Why do you "need" an Amp??!??

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by Maz

The difference is: My little 50watt practice amp is tailored to the instrument, and colors the sound simlilar to the way a bigger amp does, which for the purpose of practice or feeling out new material, is more accurate. I want to hear those basslines the way they're going to sound in the wild. On the other hand, those at m40f's have a pretty flat frequency response, and everything turns up, extra finger noise included. They are good for not muddying the waters when I'm trying to figure out a new song with my yet untrained ears, but they don't have enough soul to write with.

That's my take on it.Hope that gives you some more perspective OP. If you have a sound system that you can play your bass through that's great, especially if you can tailor the eq to get the sound you want. It's not a bad idea to have an amp as well though, even if you only use it as a referee.

You can do that with sansamps and similar - smaller, though not necessarily cheaper!

[mystic38]

not really imo ... the biggest contributor to bass sound profile in the signal chain is the speaker (aka cab)....

Originally Posted by topo morto

You can do that with sansamps and similar - smaller, though not necessarily cheaper!

[MortallyWounded]

I remember playing my first bass... a short-scale, plywood Kay with a Rick-shaped body. It was terrible. I didn't have an amp when I brought it home, so I plugged it into the microphone input of my old Sony turntable/cassette recorder. I felt like Marty McFly plugging into Doc's CRM-114. The chrome covers on the exposed-winding soap bar pickups worked great as microphones. I thought it was the coolest thing.

Then I got a Peavey Basic 60, the last of the USA-made ones. I then realized how crappy my bass was, and went out and bought a jazz copy. The kids at school stopped laughing at me, and I didn't feel like Marty McFly anymore. I was Jaco-effin'-Pastorius. But, for the heck of it, I decided to try plugging into the Sony again with my new bass and guess what? "Bass solo, take one." I was now Cliff Burton.

If you're playing bass for yourself and no one else, you don't need an amp. You do what you like. Whatever makes you feel cool. If you start playing for anyone else, you'll need an amp for home, and you'll need one that can roughly replicate the sound that you're trying to create for the audience and your band mates. I've got a little Peavey Max 126 right now, but I can't make it sound like the Rumble 150 we rehearse with, so to me, at home, alone, I can play amazingly well. But I try it in rehearsal and I hear every little error and string-squawk. The sound you hear affects the style you play in.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by mystic38

not really imo ... the biggest contributor to bass sound profile in the signal chain is the speaker (aka cab)....

Most of those units make an attempt to model that tonally (Of course you may not feel they do it successfully) and of course you can play with EQ etc yourself. It doesn't take you as far as the physicality of having an 8x10 pumping away next to you, which again points you towards using an amp if you need it. But you can do a lot to give you different tones without swapping amps around.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by topo morto

I don't need an amp for practice. Depending on what I'm practicing, I don't need to be plugged in at all for solo practice. And if I do, I can get a better sound out of my micro home stereo system than my rumble 15, which has very poor bass. And of course headphones are an option...

For band practice, I plug into the same PA the singer goes through. That works live in a lot of situations as well.

The only reason I might keep the rumble 15 is that it works quite well as a guitar amp.

I do also have a 150 watt amp in case I ever get a gig with a different band where I don't know what the PA is like, but TBH in all situations I could probably have done without it so far.

Aren't you the guy that said you couldn't find a B string you liked the sound of???


- georgestrings

[Llaslo]

I'm not saying that's not a good idea, but it wouldn't work for me. I have a 5.1 surround system with a VERY good powered sub. I'm sure it would sound okay to do that; however, there are two problems with it. First, it would prevent anyone from watching TV when I'm practicing. Secondly, it would mean that I must practice in my living room where my Stereo is. I like having a dedicated amp for my bass. If it suits your needs, then I say it's a great option for you. For me it, is a less than desirable solution.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Aren't you the guy that said you couldn't find a B string you liked the sound of???


- georgestrings

Yep, why?

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by mmx6

Currently I do not have an amp

I am using my Fender Jazz 60s with my Vox AmPlug Bass hooked up to my Denon receiver going into my Home Theatre 7.2 system 1400 Watts RMS

Set the AmPlug on overdrive and set to gain to an 8, the output is extremely clean and so bassy the whole house shakes when on the lowest note lol

Also the definition of the plucking is realistic and very clear on the higher frets


At lessons, the teacher only got an 15W and 30W Fender Rumbles

They do not have much low frequencies and output is not clean

Why do you need amos for practice at home??? Amp is useful for gigs especially 100W or so since it is not io big or heavy.

If you ever play in front of people, you'll learn immediately- the first time playing with a bass amp after only using your stereo, you will have no idea how hard to pluck the strings, how to get the sound you want, you probably won't be able to hear yourself and won't be able to blend with the other instruments.

