My bass rigs need to work well for both fretless and fretted bass. Thus I need amplifier/speakers that are wide range and do not have a "signature" sound. For distinctive sound characteristics I use a programmable parametric EQ. For jazz I usually use only one basic sound so don't need the parametric.
The primary criteria I use in choosing a speaker is lack of coloration, a characteristic known as transparency. Ideally I would like to run through studio monitors but that is not realistic for economic and practicality reasons. One justification for this transparency is that when sending a signal to a mixer, my speakers are a fairly good representation of that same signal. What I hear is what I send. I depend on the instrument and preamp to tailor the tone, not the speaker.
Speakers that have a distinctive sound such as Hartke aluminum cones, GK, and some Peavey, do not provide the basic transparency I seek in a speaker. A well designed full range cabinet with in-phase front porting utilizing paper cone drivers will usually work for me.
EDIT 2/5/2011 I now prefer the sound of sealed enclosures, ported enclosures often have a boomy and unpredicable low bass characteristic having to do with the tuned resonance of ports. END EDIT.
It is easier to list what I don't like than what I do (like).
I don't like the sound of enclosures that are optimized for loudness at the resonant frequency such as some GK, Peavey, and others.
It took me a long time to realize that I don't like the sound of rear ported speakers such as Bag End S15-D or S15X-D. These have many positive attributes such as power handling capability and compact shape, but the rear porting yields unpredictable and often out of phase - wall, corner, and room coupling.
I don't like the sound of speakers that have a sonic hole in between the LF driver and the HF driver, such as a 15 plus tweeter (Bag End S15X-D). The high frequencies stand out too much for fretless, and the needed mids are lacking.
I have found that I need a speaker that has good definition and clarity.
Relatively smaller light cone speakers sound more accurate to me, whereas heavier speakers such as 15's respond slower and seem lacking in immediacy.
For small rooms and jazz, my current favourite bass combo rig is an Amgeg PortaBass PB-112 (1x12+HF) 250w@4 Ohm amp. Fairly transparent, very lightweight, removable telescoping dolly, a one hand amp. Sounds good for jazz or semi acoustic music, but not potent enough for fusion and other types of music. No longer in production.
Small size and light weight have become more important in recent years. Thankfully, the modern gear is much improved in power handling, there is no need to haul a refrigerator sized amp these days. To this end I have put together a MODULAR system that can be configured to be appropriate for most venues and sound similar in all variations.
EDIT 2/28/2011 - The modular system (Euphonic Audio speakers) is gone. Don't need the the extra cost. Ampeg gear cost less, works just fine, and sounds just as good or better (IMHO)!
Stepping up to the modular system in it's smallest form, is an Eden WT-400 powering one Euphonic Audio VL-110 speaker.
For medium loudness gigs I use an Eden WT-400 powering two Euphonic Audio VL-110 speakers, each with 1x10, 1x5, and 1xHF drivers. These speakers have a transmission line porting system and sound very coherent. This rig gets a great sound, the Eden is pure quality and can provide a clean bass sound to the very good EA speakers.
For louder gigs my big rig is a rack head driving either two, or four, EA VL-110 speakers in a vertical array. Basically like the left half of an Ampeg SVT split down the middle with extra mid and HF drivers. The preamp is a TubeWorks BlueTube II with a Rocktron BlueThunder DSP unit (that has an excellent programmable parametric EQ) in the effects loop. These driving a Stewart PM 2.1 (2100w) amplifier. The vertical 4x10 speaker array driven with 2100 watts can meet or exceed most reasonable stage requirements with headroom to spare. The only problem is the 2 Ohm load of 4x8 Ohm speakers. To get around this I run a stereo amp (usually with a mono signal) each side driving 2 speakers at a 4 Ohm load.
The biggest modular configuration, used for festival or outdoor events that are lacking a decent PA, adds a Bag End ELF unit for the big air sound.
The beauty of the modular bass rig is that each part weighs less than 40 pounds (except the ELF sub unit at 60 pounds). I can boost 35 or 40 pounds all day but 100 pound lifts kill my back. A word of wisdom from an old guy to the younger guys, don't blow your back or hearing just to do a gig.
I find the programmable parametric EQ to very useful and would not be without it on gigs that require versatile bass tone styles.
One speaker that intrigues me, and probably will acquire, is the SWR Henry the VIII, 8x8" speakers, front ported and fairly easy to move. EDIT 04/23/11 The SWR Henry the VIII did not work out. Although a fine speaker cab, it's front ports cause unpredictable boomyness.
Now that I have rattled on about tranparency you should be aware that Jaco used an amp/speaker with a very distinctive sound, two Acoustic 360 each having 1x18" driver in a folded horn W box with 200w each.
Here is some info on that great amp from
http://www.backstage-lounge.com/story.a ... ycode=5770
Acoustic 360
In the late ’60s, as venues grew ever larger and technology continued to advance, bass amplifier design began to mature. To provide the high output required for proper bass reproduction, designers at a new company called Acoustic Control Corporation attacked the challenge from two directions.
First, to minimize the amplifier overload caused by high-volume playing, they designed a 200-watt RMS solid-state power amplifier. Although using high-power amplifiers for low frequency reproduction with low distortion became de rigeur in the mid-’70s, it was a bold design step at the time. Then, taking a page from high-fidelity speaker designers, Acoustic’s engineers produced a folded-horn speaker enclosure loaded with a massive 18" driver. Besides extending the useful frequency response of the amp, this design was more efficient than sealed-box systems. Again, while such enclosures had been used for years in large theatre sound systems, this was new for an instrument amp. The large (48" x 24" x 18") speaker cabinet featured e" plywood with sturdy tongue-and-groove construction, and it was equipped with dual handles and casters for “dolly-like” handling.
The 360’s power amp was located in the bottom of the speaker enclosure, and the head contained only the one-channel preamp, designed for bass use exclusively. Front-panel controls included a BRIGHT/NORMAL switch and knobs for volume, treble, bass, VARIAMP, fuzztone, and an electronic tuning fork. (Remember: There were no handheld tuners in those days.) The bass and treble controls were boost-only circuits, so full-off was flat, and the VARIAMP controls constituted what was, in effect, the first on-board parametric equalizer: the RANGE knob provided a choice of one of five single-octave frequency ranges, which could then be cut or boosted with the EFFECT control.
Since the projection of the folded-horn box made it noticeably louder at a distance than onstage, an output jack (with crossover) was included for an additional speaker system to extend and smooth the mid- and high-frequency capabilities. The Acoustic 360 featured better low-frequency response, less distortion, and greater efficiency than anything on the market at the time, and it was the first truly professional-quality bass amplifier.
So if a big amp has something you like, get it, and a truck.
UPDATE 07/28/2007
I continue to sell of most of the big gear having dumped the Bag End 15's and ELF 18. Plan to dump the EA VL-110's too, same problem, ports cause unpredictable boom.
While I think it is important to have great sounding and reliable gear, I also think the qualities of a fretless are produced by the player more so than the rig set up. I use an old Trace Elliot GP7 with a well used but reliable 4x10 cab, my effects are limited by choice, compression, chorus, sometimes a flange effect, for soloing chorus with maybe a pitchshofter and some delay/reverb.
