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Another 'what amp' for a newbie?

slap-a-da-bass

slap-a-da-bass

Sep 28, 2009
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#1
Hi All,

I'm a part time giging guitar player, and in the past month or so have been jamming with some guys that want to start up a Classic Rock/blues Band. The other two guitar players are better than me so I offered to play bass. I own an old Bently bass and am looking for a amp to go with it. At the jams I played through a Peavey 100w 115 bass amp from the 80's. It was only ok for volume, would have like more, but the tone was a little muddy and lacked punch.

These are my requirements:

  • A head & cab or combo that's easy to move but powerfull enough power to keep up with a drummer at a jam.
  • Enough power for small to med gigs with PA support (XLR out)
  • my typical gig is 50-100 people mabye 2000-3000 sqft.
  • Can add an extention cab if needed
  • Good quality, good tone. I take really good care of my gear and would want something to last years.

I've tried out the Peavey combo, Ampeg BA115...didn't care for them too much, actually liked the Peavey a little better than the ampeg. also tried a Ampeg B2R with a 410 avatar neo, that was pretty good, but that set up I don't consider portable or easy to move.

I've ordered one of the new G&K MB210 combo's...375w/500 with ext. cab, 33#. It's back ordered until mid november. I may cancel this order for something else.

I was also looking at the Acoustic b200h with the b115 or b410. Possibly a B200 combo. Any comments on this? Is the 200 watts usable for the small to med gig? Any comments on the construction or durability or the Acoustic stuff? I'm concerned about cheap speakers and would think the G&K neo's in the MB would be better.

I really like the idea of a combo. Would the G&K 500w be that much louder than the 200w of the Acoustic? I've heard that 2x the power only is 3db louder? Reviews I've read suggest the Acoustic is a LOUD 200w. also read the G&K 210 may have a clipping problem.

Please give me some ideas or direction?

Thanks
 
#4
Forgot about the budget.

This is my first rig. I was thinking $600 tops, and I have no problem with used gear.

MF will do the Acoustic B200h for $200, I would think looking for a used avatar would be much better than the B115 or B410

That would put me at about $500, which is right where the G&K combo is.
 
#6
Avatar is hard to beat across the board for value. The B212 Neo is a sweet cab and fairly light. Grab one of those with a decent head in the 300-400 watt range...an old Eden WT300 or WT330 should fit the bill and still keep you around $600.
 
#9
If the Peavey isn't cutting it volume-wise, the B200H won't either. I'd still prefer the Eden. Better quality, better sound, better DI, better resale value, louder, lighter, more power, tuner output, and you can usually find a used one in the $350-$400 range.
 
#10
i will always say "a '70s SVT" but thats way heavy and pretty costly. i will say that a '70s ampeg v4b will last so long that your grandkids will be playin it, and the sound is amazing! its regarded as a more preferred pre-amp section than even the mighty SVT...that is completely debatable of course. you might have to pay 500-600 for just the head but its something youll never need to buy again. then just grab a good sealed 4-10 or dual 15 cab and youre golden.
i certainly blew up my fair share of solid state heads before i finally scored a v4b. played that til i could afford an svt, which cost me $550 for the head AND cab in the early '90s when everyone was tired of carrying them around :)
if you put a sextet of kt-88 power tubes in there it ups the power considerably too. tube amps just seem to have more balls and volume, even if theyre rated at a lower wattage. theres nothing like a good tube bass amp...unless, of course, youre looking for a more modern, fancy tone. it doesnt sound like thats what youre looking for tho. see if you cant try one out somewhere first, youll be amazed. you may really enjoy playing the electric bass and set down the guitar for a bit :)
 
#11
An SVT or V4B would probably be the perfect choice but with a total budget of around $600, both are out of the question since neither come with a cabinet. And solid-state technology has advanced tremendously since the 80's and 90's. The argument of solid-state vs. valve is almost obsolete anymore since you can obtain a nice warm and punchy sound with volume, without hefting around 80 lbs of amp.
 
#12
"solid-state technology has advanced tremendously since the 80's and 90's. The argument of solid-state vs. valve is almost obsolete anymore since you can obtain a nice warm and punchy sound with volume, without hefting around 80 lbs of amp."
im sure youre right on that one but i just havent had that kind of luck, even recently. i sold my main '76-ish svt 4 years ago cos i was moving across the country, then tried to buy something a few months later. had a trace elliot, a bassman 135 (which was very nice but lacked mid control), and the 2 ashdowns i have now, plus a 220 watt newer ampeg combo. im not getting the warm, big sound ive grown to love out of any of them, even the british made ashdown klystron 500. after brielfy thinking about checking out the new ashdown all tube 3500$ head i came to my senses and bought the '73-'74 SVT i now use...ahhhhhhhhh, so nice. nothing like it. the whole band cant believe the difference, im not at all surprised tho. its all about what the player is looking for tho. i was looking for the svt sound/power/bottom in something else, a common mistake.
i know a vintage svt doesnt work for some players cos it doesnt do very well in a modern tone, warwick/fancy bass type of situation. but for what the '70s svts do, nothing even comes close. i still have to say that the original svt is the best sounding, most reliable, powerful, tonally pure bass amp ever made. however,i do understand its modern-day limitations. theyre not for everyone.

anyone looking for an ashdown klystron 500 head in very good condition ? itll be on ebay in a week or less
 
#13
the acoustic cabinets are pressboard rather than plywood. that is going to seriously effect the sound and durability...just a heads up. theres a reason theyre that inexpensive. i had the acoustic 4-10 and 1-15 and gave them to my rhodes player cos they didnt do low end worth a damn. i opened one up to see what the speakers were and saw the pressboard instead of plywood layers. at that point it didnt matter what the speakers were, the construction/materials were a big part of the problem, obviously
 
#15
The problem with the Acoustic B200H head is that you need two 8 ohm cabs (or one 4-ohm cab if you can find one) to get full power from it. Two Acoustic B115 cabs will give you full power from the head and some pretty good thunder right at your budget limit, but it might not be as portable as you want.

Have you looked at the GK Backline series? A Backline 600 head and a cab should fall within your budget limit...
 

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