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Choosing A New Bass Amp, tube, solid state, or hybrid?

T

theitalianrob

Jun 3, 2008
17
0
Cranbury,NJ
www.myspace.com
#1
I'm feeling that it's about time for me to upgrade to a more reliable amp head. (im currently using an old acoustic b320 from the 80s). I need something with good power and a big beefy tone.

I play in a 3 piece punk/hardcore band so i need something thatis really full on the low end to make up for the lack of a second guitar.

I've had a few amps in mind . some i have played, others i've read about, and some i cant find anywhere. I was wondering what the major tone/volume differences are between tube, solid state, and hybrid bass amps?

These are some i've had in my mind:

Peavey VB-2 (cant find in any store or find any reviews)

Trace Elliot AH500-7 (a tad on the expensive side)

Traynor YBA200 (how loud is 200w tube power?)

Carvin BX600

Ashdown ABM 500 EVO II

Markbass TA501 (a tad on the expensive side)

Ampeg SVT-3PRO (a tad on the expensive side)
 
#2
Take a look at the Hartke line, discontinued 7000 and 5000 series can be bought at a good price. They have a 12ax7 tube for tube distortion. They are small and not that heavy. I use them for small room gigs or when I don't want to carry a SVT.

Best bass amp would be a SVT tube. Good luck
 
#5
I hear awesome stuff about the Peavey tube heads (and at 300w, it should be PLENTY of tube wattage to get you through). That would be my number one suggestion, my second would be what I own: the Traynor YBA200.

The Traynor is a GREAT all-tube amp and is the first and only amp that has pushed my 2x10 and 1x15 cabs hard enough to hear myself CLEARLY over my drummer and guitarist. You need to make sure you like tube tone before you get one though, if you like the ampeg sound, then you'll totally get that from the Traynor, you just won't get as much wattage from it. Now, if you're playing small/medium gigs at little clubs or coffee houses for teens then that amp and two cabs (i'd recommend the 2x10 and 1x15 setup if not a larger one) you should be able to hear yourself fine and the Traynor has a Direct-Out so you can plug into the house PA but still play through your cab and hear yourself well. The Traynor is also pretty light, its only like 40 something pounds whereas most tube heads are in the 80 or 90 pound range. I love the tube growl and ballsy tone, and if you play with a pick you will ADORE your tone. Get yourself a nice P-bass (or a Squier VM P-bass like i got lol) and it'll sound freakin awesome.

But watch some youtube videos, demo videos and other stuff to make sure you like the tube sound. When I do pick, I like Chris Joannou from Silverchair's tone a lot and I TOTALLY get it with my p-bass and that amp, so I couldn't be happier but make sure it's the sound you want. I bought one from a fellow TB'er without even trying one....and I love mine =)
 
#8
the only thing with the carvin is that not many people use them witch leads to a lack of reviews. Plus they dont have a showcase outside of california so i'm kinda weary to buy something before trying it. And plus their return period is only 10 days, not 30 like most places so even if i got it and didnt liek it i might not have time to send it back.
 
#13
I didn't realize the VB-2 was as inexpensive (for a tube amp, at least) as it is: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VB2. I've never heard it myself; wouldn't mind checking that one out.

While I love my SVT-3Pro, I agree that it's expensive if you pay retail. That said, there is (or was) a boatload of discounted new and barely used 3Pro units out there. I've heard of some people scoring them new for $450.00 - 500.00 USD, which is pretty damn good, imo.

Another one you may want to consider would be the Yorkville XS-800h. It's discontinued now, although you can probably find some new-old stock out there if you do some digging.
 
#18
Tried 3 VB-2's when I was looking and they all had problems. Talked with some people and heard there are some inherent problems with the heads making them prone to a higher componet failure rate. Just what I heard and experienced.
I went with an SVT 3 Pro btw.
 

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