Bigger amp desired

[Acorn to Oak]

It was a personal limit imposed by my[wife]self.

And weight not an issue for me.

 

[msb]

The class D amps of today are not like the old transistor amps used to be . Truth is today you get clean power with a ton of headroom . And there are some lovely lightweight cabs around now . My feeling is if you're going to use it , you'll have to move it . I once ran tubes and a fridge . I don't miss lugging that stuff around . Now I'm neo cabs and a class D head . I'm also 900 watts and have a ton of headroom ...

 

[bherman]

With all respect, suggest you spend several hours or more browsing through the talkbass forum on amps. There’s been tons and tons of posts like this, and what you’ll see is a wide range of opinions and ideas that will then allow you to start narrowing it down. Every post is going to have a dozen people or so who give you their particular version of what is “best”, and you’re ultimately going to have to find that out by yourself. But reading as much as you can in this forum can help. Good luck with your search!

 

[Acorn to Oak]

With all respect, suggest you spend several hours or more browsing through the talkbass forum on amps. There’s been tons and tons of posts like this, and what you’ll see is a wide range of opinions and ideas that will then allow you to start narrowing it down. Every post is going to have a dozen people or so who give you their particular version of what is “best”, and you’re ultimately going to have to find that out by yourself. But reading as much as you can in this forum can help. Good luck with your search!

Yup fair point, that’s what I did. Saw a few similar posts, some dating back quite a while.
I was trying to gauge current thoughts via this thread for my own personal ‘desires’, ‘wants’ & ‘needs’.
New shoots often appear when you rake old ground.

 

[kmon]

I've found a 410 or 212 with at least a 350 watt head will always keep up with a loud rehearsal/jam. A couple of 210s or 12s is nice and modular. I've found that less cab than that has typically struggled a bit with a loudish band, regardless of the head.

I'd focus on the cabs and then get the best 300+ watt head you can afford.

 

[Eekum]

IMHO, the Fender Rumble 500 v3 is a monster of a combo. I own it and love the sound and power. If I had to get rid of my main amp/cab rig, I would just use my Rumble 500. I play in a 4 piece rock band with two guitarist and a loud drummer and the rumble has no issues.

 

[bherman]

Yup fair point, that’s what I did. Saw a few similar posts, some dating back quite a while.
I was trying to gauge current thoughts via this thread for my own personal ‘desires’, ‘wants’ & ‘needs’.
New shoots often appear when you rake old ground.

Not dissuading you from your post, just cautioning you that you’ll see lots of replies that say something like, “brand x. End of discussion. “ there are many many good choices in your budget range (although my observation - not documented- is that you probably pay more for gear over there, especially from our side of the pond ). I’m guessing you’re in the UK but not sure; if so it gives you one advantage over us, access to Barefaced cabs. I’d try one and if it stretches your budget, consider a used head to make it work. Start with a great cab and you’re off to a good start to bike on.

 

[bherman]

Not dissuading you from your post, just cautioning you that you’ll see lots of replies that say something like, “brand x. End of discussion. “ there are many many good choices in your budget range (although my observation - not documented- is that you probably pay more for gear over there, especially from our side of the pond ). I’m guessing you’re in the UK but not sure; if so it gives you one advantage over us, access to Barefaced cabs. I’d try one and if it stretches your budget, consider a used head to make it work. Start with a great cab and you’re off to a good start to bike on.

Supposed to say “build on”, not bike on. Thank you google.

 

[Papuzzo]

If I knew back then what I know now....

The equipment has changed a lot over the last 40 years, I suggest getting a good SWR Goliath III cab and maybe a decent SWR head, both can be had for dirt cheap and you will probably sound so much better than most people here with their $2000 rigs. Another is Trace Elliot gear. Scour the used ads for those.

 

[Tricaptain]

This is a tough question to answer, because (like most have probably already said, and as you'll continue to see in your search for this, and ANY/ALL gear) it's all a matter of what will work for you. It sounds like you're serious about this, sooooo... why not hold out just a little longer and invest in something that you can really grow into! Not just a great practice amp, but an awesome gigging amp, as well!

My very first instinct would be to recommend you buy something used. Most of the gear I'd ever gotten was used. I got A LOT of really, really valuable education over the years with the different amps I'd played through. When I was younger, too, it was common practice to have a larger cab; things didn't start getting smaller/more portable until the recent decades.

There were some exceptions where I'd, instead, bought brand new, to include the following recommendation if you REALLY want to go new (warranty, etc): Markbass Ninja 102 500.

[This invalid link has been removed]

***I DO NOT work for Markbass or any vendor, I'm just a happy/proud owner spreading the word.***

Of all amps to recommend, why 'this' one?...

