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-   -   Help me choose a good bass amplifier (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/help-me-choose-good-bass-amplifier-947128/)

Mangu 01-09-2013 04:15 AM

Help me choose a good bass amplifier
 
I have an Behringer Ultrabass bxl450 ( 45 watt ) but i need a stronger one.. as i can see people don't really like behringer and i don't have much experience in these things so i don't know if the bad sounds come from my bass guitar or the amplifier...
So i want to buy a new one so i can be heard while playing with my band.. and also make myself a nice sound.. We are playing rock songs so i need a powerful clean bass, sharp or smooth ( or however it should be called )
So i need help from you guys to tell me what kind of amplifier i should buy, that i wont have to change for a pretty long time.. and about the price i can afford 300 euros max

by the way I found a guy selling Behringer Ultrabass BXL3000 ( that's 300 watt ) for 200 euros but as i was reading some forums.. people don't like behringer... and as i said I'm looking for an amplifier that i won't have to change for a pretty long time..

jmclearnon 01-09-2013 04:18 AM

I have had that exact amp, lets just say it doesn't produce high end very well and is VERY farty. I bought it as it was cheap but the quality is less than desirable from my experience.

I got mine for about £140 a couple of years a go so unless the newer ultrabass stuff is way more expensive i would say 200 euros is quite expensive

Mangu 01-09-2013 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmclearnon (Post 13691264)
I have had that exact amp, lets just say it doesn't produce high end very well and is VERY farty. I bought it as it was cheap but the quality is less than desirable from my experience.

I got mine for about £140 a couple of years a go so unless the newer ultrabass stuff is way more expensive i would say 200 euros is quite expensive

I should try my bass in some other amplifiers too but i guess all the behringers are quite farty than :/

AuntieBeeb 01-09-2013 04:31 AM

I've played through some of their lower-powered combos at a few gigs - maybe even the bxl450 you mention - and they sound muffled and farty. No clarity and I couldn't find a tone I was satisfied with. However, I've also played at a rehearsal studio where a lot of the bass amps are Behringer heads going into someone else's cabs - can't remember whose, now! So I wouldn't say Behringer is outright bad...maybe it's just their speakers.

Still: see if you can get hold of a Laney. Built in Britain so cheaper than most US amps, generally very reliable and most importantly very versatile. I've been using them for years; I recently got a Richter Bass 8 (RB8) second-hand for £140; you could probably get a smaller model new for not much more. I tend to go for a slightly dirty sound out of mine, but I know with a tweak of the controls it would do clean and sharp just as easily.

IPYF 01-09-2013 04:31 AM

What bass are you using?
What's your budget and primary objective? ie. do you need lots more volume or just a better tone?

Mangu 01-09-2013 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPYF (Post 13691288)
What bass are you using?
What's your budget and primary objective? ie. do you need lots more volume or just a better tone?

Im using an Yamaha (its not original) but when i was trying some basses around it sounded better than all of them so i bought it xD
I can afford around 250 euros for an amplifier and to be honest i need both of them (Sound and tone).. but if i had to choose i would pick volume because with this one i cant hear myself at all while with a drummer

ObeyGiant 01-09-2013 05:24 AM

I'd have to recommend going used. Brands like Hartke don't seem to retain their value that well and can be had on the used market for a bargain.

Hint: Check out the Talkbass Classifieds.

RickenBoogie 01-09-2013 08:05 AM

What kind of budget do you have for this? Most will suggest an amp head, paired with a good spkr cab. This is the smart move. To be heard, it's ALL about the speakers. You want more than a single 15, or 2 10's in a rock band. Find an amp with 300+ watts, and pair it with a good 4x10, or 2x15, and you'll be heard. IF you get a combo amp, where the spkrs are part of the unit, be sure it has an ext spkr jack, so you can add more spkrs to it. Can't stress enough, it's all about the speakers!

Mangu 01-09-2013 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie (Post 13691912)
What kind of budget do you have for this? Most will suggest an amp head, paired with a good spkr cab. This is the smart move. To be heard, it's ALL about the speakers. You want more than a single 15, or 2 10's in a rock band. Find an amp with 300+ watts, and pair it with a good 4x10, or 2x15, and you'll be heard. IF you get a combo amp, where the spkrs are part of the unit, be sure it has an ext spkr jack, so you can add more spkrs to it. Can't stress enough, it's all about the speakers!

Hmmm maby i will get a combo like that.. sounds like a good idea.. can you recommand me some good amps so if i buy a combo with at least one 15 it would cost around 250 euros ? and later maby i will buy one more 15 (I dont have a problem with buying used gear too)..

IPYF 01-09-2013 02:27 PM

That's about $500 if I'm doing my math correctly?
I also always recommend going second hand. In this price range you've got a few options.

I always recommend Ashdown as a next step for people who've owned Behringer. A MAG300 head unit with a 115 deep or 410 deep cabinet would set you up for most rehearsal/smaller gig circumstances.

Alternatively, if you're still looking for something more portable, some of the older Peavey 115 combo's will be worth looking at. They won't be as loud as the Ashdown but they do command a nice tone, they're reliable and really cheap these days.

The TC BG250 combo is also really hot right now but might be just outside your price range. I dare say you won't find many in the SH market yet because everyone loves them so much. They have this cool feature called Toneprint which basically allows you to port free effects into the amp from your phone. If I had a cool $650 lying around I'd have one of those in 5 seconds flat.

Hope that helps.

Mangu 01-09-2013 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPYF (Post 13694066)
That's about $500 if I'm doing my math correctly?
I also always recommend going second hand. In this price range you've got a few options.

I always recommend Ashdown as a next step for people who've owned Behringer. A MAG300 head unit with a 115 deep or 410 deep cabinet would set you up for most rehearsal/smaller gig circumstances.

Alternatively, if you're still looking for something more portable, some of the older Peavey 115 combo's will be worth looking at. They won't be as loud as the Ashdown but they do command a nice tone, they're reliable and really cheap these days.

The TC BG250 combo is also really hot right now but might be just outside your price range. I dare say you won't find many in the SH market yet because everyone loves them so much. They have this cool feature called Toneprint which basically allows you to port free effects into the amp from your phone. If I had a cool $650 lying around I'd have one of those in 5 seconds flat.

Hope that helps.

no its around exactly 326.35 $ :/
but thanks for these recommendations anyway :) ill look into them

Mangu 01-20-2013 12:25 PM

Fender rumble 100 watt is 200 euros ( used ) is it a good idea :/?

RickenBoogie 01-20-2013 02:40 PM

The Fender Rumble is only a good idea IF it has an ext spkr jack. If you cannot add another spkr, you will be looking for a new amp agin, sooner than you think. Peavey makes combo amps with ext. spkr. jacks, as do Ashdowns. I don't think the Rumble does.


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