suitable amp for Washburn AB5 acoustic-electric

chookens · #1 01-06-2011, 12:15 AM

Hello from Australia! Tomorrow i plan to purchase a Washburn AB5 acoustic-electric bass. (i finally found a stockist on the Gold Coast).

My question now, is what sort of amp should i get? I've only ever played mandolin, so have no idea about bass amps. Most of the venues my husband and I play at most often have a bass amp on stage, but we do a gig for 3 months of the year at a caravan park. We have our own sound gear, which we use with an acoustic guitar and the acoustic-electric mandolin, but now that an acoustic-electric bass is about to enter the picture, we'll need a bass amp of some description. It's not a huge venue, maybe 100 people at most.
Any help you can give me would be most appreciated!
Chookens

SurferJoe46 · #2 01-06-2011, 12:44 AM

I believe that I would get a separate head (amp) and cabinet.

I got back into playing after a long time off and I bought a combo amp inside a cab, and although it's great and does what I want and need even now, it's cumbersome and heavy.

I also feel you should overbuy for power as you don't need power now - but running a rig over 50% of it max capacity is going to put a little more strain on all the parts.

I think I'd double at least what I thought I'd need.

I started with a 600Watt amp @ 2Ω and you can get cabs (with their speakers, which are called 'drivers') in various Ohm ratings to take the amp to it's full potential.

I know gear is expensive in Upsidedown Land as I've got friends in New Zealand - so I think buying good once is a lot better than buying cheap or weak and then needing to upgrade to get what you need soon after.

Me? I recommend 500-600 Watts and get a set of drivers - preferably multiples of 10" units (4-10s in one cab is nice as are a pair of 2-10" drivers in twin cabs) and I would not get less than 4-10's in a cab - but you will surely have lots of people telling you to get 2-10" drivers in a single cab.

It could work OK.

You can prolly get away with 150Watts and a single 15" driver - but then that's all you'll have and it is somewhat limited if you need more power.

Bass amps and drivers need to move air to be heard - and that takes big drivers or multiples of smaller ones and lots of power in the form of Wattage.

Good on ya - and keep asking questions.

JimmyM · #3 01-06-2011, 12:54 AM

sounds like you probably won't need more than a 100-200w combo. i'm quite taken with the ampeg micro vr/svt 210av combo these days. there are other brands out there, but in the lower price ranges, it's really hard to beat ampeg stuff imho.

anonymous122511 · #4 01-06-2011, 02:21 AM

Before you buy an amp get the bass and see how it works through the PA you already own. I gigged steadily for six years with an ABG in a drummerless duo and played through the PA at least 60% of the time.

I'm certainly not one to rave about amplifiers...the acoustic player part of me sees them as a necessary evil. I can though honestly recommend the Genz Benz 3.0 1x10 combo as an amp that sounds good with all my basses, acoustic and solid body electric.

chadds · #5 01-06-2011, 06:50 AM

I agree get bass and try. Sometimes a good ABG can sound good through a full range system solo and bad in the mix. Some bass amps can be so tailored to electric basses that all the goodness of an ABG is covered up. I said some. You do want effective eq. on said amp to be able to get out the bad and bring up the good. You couldn't go wrong with an SWR BBII.

For loud gigs I woul play a Washburn AB45 through one or two SWR SM-400s and a 4x10 or two.

chookens · #6 01-13-2011, 12:28 AM

[quote=SurferJoe46;10235383]I believe that I would get a separate head (amp) and cabinet.

Thank you Surfer Joe for your reply and assistance with information. Sorry about the late reply to your message - we've had devastating floods here in Queensland, but thankfully we're okay. I managed to drive the coupla hours to the Gold Coast to purchase my Washburn before the rains got really serious - now i'm tryin to play it! Whole different thing to the mando that i'm used to playing! Again, thank you for your help re the amp!

chookens · #7 01-13-2011, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

sounds like you probably won't need more than a 100-200w combo. i'm quite taken with the ampeg micro vr/svt 210av combo these days. there are other brands out there, but in the lower price ranges, it's really hard to beat ampeg stuff imho.

Thank you Jimmy for your reply. Sorry I haven't replied to you before now, but we've had devastating floods here in Queensland, but thankfully we're okay. I managed to drive the coupla hours to the Gold Coast to purchase my Washburn before the rains got really serious - now i'm tryin to play it! Whole different thing to the mando that i'm used to playing! Again, thank you for your help re the amp!

chookens · #8 01-13-2011, 12:33 AM

[quote=jeff arddun;10235502]Before you buy an amp get the bass and see how it works through the PA you already own. I gigged steadily for six years with an ABG in a drummerless duo and played through the PA at least 60% of the time.

Thank you Jeff for your reply. Sorry about the late reply but there's been devastating floods here in Queensland - thankfully we're okay. I managed to drive the coupla hours to the Gold Coast to purchase my Washburn before the rains got really serious - now i'm tryin to play it! Whole different thing to the mando that i'm used to playing! Again, thank you for your help re the amp!

chookens · #9 01-13-2011, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadds

I agree get bass and try.

Thank you Chadds for your reply and advice. Sorry about the late reply to your message - we've had devastating floods here in Queensland, but thankfully we're okay. I managed to drive to the Gold Coast to purchase my Washburn before the rains got really serious - now i'm tryin to play it! Whole different thing to the mando that i'm used to playing! Again, thank you for your help re the amp!