Amp Head Help

[heavymetalfurby]

Hey Talkbass,
I'm a new bass player. I've played guitar for nine years, so I have the basics down. I just purchased a used Ibanez BTB455QM at the local music store, and my friend is trading me his Avatar 410 cab for some of my old gear, and I was wondering what amp head would be suitable for someone of my level? I have a limited budget, so I'm aiming for under $300 USD. I don't want something cheap that won't give me a good sound, but at this stage of the game I don't need anything professional. Is this price range anything doable or would you recommend saving and getting a very nice amp head?

[krstko]

hmm ..look for used Hartke or GK ..good quality for low price

[JimmyM]

There is a lot of good stuff out there you can get for $300. I'm using an Ampeg PF350, which does 250w into an 8 ohm cab or 350w into a 4 ohm cab, and it's $300 new. If you can save up another hundy (a little less if you can find a sale), you can get the PF500, which has a few extra features and does 300w at 8 ohms, 500w at 4. There's other stuff from other makers, too, but the Ampeg PF stuff sounds amazingly like the Ampeg tube amps, so for me they win.

[CL400Peavey]

Used peavey gear would fit your needs. Reliable, and readily available.