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Best amp <$500

#81
^^^
Yeah, but everyone who's tuned in & turned on, who's really hep (not hip) to the scene, knows Basil's the man. :thumbsup:

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#82
iualum said:
Sure, more budget is always better. All. Ways. But if $500 (now it looks like $600, so, more budget :thumbsup:) is the budget, then that's the budget. He's gonna be limited in either amp or cab. Between the 2, the box should get more attention. If he checks local deals, bides his time, is acceptable to older/heavier gear (but still in nice shape mind you), & negotiates well (or at least not poorly), $600 can get the job done pretty well. If the gear is 100% functional, but cosmetically-challenged :woot:, then his bread'll go that much further ;). But even if the upped $600 budget is upped slightly again, there'll still be compromises to be made (as there almost always are). Minimum bucks for really current gear that'd work would probably be ~$1200-1300 (something like a used GK MB800 & used 15/6). Short of that (or the older/heavier, although still nice gear I mentioned), his better play is lesser RMS & greater Vd.
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Good points. But the point I was trying to make is he is gonna be bitterly disappointed trying to play METAL with a 200w amp, so except for practice he would be throwing his money away - buying something that will not work for the application. I also pointed out how to get a 500w amp WITHIN his budget. I have seen two of those for sale lately at the 349 and there are plenty of used 15's out there for $250. Heck even the 500w amp is the bare minimum to look at.
 
#85
bebass said:
Good points. But the point I was trying to make is he is gonna be bitterly disappointed trying to play METAL with a 200w amp, so except for practice he would be throwing his money away - buying something that will not work for the application. I also pointed out how to get a 500w amp WITHIN his budget. I have seen two of those for sale lately at the 349 and there are plenty of used 15's out there for $250. Heck even the 500w amp is the bare minimum to look at.
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Yeah, I pointed out the GB, too. Think I was 1st in thread to do it.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on 500 @4 being the bare minimum, although I admit that 200's scraping the bottom of the RMS barrel.
 
#86
iualum said:
Yeah, I pointed out the GB, too. Think I was 1st in thread to do it.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on 500 @4 being the bare minimum, although I admit that 200's scraping the bottom of the RMS barrel.
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I am not that familiar with the old GB offerings so I don't know but would assume the Contour 500 was a "upper-mid level" type offering? Anyone feel free to correct me. But I gotta say, the cab is extremely efficient for a "mid" offering, they really had the mojo working on that combo. Which is why, if a matching 15 is added, I DO think it would hold with the metal band.

Yes we do disagree in that I have been there and done that and in MY case, I wouldn't have even begun to hear myself with a 200w amp - not even close. Maybe others can, but I would never practically suggest it being so. Were you actually able to play in a metal band with a 200w amp? I think that is awesome and shows tremendous guitar intelligence, but also think it an extreme rarity.

And I take part of that back for in the 70's I built a huge bass folded horn and moved it around in a truck and used a 150W amp and played some of the very loudest rock stuff; it can be done. But not with today's smaller cabs.

Instead of our favorite equipment or equipment manufacturer we need to suggest what it takes for a particular application. Showing up for a gunfight with a pocket knife isn't the right approach.
 
#88
bebass said:
I am not that familiar with the old GB offerings so I don't know but would assume the Contour 500 was a "upper-mid level" type offering? Anyone feel free to correct me. But I gotta say, the cab is extremely efficient for a "mid" offering, they really had the mojo working on that combo. Which is why, if a matching 15 is added, I DO think it would hold with the metal band.

Yes we do disagree in that I have been there and done that and in MY case, I wouldn't have even begun to hear myself with a 200w amp - not even close. Maybe others can, but I would never practically suggest it being so. Were you actually able to play in a metal band with a 200w amp? I think that is awesome and shows tremendous guitar intelligence, but also think it an extreme rarity.

And I take part of that back for in the 70's I built a huge bass folded horn and moved it around in a truck and used a 150W amp and played some of the very loudest rock stuff; it can be done. But not with today's smaller cabs.

