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Best amp for the area of $300-400?
- Thread starter Tommygunn
- Start date
Eden has the Nemesis line of heads, cabs and combos that cost a lot less that regular Eden gear. I have an older Nemesis NA210 combo. It sounds good and is not too heavy. I just wish it were louder. The new ones are about 320 watts, mine is 200.
Find a used GK-400RB for ~$200
Maybe find a used 2x10 somewhere for $200 (old SWR, maybe?)
I bought my ashdown Little Giant 1000W from www.thomann.de overseas. The price converted to $350 including shipping, and all you need is a power cord for the states, since it has a built in 115/220 transformer. Make sure you flip the switch if you get it! I really like the tone of it even though it's digital, and it's pretty powerful for the money. It has it's problems too though. It is an unbridged 2x500W @ 4 ohm amp, and has speakon connections only. Also, the parametric EQ can get confusing for a 'plug & play' bassist. If you don't mind tweaking your gear like I do, I say it could be a great match.
Save up a little bit extra while you are waiting and jump on the best "steal" that comes around.
I was able to buy my first amp, a TE AH500X, for only $300 off the 'bay (in a random drinking/ebay browsing at 2am experience... definitely the best one). It's a killer amp and worth far more then what I paid for it.
Patience is necessary if you want a good deal, but you can get far more used then you could new in that price range.
I was able to buy my first amp, a TE AH500X, for only $300 off the 'bay (in a random drinking/ebay browsing at 2am experience... definitely the best one). It's a killer amp and worth far more then what I paid for it.
Patience is necessary if you want a good deal, but you can get far more used then you could new in that price range.
Looked in Houston craigs- slim pickin's, apparently!
Heads:
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Cabs:
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Both/combos:
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (buy another 15)
Heads:
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Cabs:
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Both/combos:
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (buy another 15)
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A "cosmetically challenged" Peavey Mark III.
Seriously, Peavey makes great stuff. I am really G.A.Sing for the VB-2. Only a few Peavey bass heads I've used tended to pick up radio stations.
A "cosmetically challenged" Peavey Mark III.
Seriously, Peavey makes great stuff. I am really G.A.Sing for the VB-2. Only a few Peavey bass heads I've used tended to pick up radio stations.
+1 on the money burning a whole in your pants.....If you saved 1/2 the money of any new rig say $1150.00 you'd be surprised what buying power you would have. 
The point about whether you want a combo is this: Are you looking to spend 3-400 on just a head, or on a head and speaker?
Well if I get only a head, I'm going to build a cab... an idea I've been toying with for a while.
I'd say spring for a 300W+ 1x15 or 2x10 combo. The old Yorkville BM, XM, and XS combos are nice. I have a Yorkville that's for sale right now... 400B (precursor to the BM series) but it sounds like you're looking for something newer. There are a few others out there that fit this bill... Eden Nemesis, Peavey BAM (or even the new Tour combos), Fender Rumbles. I'd just stay away from the SWR Workingman/Workingpro combos. They're not loud enough.
Have used GK for 25 years, reliable and good tone; the new MB 210 , MB 115 and MB 212 combos sound good, but there has been some problems with the amps (China), they are fairly new and the bugs still need to be removed. But a used 700Rb, 1001RB, or 800Rb are solid good sounding heads. Look at used Mark II or III, maybe slightly more, but also have good tone, but harder to get repaired.
Are you sure you want to build a cab?
Imho, and hopefully you'll know, its not as easy as sticking a driver in a cabinet. If anything, build a fearful.
what?
Wow thats even harder than I thought. I was just going to buy some speakers and wire em in a housing deal that hooks up to the head.
There goes that idea
exactly Tommy, then you can stop using the duct tape for your fret inlays, and use the rest of the roll to hold the wood together for your cabinet...what a great idea
. with the stuff "randomly laying" around your house, you could probably make it for next to nothing and get your neighbor to give you his old car amp and have a rig that's like 3000 watts per channel...you'll be louder than a freight train and when you crank it up and blast some low notes on your EB, the whole neighborhood will be running for the storm cellars cause they think a tornado is coming !!!..
