I know nothing about amps, please help.

[BradLeeCook]

So as the subject suggests I know nothing about amps. When anybody talks about amps it's pretty much a language I do not understand. Any dictionaries or amp starter guides? I've had two different low wattage amps, a Behringer Thunderbird BX108 and a Line 6 LD15. I'm thinking of getting a Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout in the future because it is still an all in one set and because of the reviews and all. I need to upgrade so I can actually play with a full band and still be able to hear myself.

[GrowlerBox]

The FAQs "stickied" to the top of the Amps forum isn't a terrible place to start.

The Walkabout receives much praise hereabouts; I don't think you'll run into too many nay-sayers on that one. Nice and portable, will cover a lot of ground, depending on what sort of music you play, your basses, the tone you like, etc, etc.

Welcome aboard, ask questions, be prepared to be slapped around a bit (all in good fun, mostly....), and learn what you can!

[Noose]

I'll give it a shot. I'm not much of a techie myself so maybe I can give you the basics in laymans terms.

The amp is what powers the speaker
The preamp boosts and colors the signal from your bass.
Typically bass heads have both a preamp and a power amp in one
Combo amps have a power amp, preamp, and a speaker cabinet all in one
For most live situations I would say you need a combo amp with at least 150 watts and a 15 inch speaker.
You can get more power/volume by using a seperate head and cabinet
If you go this route, you have to make sure your cabinet has the right ohm rating. For example if your amp is a 4 ohm amp, you want a 4 ohm cabinet or higher, keeping in mind that the higher the ohm rating of your cab is, the less power it will draw from your amp. If your amp is 8 ohms, you should not use a cab that is 4 ohms because you could damage the cab

Those are the basics. There is way too much for one thread but this should get you started. Good luck

[BradLeeCook]

thank you sir. I play a reasonable range so I'd like something mostly good for funk, metal, and general rock. I'm thinking of buying a Deluxe Active P Bass Special any nay sayers against that?

[RickenBoogie]

The most important thing to know, is about volume. It takes multiple speakers, not high wattage. In this case, if you plan on playing with a full rock band, I can think of no better sounding amp than the Walkabout, however, the single 12" Scout package is where you'll fall short. Most of us Walkabout fans use bigger multi-spkr cabs with our Walkabouts. At the very least, double the amount of the Scout, (2x12), but read the mega-thread for plenty of ideas. Good luck, and good choice.