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Double Bass Best 100wt Bass Amp?
- Thread starter Joe Tully
- Start date
That’s a great suggestion, but I’d suggest going there on off hours, otherwise you’ll never be able to hear what the amp sounds like.
A good choice for double bass, the new rumble was inspired by the genz benz amp ( brand owned and killed by fender). I'm pretty sure the rumble amp head and combo use the same technology ( or similar)
Genz Benz is apreciate by a lot of double bass players, so I think that the rubmle could a good matching with a DB.
Depending the budget, one not take a look to the Ortega H one, 100 watts, 2 chanels, 48 v phantom etc ..
In europe we could find it for aournd 360 €, That's not too expensive.
I did play through a Rumble 100. Not bad, especially for $300. The next move up is the 200 with a 15" that people here have spoken against. The 500 has 4×10" but seems a bit too large and heavy for my purposes. The ideal would be about 250wt driving 2×10". What can I do?
This is the rub with amps not specifically designed for DB. There was an Ampeg series that I had the same frustration with a decade or so back. I liked them a lot for both DB and BG, but to get the head I wanted, the cabinet part of the combo pushed me into either a 15" speaker or multiple 10's which made it bigger and heavier than I wanted.
I fought this for a while before coming around to: either shop for gear designed specifically for DB or desperate the head and speaker cabinet.
@Joe Tully , I mean no offense, but your search resembles somewhat throwing darts. You haven't really told us much about the context of your needs - musical genres, size of band, size of venues, PA support, etc.. The thing we do know is how much you are willing to spend. I'm not sure how you arrived at "2×10" cabinet and ... 250-300 rms watt head" - that may be just right, or not - but situational needs are probably more useful than technical specs in deciding what to get.
Ok here's the deal. I'm not sure if you've followed this whole thread but that may help and I will do some backtracking. Currently I am playing lounge versions of various tunes with electric guitar, keyboards, and a drummer who plays quietly. We rehearse in a storage shed. I have been using the Rumble 100 that lives in that shed. I have only a 75wt Peavy pos at home. Eventually we will play out. Out where? A golf course lounge. Where beyond that IDK. Sorry but I can't predict that. I have a little K&K preamp which does add a little into the mix. I have been listening to many opinions on this thread which have offered many suggestions which I appreciate. However I am also confused and overwhelmed. If I had my druthers and money were no object that would simplify it. But realistically the best equipment gor me I can't afford. Now in the world of compromise WHAT do I compromise? Can I hope to get ample(no pun) sound in a package I can afford and that I can comfortably schlep around? I am reliant on those with both experience and youth to know the new fangled gadgets and when where and jow to use them. I don't think Sam Ashe etc would steer me in the right direction unless I got real lucky. BG amps are not necessarily DB amps now are they? So there's that too. Do I seem all over the board. Admittedly that may be an accurate assessment. Thank you.
PS no PA now but it sounds likely. We haven't played in that room yet so maybe I need to wait and see how the Rumble 100 does there to begin to form a basis of comparison. I hate to borrow that's cheesy and my Peavey is good for let's say home practice, period. Thanks again.
So, one way to go is a good head proven to be great with DB, if not originally designed for it and whatever affordable 1 x 12 or 2 x 10 cab shows up on your local craigslist, preferably without a tweeter, unless it can be defeated. I borrowed an SWR Goliath 2x10 cab on a gig once and loved it. Bag End made some great 1 x 12 and 2 x 10 cabs if one shows up near you with dog hair in the carpet and someone's better half pushing it out of the house before company visits, grab it and plug something good into it.
OR - I linked you to several things that my personal experience have convinced me would be close to ideal for you under your stated budget. Buy that Markbass combo in the BG classifieds or a new Trayner and never look back. Alternatively find a used EA head and I'll sell you my Wizzy 10 cab, all under your budget.
OR - I linked you to several things that my personal experience have convinced me would be close to ideal for you under your stated budget. Buy that Markbass combo in the BG classifieds or a new Trayner and never look back. Alternatively find a used EA head and I'll sell you my Wizzy 10 cab, all under your budget.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
I’ve used dozens of amps over the years with everything from 8” to 15” drivers. Acoustic Image amps generally sound natural but don’t always sound good in certain rooms. Bass Guitar amps like Fender, MarkBass, Gallien Krueger and Ampeg aren’t the most natural but may sound better on gigs. My Ampeg combo with a 15” doesn’t check the boxes for DB but it sounds pretty good.
My advice is to not overthink it. The amp is at the end of the chain. You and your bass are responsible for 80% of the sound. Play what you have, try other stuff but don’t expect 20% to become 80%.
i played ampeg 2x10av cabs for years and was very satisfied.
they are lightweight, a closed cabinet design and can handle a lot of wattage if you upgrade.
seem to be designed more for DB when you look at them.
they are lightweight, a closed cabinet design and can handle a lot of wattage if you upgrade.
seem to be designed more for DB when you look at them.