Portable (one-hand carry, something like 36 pounds and it's a combo. MASSIVE benefit)…
Powerful (300 watts at 8 ohms on its own, 500 with a second 8ohm cab; I have another 2x10 - holds up in band/stage situations well!)…
...there's also the 120 250... less expensive, but I'd rather recommend 'more' power that you might not need, than less power, and you struggle more often than just getting to enjoy playing...
Tone (Sure, it has the 'Markbass' quality that some like or don't like. I like it)
Modest footprint (did I mention, one-hand carry?)
Keeps up with practice and on stage (One of the bands I'm in is an Iron Maiden tribute band... works well as a standalone at practice, works well as a standalone on stage, but even MORE so with another cab for more volume)

...and it's PRO gear. Serious quality here. Sure, it's about $900-1000, but it's money very well spent for something that you can use for SO many applications and really grow into.

Try before you buy ANYTHING... continue to read up... but your ears will tell you more than any review will.

Let us know how you do! Lots of awesome options (I'm also VERY much a Mesa Boogie fan; Hartke, Genz benz, Trace Elliott and Gallien Krueger are also really awesome... so many others, too...)...

...and I STILL feel like you should probably go used... probably for a while. Try different amps, too - you'll learn what works for you in the different situations you'll be in.

Good luck; cheers!

 

[kosmicwizard]

If you like the fender tone why not get a rumble 200? It is a 15 cab and you can add another 115 cab if you need it down the road. Cheers.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hi everyone, Noob here.
I’m learning to play (2 months) and it’s going pretty well, I have a fender rumble 15w practice amp, which tbf served a purpose but I’m now wanting to feel a bit more depth and vibe and have a bit more ‘sound control’.
Now I really want to buy the next amp to last with no regrets on not getting bigger.
Not interested in gigging, mainly play solo but have pals who want to jam. Im not bothered about weight of equipment or buying used.
Any recommendations on head and cabs or should I go combo?
Cheers

I’m going let you sort out the gear thing with the suggestion from the board.

What I’ll offer the best way to get the best gear for your money. First thing, be patient. There will always be what your are looking for at a better price if you are willing to wait. Secondly, let your ears be your guide. It has to sound good to your ears, or you will eventually regret your purchase. Thirdly, make sure it’s works with the music you play. Finally, if you can, buying gently used gear as opposed paying retail price for brand new gear is the best way to build a killer rig without breaking the bank.

Best wishes. Cheers!

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Hi everyone, Noob here.
I’m learning to play (2 months) and it’s going pretty well, I have a fender rumble 15w practice amp, which tbf served a purpose but I’m now wanting to feel a bit more depth and vibe and have a bit more ‘sound control’.
Now I really want to buy the next amp to last with no regrets on not getting bigger.
Not interested in gigging, mainly play solo but have pals who want to jam. Im not bothered about weight of equipment or buying used.
Any recommendations on head and cabs or should I go combo?
Cheers

For what you are doing a combo would be a good match, but you combos don't really upgrade easily when you outgrow it. You can get an Eden EC210 or EC115 com combo and either would do what you need. I'd be inclined to go with the 210 because it will move a little more air with the same power and it has faster transients that the 115 does because 10" speakers usually move more quickly than 15" speakers do. Street price on both is ~$399 and used runs around $250. They both use a 180-watt amp that is well suited to these speakers and both sound really good. You really do get that clear, full, Eden sound from them.

However, buying a head and then buying speakers separate offers you a LOT of options for upgrading. You can start out with one cab, and if you needed a second one for larger venues, you could just buy another cab later on and run it from the same amp instead of having to buy a bigger combo. I would suggest you get 8 ohm cabs if you go this route simply because pretty much all amps (except GK's Backline 250 - I learned that the hard way!) will handle a 4 ohm load. And, two 8 ohm cabs run in parallel (the industry standard connection) will put a 4 ohm load on the amp.

Those Eden E-series combos all use 4 ohm speakers, so you can't easily run a second cab from them. They do have a speaker out but as soon as you plug something in there, it disconnects the interior speaker(s). Reason for that is that you can get the most sound out of that 180-watt amp with 4 ohm speakers. Really the only different cab you could "add" to that combo that would make you louder would be to add the EX410 cab to it. So you really have to be careful that you understand what adding another speaker to your combo is going to really do when you look at combos.

