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Do I even need a "bass amp"?

A

Alfisti

Sep 28, 2016
110
68
#1
Hi folks. I got into playing bass a couple of years ago, and bought a nice Warwick Sweet 25.1. I like the way my basses sound through it, but when I've gigged, I've always ended up playing through a PA. In fact, I have 2 PA speakers and a mixer, so I'm set with that all on my own. The PA speakers are Mackie Thump 15 (400w RMS for low end, 100 RMS for high end tweeter). They are plastic and very light weight (33 lbs). Bulky though.

The Warwick amp is not just bulky, but heavy. I'm not in a big rush to carry it around anywhere... the PA speakers, I can carry one in each hand, at the same time. Easy.

I also have an old 150w Carvin head that I use with a couple of homemade cabs (a 1x10, and a 1x12). If I need to be REALLY portable, I can use the 1x10 and Carvin head, and I'm happy with that as well. In fact that combination is surprisingly useful.

I have played my bass through my PA both with a cheap Behringer bass DI (http://www.guitarcenter.com/Behringer/BDI21-V-Tone-Bass-Driver-Bass-Amp-Modeler-Direct-Recording-Preamp-DI-Box-Pedal-1337871406245.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXMP&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BADL%5D%20%5BNon-Brand%5D%20%5BPLA%5D%20%5BUS%5D%20%5BEnhanced%5D%20%5BShopping%5D%20-%20(Product%20Type%20-%20Brand)%20-%20MQ&utm_term=1100501462125&utm_content=Product%20Type%20-%20Brand&kwid=bingproductads-adid^8946016574-device^c-plaid^1100501462125-sku^1337871406245@ADL4GC-adType^PLA ), as well as line-out from the Carvin head.

And here I am, looking at the Warwick amp, thinking, what am I ever going to use this for?

So my question is - is it nuts to just use the PA and either a nice bass head (or even one of the new Hotone Thunder ones) or a DI I like? Do people generally do this? I care about this because of space concerns - and also, if I have an amp I'm not using, I can sell it and use the funds for something that is more useful to me.

How about if I were to play in a band? Would people think I'm an amateur? NOTE: I have not immediate plans to play in a band...

Thanks!
 
#4
Thanks all. One more question then... what would be the scenarios where I WOULD need a "real" amp? What am I really losing if I get rid of the big amp? The ability to play on stage and use the amp as a monitor??
 
#5
Any decent club has its own subs and monitors, you could use the Carvin setup you've got as a personal monitor. The only real reason to keep a big speaker/amp set up in my mind is if you anticipate frequently playing places that don't have their own PA, like bars and such.
 
#6
Woofer, since I have my own powered PA speaker... If I walk in with an amp head (or DI)+powered speaker, instead of a "real" bass cab.. I guess I run the risk of looking like a dork.... But outside of that, it would likely sound the same in the end as a dedicated bass amp/cab. And I guess my tone comes from my fingers anyway. :-) thanks
 
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#7
Alfisti said:
Thanks all. One more question then... what would be the scenarios where I WOULD need a "real" amp? What am I really losing if I get rid of the big amp? The ability to play on stage and use the amp as a monitor??
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, when you've gigged on bass you've just run into the PA without having any monitoring on stage for your bass? Did you ask for bass through the vocal monitors or did you just hear enough of yourself through the mains?

To answer your question above, yes that's what you might be missing out on, the ability to use the amp as a monitor. You may have had no problem hearing yourself through the mains on the stages you've played but that may not always be the case.

With regard to playing in a band... folks of my era might think it a bit odd if you showed up to a rehearsal or a gig without a bass amp. On club stages, some techs will be fine running some of you through the vocal monitors, others might not like it so much.

Little anecdote for you. I have a close friend who toured for many years with a well known female vocalist and is now doing monitors for a band that 99% of us know. He tells me that in a club/small soft-seater setting, when a band knows how to mix itself on stage, his job is merely to place the mics and turn them up. Take that for what it's worth.
 
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#9
Bass rigs made of PA gear have been around since the early 70's. Sounds fine if you are into that kind of thing. I personally am not crazy about that approach, but you are not the first and you certainly won't be the last.
 
#10
The preamp section of a dedicated bass amp might have a tuner, a compressor, suitable eq and distortion of some kind. If you use distortion (or even if you dont) you'll be interested in the frequency rolloff that a typical speaker 10" or more will have. I dont know about your Behringer but there are bass di/preamps that have most or even all of this functionality including speaker emulation. In the typical venue that has FOH and stage monitors, all you really need is to connect to the mixer via your bass di. In typical rehearsal and home practice you would be fine going DI -> Mackie. The poweramp and speaker of a dedicated bass amp might be more powerfull and dig deeper than your Mackies if you ever need it. The woofer - tweeter arrangment of a powered monitor on the other hand will have better dispersion so listening position will be less critical than is the case with especially multi driver bass cabinets.
 
#13
You must be a good area as most places around here every band has to bring in their own PA and equipment and run it themselves. That includes bringing your own amps to play into and all monitors.

Woofer said:
Any decent club has its own subs and monitors, you could use the Carvin setup you've got as a personal monitor. The only real reason to keep a big speaker/amp set up in my mind is if you anticipate frequently playing places that don't have their own PA, like bars and such.
Click to expand...
 
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