A STATE OF SOLID BASS DISGRACE IS WRIT UPON MY FACE!

[kraigo]

Nobody going for the Shuttle 6? Tube pre and 600 watts. Guaranteed never to break your back.

That's what I was going to recommend. You can find them in the $600 range and at that size/weight, taking it as a backup isn't that much extra work. Nice little, but powerful, amp.

KO

 

[rbonner]

Ok I will join in the 42 posts in one day feeding frenzy. Out on tour? $600 budget? Whats wrong with this picture? Talk about being dupped. CALL GC, Whip out the ****en credit card and buy another SVT-CL and have it drop shipped to whereever C/O whoever. BOB

 

[In Absentia]

Aguilar AG500 or Mesa Boogie amps

 

[Pandafist]

Ok I will join in the 42 posts in one day feeding frenzy. Out on tour? $600 budget? Whats wrong with this picture? Talk about being dupped. CALL GC, Whip out the ****en credit card and buy another SVT-CL and have it drop shipped to whereever C/O whoever. BOB

I'm sorry, but what are you talking about "being duped" and "wrong with this picture"?
Please explain.

 

[ishouldbeking]

I'm sorry, but what are you talking about "being duped" and "wrong with this picture"?
Please explain.

There might be an assumption that only wealthy or highly successful musicians can afford to tour, therefore your budget should be higher than that.... but clearly that's a pretty silly assumption. He may not realize that you need to save every cent you can so you can afford to eat, and keep a van running and full of gas, etc, etc.

 

[NKUSigEp]

Let me start by saying that I am a tube guy, born and raised. My #1 amp will always be tube, but I've realized that I need to buy a back-up solid state head for touring. I blew my SVT CL out the first night of my band's most recent tour and it sucked bigtime. Still had to lug that f%*$er everywhere and I never had the time to take it apart to find the problem while on the road. Bulsh! (please don't bother with tube advice, I know what went wrong now and it's being handled). I've never owned a solid state bass amp that I REALLY loved. I've had a few that were pretty decent though (Sunn Coliseum & Concert bass, and the Peavey 400).
Anyway. I've narrowed the selection down and was wondering if yall had an opinion on any of the following heads vs any of the others. Keep in mind that I'm working with a budget that won't exceed $600, so whichever way I go, it'll probably be a second hand purchase.


1. Eden WT series, the 550 or higher. Comes highly recommended by Eric my amp guy. He says these amps are killer but you have to pay for it. He also said to make sure to get one with the tube pre section (ie. 550 or higher)

2. SWR. There's a million to choose from but my guy says the higher end SWR is really hard to beat for the money. Who knew? No offense SWR fans. I just always assumed they were cheap amps. What do they say about 'ass'uming things? Any model recs. would be appreciated.

3. Gallien-Krueger 800RB. I know these amps and love them. I've played one before and like the tone enough. They can also be found pretty cheap in these parts. However, servicing them is a bitch. My room mate has one that needs it's motherboard replaced, so I checked into it. Turns out it costs more than buying another used one. That's a major drawback if you ask me. Eric (my amp guy) says they are sure to last longer if you always put a fan on the back. That's another minor drawback.

4. Acoustic 450 or 370. All I have to run on here is reputation. I've seen a lot of players that I respect using them so I figure it's a good head.

5. Any solid state you might recommend will also be put in the hat, but I'm working with a budget of about $600 max.

Thanks duderz!
PANDAFIST

ps - My playing style is aggressive and overdriven. Here's a link so that you can listen to some of our songs (if that helps at all)
Link Removed

Sounds like you haven't seen the market since 1989. Probably better that way as I spend more time worrying about gear than I do about my playing. Anyways, I used to be pro-tube but have since converted to using all-solid state Aguilar and get more tube-tone than I did with tubes.

 

[Pandafist]

Sounds like you haven't seen the market since 1989. Probably better that way as I spend more time worrying about gear than I do about my playing. Anyways, I used to be pro-tube but have since converted to using all-solid state Aguilar and get more tube-tone than I did with tubes.

Ha. Sort of! I've been a vintage enthusiast since I started playing music. I've always liked my gear older than me as a general rule. Maybe that's weird to some, I don't know. But yeah, I haven't really kept up with the tsunami of new gear that's flooded the market. Better late than never, eh?