VintageKustom.com: Comment Board » Differences in 200 heads

Home » VintageKustom.com » Comment Board » Differences in 200 heads

Show: Today's Messages :: Polls :: Message Navigator

Differences in 200 heads [message #7346]

Thu, 17 August 2006 12:44

ZiggyDude
Messages: 24
Registered: May 2006
Location: Harrisburg PA

Junior Member

Greetings

I saw a silver 200 head - the 4 channel PA version - the other day for sale. It had only small issues like two dials were missing the silver inserts and the blue/purple light cover was replaced with a red piece. Really was bummed on that last one - need fix that if I get it.

Anyway - I am a bass player and don't really need a PA head - unless it works as well for bass. I suppose the back end power supply is about the same as the bass heaad version?

I guess the basic quesion - other than the bright channel - what would be the difference in tone or performance if I plugged a bass into a PA head and used it to power a bass cabinet versus using a bass head? Assuming they are both Kusstom 200s?

Thanx,

- Ziggy -

Report message to a moderator

Re: Differences in 200 heads [message #7349 is a reply to message #7346]

Thu, 17 August 2006 23:11

rodak
Messages: 516
Registered: October 2001
Location: Georgia

Senior Member

I don't think there's any difference at all. Should sound great, go for it! Make sure to load it with 4ohms, for maximum volume.

www.combo-organ.com

Report message to a moderator

Re: Differences in 200 heads [message #7353 is a reply to message #7346]

Fri, 18 August 2006 07:47

stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

the 200a and b models that are PA models are EQed for PA use and do have different preamp sections. See if you can try it out with your bass,if it sounds good to your liking let me know if you buy it, then send me a stamped shipping envelope and I will give you a purple lens as I have many.

Report message to a moderator

Re: Differences in 200 heads [message #7356 is a reply to message #7353]

Fri, 18 August 2006 12:21

chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

Ziggy:
I had to look this up on the schematic, but the 200B PA's use the same board and same eq values as the "Normal" channel on the 200B-1 Bass heads. The bright switch is hard wired "on" with a jumper, and the reverb pot is installed in its place. So, with the exception of the reverb, it's pretty much the same amp.

So I agree with Rodak, and think you should "Go For It!"

Bill

Report message to a moderator

Re: Differences in 200 heads [message #7359 is a reply to message #7346]

Fri, 18 August 2006 13:16

stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Thats kinda what I was saying, if the brite switch is jumped on, then the EQ is different. You know it would not be a bad idea to pull that reverb pot out and put the rotory switch back in on one channel?Actulaly I never though about my PA head much but with some relays and a 4 pin a XLR jack for a foot switch you can change all 4 of the channels for different tones with different componet values and then change them on the fly like the modern tube amps do these days.

Report message to a moderator

Re: Differences in 200 heads [message #7370 is a reply to message #7359]

Mon, 21 August 2006 15:41

BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky

Senior Member

HI Ziggy! Another bass player here.......I have several 200 heads in various configurations. I have used them all with bass...with equal success. Bud Ross told us in Nashville that he "never made anything other than a bass amp" refering to the Kustoms of that time. The effects were added to fill the guitar market. In the literature section you will see the "model 1" (heads with no effects) heads were sold for both bass and guitar. The cabinets were even built the same.....the change was in the speaker cabinet load. Of course after 35+ years there will be heads that sound better for bass than others. I have heads that sound much better for bass than others do and I find myself using them the most. The lesser heads could probly use some technical attention. Give the PA head a try...use multiple channels at the same time if you like to fine tune the tone. If the PA head is in good repair I think you will be happy. BC Cool

Report message to a moderator

Re: Differences in 200 heads [message #7375 is a reply to message #7346]

Tue, 22 August 2006 12:55

ZiggyDude
Messages: 24
Registered: May 2006
Location: Harrisburg PA

Junior Member

Thanks for the input guys.

So - he made nothing but bass heads and simply called them other stuff. That is interesting.

Seeing the price difference between what the PA heads go for versus the PA heads - seems a good place to start. I saw a green one go on Ebay last week for less than $200.

Report message to a moderator

Re: Differences in 200 heads [message #7376 is a reply to message #7346]

Wed, 23 August 2006 07:31

stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Well you can call the k200b-1 a bass head if you want but I would vote for calling it a all instrument head, heres why. 3 years ago a tech friend who unfortunatly has moved away let me do a frequency spectrum sweep on both channels of a k200B with no effects, and he provided the sweeps of many fender amps. The brite channel sweep looked real close to a Fender blackface twin vibrato channel with the mid control set to just less than half. The dark channel as Kustom calls it looks like a Fender 1959 bassman EQ almost with its stronger bass output below 120 cycles and less highs above 3000 cycles, much like a gibson on the humbucking neck pickup would look, or sound I should say.I`am not saying Kustom went for copying the general fender sound, Think they wanted a EQ to work will all pickups well, be they single coil or humbucker. Its interesting that the early adds that Kustom had for the k100 amps use the MELLOW SOUND term in the sound discription of that serise of amps, yet the k200s have the same value tone circuit componets.I wonder if that mellow sound add worked out as well as Kustom hoped, as during that same time just about the beatles where tring to get the most treble tone they could out into their recordings. Not that I am a fan of that britley sound, its just interesting.I will try to find these sweep copys and post them. I got alot of flopy disc to look thru so dont hold your breath!

Report message to a moderator

Previous Topic:	Question on K100
Next Topic:	speaker question on K100

Goto Forum:

-=] Back to Top [=-

[ Syndicate this forum (XML) ] [

]

Current Time: Thu Nov 14 10:51:33 EST 2024