Who makes one- intended for livingroom/ home recording use- seems like all the ones i can find just have a tube in the preamp. Am i stuck with getting an old Fender Musicmaster bass amp?
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all-tube bass combo?
- Thread starter slantedpanted
- Start date
you could do a lot worse!
Mesa made the Buster combos about ten years back - great sounding but the 2x10 was really awkward and bulky. Real good deals when you see 'em though!
Mesa made the Buster combos about ten years back - great sounding but the 2x10 was really awkward and bulky. Real good deals when you see 'em though!
Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout. Pretty spendy, but if tubes you must have......its not ALL tube I guess but all tube pre-amp and some in the power amp.
If you want an all-tube amp for just home use and recording, I recommend you take your time and find an Ampeg B-15, B-15N or B-15R that's in good working condition. You might pay plus-minus a thousand dollars for an "N" model from the 1970s, but it could be a one-time purchase that pays back dividends for years to come.
+1. My '67 B15N is perfect for what the OP wants. And if you can can handle a little cosmetic damage, you can find them for under a grand ( paid $900 for mine ).
A B15 is certainly a holy grail amp, but you could find a Mesa Buster for alot less money. I paid $400 for a Buster 210 wedge. Unweildy, you bet. But pure magic tonally. They also did a 1x15 combo, which looks to be alot easier to move around.
Benjamin Strange
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- Dec 25, 2002
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Let the record show that Mesa made straight 2x10 Buster combos to replace the incredibly awkward wedge format.
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
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It's true - they didn't make too many, as the whole Buster combo idea was pretty much a bust at that point.
There would be a HUGE profit for any company that made a low-ish wattage (anywhere from 15 to 50) watt combo amps for bass. I'd get a little 10 watt for my bedroom, solid state just isn't my thing with combos.
I don't know....I just can't see many people spending $1,300 on a tube combo amp that they can't play out with, when a $500 SS combo can get a really good sound & is far more portable. I think the people have spoken with products like the Mesa Buster and Ampeg B-15N being discontinued.
i just bought a fender bassman 20 all tube combo yesterday. Its a great sounding amp clean and LOUD for 18 watts. Perfect for home or recording, it might be loud enough to play with my band, it cranks and has a lot of bottom end
actually the b-15n was still very popular when magnavox sold ampeg to mti. mti discontinued everything but the svt when they took it over and moved to japan. the conventional wisdom after slm took over was a 30w tube amp wouldn't sell, and there may have been a time when they were right, but there's 125 people on here in the portaflex club and and way more than that with other low power tube amps from the 60's and 70's, and that's just on here. ashdown is about to release a 30w tube amp, and ampeg's going to do a heritage b-15n reissue. so i think there absolutely is still a market for it. is it huge? not in comparison to the ss amp market. but there's a market for it, trust me.
+1. I own one and its perfect for my bedroom playing. Got the best tone I've ever heard. And I own an all tube mesa400+ and prefer the b15n's tone to it. My friends want b15s and bassman low wattage tube combos, can't afford them though but theres definitely people out there who can.
It's not a combo but Ashdown has the 30 watt all tube Little Bastard head coming out. Pair it with a nice small cabinet and I think that would suit your needs just the same.
I also recommend the Buster too. I had a 1 x 15" that sounded incredible but I got sick of lugging it around so it went. It sounds like it might work for you though if it's for at home use and you aren't loading it in and out of gigs. May be a bit too loud as well though I must say it still sounded very nice at low volumes, just incredibly clean.
I also recommend the Buster too. I had a 1 x 15" that sounded incredible but I got sick of lugging it around so it went. It sounds like it might work for you though if it's for at home use and you aren't loading it in and out of gigs. May be a bit too loud as well though I must say it still sounded very nice at low volumes, just incredibly clean.
You could really go for any small wattage tube head and just plug it into a bass cab. I've played around with epiphone valve jr through a bass cab and it sounded fine to a point. The little bastard may work better, or maybe one of the other low watt heads like the blackheart, badcat mini II or alley cat with a bass cab. You could also look into a lot of the odd-brand vintage tube heads as well.
You have a lot of options, I personally still hold the B-15N as the standard, so that's what I went with
.
You have a lot of options, I personally still hold the B-15N as the standard, so that's what I went with
.
I remember Trace Elliot made a V4 200watt 210 and 115 combo at one stage although they are very hard to come by nowadays...
I don't see the problem with picking up an old Bassman for $300-$400, and putting it on the cab of your choice... Such a rig would certainly be more versatile than a combo, and wouldn't take up much more space - if any...
Why does it have to be a combo???
- georgestrings
Why does it have to be a combo???
- georgestrings
