanks to their prior experiences with solid-state circuits from their organs. Many smaller companies soon followed, although most earned a reputation for unreliability. But the technology developed at a breathtaking pace.
This Ashdown Little Giant is more powerful than the mighty SVT at less than 1/10th the weight!
Photo courtesy of wikimedia.com
During the 1980s, clean and powerful hi-fi-esque synth sounds became trendy. This benefitted bassists with the development of clever tone-shaping options, hybrid circuits with tube preamps, bi-amping, internal DIs, and even more power.
Once we were sure to be heard, it was time to look for other advantages, like reduced weight and size, and along came another wave of new amp technology: class D. (See my column "Signal Processing in Class-D Amps," September 2019.) The basic principle behind class-D technology is pulse width modulation (PWM), which sounds as if those with higher engineering skill would once again be in the lead. Instead, there are just a few manufacturers building class-D power modules, and amp builders can use those as the foundation of their own amps. Just get one of the modules, which come in different power ratings, add a power supply and a tone-shaping circuit, and you're done. With several competing manufacturers offering identical power amps, the individual strengths have fully shifted to the qualities of their tone-shaping circuitry and other add-ons or gimmicks.
Here we are now after this last wave of amp tech: down from 300 watts at 40 kilograms or 88 pounds in the 1970s, to 500 to 1000 watts at 1 to 3 kilograms or 2 to 7 pounds today. What could be the next move? It looks as if the power-to-weight ratio has reached an end for quite some time, but tone-shaping capabilities in preamps might shift from classic circuitry to profiling or modeling amps as a fourth wave. And this time it's clearly engineering competence that will make the difference. Can you imagine what instruments we'd be playing today if our basses had made similar progress?