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Cheap amp heads with punch?

#81
Dan Newsom said:
I just picked up my first bass cab, no head. I play classic rock and doom metal, but I’d rather not spend TOO much money on a head (shocker). I have no knowledge or experience with amp heads. Any cheap but reliable heads on the market? I have an ampeg can (fridge)
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Depending on your eq, every amp in production has punch. Punch is a mid thing that adds definition to your low end. If you scoop out your mids, you'll have no punch. Try doing it with your mouth, and itll make sense. Go "oom oom oom" Then, go "boom boom boom" the boom will have much more force behind it. But the "b" sound is not a low noise whatsoever. Get it? Any old (or new) amp will be great with that cab. No matter what it is, you'll be able to dial in a sound you like. I'd just Google cheap bass amps. Used or new. It doesnt really matter. Find something that fits your budget.
 
#84
AlmostAAVee said:
Hartke LH500/1000, TX series or HA series :) also ampeg has pf-350 head which is not that pricey (of course depending on tje budget)

Tc electronic and ashdown are great too and people seem to like bugera veyron stuff too (I have not tried one, but would lobe to test one and compare it to my LH500 and tc BH550)
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I just got rid of my BH500, which I got from trading in my Veyron M. The Bugera is a great amp. The TC was much greater. Truth, one of the best amps I've ever played on. For real. BH500. If you havent played one, you need to. And I picked mine up for a whopping $236. Sold it back to guitar center for $130. Had to fund my new 6x9s. Priorities. But, I would definately look into the TC stuff. I'm going to get one of the new little guys next. That TH whatever. Looks great, and cheap as hell.
 
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#85
Really cheap: another vote for '70s or '80s Peavey.
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But that built-in compressor somebody mentioned is a cruel mistress. I might try to figure out how to disable mine and blow stuff up.


<500 USD: used Mesa Subway D-800 if you're patient. But even a new one wouldn't set you back a whole lot more.
 
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#87
Just get a sansamp bddi and any cheap but high wattage power amp. Anything will do, PA power amps included. If/when the amp dies, you swap it out without much $ lost.

I ran my bddi into an old carvin Dcm1000 and wondered why I even bother with my other amps. The bddi does so many different tones, it truly is an amazing piece of equipment.
 
#90
Riff Ranger said:
Really cheap: another vote for '70s or '80s Peavey.
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But that built-in compressor somebody mentioned is a cruel mistress. I might try to figure out how to disable mine and blow stuff up.


<500 USD: used Mesa Subway D-800 if you're patient. But even a new one wouldn't set you back a whole lot more.
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The compressor is kind of part of the sound on those peavey marks. I think they are equally great for guitars with a 4x12.
 
#91
stefancaunter said:
The compressor is kind of part of the sound on those peavey marks. I think they are equally great for guitars with a 4x12.
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Well, there's no way I know of to dial it out, haha. I love it for my purposes—these amps are pretty much my baseline for tone—but would like the option to get a bit louder. I do have my Mesa Buster for that, which if our OP would be willing to go a bit over 500 USD, becomes a great possibility for purposes of punch.
 
#92
Riff Ranger said:
Well, there's no way I know of to dial it out, haha. I love it for my purposes—these amps are pretty much my baseline for tone—but would like the option to get a bit louder. I do have my Mesa Buster for that, which if our OP would be willing to go a bit over 500 USD, becomes a great possibility for purposes of punch.
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Nope. There might be a mod but why bother is my feeling. To get maximum output power and volume you need to run it down at a 2 ohm load, so add cabs. A 412 and two 15s will sound massive together on a Mark IV.
 
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#93
stefancaunter said:
Nope. There might be a mod but why bother is my feeling. To get maximum output power and volume you need to run it down at a 2 ohm load, so add cabs. A 412 and two 15s will sound massive together on a Mark IV.
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I might have run the one I had in high school at 2 ohms, but I doubt it. I definitely ran it through a 2x15 and that couldn't have hurt the overall volume. I've got a 4ohm 1x15 paired with it now and it gets loud enough to sound okay with my burly kindergartener on drums, haha.
 
