Buying a new Amp. Tips/Recommendations?

[Ezmar]

Okay, after some deliberation, I think I am going to get a Head and Cab rig, of SOME kind. I would like to still be getting the Combo, because now I have to think about what to look at all over again. I will have a couple hundred dollars with which to buy it, but It's totally an option to save up some more, just not enough to get a $1000 rig. I'd say that $500 is probably my cutoff point, unless I get lucky.

So the thing is, Buying amps this way is much more complicated, because there are 2 separate pieces to buy, and LOTS of brands to choose from. I'm sort of looking for recommendations on brand, although that's really impossible to say. Maybe some pointers, what I should look for in capturing the tone I want when I go out to try some out, What to look out for when shopping used, and what to NOT settle for.

I'm planning on starting a fairly serious band in college, and We'd hopefully be playing some small to medium sized gigs. So I'll want a certain amount of power. Also, for the cab, I think I might try looking for a 4x10, although I don't know if that's reasonable for my price range, or if it would be overkill.

To help with recommendations, I'll say something about my style and tone. I like Rush. A lot. Specifically their late 80s stuff with a nice clean, punchy tone. I like emphasis on the high mids, and don't like it too rumbly. I play with Stainless Steel on a Squier Jazz, and I like to have an even rounded tone, but not too round, if that makes any sense. I play hard, and really dig in sometimes. So basically I like to have a tone with emphasis on Clarity, high mids and treble, but obviously without losing presence as a BASS player.

So I'm thinking about a 4x10, if I can get one, but other than that, I have no Idea what to go for on brand, or what head to look at. I also am factoring aesthetics into it, although as a secondary consideration. I like the look of old-style amps, like Ampeg or Acoustic, that bare minimalist look that just sort of says business.

I have a small shop that's in town, but no big store like GC or anything unless I take an hour to get there. So there's not a huge selection for me to look at, and almost no name brands to speak of. Peavey's about it. So any advice, recommendations, tips, and the like would be more than welcome. Also bear in mind that I'm a little excited and gung-ho about this. I tend to overthink this stuff a lot.

Thanks!

[Ezmar]

Looking around on the Guitar Center website, I see that just about the only 4x10 Cab that I can get for a reasonable price NEW is Acoustic, probably because they're a house brand. Would I be able to find a quality 4x10 Cab used for a more reasonable price?

Also, apologies for the shameless bump, but I'd really like some advice on this, particularly on what Head I should look at. I hope I'm not irritating anyone.

[RickenBoogie]

Basic guidelines- head with 300-500 watts, speaker cab, 4x10 minimum. Buy used, always the better deal.

[droo46]

Check the classified here on TB. You can find some incredible gear for very good prices. Also, you have the benefit of talking directly with the seller so you can ask all the questions you want and get answers from the person who has played that equipment. Happy hunting!

[Ezmar]

If I'm buying used, How can I be sure I'm going to like the way it sounds? I'm really feeling cautious about buying something without playing it, to know how I feel about the sound. Although I do feel that buying used is the better option, provided I know I'm not getting something that will crap out on me or is overly delicate. But I can't really vouch for how any particular brand is going to sound, because I really have never played anything for comparison. And there's only so much of an idea I can get by asking questions.

I just am probably overly cautious about this, because I used to play guitar a lot, but then I got new pickups for it, and I got some underwound ones, thinking that I could get a nice dynamic tone out of them, and I got them and they sounded really good for blues, but not much else. I sunk a relatively large amount of money into that guitar, and now I don't like how it sounds and plays anymore, and it's not worth it to try and re-mod, or whatever. My only recourse would be to get a new guitar, which I don't have the money for AT ALL, considering I'm pursuing bass more now. But I really don't want to buy gear online without knowing more or less how it will sound, or at least that I like the way it sounds. Could I get "Good Enough" just by asking general questions, about the tone, and what kind of color the amp has? I tend to want to be too sure, but I don't want to get something and end up wishing I had gotten something else.

[Ezmar]

Another bump, (Sorry!) and an addition: How much would I be able to expect to pay for a good 4x10 cab and 300-500W head if I got it used? I know prices can vary, but... $300? $400? $500? More?

[BlackRussian]

I would guess 50% - 60% of retail, depending upon condition and popularity of the equipment.

[srxplayer]

Consider using two 8ohm 2 X 10 cabinets. Look for used Avatar, GK, and Peavey. It's much easier then lugging around a 4 X 10 and half the time if you are playing small gigs you don't need a 4X10. You can also stack them verticly which makes them easier to hear so you don't have to turn up so loud.

I went with that set up and found that I rarely need both cabs.

[Ezmar]

Would that be more expensive? I feel like it would be.

Also, how much does the brand affect the cab? Is it mostly the Amp head that is affected by the brand? I mean, cabs are pretty much just speakers, right?

[BlackRussian]

I'll be in the market for an amp soon. I've got the same sort of budget as you, around $500 USD. I think it's easier to buy a bass than it is to buy an amp. Combo vs. Cab/Head, all the combinations of connections, speakers, drivers, knobs and of course brands/manufactures... then add in all the tech specs it gets overwhelming.

Right now I don't have an actual amp. I use the mighty VOX Bass amPlug and a set of headphones. I'm sure that an amp is in my future, so I'm watching threads like this. I was all set to purchase a Fender Rumble 350 Combo, but the reviews on this board has me second guessing a bass amp from Fender.

Good luck!

[Dustin Teel]

If you decide to go new, that Acoustic B410 you're looking at is actually a great cab and far superior to other brands in that price range (Fender, Behringer, etc.) in tone.

I stack two of them for an 8x10 and drive it with a 500 watt Hartke head. I've never had to turn the volume higher than 2.

