Which would you upgrade first? An amp or a bass?

[delaford321]

I would say a bass, but if the amp is old then there is no point in improving the bass... Hmm... proly the amp first, shortly followed by the bass...

[Bard2dbone]

It's always smarter to get the best amp you can before you upgrade your bass. I actually don't take my good basses out of the house. I played a BUNCH of gigs on a standard MIJ Fender Jazz fretless, basically the same as the MIM Jazz Standards they have now. When I played outdoor gigs I used my sons Squier Precision Plus. My Lakland has barely left the house. My Spector went to a lot of practices, but no gigs. Do you see a pattern forming?

Now all that time I had a practice and quiet jam amp, a GK MB 150E or MB 112E, I forget the model. And I had a big rig, at first an Acoustic B4 into an Acoustic TC210P 2x10 cab and a Randall 2x15 cab. Then I swapped that for an SWR Redhead into an SWR Triad.

So: Pro amps & cheap basses = gigs in public. Pro bass & cheap amp = playing at home.

Buy just a bit more than you can afford. If that's not enough, save more and THEN buy just a bit more than you can afford, but JUST a bit.

[gtaus]

Just joined this thread, and at the expense of not reading the previous 15 pages, just let me say that I would upgrade my bass first. This is based on my personal experience in my band and my setup. I use my Digitech GNX4 as my bass pedal and send a direct XLR output to the FOH mixer. Almost all of my sound comes from the FOH speakers. On stage, I have a small Rogue 120 bass amp as my bass monitor. The stage amp gets the 1/4" output from the GNX4. On stage, I only turn up the amp loud enough to hear myself, but I don't need it any louder. Having a small amp on stage reduces my footprint and gives me more room on some of the small stages we play on.

At any rate, my sound from the GNX4 direct to the FOH mixer sounds really good, so a good/expensive bass amp on stage, for me, is not really needed. I would put my money towards a better bass if I thought it would improve my playing. I'm happy with my bass sound from the GNX4.

[Killens84]

I would upgrade the bass first. The reason being, because most situations I play in require the entire band to go through the house PA. In those cases, my amp is simply just a stage monitor for me. I always use my DI output, and set my amp to "pre EQ" output. So it's basically the same as connecting through a DI box, and only the tone of my bass is going through the house speakers and subs. I've always gotten good compliments on it from audience members and from the sound guys. Now if you're playing in a situation where your amp is the only way the audience is hearing your bass, then that's a different story. I'm not sure whether I would upgrade my bass or amp first, if that's the situation I played in most often.

[baileyboy]

I've always gone with quality basses first ('73 J, '75 P, '79 P). I own 2 amps- Ampeg B3 combo (150W, small gigs) and Fender Rumble (15W, practice). As of this time, the B3 has been great so don't feel the need to trade up in the amp department. If the need arises, it will be done.

[Thunderthumbs73]

Originally Posted by StrudelBass

Well basically lets say you already have both, but they're not exceptionally good, and you could only choose one. Would you opt for a new bass or go for a new amp? Opinions needed. Replies welcomed.

Played my el-cheapo basses through my expensive bass amp/rig: awesome sound.

Played my expensive basses through my cheapo amp/rig: average sound.

You will sound better via approach #1.

Plus, sometimes upgrading the amp will pay dividends beyond sound- aka- when you upgrade from your 150 watt Peavey "boat anchor" to a 500 watt Mark Bass (for instance), you get much more wattage as well as a amp/rig which likely weighs HALF as much as that Peavey. Dividends beyond sound. Nothing against Peavey, or as an expressed preference for Mark Bass. Just an example.

[SteveC]

I haven't read all the previous pages yet (I will) but I am in this situation right now. I have a Yamaha BB605 active 5 string bass with Bartolini jazz pups and preamp. My amp is a GB Shuttle 6.0-12T combo.

For whatever reason I am not happy with my sound - through my amp at jazz gigs without PA or at PA supported gigs where my amp is a monitor and we all go through the FOH.

I am thinking I'm going to change things up. I am thinking a passive 4 string "jazz" bass. They are also getting a Genz Benz Uber Quad cab in at the store with my name on it along with a Shuttle 9.0 that I would get in trade for my current combo. I can't do both a nice bass and the cab/head. Assuming I like it, do I get the new cab and head first? What if I get the new rig and then use some "pocket change" and get one of those new VM Jazz basses that Squier is putting out? I played one at the store and it isn't bad at all.

The problem is I'm have a hard time dealing with the headstock. I know y playing should/would speak for itself, but still......

[upandb]

If you are going into the studio, or play at venues where you can plug into the PA, then definitely a new bass, if your old one is junk.

Otherwise, amp.

[SteveC]

My "money gigs" are usually non-PA jazz gigs.

[15000volts]

since i don't do gigs and i don't use my amp much, i'd say bass. on the other hand, the reason i don't the amp much is because i don't like it a lot...

[Bromosapian]

It depends. If you find a bass uncomfortable to play, always upgrade that first. However, getting a high quality amp head/ preamp can last you a long time. I'm still relatively new to this, but I'm trying to buy high quality when I get pedals (I got a multi effects for free which I use as a stopgap while aiming straight for stuff like the VTbass/pitchfactor rather than behringer trash).

[AnnieSocial]

I would think that deciding which one to upgrade first would depend on how bad your current gear is. For example: if you play a Dean bass through an old 10 watt practice amp with an 8 inch driver, I'd say get a good amp. But if you play an old bass with a rusty bridge and a loud buzz, a new bass would be the priority.
As in everything, it depends on the situation.

[LedBelli Bass]

I'd upgrade my chops first . . . seems like, after that, all the rest falls into place.

[drummer5359]

Hmmm.

As a newbie, this thread reeeeeally got my attention. I would have thought before reading it that most bassists would have said that the instrument itself would make the difference. And... of course I'd have been wrong. I can see that a good amp is more important that a good bass sound-wise. It just makes sense. So... I need to learn about amps.

I feel I'm in the right place.

[electracoyote]

Rule #1 of sound reinforcement: Start at the source.

I always do everything in my power to make sure my basses are set-up and play their absolute best before I start to analyze my overall sound. The pickups and strings have to be right, all adjustments made to optimize the bass's performance.

If I were trying to decide between an amp/cab upgrade and a bass mod, the bass would come first.

And then I would analyze the amp/cab and work on it if needed.

In that order.

[TwinBass]

An amp. No question in my mind.

A great amp can sound great with a wide variety of basses, but a great bass through a weak amp is going to sound weak. A great sounding and powerful amp can be a foundation for good tone forever (barring any kind of amp catastrophe, of course), even while falling in and out of love with the specific tones of different basses.

[stingray2112]

I would say the amp first. I upgraded from a Hartke head running thru a hartke 2x12 to an Ampeg svt 4pro running thru an ampeg 8x10 and it made a world of difference. You can gain much more tone out of a better amp.

[Rockingbird]

A better bass feels better to play, and therefore is more likely to be picked up. If I had started on a plywood piece of crap with a bowed neck and frets that cut your hand, I wouldn't be playing guitar or bass at all.

[Ethan2]

I'm in high school and can usually borrow my school's amp if I ever need to play a gig, so I'd rather buy a bass soon and save for a nicer amp later, maybe before college.

[woholivia]

a new amp, no doubt.
though i always buy the instrument instead, it's so much more fun buying that than amps lol