New to Bass questions

[br_ad]

Hi, I have too many questions to look them all up and I figured you guys like showing off your knowledge any ways so here goes my story. I'm not really "new" to bass I started with bass 8 years ago and since transfered my focus to guitar piano and synth but the time has come where I have been called upon and required to play bass. So I need to buy a new setup. I'll be getting a standard P-bass and I need help, suggestions and conflicts with amps. I've narrowed it down to either ahsdown or Hartke but would be open to other brands that I don't know about. I'm on about a 500 dollar budget to get an amp. I've tried out the hydrive 112c (or 115c) and liked it alot, it has a nice bass without just being bass, it has the attack as well and I could get the sounds out of it I wanted. In the end this will be the most likely amp that I will get unless there is something better. What are your suggestions for an amp? I play like Roger Waters (bold claim kid... I'm not as good chill) and like his bass sounds, Colin Greenwood from Radiohead whom I read plays gallein Kruger and I really like the bassist from Air french band Nicolas Godin.
Now with that out of the way,
The hydrive amp has an aluminum/ paper cone please explain the differences and or alternatives.
Does it matter as much as guitar to have a tube bass amp? if so what ones should I be looking at?

Thanks for looking and answering.

[My name is Mudd]

Play thru everything you can get your hands on and can afford. Choose the rig that gives you your tone.

Tube amps are nice - tube amps are expensive.

Don't necessarily pay a LOT of attention to what you hear, tone-wise, in recordings since a lot of tweaking can be done/is done post-production. Note also that some studios don't always use mic'd amps at all...they use DI straight to the board. Sometimes. Except when they don't.

[RickenBoogie]

Yes, just go forth and play through everything that's available to you, and choose based on price/sound. Only you can make the call.