Amps get me frustrated! (Meatsmoke donations accepted!)

[Joshtruction]

I'll start off by saying I am kidding about donations!!!


So I lost pretty much everything I owned including all my bass gear. No need to get into the sob story, but to cut to the chase I am a bass player with no gear anymore. Needing gear is leading me to this post....


I just got in a band. Its with some people I have been wanting to be in a band with for years. We are shooting guitar pro files around and I am learning the stuff. A week ago I had an acoustic that I was using to play the bass lines. My local shop had a GK 410mbx on the floor new for 250. I couldn't resist so I threw cash on it. Then I needed a cheap bass. I saw an ibanez edc700 in another one of thier stores and had them get it to my local store. The thing had dead spots all over it. I had the 250 for that cab and the 200 for the ivebeenhad edc700. I left the store with a peavey grind, a case, and a strap. Still have the cab on a 30 day layaway. I'm poor, work over night at a gas station, and I am trying to get it paid for asap.

Enter the frustration.... Amps cost so much damn money!!!! I worked hard for YEARS to get the gear I had. Now I need to just get my self making noise period! My mind is telling me all different thing to try. I have a line 6 pocket pod. It will be 4 weeks before I can even get my cab. I start full band practice in 2 weeks. ut oh!


In a broke pinch like this what would you guys do to make noise? In all reality I know I want a verellen meatsmoke and an emporer cab, but thats out of the question until I sell my motorcycle. there is no PA yet so I can't go DI until I get an amp. Not even sure if I should just get a cheap used power amp and play it with the pod until I can afford the amp I want, or get an in between amp like a littlemark II.



I guess this is a useless thread to just talk about **** with you guys and keep my spirits up haha. Thanks for any responses or ideas guys.

[Rumblefisher]

2 ideas.

1. Go to the GC Used website, type in "bass head" under the amps category. I know there's a Marlboro 1200R for $70 or something like that. Add one of the GC discounts they send out fairly regularly, bam, cheap good amp.

2. Check your local Craigslist.

Where are you located? If you are around NY Westchester area, maybe you can borrow an amp of mine till you get what you need.

[Joshtruction]

Im up here is massachusetts. Good advice on the guitar center idea! I need to pay this cab off first. Damn bass upgrade haha.

[thumpbass1]

I'd vote for getting the best amp head you can afford at the moment. I suppose you could go with a power amp and your Line 6 POD if you want, but
you'll have to be the one to be happy with the results. I wish you good fortune on getting a decent, yet affordable gig rig put together.

[projectMalamute]

Originally Posted by Joshtruction

Im up here is massachusetts. Good advice on the guitar center idea! I need to pay this cab off first. Damn bass upgrade haha.

Where in Mass?

If you are out Springfield way I might be able to help you out with some loaner gear.

[Nev375]

If I were starting over, I would buy a good PA and a DI that my bass sounded great through.

[gary mitchell]

When I first started I played tru a old Peavey P.A. Head. I think it was a XR-400. It was all beat up but work and sound was pretty cool. I got it for $50.00. After I got what I wanted, we used the Peavey XR for monitors for a while. Now I use it here at the house to play acoustic and my wife sings.

[fu22ba55]

I think the Meatsmoke and the Emperor cabs are uber-trendy right now.

I think they're both awesome, but they are soooo trendy, you're going to be paying for the nameplate more than anything else.

Get something loud and durable (like a Peavey 2x15 or two generic 4x10s) on craigslist and play the crap out of it.

By the time you have the $$$ saved up for the Meatsmoke and the Emperor, I can guarantee you'll want something else.

If you're good with DIY you can build yourself some EV TL606s or fEarful 15subs or 212subs for the cost of materials.

I still think you can grab a killer 2x15 on craigslist for around $200 if you wait and pounce.

If you were local to me, I'd let you borrow something to get over the hump, but sadly you are not.

[projectMalamute]

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

I think the Meatsmoke and the Emperor cabs are uber-trendy right now.

I think they're both awesome, but they are soooo trendy, you're going to be paying for the nameplate more than anything else.

The MAP for the Meatsmoke is 2500 bucks. For a handmade in the US, 300 watt tube amp. That's 200 bucks less than the MSRP of the factory built in China SVT VR.

Let's see you do better.

They are a small shop making very high quality amps for very reasonable prices. To suggest that they are charging a bunch of extra money for the name is crap.

[NKUSigEp]

Originally Posted by Joshtruction

I'll start off by saying I am kidding about donations!!!


So I lost pretty much everything I owned including all my bass gear. No need to get into the sob story, but to cut to the chase I am a bass player with no gear anymore. Needing gear is leading me to this post....


I just got in a band. Its with some people I have been wanting to be in a band with for years. We are shooting guitar pro files around and I am learning the stuff. A week ago I had an acoustic that I was using to play the bass lines. My local shop had a GK 410mbx on the floor new for 250. I couldn't resist so I threw cash on it. Then I needed a cheap bass. I saw an ibanez edc700 in another one of thier stores and had them get it to my local store. The thing had dead spots all over it. I had the 250 for that cab and the 200 for the ivebeenhad edc700. I left the store with a peavey grind, a case, and a strap. Still have the cab on a 30 day layaway. I'm poor, work over night at a gas station, and I am trying to get it paid for asap.

