Which is more important to you: the bass, or the amp?

Selta · #1 09-12-2004, 09:35 AM

A quandry I just found myself in. I don't know why I thought it, but I'm curious, to you, which is more important, your bass(es) or you amp(s)? Mostly I mean for getting your sound, but you can take it anyway you wish.
For me, I'd have to say at the moment my bass is much more important, as my rig is for sale and I hope to get a new one within' due time.
What about you? o.O

Ray

Aaron Saunders · #2 09-12-2004, 09:53 AM

I find basses way more interesting than amps and know a lot more about basses than I do amps. It can be pretty frustrating when looking for a new amp though. You can play the best bass in the world through a mediocre amp and you'll get a mediocre sound, but you can play a junk bass through a great amp and get a pretty good sound.

Nick Gann · #3 09-12-2004, 11:00 AM

You can put any bass through a Squier BP 15 and it will sound like poo. You can take any bass and put it through an Eden/Aguilar/Ashdown/whatever high end amp you like and come out with a decent tone if you know how to use the controls.

Frank Martin · #4 09-12-2004, 12:15 PM

Both are important. When my rig is complete, I'll have costs as much as my bass.

The bass seems a bit more important because thats the basic source of sound, it is the thing you have direct contact with - feel and playability are important factors at a bass.
We have way more contact with our basses, and all basses are different, while most amps are the same, so thats why we dont develop similar emotional ties to amps as we do with some basses

ElMon · #5 09-12-2004, 02:42 PM

My Heart to my Head to my Hands to everything else.

Aaron Saunders · #6 09-12-2004, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElMon

My Heart to my Head to my Hands to everything else.

Psh! Wuss! You probably voted carrots, too. Psh!

(just kidding)

CamMcIntyre · #7 09-12-2004, 09:09 PM

I voted amp. I like my sound more coming out of my rig than i did when it came out of my BassMan 200. I think they both matter though.

Davidoc · #8 09-12-2004, 09:38 PM

I'm going to say amp, but the bass is very important too. I just think that the amp shapes most of the timbre, and controls how powerful the sound is, and what type of sound it is/how loud, clean it is etc.

A crappy bass with a good amp will do the job, while a good bass with a crappy amp won't.

(btw, this has been done approximately 10,000,000 times before.

)

canopener · #9 09-12-2004, 10:52 PM

This is like being asked to pick a favorite child...

ADbassman · #10 09-12-2004, 11:20 PM

I voted for bass, because you can't make the music without a bass. I didn't think of it in terms of what makes it sound better, I thought of which is more important concerning making music.

Munjibunga · #11 09-12-2004, 11:26 PM

Brendan · #12 09-13-2004, 09:42 AM

It's all amp.

nicoli · #13 09-13-2004, 09:46 AM

I gotta say amp... the intrument is more personal, but you're not going to hear it without that rig pumping out volume.

Alexander · #14 09-13-2004, 10:48 AM

Hands first, amp second, bass third.

bassturtle · #15 09-13-2004, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mutantbassist

The bass seems a bit more important because thats the basic source of sound, it is the thing you have direct contact with - feel and playability are important factors at a bass.

My thoughts exactly.

McHack · #16 09-13-2004, 11:47 AM

I offer carrots, only because BOTH are equally important!

brianrost · #17 09-13-2004, 11:50 AM

When it comes down to it, I still have to play the bass.

The amp is much more of a generic tool, sure I like to use MY amp but I can get by with almost anything if I have to.

Not to mention there are situations where there is no amp anyway...like when recording via DI.

bmc · #18 09-13-2004, 12:14 PM

Bass.

You can't polish a turd.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #19 09-13-2004, 06:13 PM

As far as being completely objective-Bass. Can't play live without a bass, but you can plug into the PA without an amp. You can practice without being plugged in, but no bass=no music.

Being personal-bass as well. Much more contact and chemistry with the instrument.

Alexander · #20 09-14-2004, 09:06 AM

When it comes to sound, I think the amp is more important than the bass. However, once I got a decent rig and got it set up how I like it, I have not thought too much about it. All of my GAS attacks are for basses, not for amps. The way I'm set up, I don't even tweak my amp during a show as (to me) it sounds freakin unreal no matter what I plug into it. I either tweak the controls on the bass itself or change basses where needed. The new Schroeder cabs look very interesting (I would love to get a 4x10), but I keep eyeing Sadowskys, Lulls, MIA Pbasses and thinking about building Warmoths, etc...