In order to hone your sound and ability for live gigs, you need to practice using the same equipment that will be used for the gig unless you have played through enough different equipment that you know how to get "your sound" with anything.

Also, Denon doesn't make 1400W anything. The only thing that comes close is their $6000 power amp.

[SquierJazz72]

I don't really own anything else to run over, and I still prefer amps, in most cases, unless I have some reason or requirement to use something else.

I have a small practice amp for home, and intend to get a larger rig for playing out. But I also want to get some DI stuff, just so I have those options as well.

[RickenBoogie]

I have a similar question. Why do people who think that THEY don't need an amp, feel the need to question everyone else on the subject? Is it for approval? Validation? These questions get asked about twice a month, sometimes more, and the only answer is, do what works for you. It's not a one size fits all world, nor should it be.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by 1958Bassman

unless you have played through enough different equipment that you know how to get "your sound" with anything.

That's the thing - the more knowledge you have, sometimes, the less equipment you need.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

I have a similar question. Why do people who think that THEY don't need an amp, feel the need to question everyone else on the subject? Is it for approval? Validation? These questions get asked about twice a month, sometimes more, and the only answer is, do what works for you. It's not a one size fits all world, nor should it be.

Knowing what works for other people can help you work out what works for you.

If you 100% know what works for you, you have little reason to be on this forum, unless it's to dole out wisdom...

[MCS4]

I don't believe I remember anyone announcing a rule that you "need" an amp to practice at home, so I'm not sure what the discussion is. I get the impression that lots of TB'rs use computers, DI's, effects units, etc. rather than full gig-worthy amps.

/Needs an amp for, among other things, playing gigs and practicing with his band... and uses it for practice at home because, why not?

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by mystic38

no you dont need an amp.. but i fail to see the point of playing bass in your living room your whole life..

With you on that one - I don't fully enjoy bass unless I'm playing in a band format... Don't get me wrong - I don't mind getting my practice time in, but that's aimed towards proficiency to gig...


- georgestrings

[mongo2]

Why would I need a home theater system? I have an amp with a headphone jack and it's considerably less expensive than an HTS.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by mongo2

Why would I need a home theater system? I have an amp with a headphone jack and it's considerably less expensive than an HTS.

Exactly

[M.R. Ogle]

Sheeesh... if there were NO bass amps, and everyone was playing through their home stereo systems or live direct through the PA... then somebody would "invent" this miraculous little self-contained pre-amp, power-amp & speaker unit DESIGNED specifically for bass guitar, with all the wonderful tone-shaping possibilities (and a direct line out!), then I guess we'd be having threads like "What luddites STILL don't use a bass amp?"

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

I have a similar question. Why do people who think that THEY don't need an amp, feel the need to question everyone else on the subject? Is it for approval? Validation? These questions get asked about twice a month, sometimes more, and the only answer is, do what works for you. It's not a one size fits all world, nor should it be.

But that's not an answer, it's just a platitude that fills up space and conveys no information. That's partly why these types of questions get asked over and over - these maximally uninformative replies. It's as if "do what works for you" never occurred to anyone before or that it solves the original problem the poster is always asking about.

As for the OP: As other guys have said, home hi-fi systems are designed for accurate signal reproduction, not intentional distortion. But they're still amps hooked up to speakers, so they can be made to perform somewhat as "amps". Some kind of signal shaping device is the ticket there, like a Line6 preamp, etc. So it can be done and is a good idea if you don't want to spend a fortune on a purpose-made bass amp.

I have a strange kind of hearing damage that renders amps with more than about 10 watts useless to me. So my little Roland cube is all I need these days - I pipe it into my Mac and play along that way through the headphones. In the rare event that I play through my GK gig rig, it's always at a very low volume, since I can't make out bass notes at volumes past a certain rather low point.

So I could go forever with just the Roland and its preamp for recording, etc.. Even at 5watts, It's actually enough to play with acoustic or wind instruments by itself, almost. If I ever did play with drums/guitar, etc. again, tho I'd have to drag the GK along or plug into the PA or something like that. But I won't actually _need_ a gig rig again in this life.

LS

[zon6c-f]

For home use/ personal practice...Whatever works for you; to each their own....

I prefer a dedicated bass system: I use either Line6 Bass Pod or Korg Pandoras box.

Both have tons of tuners, tones and features,far more than the simple, inexpensive "amp-plug-type" headphone amps.

Plug-in-tune-up. practice... "silently" through headphones or use either box as a pre-amp for live or direct into PA..I've done it both ways with both boxes...WORKS GREAT.
Good luck.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by topo morto

Yep, why?

Because what you play it thru definitely makes a difference - and you didn't describe anything that a 5er would sound good thru - frame of reference can be pretty important...


- georgestrings