I'll throw this into the mix... This being the Covid season, the venue being a golf course and things being what they are, I'd bet there's a chance you'll be playing outside sometime. That means AC power may or may not be easily available.
I've been using a Roland Micro Cube Bass RX for both indoor and outdoor playing. I'm not 100% pleased with the tone voicing because it's a general purpose bass amp, not one dedicated to double bass tone, but from a power standpoint it's pretty amazing. This is a <15# 4"x4 speaker combo amp that runs for about 20 hours on 6AA batteries. It's rated at 5w, but that's because it's tuned for battery power -- the real sound power is more like somewhere between 60w and 100w depending on how you stand it. I can use it with my double bass using either my pre-amped piezo system or with my mounted mic.
The secret with small amps is to raise them up to at least waist level where their sound is not aiming at peoples' legs and feet.
Taking the characteristics of your band and your venue into consideration is also very important. While I play a lot of different venues with this little amp, I'm pretty meticulous about amp placement and location, as well as amping options such as amping as a personal monitor and plugging into an FOH, vs amping into existing mics, vs amping for everyone to hear, etc., etc. And if I'm playing with loud instruments, I'll always use my pre-amped piezo setup because its voicing cuts through without bleed or reverb problems. If I'm playing with a sensitively played acoustic combo I'll use my mounted mic because its tone is so much nicer.
Lastly here's a plug for going totally wireless. If you have a battery powered amp, going the next step with wireless dongles is just the natural choice. There's nothing like the convenience of having no wires between your double bass and your amp setup. There is a large variety of wireless dongles available starting at less than $40 a piece. I carry two wireless TX and RC sets, fully charged and ready to go, so I can recharge one set while using the other if necessary. Sometimes, if I'm using both my pre-amped piezo set and my mounted mic, I'll use both at the same time.
Especially when you're schlepping around a double bass, light weight amp options and flexibility are the name of the game.
I've been using a Roland Micro Cube Bass RX for both indoor and outdoor playing. I'm not 100% pleased with the tone voicing because it's a general purpose bass amp, not one dedicated to double bass tone, but from a power standpoint it's pretty amazing. This is a <15# 4"x4 speaker combo amp that runs for about 20 hours on 6AA batteries. It's rated at 5w, but that's because it's tuned for battery power -- the real sound power is more like somewhere between 60w and 100w depending on how you stand it. I can use it with my double bass using either my pre-amped piezo system or with my mounted mic.
The secret with small amps is to raise them up to at least waist level where their sound is not aiming at peoples' legs and feet.
Taking the characteristics of your band and your venue into consideration is also very important. While I play a lot of different venues with this little amp, I'm pretty meticulous about amp placement and location, as well as amping options such as amping as a personal monitor and plugging into an FOH, vs amping into existing mics, vs amping for everyone to hear, etc., etc. And if I'm playing with loud instruments, I'll always use my pre-amped piezo setup because its voicing cuts through without bleed or reverb problems. If I'm playing with a sensitively played acoustic combo I'll use my mounted mic because its tone is so much nicer.
Lastly here's a plug for going totally wireless. If you have a battery powered amp, going the next step with wireless dongles is just the natural choice. There's nothing like the convenience of having no wires between your double bass and your amp setup. There is a large variety of wireless dongles available starting at less than $40 a piece. I carry two wireless TX and RC sets, fully charged and ready to go, so I can recharge one set while using the other if necessary. Sometimes, if I'm using both my pre-amped piezo set and my mounted mic, I'll use both at the same time.
Especially when you're schlepping around a double bass, light weight amp options and flexibility are the name of the game.
i think if you have a decent preamp with hpf and high enough input impedance for piezo pickup, any amp can be a double bass amp.
i have great success with a walter woods, an all tube fender bassman, an swr, a quilter bass block 800, and believe it or not, i have the least success with an acoustic image. it sounds fine if i go in the effects return, but the preamp onboard doesnt sound so great to me. for speakers , lately ive been using the quilter speaker, bass dock 12, which is just wonderful, but have had great success with the ampeg 210 av and even an old swr goliath jr 2x10
i have great success with a walter woods, an all tube fender bassman, an swr, a quilter bass block 800, and believe it or not, i have the least success with an acoustic image. it sounds fine if i go in the effects return, but the preamp onboard doesnt sound so great to me. for speakers , lately ive been using the quilter speaker, bass dock 12, which is just wonderful, but have had great success with the ampeg 210 av and even an old swr goliath jr 2x10