But not all combos are like that. A lot of them only deliver half their rated power to the combo speaker because it's an 8 ohm internal speaker(s) and usually the power is rated for a 4 ohm load. So it only delivers about 50 to 60% of what it can deliver into 4 ohms. BUT, you can easily add a second 8 ohm speaker cab to it which will then put a 4 ohm load on the amp and it will run both of them easily delivering about the same amount of power to each cab as it does to just the internal speaker on its own. Fender Rumble combos work that way as well as others. So that approach does give you some expansion options that the other combo design route doesn't.

If you get a head plus a cab first, upgrading becomes much simpler. You can upgrade either the amp or the cab(s) as needed without having to replace both at once as is often the case with combos. It's more expensive to start but can easily be less expensive to upgrade as your needs and desires in playing music changes. That's what I've done over the years and even though I have a great amp now, I'm planning on upgrading to a much lighter one later this year. So think it through before you put your money down.

 

[Wasnex]

Ashdown BTA 400 any good?
Can find very little info on it.

I have the BTA400s fraternal twin the Small Block 427. They have the same power amp section but a totally different preamp. The 427 is the loudest tube amp I have ever played and I own multiple big tube amps.

IMHO if you find a BTA400 for £1K that sounds like a price that is too good to be true.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

I'd suggest a Fender Rumble 500 with 2 Fender Rumble 1x15s, the cabs weigh 39lbs a piece and the heads feet have magnets in them that sit in the cabs magnetic cups. You can get the whole thing for under your budget and be able to play with anybody, bring along one or two cabs, I was able to get away with just one for jamming and recording, both cabs sounded great when I needed the firepower!
I very much enjoyed mine while I had it! It sounds great with the overdrive on! They also make a Fender Bassman 500 that has a tube preamp and the power section of the rumble sounds about as hairy as the fender Rumble but has a bit more warmth to it, it also comes in a head case that mimics their tube amps, might be worth a look too

 

[Tottery]

First amp I had was a 8 inch and it never sounded quite good to me. It was an Ampeg something. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a BA-115 and the tone change is obvious. It's great and would definitely work with just jamming with your friends. It could even do some smaller gigs like bar & grill type of places. I'm going to suggest that, but I know Fender makes some pretty good amps as well.

I'm surprised people are suggesting 500 watt amps when you do not want to gig.

 

[vvvmmm]

... guitarist with a decent sized combo (150w I think).

I [whispers] play guitar, also, and can't think of a 150w. combo. Most guitar combos don't top 50w., altho' I have a 60w. Ampeg VT60 ... some heads go 100w. but are pretty outdated/impractical, for indoor use anyway. I'd double-check that wattage figure.
FWIW, IME, I was fine with 350w. solid-state (Ampeg PF500 to BagEnd/EV) into a good 1x12" with two guitarists with 50w. combos; same set-up with a 130w. tube amp (Musicman HD130), each running around 12:00 on the dial.

If you stick with the Rumble the 200 is likely fine (assuming the guitar is 50w.), but you'll likely like the 500 much better.

 

[jdh3000]

Rumble 500, it's light and manageable. Decent power for jamming and won't break the bank.

 

[triode6L6a]

Don't know your location, but this is an example of the kind of bodacious used cabs available that I'd recommend:
For Sale - Mesa Powerhouse 410 Bass Cab
This cab is available in both 8 ohm and 4 ohm versions, with 8 ohm being standard. It says "Standard" in the ad, the back panel shows this one to be the 8 ohm version.

And here's a head to top it off:
For Sale - Hartke LH-1000

Check out Victor Wooten's demo of this head:


Neither of these are light weight, but still portable if needed. Mainly, they'd give you the tone and power for any jam session with your buddies, and, I don't think you'd ever want for more...... and together, used, they are within your budget.

Good luck with your quest.

 

[BogeyBass]

Its very good weight isnt a issue.

A 4x10 or 2x15 tend to work very well to get enough volume or sound pressure level to work with a drummer.

another great thing is there is plenty of used 4x10 cabinets around these days.
at least in my area. It can be different depending on location.

Likewise endless 200 to 350 watt lead sleds.
A term i find more amusing than realistic.
that can be had for rather cheap and still work well
for a band situation

tends to describe alot of amps from the 80's 90's and 2000's

countless amps from Peavey Hartke GK and Ampeg
there is many others of course.
But most these companys produced heads with a mixture of 3 band EQ
and likewise 5 band to 7 band EQ.

most of which can do more than even needed
and give you plenty of tone control.

As far as bigger combos
100 to 150 watt combos with a 1x15 or 2x10
is a possible way to get to band levels.

Even a Peavey TNT 150 has more tone control and options than alot of more expensive new amps.
And they are dirt dirt cheap and tend to still work and even outlive alot of newer amps.
reliability records of peavey is very well known