• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Amp Definitions?

R

RHCP250

Nov 24, 2008
655
0
#1
Not sure if defintions is the right word, maybe summaries? Anyway, I've been wanting to upgrade from my combo to a head and cab. I've looked around on the site and found a lot of options and cant seem to really wrap my head around them. So I've made this thread to ask for short "summaries" of different amp companies to know to look for when shopping around.

The companies I'm interested are; Aguilar, Ampeg, Eden, Gallien-Kruger, Hartke, Phil Jones, Mesa-Boogie, and SWR. Again just short descriptions of what to expect from these companies, and suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
RHCP250 said:
Not sure if defintions is the right word, maybe summaries? Anyway, I've been wanting to upgrade from my combo to a head and cab. I've looked around on the site and found a lot of options and cant seem to really wrap my head around them. So I've made this thread to ask for short "summaries" of different amp companies to know to look for when shopping around.

The companies I'm interested are; Aguilar, Ampeg, Eden, Gallien-Kruger, Hartke, Phil Jones, Mesa-Boogie, and SWR. Again just short descriptions of what to expect from these companies, and suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

You may consider adding Genz Benz, Ashdown and Markbass to your list. If you want to go even more modular with a preamp/power amp approach I would consider Tech 21 and BBE

I have owned and/or tried equipment from your list so let me make *general* statements based on new equipment:

1) Mesa Boogie - Tube tone, awesome quality, pricey
2) Genz Benz - Fantastic customer support, quality
3) SWR - I had bad customer experience with them and will not go back
4) Gallien Krueger - classic bass equipment, company has built bass gear for years and seems to consistently improve things
5) Ampeg - loud, quality has declined
6) Tech 21 - great customer service, impressive tone, great quality
7) Phil Jones - cabinets are generally pretty heavy, good quality and customer support

(I suspect I may offend someone... these are just my opinions so don't take it personally)
 
#4
The best advice:

Don't listen to anything you'll read here about tone preference, just go to your local guitar shops, and play everything you can.

Don't do the

Someone on talkbass told me X amp is fantastic

You go in the store, try the amp, yes, it sounds good,

you buy said amp.

Then after earing multiple live performances, you realize that the sound you really wanted was that Y amp everyone bashed on here (because they are now made in china ;) )
 
#5
Eden - wide tonal range, powerful rich tone, expensive.
SWR - solid state tone with a signature sound (that mid-range scoop).

You should include Peavey and Traynor in your search. Peavey in particular makes decent stuff that is affordable and very durable.

JOYM has the best advice, try everything and judge using your own ears. Use your own bass(es) so you know what to expect from the instrument
 
#6
Mesa: As said before fat, classic tone but with still retaining some clarity, amazingly well built, expensive(unless you manage to buy used)
GK: Solid state giants, growling rock tone, great value for the money.
Genz Benz: Good quality, portabilliy.
Hartke: affordabillity(thats about it)
Ampeg: great classic tone if you can find some pre-Loud stuff, otherwise don't bother.

Don't have any experience with the others.

As has been said before those are solely my opinions and you might hear it completely different you just need to go out and try all those companies products on your own.
 
#7
Trace Elliot, Good solid transistor design plenty of eq, a tube in the pre so it can be quite full sounding. Good celestion speakers in it.

Trace Elliot, Tube amps expensive and heavy, very well built,
in the all time greats with the mighty V8.

Ashdown, Very similar to the Trace in basic tone in the transistor range, semi parametric EQ don't know much about the newer models though.

Italy: Mark Bass, Cleanish rugged yet light transistor design very popular LM11 model, well it makes Jimmy smile!. Had one of those in the studio it sounded fine for the record, I am a very prejudiced tube nut and dead skeptical about little light weight things but it had a surprising amount of urge, if you know what I mean.
There are loads more Brit ones Hiwatt, Marshall, Sound City, Simms Watts, Orange and Matamp in its many guises. Laney, Selmer, Roost, Vox.
The Germans With Engle and Mywatt.
You need to test them all!.
:ninja:
 
#8
JustOpenYourMind said:
The best advice:

Don't listen to anything you'll read here about tone preference, just go to your local guitar shops, and play everything you can.

Don't do the

Someone on talkbass told me X amp is fantastic

You go in the store, try the amp, yes, it sounds good,

you buy said amp.

Then after earing multiple live performances, you realize that the sound you really wanted was that Y amp everyone bashed on here (because they are now made in china ;) )
Click to expand...


Yeah I hear ya. Not looking for opinions on tone so much, more for relibilty and other tid-bits of info.

My local shop carries a lot of Ampeg stuff, and I liked the svt3 and 4 pros, and I think the other one was a 450H, I beleive that one was all tube. I dont want to make a decision without trying other things first though.
 
#10
RHCP250 said:
Yeah I hear ya. Not looking for opinions on tone so much, more for relibilty and other tid-bits of info.

My local shop carries a lot of Ampeg stuff, and I liked the svt3 and 4 pros, and I think the other one was a 450H, I beleive that one was all tube. I dont want to make a decision without trying other things first though.
Click to expand...

I've been using GK almost exclusively for many years. They've always been reliable and I can always get a great sound with them. They can sound growly or smooth depending on how you adjust the controls. I've never had to use customer support but everything I've heard says they're excellent.

I used to like Ampeg, at least some models but I'd never consider one now. That's mainly because of the weight and uncertainty about reliability and customer support.

The Genz Benz I've tried were all good amps but just didn't sound to me like GK which is my preference in sound.

Some of the older Trace stuff I tried was great soundwise. Haven't tried any of their new stuff though.

Traynor makes nicely priced and good sounding gear that's very reliable. Their customer support seems to be excellent too. Some of the new Dynabass models are defintely worth a try. In Canada we've been using them for decades and they've always stood up well.

The older Peavey gear was always solid too. Sort of like Traynor now although I think Traynor sounds better, particularly the latest models.

In the end though, you're the one who has to live with the amp, so get out and try as much as you can with your own bass. If you can, arrange to rent something you find interesting for a weekend and try it out in the real world. I've done that before and it's a pretty inexpensive way to check something out. Most larger cities have places that rent out amps of all brands. That's what sold me on a pair of Yorkville Sound 1x15 cabinets that I bought cheap and played through for 10 years. Half the price of anything from the big boys and I think the rental for the weekend was $35. I went back to the store with them on monday, negotiated a price and kept them.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back