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Beginner need help with first decent amp buy

#21
abarson said:
@Ikan
It would be helpful to know your location and what bass equipment is stocked in the store near you.
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I live in the northern part of Sweden and thats why i have a hard time getting to a store i basically live in the woods kinda far away from any bigger city.

It seems to me that the Fender Rumble is probably best option for me and i will probably buy one of those but we will see.
 
#27
Yet another +1 for Rumble 100.

to what’s been said already, I’ll add: reliable and simple. Great for “classic, warm, vintage” tone. I use a 100c for rehearsals and most gigs, they’re surprisingly loud. that should cover you for years to come. You can also chain 2 100s together for a 200w 212 rig down the line if you so desire (which I do myself for the occasional bigger gig) and it’s crazy loud

the only negative I’ve found is they don’t sound super clear and crisp, so I’m considering adding a GK combo to the fold; but after 2 + years of faithful service, I’ve been very happy with my Rumble.
 
#29
other than the Fender, I would recommend the Warwick combo amp. The only thing I see as a problem is that the connector plate to the cable on the back side is plastic. I had to have mine fixed twice. This is a weak link since it tends to break from the plastic being brittle.

Otherwise, it is a good sounding amp and it's cheap at Thomann.

Ibanez Promethean is another good one. TC electronic 208 is a good one too.

Personally I would save a little more and get something like a PJB cab 27, TC 208 , Eden, and get a head of your liking such as TC Bam, TC BQ250, Warwick WA300, etc. You'll look much more professional and cooler than a combo, but most of all if something craps out, you can replace that one part. But that's just me.
 
#30
Ikan said:
Hello everyone.
I am going to buy myself a Yamaha TRBX304 bass guitar, been playing with a poopy noname bass and it really isnt sounding good. I also have a amp that came with that cheap bass. So as i upgrade my bass i also want to upgrade the amp.
So my question is what should i buy? Im really new to amps and dont know much about them.
But i was thinking maybe 100watts or so. I am mostly going to use it just at home practicing.
Hopefully some of you can help me.
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Rumble 200c V3!:thumbsup:
 
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#33
Ikan said:
I live in the northern part of Sweden and thats why i have a hard time getting to a store i basically live in the woods kinda far away from any bigger city.

It seems to me that the Fender Rumble is probably best option for me and i will probably buy one of those but we will see.
Click to expand...
A common mistake is to spend too much on the bass and not enough on the amp. A cheap bass through a good amp will sound good. A nice bass through a cheap amp won't. Buy something with at least a 12" speaker. Even better if it has an output jack for an external speaker. EBS is a great brand. If you can't afford one now stick with what you have. Since you already own an amp and you're not gigging there's no rush to buy something. Get a good one when you have the money.
 
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#36
matante said:
A common mistake is to spend too much on the bass and not enough on the amp. A cheap bass through a good amp will sound good. A nice bass through a cheap amp won't. Buy something with at least a 12" speaker. Even better if it has an output jack for an external speaker. EBS is a great brand. If you can't afford one now stick with what you have. Since you already own an amp and you're not gigging there's no rush to buy something. Get a good one when you have the money.
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I'm pretty much in agreement with this, but will also vote for the Rumble if you feel you must act now.

You just spent money on a bass. Now spend time with your chops, and grow your budget. Take thw budget you have now for an amp and add to it what you spent on your bass. You've now moved into a different tier of budget that opens up heads and cabs for you.

You have an amp that meets your current needs right now. Roll with that. Really not much reason to take baby steps with gear. If you get something a small increment above what you have now, you will still likely need a THIRD amp later. Why not just wait a bit and make due?

Skip the small step and wait until you need the big guns, and by then you can afford them.

Just an opinion from some dude on da webz, so....
 
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#37
Man, there's a LOT of love for the Fender Rumble on here. Good amplifier for sure but your task will be hard without stopping by a store and playing a few different amplifiers. Case in point last year I wanted something small for a practice amp in my apartment and went in Guitar Center assuming I would by a Ampeg combo (based on reviews). The guys at GC immediately steered me towards the Fender Rumble and it sounded great but I didn't love it. Also, one of my main considerations was to have a wedge shaped combo that I could use as a kick-back monitor and just run a D.I. to the sound guy. I left with a Acoustic B50C. Point of the story is that a lot of amps will sound good but they are all voiced differently. You need something that sounds good to you. With that being said I'll recommend a Acoustic amplifier if you want a combo, probably a B600C (although it is a Class D amp and they aren't my favorite). Otherwise for similar money I would pick up a used SWR SM-500 and find a cabinet to go with it.
 
#38
matante said:
If you can't afford one now stick with what you have. Since you already own an amp and you're not gigging there's no rush to buy something. Get a good one when you have the money.
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Well thats the thing, i have actually 2bad amps at the moment. One is a 10 watt amp which doesnt even give a bass kind of sound anyone wants, the other amp is a 50watt made for ipods and microphone amp which has more bass to it but its a really scratchy and buzzy sound. Which makes me not want to play anyone of Them really. So i am definetly buying a new amp whatever anyone says. And throwing the other 2 in the trash.
 
#39
whitedk57 said:
For ~$150 dollars more, you can get a much better sounding rig that you can use once you do start playing.

It's light weight and powerful. Good for practice or for gigging.

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Surely that sounds interesting, why is this a much better rig in your opinion?

Also i want to mention that i probably wont be gigging for a few years really since thats not my goal with playing bass, im more into jamming with friends.
 
#40
I've been playing bass since 1968 and IMHO the Fender Rumble series is the best bang for the buck. I have a 500C and a 500 head. And, I've played the 100 combo and again, it is the best bang for the buck. There are plenty of pros using them as their touring rig.
 

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