Enter the frustration.... Amps cost so much damn money!!!! I worked hard for YEARS to get the gear I had. Now I need to just get my self making noise period! My mind is telling me all different thing to try. I have a line 6 pocket pod. It will be 4 weeks before I can even get my cab. I start full band practice in 2 weeks. ut oh!


In a broke pinch like this what would you guys do to make noise? In all reality I know I want a verellen meatsmoke and an emporer cab, but thats out of the question until I sell my motorcycle. there is no PA yet so I can't go DI until I get an amp. Not even sure if I should just get a cheap used power amp and play it with the pod until I can afford the amp I want, or get an in between amp like a littlemark II.



I guess this is a useless thread to just talk about **** with you guys and keep my spirits up haha. Thanks for any responses or ideas guys.

First off, you have to live within your means. Focus on improving your cash flow before you do anything. Sell some stuff, get another job or get a better job, etc. Second, stop paying retail prices for gear from stores. Buy used off a classifieds listing, like here on TB. You're paying way more from a store and for what? There's no warranty on a used bass. A 30 day (or less) return policy? A vast majority of sellers here on TB are pretty reputable and you'll get as good a quality bass as anywhere, for a lot less. Third, be realistic. You WANT a Meatsmoke (which I'll admit looks pretty cool), but there's a ton of amps out there that do the same thing.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

First off, you have to live within your means. Focus on improving your cash flow before you do anything. Sell some stuff, get another job or get a better job, etc. Second, stop paying retail prices for gear from stores. Buy used off a classifieds listing, like here on TB. You're paying way more from a store and for what? There's no warranty on a used bass. A 30 day (or less) return policy? A vast majority of sellers here on TB are pretty reputable and you'll get as good a quality bass as anywhere, for a lot less. Third, be realistic. You WANT a Meatsmoke (which I'll admit looks pretty cool), but there's a ton of amps out there that do the same thing.

most that do are that expensive, though. but i do agree about living within your means. actually, living below your means is the ticket.

[HotRats]

I live in western mass too, (same town as projectMalamute), if you're local I may be able to help you out with a loner. Just shoot me a PM.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by projectMalamute

The MAP for the Meatsmoke is 2500 bucks. For a handmade in the US, 300 watt tube amp.

12 months ago, they were selling the exact same amp for $1600. (that was the MSRP on their website.)

The only reason I can see for the drastic increase in price is a moderate increase in the cost of materials and a drastic increase in demand. Good for them. I think they are an awesome company that makes an awesome product.

I just think they're able to charge a premium for their product since they are currently in high demand. Once Doom/Stoner goes the way of Grunge (in about 15 minutes) I don't think the Emperor/Matamp/Verellen stuff will be in such high demand. Just my opinion.

It will still be awesome, top-notch gear, but it won't be the flavor of the month.

People were giving Ric 4001s away in the 90's. Nobodoy wanted any part of them. Al Cisneros and that darling little Scott Pilgrim jacked the demand for Ric's waaaay up.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

actually, living below your means is the ticket.

^^Funny how so many people just don't get that concept.

That was the point Steve Martin in the movie "The Jerk" was making when he was saying "...and remember when I always used to talk about wanting a rotating bed, well I got that too." He was making fun of wealthy people who buy crap that they have convinced themselves they need only because they have the money to buy it.

People always seem to elevate their standard of living (how much stuff they think they need and what level of quality of stuff they think they need) right up to the max ceiling of their income limit, rather than setting a standard of living slightly below that and enjoying having that extra contingency in reserve for their future. And then they wonder why they find themselves in a financial pickle when chit happens. No reserve. No contingency. No safety net.

Why do we humans always seem to want more of everything?

Why do I have three basses when I only really need one? (It seems I too suffer from the "want more" syndrome). Fortunately, I still maintain a financial reserve because I choose to live below my max financial limit. It just feels better to me to do that. I guess that is why I have three basses instead of ten.

[Joshtruction]

I am on the wrong side of the state guys, but thanks for the offers. Im stuck over here in the south east corner of the state.


As far as budget, I am not in my trade but will be in a couple months. At that point I will have a huge budget, but until then I'm on a real tight budget. I figure I can sell my motorcycle now to get gear, and just replace the bike this summer when I am not at the gas station no more.

As far as the flavor of the week over priced comments and doomy stoner rock.... I play a large variety of music, but my live bands I usually play a techy deathmetal type sound. I don't care if an amp is trendy or not. I do care about them being made here stateside. I'm not saying overseas can't make a nice amp, but in this economy I think we need to spend as much money at home as possible, and even simple stuff like an amp purchase makes a difference. Maybe thats just me, but thats how I feel. The fact the gear I stated is quality hand made stuff is even better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNzjgMy9R-o

Thats my guitar player/song writer playing one of our songs. I want a nice big tone for this project. I know right away its going to be a bland tone, I just need to get ready for practice haha.