Getting an amp, help needed

Club Foot · #1 11-13-2011, 05:57 AM

Im getting an amp for christmas and tbh I dont have much knowledge on bass equipment at all. I have a budget of about $700 and im looking for something something in the region of 300 watts which I think is enough to be playing gigs? My band plays music like The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian. I was wondering if this cab and head would go well together for what im after? HARTKE 410 TP - Thomann Irish Cyberstore
HARTKE HA 3500 BASS TOP - Thomann Irish Cyberstore
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong section but any help would be really really appreciated.

Liam Wald · #2 11-13-2011, 06:33 AM

This is an incredibly subjective issue upon which almost no one will agree because everyone hears things differently.
With a budget of $700 you have numerous choices. I would recommend getting out to some music stores and spending the time to learn about amps and play through them.
You really need to figure this out on your own. That is the only way you will end up with what is right for you.
YOU CAN DO THIS. Have fun on your quest.

RickenBoogie · #3 11-13-2011, 08:40 AM

Yes, +1 to that. The budget is alright, but you need to go out and play some amps. The head you chose is fine, but the cab is Hartke's budget stuff, and if you're going to skimp, DON'T do it on the speakers.

Club Foot · #4 11-13-2011, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

This is an incredibly subjective issue upon which almost no one will agree because everyone hears things differently.
With a budget of $700 you have numerous choices. I would recommend getting out to some music stores and spending the time to learn about amps and play through them.
You really need to figure this out on your own. That is the only way you will end up with what is right for you.
YOU CAN DO THIS. Have fun on your quest.

Thanks a lot for your advice but the only problem is im pretty much living on a field in Ireland haha. Iv been to a couple of music shops and the selection is very very poor. They only had a couple of Marshall and Ampeg combo amps which werent the required number of watts and my preferred choice would be to buy a cab and head but the only one of them they had was over $1000 which I cant afford. Is there even any cab and heads you could recommend me to try to find?

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

Yes, +1 to that. The budget is alright, but you need to go out and play some amps. The head you chose is fine, but the cab is Hartke's budget stuff, and if you're going to skimp, DON'T do it on the speakers.

Thanks a lot for the feedback also but im wondering would you know a better cab for that price? This help is greatly appreciated.

sad_katz · #5 11-13-2011, 11:27 AM

+1 on not skimping on the speakers.

The best advice is to look out for used gear. Amp heads are getting lighter and you might score one and not bleeding on the shipping compared to heavy cabs. Then use the savings to buy a good cab.

On new rigs via Thomann:
Did you liked Ampeg's tone? A Micro-SVT amp is a tiny killer amp. The 210AV cab is good but might be too small for you.

For a little over the budget, an Ashdown MAG300 / MAG410 rig should be plenty. There's also an Ashdown Little Giant head for a bit less.

A Gallien-Krueger MB200 / MBE115 could also be an option if you like GK's tone. It's like an MB115 combo but in head/cab form. You could keep the head and upgrade the cab later on, or add another MBE115 for more volume.

scottfeldstein · #6 11-13-2011, 02:13 PM

It's going to be hard to get a) better than bottom-of-the-line quality and b) rock band volume out of a $700 rig unless you buy some or all of it used.

Your instincts are good: 300w is probably enough, provided you have adequate cabinetry under it. A 410 sounds right.

Get something used. An old GK, Ampeg, Peavey head. Or get an older cab.

If you buy a new head and a new cab, your'e kind of on the edge of both budget and performance. A GK MB200 and a GK 115MBE might be in budget, but I'm unsure whether it's going to reach the rock-out volume you may need. You could always get a second 15 down the road, which should solve the problem, but still...

Club Foot · #7 11-14-2011, 11:18 AM

Do any of you have any websites you would recommend where I could get used gear? Is it a risky process? Thanks again.

CL400Peavey · #8 11-14-2011, 11:26 AM

I would recommend finding a used solid state Peavey head. They are relatively cheap, and tough as nails. Its not the end all be all to bass heads by any means, but you will get a lot of bang for you buck until you come up with a better idea of what you want to play through and the cash to buy it.

+1 to the 410 cab.

cchorney · #9 11-14-2011, 11:39 AM

Get yourself on a bus or train and get to a city big enough to have a music store with a large selection of new and used gear. buying over the web is safe and reliable if from established companies (guitar center, musician's friend, etc) BUT you can't just go by reviews and prices and specs - you need to hear the stuff, and every amp and cab has it's own voice and when paired together you won't know how it sounds till you try it. So, in person is recommended. If weight is not an issue you can get some great deals on older larger non-Neo cabs and full size solid state heads.

Also, since you mentioned you want to go separate, make sure you know what the amp impedance rating is and what the cab impedance is.

Check the amp forum for a sticky on impedance, it's important.

sad_katz · #10 11-14-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Club Foot

Do any of you have any websites you would recommend where I could get used gear? Is it a risky process? Thanks again.