Instead of our favorite equipment or equipment manufacturer we need to suggest what it takes for a particular application. Showing up for a gunfight with a pocket knife isn't the right approach.
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Not sure how you've got it in your head I'm arguing with you on this point. I'm not. Think it'd do just fine.

Never in a metal band. Can barely stand the stuff. Nope. That's incorrect. I just plain old can't stand the stuff :laugh: . But I have been in a few very loud good 'ole straight ahead R&R bands. And yes a 200 amp (well a T.E. AH250) into a Peavey 810 was my main rig. Lot & lots & lots of Vd (although I don't have a clue what the transducers' Xmax was or total ccs.)

Yes, but what also doesn't help is to say forget about playing at all until you have x bucks, because your y bucks aren't enough, when the y bucks are enough, although granted, not optimum. And though the MB200 is very nice for what it is, & I do have an MB800 & MB800 FUSION, I'm not a GK "fanboi." The 800s are just high quality offerings. That's it. And if you look at my posts, I've suggested GK, GB, T.C.E., Peggy, & maybe others, too (haven't re-read all my posts). So, there's no favoritism. I'm suggesting whatever comes to mind that might work. My best suggestion :D was for bread-stretchin', most bang-for-the-buck, older/heavier used gear. And I suggested no specific anything there, just whatever the OP can find for a higher RMS amp & as much Vd as possible :thumbsup:.


 
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#100
bassliner50 said:
I love my Traynor SB115. 31 lbs, 200 watts, smooth clear tone... < $500 USD.
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And this goes toward iualum's point about a 200w amp. There a few that blow my mind with their output and your Traynor SB115 is another one of those rare ones where the mojo was fine tuned to give an almost unprecedented output for a 200w 115. IMO one of the finest 200w combos out there.

iualum said:
Not sure how you've got it in your head I'm arguing with you on this point. I'm not. Think it'd do just fine.

Never in a metal band. Can barely stand the stuff. Nope. That's incorrect. I just plain old can't stand the stuff :laugh: . But I have been in a few very loud good 'ole straight ahead R&R bands. And yes a 200 amp (well a T.E. AH250) into a Peavey 810 was my main rig. Lot & lots & lots of Vd (although I don't have a clue what the transducers' Xmax was or total ccs.)

Yes, but what also doesn't help is to say forget about playing at all until you have x bucks, because your y bucks aren't enough, when the y bucks are enough, although granted, not optimum. And though the MB200 is very nice for what it is, & I do have an MB800 & MB800 FUSION, I'm not a GK "fanboi." The 800s are just high quality offerings. That's it. And if you look at my posts, I've suggested GK, GB, T.C.E., Peggy, & maybe others, too (haven't re-read all my posts). So, there's no favoritism. I'm suggesting whatever comes to mind that might work. My best suggestion :D was for bread-stretchin', most bang-for-the-buck, older/heavier used gear. And I suggested no specific anything there, just whatever the OP can find for a higher RMS amp & as much Vd as possible :thumbsup:.
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Oh, I didn't think you were arguing about the GB amp. I was attempting to explain why only 500w may actually work in this application.

And my point about the 200w was based on my experience playing in a metal band for 4 years. But my point about ALL OF US not just suggesting our favorite equipment was definitely not directed toward you - I agree you have suggested many different brands of equipment and I generally agree with your posts as being spot on. I just see this thread full of posts with one's favorite equipment without considering what it takes to do the job. I know I have underbought before only to find out I could not actually play gigs with what I had. And faced not only severe disappointment but literally threw my money away because it cost me to trade for what I actually needed.
You have inspired me to try my SB200H with an 810 - nah.

No disrespect to our metal players here as I do understand the feeling of POWER of playing it, but I too have never liked metal - at all. When I joined the band I referenced above they asked me do you listen to this or that metal song and I told them they were crazy if they thought I was going to listen to that crap (sorry, metal folks - just my opinion as an old man). I said I would play it but danged if I was going to listen to it. Yeah, yeah, I know that sounds weird.
 

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