I'm so tired of searching for a reliable and affordable bass combo!
 

I decided to go back to university so all i need is a reliable and affordable practice amp.
I'm not gigging, only playing with a drummer once in a while.

Here's what i went thru in the last 4 months....

I first bought a ba108, it was a great cheap combo, they only problem was the slightly distorted soind it had...i sold it after 2 months to buy a ba110 from a friend. It was a 2 week old warranty return. Ampeg had just replaced it with the the latest version. After 1 month noise was stopping and the amp was crakling...i sold it for parts....

I bought another ba108, i told myself i would be very unlucky to get another that distorted, the new one was buzzing like hell.... I went back the store for a replacement, they had none. They offered a credit, i ordered a ba112. When it arrives 1 week later, the ba112 couldn't turn on.....

I have now a store credit... This store carry fender, ampeg and tcelectronic amps.
I didn't like the tone of the fender rumble75 but i really like the tone of the bassman tv twelve, i kind of also likes the bg250 combo....

My question is:

Is the bg250 reliable?

Is there some reliable and affordable ampeg products?

Do i have to spend 750$ on he tv twelve to get a good sounding and reliable amp.

Btw i don't like to send of the new gk mb combo, i prefer the 700rb and gk115 i use to have when i was gigging,,,,

Thanks

I've had a BA115 combo for about three years now. Done rehearsal's and several gigs with it and never had a problem. And now they make a BA115HP with double the wattage

I was tempted by the ba115hp but i read so many horror stories about it...

There's also the fact that 4 defective ampeg amps in 4 months is a little too much, it's hard to get over it.
Maybe i should buy a vt bass pedal and use it with reliable amp?

Umm!
 

I would be tempted to try an Ashdown combo as we have had one here as a hire combo for ages and nobody has managed to destroy it yet.
The bloody thing just refuses to die, see the treads it's like after the nuclear holocaust the only thing alive will be ashdowns and cockroaches.
:bassist:

What is your budget?

Why does it need to be a combo? Why can't you buy a small-ish head that has a proven track record and a small-ish cabinet? I don't need a big amp, so I bought a nice GK 400MB and I'm building a cabinet for an Eminence Delta 12LFA. If the cabinet works out, I can always build another if I need it to be a lot louder and they still won't be huge. The cabinet is 16" x 21" x 26" and I may make a cover that holds the amp onto the top, held in place by heavy latches. If I do that, I'll put wheels at the rear and a handle that retracts or folds down.

I have a 350$ store credit, i'd like to use the store credit to buy the new combo or head/cab. This store is only selling fender, ampeg and tc electronics amplifiers so i do not have a lot of choices.

My budget is 550$

If the Bassman TV 12 is within your budget, get it. Sounds great.

The store has a fender tv twelve combo on special, it still 750$ i Will spend that kind of money if i really can't find any other solution

Of those choices I'd go with the TC. Generally reliable and good sound. You may look here for more info. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/tc...0-club-901664/

Find a used Markbass CMD 121 combo, I own one and never looked back. Sounds good with all my basses.

Try the Fender Rumble 150 Combo! I have one and it is awesome! Tons of power, sounds great, well built and the casters are not a bad feature!!

Are there are other stores around with a better/different selection? You'd have to pay me to have a TCE bass amp, Fender low end combos aren't that great and you haven't had good luck with Ampeg. I think the store should just give you your money back so you have some options. You bought how many lemons from them? At some point they need to give up the sale to someplace that can actually give you what you need.

Personally, if you are playing with a drummer, the combos you are using sound way too small. I wouldn't want to play with a drummer with anything less than about 150w and a 15 or 2 10s. Pushing a small combo too hard might have something to do with all the problems you've had.

Having said that, if you can find a good deal on a used one, the newer Trace combos (1215, etc...) are killer. On the bigger/heavier/louder side definitely, but the advantage is you could use them for a lot of band situations too. Or for that matter, the older Trace combos.

Does the shop where you have credit have any used bass gear?

They only want to refund the upcharge i paid for the ba112, since i don't plan to deal with this shop in the future i don't want to loose the 125$ i paid for the ba108 including taxes. I just don't want to buy 125$ of strings, pick and stuff.

It's very hard to get an idea of the bg250 combo. People hate them or love them so much!

Btw 3 of the ampeg amps were défective out of the box. I really wish they hire people at quality Check department.

With your troubles with Ampeg and Fender being over-priced.......go with the TC.

Sorry to hear of your troubles with the Ampeg. I myself picked up a used BA115 and I scored it for $140 out the door at a local shop.
I then sold my peavey maxx112 for $75 a few days later so .. It came cheap. None the less its a killer combo ! I crank the master all the way up and adjust the gain as needed ( this gets me the most clean headroom). I have used this amp a lot! Rehearsals, gigging, and so on. It has yet to let me down! The 100w rating is about right, and its a loud amp!! Really! Going on the reliability of this amp, I'd not hesitate to buy another Ampeg, if it was in the market for a new amp.

Really, my BA115 is an awesome 'lil rig. It will cover most small to medium gigs. Has a line out, cd-in/out ,headphones out. And if you look around , you can find them cheap.

Don't give up on Ampeg yet!


Wyattsgroove.


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Uhm, no. They sold you a lemon amp. So you exchanged it for a different (more expensive) amp from them. That also turned out to be a lemon. So at this point you have given them lots of money and they have delivered precisely nothing. Any reputable store would give you a full refund. Maybe it's different in Canada, but in the states, a store doing that would have hell to pay if the Better Business Bureau caught wind of something like that.

What exactly is their justification for only giving you part of your money back, when by my count you have precisely zero merchandise or services from them for any of that money?

You need to advocate for yourself, maybe put the fear of god in them a little by mentioning involving the relevant authorities. But only giving store credit for returning defective merchandise seems like total shady BS to me. Especially if every amp they've sold you so far has been defective and if they have such an extremely limited selection. Surely in all of Montreal there are better options to try?

The bg250 is nice. I bought two of them.