In my opinion, buy a new cab and a used head. You can get a better deal with used gear of course, but a cab can be easily damaged by misuse. I've bought at least two cabs off GC online and had them shown up with blown speakers as of now.

You can get a decent 4x10 rig with $500. If I were you, I'd buy that Acoustic cab and get a used head from GC online for $200. I would recommend trying to find a GK Backline 600, Hartke 3500, or SWR Workingman 300. Those are some of the better heads tone wise you can get in that price range.

Good luck

[BlackRussian]

Since the Acoustic B410 is an 8 ohms setup, a head amp that does 500W @ 4 ohms would not over power the cab. (correct me, if I'm wrong) Hmmm, I like this idea.

[RickenBoogie]

Originally Posted by Ezmar

Would that be more expensive? I feel like it would be.

Also, how much does the brand affect the cab? Is it mostly the Amp head that is affected by the brand? I mean, cabs are pretty much just speakers, right?

No, speaker cabs are equally, if not more important than the amp. Maybe you should go out to anyplace that sells gear, and start trying everything out. You need to be much more informed before spending any money.

[Ezmar]

I like the Look of the Hartke, But then my next question is how do I know if I'll like how it sounds? I'm probably being a little picky here, but really, how likely is it that I'll get a tone that I DON'T like? I'm thinking of probably going after that Hartke, so what are some things I should know about that amp? Does it have a "sound"? Is it just a nice solid amp?

I'm thinking way too hard here. Is there anything about that Hartke amp that I should be wary of? Any shortcomings or things that people don't like about them? When I first started looking for a new bass amp, I talked to a bassist Friend-of-a-friend, and he used a carvin 2x10 or 2x12 with a hartke head, and he just played little jazz gigs around the area, but anyway, it seems like Hartke's a pretty good brand. I definitely like the 10-band EQ and the amount of tone control you have.

Man, I just think way too hard about this. Here's my basic question. If I buy the Hartke, is there any conceivable way I will regret it? I'm leaning towards no, but, you know, they sort of say never to buy before you try, but is that really necessary here? Sorry, I'm just kind of antsy about this whole thing.

[Ezmar]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

No, speaker cabs are equally, if not more important than the amp. Maybe you should go out to anyplace that sells gear, and start trying everything out. You need to be much more informed before spending any money.

Well, I know they're just as important, but how much does brand affect the sound of the speaker? I'd think that the amp would color the tone more than the cab would, but maybe I'm wrong. Actually, on second thought, I totally am probably wrong, because of enclosure shapes and designs... Yeah...

But seriously, I'm just going into college, looking to start a band, and start some serious gigging, I'd probably be fine with an Acoustic 4x10 and a Hartke 3500, right? I really don't have enough money to spend to really care about the nuances in tone too much. For the money I have, I really won't be able to be dissatisfied with a rig like that, to be honest. I just like to THINK I'm in a position to pick my sound with the utmost precision. In my position, just give me a rig with a 4 band EQ and a speaker smaller than 15 inches and I'll be able to get "My" tone.

Yeah, I think I'm going to head myself off early and not even think about all the different factors and choices for amps and how they affect tone and just go with the basics. A 4x10 cab with a 300 or 500 watt head. I'm not a pro yet. I'm getting ahead of myself.


So all in favor of the Acoustic/Hartke rig? The only thing I might consider is trying to find a cheaper cab, because My budget is limited, and anything over $350-400 would probably have to be saved up, although getting it new might be worth it, because as Dustin said, it's much easier to get crap cabs when buying used.

So that's that. I'm settling on the Acoustic/Hartke for now. Bonus: They both have the Black w/blue accent design, so they'd look really nice together.

[BlackRussian]

Dontcha just love a decision. Seriously, getting to a settled feeling is great. Let us know how your like your setup when you get it together.

I haven't found my "sound" yet, so I will put off the AMP decision for later.

[Ezmar]

Originally Posted by BlackRussian

Dontcha just love a decision. Seriously, getting to a settled feeling is great.

Man, You said it. That's part of the reason that I decided to play primarily bass over guitar, because I would drive myself and those around me INSANE over the whole issue of effects pedals. I'd want one of EVERYTHING. Whereas I prefer a dry, pure bass tone, so give me a nice bass and a nice amp, and I can get anything I want with EQ, strings, and technique.

All right, it will probably be a month or two before I can get it, or maybe more, but it will be worth it.

One last question, though. I'm going to college very close to home, a 12-15 minute drive. Will I want to keep the amp at home? I really don't think I want it in the dorm room all the time. I've got a fender rumble 15 for that.


looking at the Guitar center website for used Hartke stuff, there's several HA3500 heads, but there's one that's $200 and one that's $450. And neither of them are the HA3500C. The $200 one is listed as HA3500 MOSFET Bass head. What exactly does that mean? Otherwise, I might just hit up the Talkbass classifieds.

Thanks again, everyone!

[BlackRussian]

Dorms are bad for anything of value. As for the Kartke stuff... someone will be along to help you soon. :-)

[Ezmar]

Well, I looked it up, and it looks like the Mosfet (whatever that is) is a piece of crap, but I probably don't have anything to worry about from any other HA3500, whether it's an old model or the most recent one. I'm pretty sure it's just design.

Any advice on where to look other than Guitar Center? Maybe get one for cheaper or with more quality assurance? Once I have the money, I'll definitely look in the classifieds here, but I won't do that if I don't have the money to buy it, obviously.

[JB36]

I would look at used amps: Hartke lh500, GK MB500, Carvin BX500, or Mark Bass LMII. The Hartke is the least expensive and is plenty loud with really nice sounding clean tone. Pickup a used 2x10 or single 12. Add a matching 2nd cab when funds permit.