Seeking suggestions for starter rig - amp heads

[Funkmeister79]

Hi - I'm relatively new to the world of bass rigs and would appreciate some suggestions.

I am looking to pick up a standalone cab. I have a read on both a 2x10 (600 watts) and a 1x15 (500 watts), both used Avatars, both 8 ohms. They're older, not neo, I believe with Kappa speakers.

I play blues, groove and funk/jazz. I am a hobbyist so I'm not going to be playing large clubs. Just looking for something that will sit in a mix well for rehearsals and restaurant and bar gigs.

I haven't played through too many amp heads - I have used an old GK 400RB several times for rehearsals, and loved the tone and simplicity of it. I've been thinking of picking one of those up to match with either the 2x10 or the 1x15.

Any other suggestions? Given the wattage on the cabs (600 for the 2x10, 500 for the 1x15), any wattage minimum or maximum for the head I should keep in mind?

Thanks much.

[Bmorefoozler]

The most commonly recommended "budget or starter" heads i see are the Hartke LH500(warm and round) GK backline(tight and punchy) and the Markbass LM2 or 3(small, and fairly versatile).

[waleross]

Lowdown Line 6 HD 750 ($499)....worth checking out...

[AMp'D.2play]

I'm in a similar boat as you so I'll follow this thread w/ interest. (hobbyist, possible small gigs in future, nothing grandiose).

I saw a used GK RB400 III (just today, in fact) at a darn good price, and after reading a bunch of + reviews will try to test it out this Saturday. A Hartke 3500 was one I tried and liked, but it wasn't quite "I gotta have". SWR 350 & 350x ... a friend of mine loves his SWR stuff & they seem to have a pretty good rep here at TB, but these 2 particular models must've been the black sheep of the SWR family.

You're probably going to get a lot of fine suggestions here from some very knowledgeable folks (present company excluded, of course), but all I can say is to just try & play through as many as you can before you decide. There are some stark differences, and if you're just starting to develop a "sound" preference, some will be hits and others will be misses.

The problem I'm coming across is I keep playing some nicer stuff, and then the "starter" units fall short by comparison. As of now, my 2 faves are a Traynor YBA200-2 tube amp and a TecAmp Puma 500 (Ken, I hate you! ). Both more than I'll ever need; just have to decide if I'm an enough of an avid hobbyist to up my budget. Good luck!