Should I get a Sansamp instead of a new combo?
 

My band is going to start playing out soon and all I've got is a Peavey max158. It's 15 watts and gets pretty loud even with drums and guitar but obviously 15 isn't enough.nim tight on cash as a college student though so I was thinking about going ampless and just getting the Sansamp DI. Would this be a cost effective solution.

If you have PA support, and good monitors so that you can hear yourself, then yes that's a very practical way to get a pretty good tone out front without going into debt to get a rig.

Yes

I don't recommend it. You're at the mercy of the monitoring in the venue and the competency of the sound guy. I had this blow up on me once (while I was in college), and I'll never allow myself to play to near complete silence again :(

As long as you'll always have PA support it'll be fine. If you're in Eminor3rd's position keep your little 15 watt combo handy as a stage monitor sit it up at chest/head height and you'll hear yourelf fine, even if you get no love from the foldback.

You have to be unusually confident you will be playing with good PA all the time. Otherwise your bandmates are going to miss out on bass, particularly the drummer. The band can't function like that and you'll be told not to turn up without a rig / fired.

At least get a decent 100w combo with a DI out first. If you have PA, you can use the club's DI or the combo's DI and still have something decent to listen to for you and the band rather than crappy monitors. Later on, get a Sansamp if you want, but at this point you need an amp.

Yes, but the SansAmp you want is the ParaDriver DI.

You cannot depend on having a good PA, ever. A good bass rig is needed.

Exactly. For me, there has been only ONE SHOW where the monitors on stage definitely give me enough volume to hear myself. Some venues have PA setups that only feature one mix for everyone. If you want your bass tone, everyone gets it. Does everyone really want it? Your best bet is to have your own rig - no matter what.

I wouldn't do with just going direct and without something on stage even if it served little purpose than as a monitor for me and the drummer. The FOH may get your bottom end out just fine but all it takes is crappy stage monitors that can't handle the bass and you disappear on stage. The drummer won't like that at all. Heck they usually not only want to hear your bass but feel it too.

I think the ParaDriver that Munjibunga suggests is a good approach but for a little more money you can get a 150w-300w combo that will give you what you need on stage and what you need to run through FOH. Being at the mercy of a PA system is walking a narrow path IMHO. I'd get the combo first and then look at something like a ParaDriver.

Good point.