# Darkglass Electronics Microtubes 700



## Radau (Jan 20, 2016)

Just announced, I'm very keen to hear what it sounds like!


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## leftyguitarjoe (Jan 20, 2016)

Fvck. I just bought a b7k.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 20, 2016)

Looks like an Apple Mac Mini.


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## Matt-R (Jan 20, 2016)

Looks sweet! Maybe I'll save up for one of these instead of a b7k


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## leftyguitarjoe (Jan 20, 2016)

Any more details about it? Is this a standalone head? I've never seen jacks labeled "poweramp in" and "preamp out".


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## TedEH (Jan 20, 2016)

Talkbass has a bunch more discussion about it already. It's a class D amp.

Darkglass Microtubes 700 Class D Amp | TalkBass.com


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 20, 2016)

leftyguitarjoe said:


> Any more details about it? Is this a standalone head? I've never seen jacks labeled "poweramp in" and "preamp out".



My Peavey Bandit has that. I've seen some amps that have both a preamp out/poweramp in and an FX Loop.


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## narad (Jan 20, 2016)

Ha, Talkbass has 4 pages of guys guessing about the features. Save yourself the time and skip it until there's 5+ pages with the possibility of some real info.


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## leftyguitarjoe (Jan 20, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> My Peavey Bandit has that. I've seen some amps that have both a preamp out/poweramp in and an FX Loop.



Oh ok. Its in between them. So literally just an effects loop.


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## elkinz (Jan 20, 2016)

man everything iv tried of darkglass iv loved so im worried this will ruin me for money  looks really promising!


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## HollowmanPL (Jan 20, 2016)

I ll stick to my B7K for a while...


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## Radau (Jan 21, 2016)

They're making cabs as well


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 21, 2016)

Yo dawg, I heard you like Darkglass...


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## Grand Moff Tim (Jan 21, 2016)

"Since bassists adopted them, class D amplifiers were seen as convenient version of much bigger and heavier, yet better sounding, amps." - Darkglass

Yeah, about that...

My Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 sounds just peachy, thanks. There are also very well regarded offerings from MarkBass and TC Electronics, and a new one from Mesa to contend with. Not exactly stepping into an empty ring here, Darkglass. It'll take something special about the amp itself to make me turn away from the TH500 rather than just putting a DG pedal in front of it if I want DG dirt that badly.


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## leftyguitarjoe (Jan 21, 2016)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> "Since bassists adopted them, class D amplifiers were seen as convenient version of much bigger and heavier, yet better sounding, amps." - Darkglass
> 
> Yeah, about that...
> 
> My Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 sounds just peachy, thanks. There are also very well regarded offerings from MarkBass and TC Electronics, and a new one from Mesa to contend with. Not exactly stepping into an empty ring here, Darkglass. It'll take something special about the amp itself to make me turn away from the TH500 rather than just putting a DG pedal in front of it if I want DG dirt that badly.



Remember that amp Ibanez made that was basically a big TS9? Lets hope Darkglass isnt doing exactly that.


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## TemjinStrife (Jan 21, 2016)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> "Since bassists adopted them, class D amplifiers were seen as convenient version of much bigger and heavier, yet better sounding, amps." - Darkglass
> 
> Yeah, about that...
> 
> My Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 sounds just peachy, thanks. There are also very well regarded offerings from MarkBass and TC Electronics, and a new one from Mesa to contend with. Not exactly stepping into an empty ring here, Darkglass. It'll take something special about the amp itself to make me turn away from the TH500 rather than just putting a DG pedal in front of it if I want DG dirt that badly.



Agreed with you on the TH500, although that was basically a modified Tone Hammer preamp (which is a modified OBP preamp) stuck in front of a well-implemented Class D power section.

That said, now, I seem to be one of the few people who dislike the B7K distortion voicing. I find it to be kind of grating, thin, and brittle.

Also, I hope they did some actual engineering on those cabs rather than just slapping drivers in a box with some small ports.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 21, 2016)

The B7K is good for that modern sound, but if you want a thick midrangey tone ala the old cranked Ampegs or an on-the-rails Gallien Krueger, they aren't the best pedals. The Tonehammer, Agro, and VT Bass are better.


