Carvin BX500 question

[suckybassplaya]

Ok, stupid question of the day.

So I am looking to pick up a new amp head and I am pretty sure I am going to go with either the Carvin BX250 or the BX500. Since the 500 is less than $100 more than the 250, I'm thinking I should just pick that up with all the extra features.

However, I've read the BX500 super-thread and I see that a lot of people talk about how loud it is. Unfortunately, I live with a 7-month old and the wife, which isn't exactly conducive to loud practising.

So the question is: can you decent sound out of the BX500 at "bedroom" volumes (I would probably pick up a GK115MBE to play through at home)? Or am I going to be shaking the house down every time I turn the sucker on?

Thanks,

[jeff7bass]

They'll both sound the same at the same volume through the same cab. In your situation it would be better to buy a little combo for practice (8 or 10 inch speaker) and buy the right head for the cab.
If the cab is a 4 ohm cab, and I think it is, the BX250 head + that will give you plenty of volume to jam with and do small/medium size gigs. Then with the money left over you can get a little Peavey MAX practice amp.

[bassplayer8953]

The volume control is your friend. Use it sparingly, and you should be fine. You're not going to have to push it, like an SVT, to get a growl. (In fact, you probably won't get a growl at all) It's a clean sounding amp, period, volume knob notwithstanding.

Grab a 2x10 cab, or thereabouts, leave the graphic eq fairly flat, & you should be fine. Might sound a bit thin, but that's a price you pay for having little ones (& wives) around.

Then, when you get out with the band, you can crank the sucker. And yes, it will rise to the occasion.

[MyMusic]

I'm using the BX500 with the BRX10.2 cab and it's useable at bedroom levels and I also use headphones. It's a beautiful combination.

[suckybassplaya]

Awesome. Thanks for the info, guys.

[videomagician]

I've got the BX500, but I practice quite a bit between 12 AM and 4 AM so I use a Digitech BP200 with good headphones. It also allows me to run sound from the computer and practice with CDs and mp3s using Best Practice software.

David

[elwood1205]

I have a BX500 and use it for gigging and for practice at home. At the house I play through a little GK BLX210 and it is great at low volumes. If it really is that big of an issue it also has a headphone jack.

This amp will get loud! But only when you want it to. I have used it at practice playing through an Avatar 2x12 with a keyboard player, two guitars and a monster for a drummer and have had no problems cutting through and haven't gotten the master volume past 3. But at home I have a 6 year old who goes to bed at 8:00 and that is when my practice time begins. At a volume setting of .5(? less than 1 at least), it has all the volume I need to practice without waking the kid.

It is a great little amp. I love being able to haul my head back and forth to practice/gigs over my shoulder. If you go the Carvin route, I highly recommend the little gig bag that is available. I think it is less than $20.00. It is padded and fits it perfectly.

[suckybassplaya]

Thanks, elwood, your situation sounds very similar to what I would be doing. Looks like I am going to go the 500 route.

Now I just have to convince the wife that I am allowed to spend the money