Since the acoustic reference sound (the bass played acoustically) hasn't changed, neither has our perception of what the amplified sound should be. Earlier amps were not so great at this, but we persevered, and waited for better, more transparent, less colored options to come along. Amplification has always been, and continues to be, an attempt at achieving MBOL ( M y B ass, O nly L ouder) - at least for most players. Now, on the other hand, upright bass amplification hasn't developed that way, since it's always been primarily an acoustic instrument. And it's why SansAmp pedals, Line6 amps, and computer amp sims exist.
#Amp contour meaning full#
Hence, we have modern amps that attempt to recreate those idiosyncrasies with preamp tubes, and contour controls, etc., and we have amp lines that intentionally have a recognizable "character." For instance, if I announce that I play an "Ampeg" or "SWR" or "Hartke" or "Aguilar" in a room full of e-bassists, they immediately can begin to presume the styles I might play, and what my essential bass tone sounds like. But those negatives became positives as we decided, over time, that those imperfections are exactly what make electric bass sound "good" and "right" to us. Round, direct, in-your-face "tube-y" sound has become sort of the "standard," because of the shortcomings and limitations of technology of the day. "Imperfect" amps from the early years of bass amplification have molded the expectations for what an electric bass should sound like, since it has always been purely an amplified instrument. I see it like this, from a philosophical perspective: expectations for what upright - and electric - bass amplification "should" sound like are a result of amplifier history, going back to the days of tube amps, far less capable speakers, and noisy components. But there are good reasons, and they are likely driven by the amps' developmental intent. You might be wondering why any amplifier company would choose to give an amp "a sound" that might make it hard, if not impossible, to achieve a full spectrum of different tonal options. It's important to recognize, though, that this isn't a bad thing. Similarly, some amplifiers have a built-in "tonal character" - and there are specific timbres that they can create, as well as some that they cannot. However, if the canvas has been pre-tinted with a rose color, there will be certain choices he may not be able to make in what and how he paints. If his canvas is blank white, he can paint using whatever color scheme he wishes to use.
You can draw the comparison to a watercolor artist painting a new painting. Equalizers (Low/Mid/High, or Bass/Mid/Treble, etc.) are often used by players to alter their tone once the signal reaches the amp - but if those controls are "flat" - aka set to "0" - theoretically, the amplifier should not add any coloration. When applied to amplification, "transparency" describes a lack of "coloration" - meaning, there is nothing added, nor taken away, from the sound plugged into the input jack, to alter its tone or timbre. A lot of amps - including most of the ones we sell at Gollihur Music - tout "transparency" as a key feature.
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