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Beginner need help with first decent amp buy

#63
Ikan said:
Yeah looks like its a great deal, but isnt anyone suggesting anything else? Or is it just the best bang for buck?
Just looking for alternatives to check out
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Peavey or Traynor. Good, cheap, easily available.

When it comes time to upgrade, I can't think of any reason to go anywhere except Aguilar these days.
 
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#65
Well, you said it yourself "I don't know amps".
Find yourself a new or used combo, with the ability to drive an external/additional cab, maybe 100 w/rms or so, that sounds good to you.
Seriously, some of the more "boutique" amps have very.......nuanced, shall we say, tone controls that are extremely interactive and unintuitive. Your learning curve is going to be steep enough, as it is, don't pile on. It will only frustrate you.
Weight, price, warranty.....all matter. But TONE!!!
Fender, Peavey, Mesa, Ampeg, Hartke, Markbass are all recognized names, some more popular than others with certain segments of players.
Find something that makes you happy.
I'll tell you this: I've never heard a Fender Rumble.
Know what else I've never heard?
Someone say they "screwed up" when they bought a Rumble! ;)
 
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#66
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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for your situation..buy something smaller and more portable..there are lots of options for that level..I would buy something new for reliability and limited warranty..get a brand name for easier trade up at some later point..a combo might be for you..both a single 12 combo or a 2x10 combo would be nice..not a lot of dollars needed to make this happen..buy during some type of sale or with a coupon discount..go the smaller step higher rather than a step down..music stores will let you pay a monthly if needed..try some of the variety of amps that interest you..and go for what sounds good to your ear..and remember that it may sound different in a music store than at your home..mostly enjoy and make it a pleasurable event..nothing in life is permanent including life itself..
 
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#67
I started with a small Fender Rumble, portable and adequate for a beginner. Then went for GK MB112 II that i am currently using, my next amp will be an Ampeg for sure, if i improve myself better and the conditions have met.
 
#68
kosmicwizard said:
Im assuming you live in the states
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No sir, i live in Sweden.
And also and dont feel like buying any used amp really feels better to have all the warranty, just feels safer.

devnulljp said:
Peavey or Traynor. Good, cheap, easily available.

When it comes time to upgrade, I can't think of any reason to go anywhere except Aguilar these days.
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So what is so special about Aguilar? Sounds interesting.

Also i truly appreciate all the replys i have gotten, didnt expect this much. I have been googling around a whole lot the last day and there is One thing i have realised.
The Fender Rumble 100 looks like a really good option for me, and so many seem to love it. I checked how big it was and i can't buy any bigger than that really, i will place it in my living room and there is not too much space.

I also want to mention that i do not have any neighbours so it doesnt matter at all how loud of an amp i get. The only problem can be a complaining girlfriend, but i can always plug in headphones which is really nice.
 
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#69
check out the Fender Stage 800. great sounding amp, ample power, capable of 2 ohms and an extension cabinet. if you set on a combo, that would be my suggestion. If you want a head/cabinet rig, I would recommend checking out a Mesa Subway. Hard to beat it in terms of quality, warranty and sound quality, it is somewhat pricey, but I feel you get what you pay for. I know these suggestions may be out of your current price range, but if you could work it, either would be a solid choice
 
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#71
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.
Click to expand...

Peavey 208 not expensive, 200w light....or the new minimalist Trace Elliott
 
#72
Ikan said:
i live in Sweden.
And also and dont feel like buying any used amp really feels better to have all the warranty, just feels safer.
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That is smart. Fender Rumbles are very reliable, and should you ever need it, Fender stands behind their warranty 100%. Check out the Fender Rumble Club for personal testimonies. The Rumble 40 is an excellent personal practice combo that is enough to also jam with friends (no drums). Stepping up to the Rumble 100 would give you a lot more versatility in live performance. I own the Rumble 200 and it easily covers all my needs for jams with drums and bar gigs with full electric bands.
 
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#73
bass12 said:
Can you find out what amps your local dealer has in stock? That will narrow things down (since you mention wanting to buy new) and people can then give you feedback on the options you have.
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My local dealer has a few different Fender rumbles and a few different Ampegs and the rest isnt very interesting because they seem like cheap brands.
But i am more likely to order one online from a Europeans store, probably Thomann.
 
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#74
In the spirit of the thread, I have another “first decent amp” question:

I have an Acoustic bass head from the old stadium days, either 120 or 160 (not on premises). Last time I hooked it up, it was working (blew up a cheap test speaker). I can either replace this with a combo of some kind, or get speakers up to the challenge in a cab or build a cab for them, each will be its own challenge.

I would love to hear the assembled opinions....
 
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#77
I have a Fender Rumble 100 that I bought used for less than $150. It's in perfect condition and sounds great with a small blues/country combo band. Plenty loud and great for practice with the headphone jack.

Aside from that, I'm about to go look at an old Peavy Mark IV/215 combo for pretty cheap that should get me through any gig short of NRG Stadium.
 
#78
Ikan said:
No sir, i live in Sweden.
And also and dont feel like buying any used amp really feels better to have all the warranty, just feels safer.

I hear you. I'm not going to argue with you about what is important to you. I will just say I have always purchased used to save money and have only once needed an amp tech to go through an amp that wasn't sounding right and repair it.

I am coming from a place of features not brand names and purchasing something that you can use in many situations (living room, band jam space, and from coffee shops to bars) for many years to come.

So this is why I suggest a modular set up instead of a combo amp. You want your head to be class d because they are light weight. With at least 800 watts and 2 ohm stable. Then as I mentioned before you can play through a 2x12 4 ohm cabinet and later add an identical one for bigger venues. Let's look at the mesa wd-800 as an example, it is ideal as a head that is able to go down to 2 ohms. But this wouldn't be the case with an older head designed by the same engineer, the genz-benz streamliner 900 would produce 500 watts at 8 ohms and 900 at 4 only. So here you would be forced to either by a 4 ohm 2x12 to get full power, or buy 2 8 ohm 2x12 cabinets, where you would only be delivering 500 watts into one cabinet or the full power into 2.

You don't have to worry about the foot print of 2x12 cabs because they can stack vertically as a 2x12 or as a 4x12, i.e. 1x12 wide, just the height is higher.

Finally, I suggested a jhs crayon pedal preamp / DI because it is very flexible tonally, from fat and smooth old school tone to unusable glitchy dirt and grind. It is amazing as a preamp so the brand of amp head you buy is less important because it is typically the preamp section of any amp brand where they try to incorporate their specific voice or tone signature, where you will be bypassing the built in preamp for the crayon. (Additionally, the crayon is great live or in studio, great for bass, guitar, vocals and even drum microphones). And if you are ever in a position to be playing in a venue that 4x12 drivers and 800 watts isn't enough, such as an outdoor wedding or something, the jhs crayon will take your signal direct into the PA system so everyone can still hear you. I hope that is helpful, good luck in whatever you decide to do! Cheers.
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