#94
Riff Ranger said:
I might have run the one I had in high school at 2 ohms, but I doubt it. I definitely ran it through a 2x15 and that couldn't have hurt the overall volume. I've got a 4ohm 1x15 paired with it now and it gets loud enough to sound okay with my burly kindergartener on drums, haha.
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Add another 15 like that and you’ll be at 2 ohms.
All drummers are too loud...
 
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#96
If you're not too psyched about weight the already suggested Peavey Mark heads (even the least powerful Mark III -my 1st. serious amp- is real LOUD) can be had for 200$ or less. I've also owned both the old MOSFET Hartke 3500 and currently own a later non-MOSFET one, they both punch and are equally as capable, versatile, reliable, and loud (even run at 2.7ohm, did it for years, hit the head's thermal protection probably twice in 30 years of Hartke gear) and can be had for <200$ too.

There's 2 class-D heads I'd buy under 500$, one is the Peavey MiniMAX (or a used MiniMega) and the other is the Tech21 VT-Bass 500 (probably my fave, my rig for the last 10 years has been a SansAmp RBI thru' the aforementioned 3500 head, I've been in love with the SansAmp thing for 20+ years, only comparable thing to ever come out being DarkGlass IMHO). I've tried others, Tone Hammers several times, and I don't like them, hardly plug&play, always DIFFICULT for me to find a tone I like, also no blend for fine tunning the overdriven thing (which on top of that I find really lame sounding, guitar-like, no grain), and it doesn't seem to punch like solid state heads usually do, kinda' dull. I know MANY love Tone Hammers, so I asume it must be my SansAmp fat crunch (mostly picked) punk/metal bias. I also tried an EICH T500 but can't say for sure as it was thru' their 1x10" and 1x12" cabs which I find laughable at best (really thin sounding, wouldn't even use those at home, what an expensive joke). It all sounded too "flat" for me, no punch, no balls, no chest pumping part of the spectrum, even at low volumes (and wasn't even trying to punk that head at all, playing mostly tasty disco/soul/funk fingerstyle Bernard'ish stuff). Contrary to some trends I happen to love voicing, couldn't care less for "flat", this is about amplifying bass guitar, not the RPO.

What I've been doing for the last decade+ is carry my tone with me either in the RBI or its emulation in a Zoom MS60B, so I can use any amp that puts out enough clean volume and has capable enough EQ to adapt to the room (kill resonances mostly), even any of my cheap jewels (an array of Peavey combos). That's why I've been doing good exclusively with Peavey and Hartke gear (loud and reliable), never owned anything else (same with cabs), loud (while clean) and with a versatile enough EQ is good enough for me.
 
#97
One of my biggest selling regrets remains the GK 1001RB I'd picked up used/mint for like $360 (and sold for similar). It was comically loud, through an Ampeg 410HLF shook the walls. At slightly over 20 pounds the 700/1001 RB's aren't as light as the newer Class D's, but still lighter than many lead sleds, and they just have that "extra something" I haven't (yet) heard in any of the D's. Have fun searching!
 
#98
Inara said:
I'm not sure what qualifies as cheap to you, but a used Gallien Krueger 700RB-II can be found for $350 or so, and will punch very hard.
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I'd really love one of these and for that money i could get it shipped over here to the netherlands a lot cheaper than what these buggers ask for them secondhand here... if there are any at all... guess i'm in a real slow used-stuff market :(
 
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#99
Well, I have to agree with the Mesa Subway series heads suggested here.. I have the D800+ and the WD-800.However, I've hooked up my Fender Rumble 500 to the 8x10's and well...wow..It's cheap , punchy( set on vintage) really (really) loud with my 73' Ricky 4001 or the Am.Pro Jazz.It can be set to scooped for the GK type tones as well.Good luck and I hope you find the head for you. ( try them out whenever possible and pony up some coin for good professional-grade ear-plugs ..seriously.. trust us on this one)
 

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