Head reliability.

Sneakypete · #1 09-11-2011, 03:47 PM

Just been reading Holmebass' woes with his Mesa and thinking that in forty years of on and off messing about in bands I've only ever had one bass amp pack up on me - and that was just my practice combo being pushed too hard at a house party down the road. Otherwise never a problem although I've had my share of grief with PA systems and my biggest hate of all - lights! I don't possess a back-up so must hope this state of affairs continues indefinitely. Has anyone else been similarly lucky?

MrLenny1 · #2 09-11-2011, 04:45 PM

I have. Ampeg SVT, 15 years. GK 400, 10 years, lots of use/abuse and no issues.
Eden WT400, 14 years, lots of gigging in 4 season conditions, no issues.
The only heads that crapped out were 70's stuff, VOX, Standell, Acoustic.
thank God for the newer stuff

rodl2005 · #3 09-11-2011, 05:12 PM

Me too!
Only real breakdown I've had since '78 was when a sax player spilled a beer into my tube amp. It was pretty tho, blue lights & pretty flames

I let it dry, took it to the tech & it was back on deck for the next gig.
Oh, that was an Aus made 'VASE BASSMAN 120'- 'C1973 model.
Since, reliable amps have been
(AUS made) Eminar 160w tube head.
Fender Bassman 120(?) Silver face.
Ampeg 3 pro, SVT II.
All the other amps I've not had for LONG times- Mesa Walkabout, Mark Bass LMII- both these have been trouble free for me for over 2-3 yrs

JimmyM · #4 09-11-2011, 05:15 PM

Occasionally I'd have problems but they're few and far between.

**B-string** · #5 09-11-2011, 06:21 PM

Only troubles I have had were a loooong time ago with a SS Fender Bassman and a couple of tube Peaveys......long long time ago, I can still remember, how music used to make me smile.

I need a beer.

HolmeBass · #6 09-11-2011, 08:24 PM

I have had more trouble recently. I think my Eden Metro was *never* really right from the get go- on the first gig I ever played it it thermaled down. It came back up, but I was never really impressed with the volume of the Metro. Recently it started thermalling down a lot, like any time I played through it, even quietly, in about 10 minutes or so. The same guy who fixed my Mesa worked on the Metro and said there were two different problems, but now it's working well- and it's a fair amount louder than it ever was before, and I can turn it up even further without the output limiter kicking in.

Also when I was trying out some small bass cabinets a few years ago, using my WTX-260, it completely smoked in the music store. Same guy fixed that, and it too ended up being a bit louder than it had been before it died.

So... that's three of my four bass amps all having taken a dive in the last 3 years. But before that I had great luck. And I have a Roland Bass Cube 60 I bought used in 1985 that's been kicking all along, I still use it sometimes. Maybe I've weathered my string of bad luck and won't have trouble any more.

SBsoundguy · #7 09-11-2011, 08:39 PM

It would surprise me if the Peavey Mark series amps could withstand battle.

**B-string** · #8 09-11-2011, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBsoundguy

It would surprise me if the Peavey Mark series amps could withstand battle.

"Could" or couldn't? I think they would fair well in an all out assalt

SBsoundguy · #9 09-11-2011, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

"Could" or couldn't? I think they would fair well in an all out assalt

definitely couldn't

runmikeyrun · #10 09-11-2011, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBsoundguy

It would surprise me if the Peavey Mark series amps could withstand battle.

I had one of these in the mid 90s for a few years. My first "real" amp. A few years later I sold it to a guy, who sold it to another guy who STILL uses it! It has never broken down.