Search here in the Classified forums. I've bought a used Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 from a fellow TB'er and it's on its way to Indonesia

The most active sellers here are from the US although there is a off-US classified thread.
You will need to find an importer if the seller doesn't ship internationally.
Importing used lightweight class-D amps are not bad since they're so light and buying used lowers the overall cost.
Cabs are heavy, shipping one is a pain and expensive.

Not much protection on international deals. Paypal do offer some protection over transactions.
I personally trust the guys and girls here on TB more than on eBay and Craiglists.

Best bet is to find dedicated bass forums or big music forums in your region and search for local deals.

Amazon also ships internationally. They'll help with the shipping.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cchorney

Get yourself on a bus or train and get to a city big enough to have a music store with a large selection of new and used gear. buying over the web is safe and reliable if from established companies (guitar center, musician's friend, etc) BUT you can't just go by reviews and prices and specs - you need to hear the stuff, and every amp and cab has it's own voice and when paired together you won't know how it sounds till you try it. So, in person is recommended. If weight is not an issue you can get some great deals on older larger non-Neo cabs and full size solid state heads.

Also, since you mentioned you want to go separate, make sure you know what the amp impedance rating is and what the cab impedance is.

Check the amp forum for a sticky on impedance, it's important.

+1
After trying some cabs around, I found prefer ceramic magnet cabs compared to Neo magnets.

Would be troublesome if I bought a cab that I end up didn't like.

My case is the opposite with the OP - the cab I want is available *outside* the big city.

Had to drive quite a long way to fetch one. A heavy one, I might add.

Club Foot · #11 11-16-2011, 11:09 AM

Thanks for all the feedback guys.Took your advice and was in Dublin yesterday so got a quick look in a few music shops. None of them had a great selection of bass amps to say the least but I did try this out and liked it Ampeg PF-350 Portaflex and PF-210HE Stack: Shop Bass & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend Could someone give me a small bit of feedback on it? Is it worth buying and are there any big problems with it? Thanks a lot.

CL400Peavey · #12 11-16-2011, 11:15 AM

I think you could do better buying used gear...

Depending on what you play a 210 might not be enough for your purposes. For some it is, but getting a 410 cab might meet your needs better.

MattyH · #13 11-16-2011, 11:26 AM

+1 - DONT SKIMP ON THE CAB! The HA3500 is a fantastic head IMO. I have 2 older ones, and picked up a new one just to have around, along with my main head, the LH1000. Hartkes are great. I wouldn't go with the Transporter cab though. Look at used XL series Hartkes. They're animals (Heavy, but great great cabs). I had 2-4.5XL's and kick myself for getting rid of them.

You cant go wrong with used Ampegs or GK's either. You gotta try and play before you pay though. Everything sounds different to everyone else.

+1 on getting to know more about impedance. Key for buying gear.

The Portaflex are good. But it may not be enough power for what you're doing.

Risky usually isn't a problem on the TB Classifieds. Great gear, great prices, even better people! You can find some real gold sometimes. Good luck!

Club Foot · #14 11-16-2011, 12:51 PM

Thanks for the replies once again. This forum is so helpful. Sorry for bombarding you all with such silly questions but I was just wondering if I was to try to track these down and try it out would it be what im looking for? Im struggling to be honest haha HARTKE HA 3500 BASS TOP - Thomann Irish Cyberstore HARTKE VX 410 - Thomann Irish Cyberstore

CL400Peavey · #15 11-16-2011, 01:08 PM

I have no experience with Hartke gear, how it sounds or operates, so I cant direct you on that front at all. I will say that 250 watts into that cab would make me want for a second cab, but I dont know what kind of volume you are looking for. Which ever cab you choose, keep in mind that if you decide to get a second one down the road, you want to match it. I.E. two 410s or two 115 cabs.

Once again, buying used will drop that price tag dramatically.

jumbodbassman · #16 11-16-2011, 01:14 PM

go to store sand try stuff out. we all have opinions of what we like but that doesn't mean much. its what we like with what we play and how we play it..... think used too!!!! you can get much better qulaity stuff for the price range you are in...

scottfeldstein · #17 11-16-2011, 01:21 PM

I've been using a Hartke head and 410 at one of my rehearsal spaces and I have to say I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be. It's true that I'm going into it with my pedal board--compressor, SansAmp, etc.--but even when I turn that stuff off it sounds pretty darned good. I'm getting good throaty growl out of it when I dig in. This is for a rock and finger-style funk type trio.

Club Foot · #18 12-03-2011, 03:26 PM

Right as im having very little luck at this, if I upped the budget to $1000 is there anything better I could get? Preferably something light? Thank you all so much as always.

RickenBoogie · #19 12-03-2011, 04:01 PM

You're still looking for the same thing, but a bigger budget will expand the possibilities. A 300+ watt head paired with an 8 ohm 4x10 is what you want.

Club Foot · #20 12-03-2011, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

You're still looking for the same thing, but a bigger budget will expand the possibilities. A 300+ watt head paired with an 8 ohm 4x10 is what you want.

Thanks for the reply. Would you be able to recommend me any amps like this? Sorry but im pretty clueless about this.