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Best reasonably priced Class D amp
- Thread starter Willie5String
- Start date
well, I am always comfortable recommending the Mesa D800/800+ WD800 amps. Great sounding amps with excellent features. Class D power with different Preamp sections.
It might help you get better answers if you offered a bit more insight as to what styles of music you play at clubs and church, volume/power levels you want/need, tone goals etc. like do you prefer Fender type tone stack, Ampeg ??
good luck!
It might help you get better answers if you offered a bit more insight as to what styles of music you play at clubs and church, volume/power levels you want/need, tone goals etc. like do you prefer Fender type tone stack, Ampeg ??
good luck!
Absolute best bang for the buck in my opinion is the GK MB500. They're no longer in production but easy to find used and are really affordable for how great they sound.
If you can spend a little more money, I also recommend a Mesa D800, you can get them used for ~$600. If that's affordable to you I'd go for that over the GK.
If you can spend a little more money, I also recommend a Mesa D800, you can get them used for ~$600. If that's affordable to you I'd go for that over the GK.
I'll second what's already been said.
If your gonna go new, Mesa Subway D-800 or Subway 800+.
If your wanting used, G.K. MB-500.
My main gigging head is a Subway 800+, love it!
My back-up head is a used G.K. MB2-500 that cost me $250.00 and came with a carry case.
I liked the little G.K. enough that when a second one local to me came up for sale I bought it also.
If your gonna go new, Mesa Subway D-800 or Subway 800+.
If your wanting used, G.K. MB-500.
My main gigging head is a Subway 800+, love it!
My back-up head is a used G.K. MB2-500 that cost me $250.00 and came with a carry case.
I liked the little G.K. enough that when a second one local to me came up for sale I bought it also.
What is your idea of reasonably priced and you you have spkr cabinets?
If you already have cabinets, I'd consider "reasonable" appx $500. And you can get a NEW Genzler Magellan 350 for that kind of money.
The Mesa amps mentioned will set you back $1000 or more. Not very reasonably priced unless you see value in them and probably overkill for church and small/medium gigs.
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What do you want out of the amp, sound-wise?
When you say you need an amp, do you just mean the little box that makes the juice, or do you also mean you need a speaker? Combo or separates?
Do you just want clean power with some basic EQ functions, or do you also want some overdrive/grit/grind/saturation, maybe an onboard compressor? Do you use pedals or a preamp to help get/shape your sound?
Do you have amps you've used in the past that you really liked? Any you DIDN'T like? And for what reasons did or didn't you like them?
Without knowing any of these types of things, I would simply recommend you go to any of the major retailers and pick the cheapest amp that meets your wattage requirement.
When you say you need an amp, do you just mean the little box that makes the juice, or do you also mean you need a speaker? Combo or separates?
Do you just want clean power with some basic EQ functions, or do you also want some overdrive/grit/grind/saturation, maybe an onboard compressor? Do you use pedals or a preamp to help get/shape your sound?
Do you have amps you've used in the past that you really liked? Any you DIDN'T like? And for what reasons did or didn't you like them?
Without knowing any of these types of things, I would simply recommend you go to any of the major retailers and pick the cheapest amp that meets your wattage requirement.
Obligatory Fender Rumble recommendation
Depends what kind of sound you like of course. Personally I think the best amp out there is the WD-800. I played one before lockdown and was just blown away. I have no use for an amp with that kind of capability currently, even pre-pandemic my 30 watt Ashdown LB30 could handle everything since my only non-PA gigs are coffeehouse type situations. As far as best value if you're looking in a lower price range, the Quilter BB800 seems pretty hard to beat.
Bang for the buck for me would be the Peavey MiniMax or MiniMega, the Fender Rumble 800, or the Ampeg PF800. They GK's and Mesa offerings are great but you have to pay for what you get. If price were no object, the Mesa TT800 would be first on my list.
Jazz and funk player. I'm happily using TC BH250 with two custom made ultalight boxes. I know it's not the most popular amp among fellow Talkbassers, but for me it somehow works great for many years now.
I was not impressed with Trace Elliot ELF, but I keep it still for very small gigs.
I have experience with small combos that are for student use at our school (Ampeg BA-108, Ibanez Promethan, SWR don't know which). These work quite well if you know what you want, know how to dial it in, and can stand a compromise in lows. These are not really meant for serious gigs.
If you are after sound quality that will last you, don't buy anything cheaper than, say, Aguilar Tone Hammer 350.
If you already have a cab you want to keep, try to try your bass+cab with different amps.
I was not impressed with Trace Elliot ELF, but I keep it still for very small gigs.
I have experience with small combos that are for student use at our school (Ampeg BA-108, Ibanez Promethan, SWR don't know which). These work quite well if you know what you want, know how to dial it in, and can stand a compromise in lows. These are not really meant for serious gigs.
If you are after sound quality that will last you, don't buy anything cheaper than, say, Aguilar Tone Hammer 350.
If you already have a cab you want to keep, try to try your bass+cab with different amps.
As a proud Canadian, I'll throw Traynor in the mix. You can buy their 500 watt Class D amp here for $500, it should be pretty reasonable Stateside and are built well.
I agree the only brands I have any real interest in are GK and Mesa for current production though I may put the Genzler stuff in that group as well. Another option you may consider is a Genz Benz head. They have been out of production for a few years now but I use my Streamliner 900 all the time and have never had any trouble with it. They are a little more vintage sounding but you could also look for a Genz Shuttle/Shuttlemax. You should probably be able to find a used one for reasonable money.
Of course the best approach is to try as many as you can but most of the time that isn't as easy as it sounds.
Good Luck!
Of course the best approach is to try as many as you can but most of the time that isn't as easy as it sounds.
Good Luck!
Have a look at any of the Mesa Subway amps. They are easy to find new and used and they have the best aftermarket support in the industry. There are good reasons they’re so frequently recommended.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I've seen Dave Holland with this rig and his sound was awesome. It's an upright though. I believe that when it sound great with upright, it will sound great with electric, if the cab is big enough.
I love the BH250 loaded with the spectracomp toneprint. I also have a BH550 that I sometimes used when our band used to play live before the pandemic. (Remember those days?)
For the OP, when I think of a great all-round amp that just sounds good with everything I immediately think of the Markbass Little Mark III. If you want to spend a lot more money, there is the Mesa 800. But, if you want to spend much less money and sometimes use FX but don't want to invest in pedals then the TC Electronic BH series amps are great. I have a BH250 for home, a BH550 for gigs, and I have an old Little Mark 250 because it just sounds great. All three sound so good that I really can't see spending close to a thousand bucks for supposedly better gear.
I think the best bang for the buck is a Mesa/Boogie Subway D-800, but if you're looking for bang for the buck under a certain price range I'd need to know the price range. Then I'd probably go with a use D-800. Second place would probably go to a Quilter Bass Block 800.
