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Amp Suggestions ??

S

Signal to Noise

Mar 23, 2008
21
0
Georgia
#1
I play guitar and looking to expand into the Bass world. I always wanted to play, but never really had the chance. I have some high end boutique guitar gear that I have acquired over the years - with that being said, I cannot break the bank (as much as I want to).

Looking for a decent amp (i favor the sound of 10s or 12s vs. the 15). Not sure which direction to go with this.......please don't mention the F-nder R-mble series- I play with a guy who uses one - I think his tone suffers....he has a better amp - I am puzzled as to why he does not use it....LOL....
 
#5
There's a ton of good stuff out there, all just a matter of finding which is your thing then getting to work. I'm a big fan of the Ampeg stuff, but it's the same as all the guitar amps you have...nobody knows what you want but you.
 
#7
Can you give us a ball park $$$$ figure, and some notion of how loud the music will likely be?

For instance, it makes a huge difference if you have $2000 vs. $1200 vs. $400 to spend. Also, if you play in a loud rock, blues, or metal band, versus a softer country cover band, singer songwriter, or Jazz trio, etc., your needs will be quite different. Will you have PA System support, i.e., a Direct Injection (DI) connection to the PA? How large will the venues/stages be?

Probably your answer to most of the above will be "don't know," and you will likely set the dollar amount too low. IMHO, you should get the biggest baddest rig you can possibly afford (and fit in your vehicle), but keep it modular. Count on at least 600 watts (RMS at 4 ohms) of power for most "kinda" loud applications.

A couple of 115 cabs or even two 112's can be great, as can two 212s. For transport and varied size venues, two 410 cabinets is way more flexible than one 810, and having a 4 ohm 410 and an identical driver equipped 8 ohm 210 from the samer builder is very flexible as a 210, 410, or 610 rig, but you will need a 2 ohm capable head to do the 610 config.


As JimmyM wisely said, there IS a ton of great stuff out there. If you buy used, you will get a lot more bang for the buck. Don't fall prey to the conventional wisdom about speaker sizes, tubes, or brand history. Listen with your ears to real working bass players in venues you might find yourself. Approach them on break and ask them if they like what they are using and if they are getting PA support—even if you don't like how they sound. :ninja:
 
#8
Jim Carr said:
Can you give us a ball park $$$$ figure, and some notion of how loud the music will likely be?

For instance, it makes a huge difference if you have $2000 vs. $1200 vs. $400 to spend. Also, if you play in a loud rock, blues, or metal band, versus a softer country cover band, singer songwriter, or Jazz trio, etc., your needs will be quite different. Will you have PA System support, i.e., a Direct Injection (DI) connection to the PA? How large will the venues/stages be?

Probably your answer to most of the above will be "don't know," and you will likely set the dollar amount too low. IMHO, you should get the biggest baddest rig you can possibly afford (and fit in your vehicle), but keep it modular. Count at least 600 watts (RMS at 4 ohms) of power for most "kinda" loud applications.

A couple of 115 cabs or even two 112's can be great, as can two 212s. For transport and varied size venues, two 410 cabinets is way more flexible than one 810, and having a 4 ohm 410 and an identical driver equipped 8 ohm 210 from the samer builder is very flexible as a 210, 410, or 610 rig, but you will need a 2 ohm capable head to do the 610 config.


As JimmyM wisely said, there IS a ton of great stuff out there. If you buy used, you will get a lot more bang for the buck. Don't fall prey to the conventional wisdom about speaker sizes, tubes, or brand history. Listen with your ears to real working bass players in venues you might find yourself. Approach them on break and ask them if they like what they are using and if they are getting PA support—even if you don't like how they sound. :ninja:
Click to expand...

+1
Covers so many bases.
 
#9
CL400Peavey said:
+1
Covers so many bases.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your kind words!

I didn't even begin to touch the "3rd rail" of the Greenboy, BFM, Barefaced, LDS, nEARful, and of course fEARful realm. Yet, it occurs to me that the Bassic, Dually, 15/6 and even TB153 might be good once and done solutions for some players, especially for those who are committed bassists and also are experienced musicians.

What do you think and where would you point? Do we need a Talkbass DIY/Alt-Cab wiki?
 
#10
Jim Carr said:
Thanks for your kind words!

I didn't even begin to touch the "3rd rail" of the Greenboy, BFM, Barefaced, LDS, nEARful, and of course fEARful realm. Yet, it occurs to me that the Bassic, Dually, 15/6 and even TB153 might be good once and done solutions for some players, especially for those who are committed bassists and also are experienced musicians.

What do you think and where would you point? Do we need a Talkbass DIY/Alt-Cab wiki?
Click to expand...

I think there is a lot to be said about sifting through gear for a while to figure out what you dont like. That costs money and takes time though.

IMHO if I was going to direct someone new to gear I would point them to a 15/6 fEARful, and then get them to try as many heads through it to find their sound.
 
#11
I used to play through giant amps, until I found the Phil Jones suitcase. Pretty small, but packs a powerful punch. Can be plugged directly into a DI out. has a five band eq built into both channels and has a limiter. Despite being small it is perfectly loud enough to keep up with a drumkit in practice and can always be mic'ed or directly plugged into a PA for larger live venues. Plus you can find them used for like 650-700 bucks which is an awesome deal for the amp.
 
#12
Loud Noises said:
I used to play through giant amps, until I found the Phil Jones suitcase. Pretty small, but packs a powerful punch. Can be plugged directly into a DI out. has a five band eq built into both channels and has a limiter. Despite being small it is perfectly loud enough to keep up with a drumkit in practice and can always be mic'ed or directly plugged into a PA for larger live venues. Plus you can find them used for like 650-700 bucks which is an awesome deal for the amp.
Click to expand...

I do like the concept of the suitcase.....how doe they sound?
 

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