Bass amp suggestions
 

Hello all, I was hoping to get some advice in purchasing a bass amplifier.

I am in a band with a few mates of mine, but my current amp isn't cutting it when I'm at my drummers place for practices. So I am looking for a good loud amp so I can be heard in the mix. I am a student right now so affordability is a deciding factor as well. Also, if possible it would be great if it wasn't incredibly heavy so I could haul it around from my drummers house to mine.

I don't know if it is unrealistic to try to find an affordable, lightweight, loud, combo amp, but I thought you guys would be the ones who could give me advice!

Ethan

Light, Loud, Cheap.

Pick two.

Please check through this thread, hopefully it can answer your questions

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/am...-links-166225/

Speakers are your friend.........

Having the right amount of speakers moving air gets you louder then a high powered amp into not enough speakers.

+1

What are you currently using?

I have a gk 100w 1x10"

So I should hook up to some cabinets to get louder?

Depending on your budget, I would be looking at a 300-500 watt head and to start one 115, with the idea of adding a second matching one. Shopping used will be your budget's friend.

Suggest you look for something used. or on ebay. You'll do much, much better for cost than getting something new.

Well, that may get you a little louder, but you'll probably need to upgrade your whole rig to play with a band.

What's your budget?

Under a grand

GK MB200 + GK NEO 212.

I use my MB200 in a KISS tribute and have zero issues with being heard.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampli...w-bass-cabinet

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampli...-bass-amp-head

+1
 

That's a good suggestion. If you can't afford that, try this;
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampli...bass-combo-amp

The good thing about this amp is you can add a powered 115 GK cab to it later and basically double your sound for easy coin. By itself it's great for rehearsals, parties and smaller gigs. If you play bigger gigs, it's still fine with PA support.

What I would get on a budget??? Really similar to my current rig actually

1. Any ampeg classic cab with the good speakers (not the 115 or 210av) they take tons of punishment, last forever and are relatively cheap.
2. A sans amp or pre amp pedal(everyone from tech 21, eden, ebs, and aguilar makes them) Plenty of models to select from depending on what tone and how much versatility you want. (Send the xlr to FOH for shows)
3. Any power amp that matches well with the cab (preferably a bass guitar power amp or a bass head with a power amp in or effects return that doubles as a power amp in. You don't have to spend like crazy. A pa amp can get you buy, but you can also buy heads others sell for cheap for example an ampeg b4r is relatively cheap amp used but has a power amp in, and a lot of power for the money.

So if I have a mb combo amp currently, i could hook it up to a neo cab to get louder?

Not sure if your GK has an extension speaker jack. If it does, adding another speaker will help. I use a Carvin MB15 combo that works great. Its 200 watts to a 15" only weighs about 30 lbs, you can add another speaker, which would bring you to 250 watts. I use mine with a 15 " speaker added in and it works fantastic and is plenty loud, with or without the additional speaker. Has a line out with level, parametric eq, built in compressor,headphone jack etc. The combo is 350.00. With the extra speaker comes to a bit over 600.00 shipped. There is a thread dedicated to the Carvin combos with plenty of info on them. You can get them with 10", 2x10" 12" or 15". GK combos are great combos and a lot of people liking the TC electronics 250 watt combo also. Hope this helps!

+1... Nice micro head and useful cab = versatile rig. Can use the head with other cabs and vice versa. Can add another cab for more volume later if you need it. The MB200 has a DI out with pre/post switch so you can keep your tone going into the PA, too.