Best hybrid bass head

[Jazzjames]

That Jad Freer head looks great.

I have an Ampeg SVT 7-pro and it works really well. The ultra lo and untra hi switches let you drastically change the sound and vibe quickly, and I find the amp to have good versatility and warmth. Volume and power wise it’s got more than enough. Transformer DI sounds really good.

 

[Wicked G]

Best is so subjective. IDK what the best would be for you, but for me the Orange Terror Bass, Genz Benz Streamliner and Mesa TT800 Rock.

 

[soulstew]

I don't think there is one best, but I love my Handbox R400. Such a pleasure to play through.
The HandBox Amplification Thread

 

[Hardison]

Ampeg SVT- lll (non pro)

 

[oranje]

Demeter VTBP

The Demeter is a great preamp, beautiful, clean, well rounded tube tone. I have the older 1.5 unit. I also use Arkham pre's and amps, they are tube with a James tonestack. It has a gain so I can get some nice grit going. I am a huge fan of both and run cabs and poweramp depending on gig/venue.

 

[BlueTalon]

Setting a beer on? In my experience anything will work.

I have a GK MB Fusion 500 that works great for that -- but any amp can work with the proper cup holding device. The GK MB Fusion 500 with its tube preamp also happens to sound great, which is why it deserves to be included in this thread.

 

[jasper383]

My favorite is my Hartke LH500. Casady bass with flats into it, into some good speakers is possibly the best sound (to my ears) I have ever produced.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[Dorado Pulido]

Hartke HA5500

Tube pre, plenty of power. DI out Onboard EQ and Comp. Great amp to plug straight into and play. Has an FX loop and wet/dry mix.

Other than the fact it weighs 21lbs it is the perfect amp.

 

[Killing Floor]

I have a GK MB Fusion 500 that works great for that -- but any amp can work with the proper cup holding device. The GK MB Fusion 500 with its tube preamp also happens to sound great, which is why it deserves to be included in this thread.
View attachment 5032420

Nice looking bass too.
Great cup holder.

 

[Pauly 4001]

Yes, John was quite good.

And his taste in amplification was sensible to our modern tastes:

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yes, John was quite good.

You beat me to it, but I was out for a walk in the cemetery this afternoon, anyway. No, John is not in this particular cemetery unless you meant John D. Rockefeller, who is buried there. Don't recall if he ever played a musical instrument or not.

 

[LVannerson]

I have a GK MB Fusion 500 that works great for that -- but any amp can work with the proper cup holding device. The GK MB Fusion 500 with its tube preamp also happens to sound great, which is why it deserves to be included in this thread.
View attachment 5032420

 

[LVannerson]

Nice. Well the cup holder is the most important!!

 

[ELG60]

I have the Mesa WD800, GK MB800 Fusion, and Aguilar DB750. I usually bring the Mesa with the GK as my backup. If I needed more horsepower, the DB750 would do, but we're talking ~50lbs vs. about 6, so there's that.

Edit: I also have a Genz Benz Shuttlemax 12.0 which I believe has an all-tube pre in one of the channels. It's a nice amp.

 

[Dincrest]

I used to use a Gallien-Krueger Fusion 550 head. While maybe not the "best" per se, I LOVED it. The tone on that thing was beastly (in my experience, GK amps always seem to be louder than their wattage ratings suggest). I got rid of it in favor of a lightweight, solid-state head (a Peavey MiniMax v.2) but it was a great amp.

 

[Flatwound]

I haven’t tried very many, but I have an SVT-7 Pro and an Orange Terror Bass 500. I love the Terror Bass, the Ampeg is my back-up head.

If you’re looking for a sparkly-clean tone, I don’t necessarily recommend the Orange.

 

[BlueTalon]

Great cup holder.

Well the cup holder is the most important!!

Best cup holder I've ever seen, certainly the best cup holder I've ever used.

 

[mambo4]

Easy choice, for me:

3 12AX7 tubes in the preamp fed into a light and powerful 900 watt (4ohms) Class D power section. All the feature a gigging bassist could want, very hard to dial in a bad tone. I rarely played it with both speakers attached because it was too loud for my drummer.

Ed likes it too:


Plus Genz Benz got EA'd by Fender so now their only available used aka cheap.

 

[eff-clef]

Markbass TTE 500. Also, the Orange Terror Bass 500. I think they are more "tube-y" then any of the mentioned amps. And I've played a lot them.

 

[scuzzy]

Both my amps are hybrid. Orange terror bass and genz-benz shuttle Max 12.0. the GB would suit you well.