User's Manual

From left to right:
VBA400 Head
VBC412 Cab
VBA400 Head
VBC810 Cab
“We are talking SEISMIC bass!”
Stan
(Faithless)
Marshall Amplification Product Catalogue 51
“Real trouser flapping power with great
tonal quality to boot!”
Mani
(Primal Scream)
VBA Bass Amplifiers
VBA400 Head • VBC412 Cab • VBC810 Cab
50 Marshall Amplification Product Catalogue
When it comes to designing and producing valve
amplification, nobody does it better than Marshall. Hence
the logical extension to the Marshall range of valve
products to include a high-powered, professional valve rig
for the bass player. Valves bring with them a unique tone,
feel and response and these attributes are just as attractive
to bassists as they are to guitarists. The warm, deep tone
of our VBA bass rig, not only expands and enhances the
sound of your bass in the live situation, it also adds a
unique, 3-D quality to recordings. This stunning bass
set-up has won many converts since its introduction –
here’s an insight into what has made it so popular.
400 Watt Valve Bass Amp
The Marshall name, together with our famous scripted logo, has always
been synonymous with world-class, valve-driven tone. In keeping with
this tradition, our 400 Watt, all-valve VBA400 bass head is being hailed
by players and press alike as another true classic.
Designed with the serious bass player in mind and drawing from our
many years of valve ‘tone crafting’ experience, the VBA400 boasts a
staggering 8x6550 power valves, plus 3xECC83 and 1xECC82
pre-amp valves.
One of the main things that makes this amp special is the sheer vastness
of pure valve power on tap from the twelve valves it houses.
Consequently, we didn’t want to dilute any of this natural purity by
incorporating unnecessary features and controls. For this very reason,
only the essential front panel controls have been included.
This said, the VBA400’s 3-band passive EQ network for Bass, Middle and
Treble has been designed so that it offers you all the tonal adjustment
you’ll need. Furthermore, this tone network can be totally changed by
means of the 3-position Contour switch which reconfigures the mid range
as follows:
Contour Position 1 – drops the low mids and creates a rounder, fuller,
fat bottom end.
Contour Position 2 – boosts the mid range, giving greater edge and
aggression to your sound.
Contour Position 3 – moves the mid range higher than you would
normally expect on a bass amplifier. This adds an aggressive twang
while leaving the essential body of your tone intact, making it ideal for
percussive styles such as slap bass.
Further tone control is provided by Deep and Bright switches.
Engaging the Deep switch increases low-end thud without losing
definition while the Bright option adds extra high-end brilliance and bite
to your sound.
Other essential features include Active and Passive inputs, an XLR DI
Output, complete with switches for Earth (ground) Lift and pre/post EQ
selection, a Series FX Loop and a High/Low Fan Speed switch to
ensure the valves are kept at a safe operating temperature.
Another very practical ‘bassist friendly’ addition is a Tuner Mute facility
which, when activated, mutes the signal to both the loudspeakers and
the DI Output, enabling the user to tune ‘silently’ in the live situation –
providing a tuner is hooked up of course!
VBC412 & VBC810 Cabinets
Specially designed, heavy duty, matching cabinets for the VBA400 head
are available in 4x12" and 8x10" formats. Built as only Marshall knows
how, both feature separate sealed chambers (four in the VBC810 and
two in the VBC412) which help to prevent unwanted cabinet resonance
while adding to the structural integrity of the units. They are also lined
with sound absorbent wadding to further help dampen internal
resonance.
Both cabs are loaded with custom designed loudspeakers which have
been specially voiced to handle the power of the VBA400’s output while
giving you superb, professional performance. Both cabinets operate at
4 Ohms impedance and have been designed to perfectly complement
the VBA400. As the amplifier will accept a load of 2 Ohms, combinations
of the two cabinets can be used to create an awesome bass rig.
Clad in Marshall’s trademark, heavy duty
black vinyl, the 400 Watt VBC412 and 640
Watt VBC810 each boast roadworthy, high
grade fittings. The VBC810 also features a
recessed handle on the bottom for easy
lifting, castors and an aluminium kick plate for
easy tilt and roll capability plus aluminium
edge protectors.
FEATURES VBA400
Active/Passive Inputs 
Gain Control 
3 Band Rotary EQ 
3 Position Mid Contour 
Deep Switch 
Bright Switch 
Master Volume 
Tuner Output 
Tuner Mute Switch 
DI Pre/Post Switch 
DI XLR with Earth Lift Switch 
FX Send & Return 
Fan Speed Selector 
Impedance Select Switch 
Output Valves 8 x 6550
Pre-Amp Valves 3 x ECC83 & 1 x ECC82
Dimensions (mm) 685 x 275 x 330
Weight (kg) 36
AMPLIFIER SPECIFICATION
FEATURES VBC412 VBC810
Speaker Configuration 4 x 12” 8 x 10”
Power Handling (RMS)
400 Watt 640 Watt
Impedence 4 Ohm 4 Ohm
Dimensions (mm) 775 x 760 x 395 675 x 1260 x 425
Weight (kg) 49 72
CABINET SPECIFICATION