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## leftyguitarjoe (Jan 22, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The B7K is good for that modern sound, but if you want a thick midrangey tone ala the old cranked Ampegs or an on-the-rails Gallien Krueger, they aren't the best pedals. The Tonehammer, Agro, and VT Bass are better.



They make a vintage pedal.


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## olejason (Jan 22, 2016)

I'll stick to my TH350 with a B7k in front.


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## Veldar (Jan 22, 2016)

I would of jumped on one of these 3 years ago, but to me the B7K tone has been over used and I'm a bit sick of it, but personal preference, I'd like to hear the clean tones from it.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Jan 22, 2016)

It's kinda funny how many people in the thread about this on TalkBass were disappointed that this doesn't actually have tubes in it.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 22, 2016)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> It's kinda funny how many people in the thread about this on TalkBass were disappointed that this doesn't actually have tubes in it.


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## Sepultorture (Jan 29, 2016)

I'm pretty much in the same frame of mind, I have an amp I like tone wise and don't really wanna make the leap to this and end up feeling a tad dissapointed if it doesn't appeal to me. Now boosting with a B7K is more my thing, tried on a couple months ago and loved it, soon as the new ultra is released I'm gunna jam that bad boy out.

The only real issue I have with this amp is that it lacks the attack and grunt switches of it's pedal brethren. If this has a switchable VMT/B3K with everything else the pedals come with it should also have those switches


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## eloann (Feb 7, 2016)

Will be priced below 1k$ (unofficial statement by Doug)

Having owned and loved both pedals I'm very likely getting one. Will be a nice compliment to my Streamliner and an all-in-one solution for dirty gigs. Plus home recording - I've tried to make do with modelers but Darkglass gets me better tone with less effort.


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## hairychris (Feb 8, 2016)

Grand Moff Tim said:


> "Since bassists adopted them, class D amplifiers were seen as convenient version of much bigger and heavier, yet better sounding, amps." - Darkglass
> 
> Yeah, about that...
> 
> My Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 sounds just peachy, thanks. There are also very well regarded offerings from MarkBass and TC Electronics, and a new one from Mesa to contend with. Not exactly stepping into an empty ring here, Darkglass. It'll take something special about the amp itself to make me turn away from the TH500 rather than just putting a DG pedal in front of it if I want DG dirt that badly.



Late to the party but yeah... My GK MB800 sounds nice & punchy as it is (has a similar preamp to the RB series which is why I went to the 800, well that and excess wattage) and takes pedals very well, thanks!

There are plenty of other lightweight cabs available too.


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## leftyguitarjoe (Feb 8, 2016)

From NAMM


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## Mwoit (Jan 1, 2017)

So has anyone tried this or the 900 one?


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## eloann (Jan 1, 2017)

Mwoit said:


> So has anyone tried this or the 900 one?



It's actually one and the same (it sort of "became" 900W along the way).
I've been using it for a while with my Vanderkley cabs (1x12 + 2x10) and it's obviously got the great Darkglass drive tone with the all-in-one convenience factor added.
The clean tone is much glassier agreed than my Genz Benz Streamliner which was quite a surprise. Slappers may enjoy it - I mostly don't need/want such cleanness but the option is there.
It's way louder than I'll ever need to be. Even in 2 ohm mode (with 4 ohm total load) my master volume is staying below 9:00


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## HeadofaHessian (Jan 2, 2017)

Ive got one and absolutely love the tones I'm getting out of it! I'm using an Ibanez srff805 and a 1x15 form factor cab, Sounds fantastic. With that said I do wish the included foot switch could switch between the vintage and b3k modes, but I did see in an interview with doug that they are working on another foot switch for it that will include that function!


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## olejason (Jan 3, 2017)

I got one on a Black Friday sale for $750 and I think it is a great deal at that price if you need the wattage and will use the microtubes stuff. 

I actually really dig the clean tone with my Warwick bass. I don't find it overly glassy but it is definitely cleaner than my Aguilar heads.


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