Michael has teamed up with Peavey Electronics to bring you his new Michael Anthony Signature VB-MA bass amplifier which debuted to the public at January’s NAMM Convention in Anaheim, CA.
The all tube amp has a 300 watt head, packs a kick ass wallop and weighs a mere 38 pounds!!
“Having road tested the Peavey VB-3 around the world with Chickenfoot, I can honestly say that these amps rock … and rock HARD!! I am excited that we have taken the VB-3 to the next level with my VB-MA signature amp. You can make this brute snarl at high -and- low decibel levels with the blending of my clean and overdrive channels. Hold on to your shorts kids, this amp will KICK YO ASS!!” – Mad Anthony
Based on Peavey’s popular VB-3 bass amplifier, the dual-channeled VB-MA combines four 12AX7 and two 12AT7 preamp tubes with a matched octet of EL34 tubes that give players tons of characteristic tube tone with uncharacteristically tight response for an all-tube amplifier. An innovative, and tour necessary world-compatible switch-mode power supply and advanced design provide stadium levels of tone.
Backing up the amplifier’s organic tube tone is a vintage three-band active/mid-cut EQ that combines traditional high and low tone controls with a mid control featuring a four-position midrange selector switch that allows players to set the mid-frequency at 200, 450, 600 or 800 Hz. Combined with the nine-band, constant-Q graphic equalizer—spaced at optimized frequencies, with each slider providing 15 dB of cut and boost—the VB-MA allows for virtually any EQ curve imaginable.
Peavey’s patented Resonance and Presence controls, which adjust the damping factor at the low and high ends, respectively, along with a three-way speaker impedance selector, enable players to match the VB-MA to virtually any bass speaker enclosure. Resonance and Presence are also useful in dialing in tones for particular styles, including “tight” sounds that are not normally associated with tube amplifiers.
Voiced and styled to match the VB-MA tube bass amplifier, the new VM-810 bass enclosure features the exclusive Michael Anthony logo, and eight custom-designed 10” ceramic-magnet loudspeakers paired into four tone chambers. It can be operated in stereo or mono modes with 800 watts power handling.
The Michael Anthony Signature VB-MA bass amplifier will be available starting Summer 2013 and will be available with three types of speaker cabinets: one 18″ speaker, two 15″ speakers or four 10″ speakers.
- Eight EL-34, Four 12AX7 and two 12AT7 tubes
- Universal power supply for worldwide compatibility
- Overdrive with blend control for blending in the overdrive with the clean channel with EQ control
- Striking red backlit panel with Michael Anthony’s chili pepper logo
- Volume/Overdrive
- Low/Mid/Shift/High
- Bright switch
- Low cut switch
- Tube compressor with Level control
- Master 9-band graphic EQ with defeat switch and LED
- Master volume
- Master Resonance and Presence controls
- Single input
- 15 dB Pad switch
- Mute switch with flashing blue LED
- Power and Standby switches
- Back-lit faceplate for Pilot
- Buffered tuner send
- Master effects loop
- 300 Watts
March 24, 2014: bassplayer.com reviews the VB-MA Head and MA-410 Cabinet
