Equipment newbie here, can I get some advice?

[Sinestra]

I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about how I was looking to find a giggable amp (small time) for around 200 bucks. After a bit of research and thinking, I decided that I can max out at $500.

At this point I've been playing about 7 months or so but I'm currently playing with a small-time band. We're thinking about doing gigs in the near future so my current 36-W amp won't work. Should I be looking for power or for quality?

Example: I looked online and found a Peavy for the same price as a Fender. The Peavy gives me 600 W while the Fender gives me 350 W. Obviously I'm not very experienced with amps so could someone explain why there is a large wattage difference between the amps while the price is the same?

[SurferJoe46]

Both Fender and Peavey are commendable units in their own right.

Peavey tends to get dissed on TB more than Fender - at least in the amps-section.

I've used Peavey gear for years although not currently and always wanted to go Fender - but Fender's mile-high prices have always put me off.

If it's just horsepower you need - then of course Peavey can supply that in spades - but even though I've seen a lot of returns on the latest line of Fender amps at GC (some over and over) - Fender is still rather endowed with gear mysticism and awe.

Me? I use Acoustic - although I don't believe I would want to go on the road with the same gear.

If you're going to go serious (can you say: "PROFESSIONAL"?), then you need to step up to the plate with some much more serious gear, according to the rules by which I would live.

In any case - go for the most Wattage you can afford or steal the money for, to buy the most recognized name product you can find. AMPEG comes to mind right at the mo in my mind.

Consider service-after-sales and the method of returning the gear for warranty related needs too. Just a warning.

There are other great names with which I have very limited knowledge and experience.

OH - and from my mental archives, don't look at anything new named Dr. Bass.

[username1]

The peavey ad states 600 watts maximum so I'm guessing its really 300 watts rms. I would also check out the new gallien krueger light weight combos, they look like good bang for the buck.

[Selta]

My main advice is to buy used.

[dalkowski]

You can get a lot of amp used for $500, so shop around. Affordable, powerful used Peavey stuff is on Craigslist all the time -- look hard enough and you can get a lot of boom for your budget. Peavey amps do weigh a ton, but you can't kill 'em. They're a great option for your first gigging amp.

[BigOldHarry]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

My main advice is to buy used.

If all he has is $500, that's a mandate. Used is the *ONLY* way to go - - for $500, he won't get squat if he buys new.

Me, If I had to set up a $500 rig - I'd get an old GK400RB (I've seen them as low as $150) and a decent used 2x12 or 4x10 cab - SWR or some other company that is no longer the flavor of the month.

[RickenBoogie]

+1 to harry's post- what you want is as powerful an amp as you can afford, but more importantly, good speakers, and plenty of 'em. A 2x12 or 4x10 is the absolute smallest i'd be looking at, all used of course. Even IF you did get a 600 watt amp, it wouldn't do much good through a single, or small speaker.

[rpsands]

Those new Peavey tour combos are weak sauce. They weigh a metric ton and cost as much as comparable Gk combos, and don't really sound that great to me anyway.

You need to tell us a bit more about your sound to make good recommendations.

If I was just going to pull something out of a hat that would be loud and fairly flexible, I would say "buy one of the Carvin M15 combos. When you need more volume, buy another cabinet."

[Burlington]

Scour Craigslist!

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

My main advice is to buy used.

+1
You can get a good amp for $500 used if you're a smart shopper. IME, Peavey is decent. Fender has the famous history so it's assumed that it's better across the board. I'm not sure that's necessarily true. If you find a Peavey you like, you probably won't regret using it. Peavey has a reputation for being built like a fortress. I know guys who having been using the same Peavey gear for nearly 2 decades. I've personally had Peavey stuff that I've used for over 15 years and it's still as solid as ever. Peavey stuff is easy to find used and it's almost always less expensive than Fender.

[ncdms1833]

I recommend zzsounds.com. I found an awesome deal on a "blemished" Hartke 4.5XL (4x10 and a 5). They had good deals all over the place, and you can buy on a pay plan (allowed me to actually buy a cab outside of my price range). The box was decimated when it got here, and as such the cab is pretty trashed. I emailed them, and they're replacing with brand new for free! They even paid return shipping. So I HIGHLY recommend giving their site a looking. Also, Hartke is about as good as it gets for customer service (when you have a problem, you call Larry Hartke's cell...), and Larry is a member here on TB.

[Joel_bass]

Yorkville gear is great 'bang for buck', especially used. It's also bulletproof, literally, you can spray it with a semi-auto and the bullets just bounce right off. (don't try this at home)

[steelhead2]

killer deals go down,but(sigh) seems when i want,,hardly any bass stuff comes along and when i have all my play money invested in parts/materials for work killer deals show up

ok enough crying,i'm currently planning on bi-amping a peavey combo 300,should yield 450 watts,add a pedal in front like a VT witch will pre-amp it give it some grunt and that should be adequate for `club' work,for 5-600 bucks(well maybe more with the pedal),,i mean,if you can find your tone then `mic it' into your PA

of course i AM going to buy some new gear as we get into winter(like an Elliot Ashdown orAmpeg but,i'm learning about bi-amping and am also planning on buying small carryable stuff so i can jam with buddies on the spur of the moment(one guy lives up a nasty driveway,no prob getting up but backing down is murder,ask my RT RR tailamp and bumper),

so that and the fact having as many amps heads cabs cords and basses as you can get your hands on is a good thing,have a great week!(and hit the hock shops,offer half the tag price and walk if they don't want to deal)

find your tone at all cost=PEACE!

[test dude]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Scour Craigslist!

mmhmm Craigslist FTW.

[UncleFluffy]

Did you look through what's on offer here?

[desertsolace]

If I was starting from scratch with $500 I would buy a used Hartke/Carvin head on the CL and a 212 Avatar... When you have more money you can always upgrade one or the other and sell the existing gear for around what you paid for.
One of the strongest reasons to buy used with that price range is that anything you buy new for $500 will only get you $220-$250 when you want to sell.

[Stumbo]

You might want to take a look at the link in my sig. "Being in a Band". It has lots of links to info on buying equipment.

Good luck.

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by desertsolace

...and a 212 Avatar...

FS/FT Avatar 212 Neo $260

[UncleFluffy]

or even Rig on sale: Hartke LH500 and Aguilar S410 $ 520 if you're in the area

[steelhead2]

a 4/10 cab and 350watt head for like 350dollars,Ashdown in fact,on the local C's list,(last week or so),,,no idea where you are located but i could help if you're truly serious,,,no idea on shipping/packaging and all that but i could procure/store or even deliver to a ups store for you or something along those lines

of course you'll owe me a cold beer,,if you are clear across the country from the west coast it prolly isn't worth the shipping

jus sayin'