db-359 and life

[LAbass]

so i bought db359 of the bay...since it is realy hard to find one in europe and even harder to go there and check one, i bought it on blind, just from listening sound samples and i read some reiews...however.

 

is it normal that it sounds some kind of muddy..?is it possible that tubes are realy bad and the problem is with tubes?

i have now eq setings something like this, low 11 o'clock, mid 2.30, high 3 o'clock...

it have alot of low tone and lack definition and high notes unless i turn it higer up..also helps if i turn volume(gain) knob higher.

 

i also have sunn 300t and before that i had ampeg svp-pro with poweramp.

i like agie overal tone when i do eq right, but i would like some more sharpness and i would feel better if i could use it with more flat eq.

 

any help would be appreciated!

[Kindness]

I spent an extremely limited amount of time with that amp once and had the same experience. However, there are DB359 users on this board that might be able to chime in with significantly more informed comments. I believe LittleWoodenBoy has had one for a while. If he doesn't see this thread, you should PM him.

[slapthefunkyfour]

Bassius should know this. After all, he is a Aguilar sponsored artist now.

[HoldingThsMoment]

i owned one a while back and i did not find it to be muddy sounding. it had a warm clean tone that would be nice for funk or jazz.

[bikehorn]

Tubes could be it, but also, what bass and cabinet are you using?

 

You have a 300T and a DB359

[mrmatt64]

I play the DB750 monster, and it's absolutely fantastic with all the EQ set flat. I have a few students who use the DB359 and they pretty much say the same thing-they just first set it up and ran with it. Each one of them say it's got some of the best sounds out there.....

 

 

MC

[RSBro]

I know another forumite would chime in here with his views, but I'm sure he's got other things to attend to.

 

I can attest tho, he does like his DB!

[LAbass]

the thing is that this amp realy has something that some other don't have. can't describe but kind of organic sound..but still i am missing something else.

for now i used it also live once and soundman took signal from DI(post pre). now he and alot of peoples(also from bands) made some realy good compliments about my tone..so i'm assuming that maybe power tubes are not in best condition..

 

bass is older streamer lx5(i recomended to everyone interested in wicks to check older(with wenge neck) ones-you save money and get better instrument(i tried few streamer jazzman5 and wasn't impressed at all, even i wanted to be:))), cabinet is hughes&kettner bc410h. maybe i'll replace it with something else, but for now i like it enough to keep it.

[Nino Valenti]

I have one and play it through a GS410.

 

I wouldn't call it muddy at all. I play mostly Jazz Basses and I find it to be a clear and focused sounding amp. There seem to be more hi-mids that are present that make the amp sound slightly nasal-y when playing alone but this helps the amp cut through VERY well in a band situation.

[catphish]

muddy? I have the DB 659 and muddy is the last word I'd use to describe it, especially compared to the 300T, which I've owned.

 

Agui DB series is warm and uber-punchy, but not at all muddy.

 

I won't hazard a guess as to what the issue is, or why your getting a muddy tone.

[LittleWoodenBoy]

Yeah, I'll just confirm what other people are saying and tell you that the normal state of that amp should not be giving you a muddy tone. So hopefully you can get the situation remedied soon, because it is a totally killer amp to have. Definitely worth the effort of figuring out what the issue is. Good luck.

[guitargod0dmw]

I know another forumite would chime in here with his views, but I'm sure he's got other things to attend to. I can attest tho, he does like his DB!

 

Yes I do...but I'll chime in anyways!

 

I've got my controls set at 12:00...with the mids at about 1:00. Depending on my cabs, I'll have the switches either on or off...right now they are off. I find that it has a very warm tone. Depending on the bass it can be clean or a little gritty. It's sounds fantastic with my Stingrays. Nice and tubey, with some grit to top it off. It's my favorite amp that I own, but I don;t use it too often for a few reasons.

 

1. It's {censored}ing heavy!!!

2. They don't make it anymore...so I'd like to keep it around

3. It pushes the limits of being loud enough as a stand alone amp for my band

4. It's got tubes...and tubes make me nervous to gig

 

I use it at home for a practice amp, and I also record with it. Mine also sounded a little muddy when I first got it, so I swapped out the power tubes and it woke right up.

[LAbass]

thanx for input!

 

i just came from our rehersal space...i replace 12au7 tube..it was no lable tube in it..so i put EH in to se if anything change.

 

unfortunately i did not try to play it loud-rehersal space is in house of our drummer and his father was just sleeping..

however; on low volume it seem that it was clearer and more powerful than before...tomorrow we have rehersal so i'll be able to check if it was just my imagination which make it sound diferent..

 

also one thing happen...i first replace tube and try how it sound..because it seemed to me that it is way clearer i turn off amp and replace new tube with old one...i switch amp on and main fuse went out..then i put in new fuse and again same happen..after that i again put in amp new tube and ofcourse new fuse and amp switched on normal.

i think that there is realy something wrong with this tube. because when i got amp i switched on and fuse went out...then i replace it with new and amp worked, but maybe it was just good enough to work till today:)

first i touhg to put in amp good tubes from sunn(yes i have to order few tubes to have them on "stock":)), but first i replace this nolable tube and because sound improve i didn't replace powertubes.

 

tomorrow i'll post what realy is going on.

[mrmatt64]

Yes I do...but I'll chime in anyways! I've got my controls set at 12:00...with the mids at about 1:00. Depending on my cabs, I'll have the switches either on or off...right now they are off. I find that it has a very warm tone. Depending on the bass it can be clean or a little gritty. It's sounds fantastic with my Stingrays. Nice and tubey, with some grit to top it off. It's my favorite amp that I own, but I don;t use it too often for a few reasons. 1. It's {censored}ing heavy!!! 2. They don't make it anymore...so I'd like to keep it around 3. It pushes the limits of being loud enough as a stand alone amp for my band 4. It's got tubes...and tubes make me nervous to gig I use it at home for a practice amp, and I also record with it. Mine also sounded a little muddy when I first got it, so I swapped out the power tubes and it woke right up.

 

 

You're a real trooper my man!! Hang in there buddy, we're all thinking about you everyday!!

 

Mr. Matt

[LAbass]

so. today we had rehersals.

it seem that there was reeeealy something wrong with tube i mentioned in post above...i believe that maybe it even wasn't 12au7 in amp or it was realy weared out...

 

now this amp sound amazing. i have it almost flat.

i hear everithing i want to...dinamic is realy nice.

it is not as powerful as sunn, which is btw insanely powerful. anyhow even with loud drummer and halfstack gutarist i hear myself clear and i love what i hear:)

[guitargod0dmw]

Shweet!!!

[ToeJamFootball]

Aguilar made a tube amp?

[guitargod0dmw]

 

Aguilar made a tube amp?

 

 

Several...

 

The DB-359 is an all tube amp, the DB-728 is an all tube power amp, the DB-680 is an all tube pre, and the DB-659 is an all tube pre. Mixing either of the pres with the 728 is pure bliss. Heavy as all get out though...

[Thunderbroom]

You're a real trooper my man!! Hang in there buddy, we're all thinking about you everyday!! Mr. Matt

 

Hells yeah!