The way it was explained to me, the more headroom you have the better your amp will sound and the longer it will last. That being the word, I've always shot for plenty of power. I did a two guitar/singer and drummer rock band with 350 watts through a 410. I'm currently doing everything with a couple of 12/3 cabs and 500 watts. I mostly use a single cab with the same amp, but I've got the other cab if I need it and both of them together can't overwork the amp so it's all good (knock wood) in the hood.
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Do we really need super powerful amps anymore?
- Thread starter A. D. Fairhurst
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There are lots of folks who don't think 500 watts into 2x112 is "plenty of power". I totally agree with you though.
First: don't finance anything. If you can't afford it now, wait until you can.
Second: your pop is well ahead of the curve. I have a number of bass rigs from small to gargantuan, but I rarely use an amp on stage now. There are many ways to get fantastic tone without an amp, but the best way is to simply have good technique.
As for how to spend the money? Buy the best PA gear you can afford. You will open yourself to far more gigs owning the PA, and if done properly, your sound both on stage and FOH will improve.
Second: your pop is well ahead of the curve. I have a number of bass rigs from small to gargantuan, but I rarely use an amp on stage now. There are many ways to get fantastic tone without an amp, but the best way is to simply have good technique.
As for how to spend the money? Buy the best PA gear you can afford. You will open yourself to far more gigs owning the PA, and if done properly, your sound both on stage and FOH will improve.
Things must be different where you live, the places we play don't usually have a stage let alone a PA. Those that have a PA are not usually up to taking bass.
Got to agree on the 'no financing', if you can't afford it don't buy it.
There is a ton of used gear in the UK which you can buy dirt cheap. E.G. 80s Peavey 410s and amps and Trace Elliot 15" combos can be picked up for next to nothing (and are virtually indestructible, I know from first hand experience).
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At 15, you're going to be regretting going into debt for an SVT instead of going into debt for a car. 
Another thing. Don't try to skip steps and spend a fortune on pro gear. en I was 15 I wanted a Les Paul and a Mesa Boogie Mk III Simulclass. Neither one of which I would care anything for now. I'm a die hard strat and AC30/JCM800 guy. I just didn't know it at the time.
I missed that you were 15, don't even think about going into debt, not for bass gear, or car, or anything. Well not until you are earning proper money and have a better perspective on life.
When I was in my late teens I played in a band where the 2 guitarists bought gear on credit, they were still paying it off years after they quit playing. Bands are pretty transient despite what we would all like to think.
When I was in my late teens I played in a band where the 2 guitarists bought gear on credit, they were still paying it off years after they quit playing. Bands are pretty transient despite what we would all like to think.
I have more experience as guitarist than bassist, but I have never been satisfied by DI boxes directly into mixers. My feeling is that the problem mainly regards the speakers.
In my modest experience, if you need more amplification from your amp, just microphone the bass cab and go to the mixer. Conversely, I have been satisfied by DI boxes into soundcard to home-record into a pc.
In my modest experience, if you need more amplification from your amp, just microphone the bass cab and go to the mixer. Conversely, I have been satisfied by DI boxes into soundcard to home-record into a pc.
Even where we are told "we have a top notch PA" we always take our own just in case (and I never leave for any gig without my bass rig). The venue's idea of "top notch" and ours is often worlds, and decades, apart.
And even then don't do it. As a musician there's no quicker route to getting stuck in a dayjob that takes you away from music than being in debt.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
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Depends where you are playing. A lot of venues don't have a sound system that can do justice to bass.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I suspect that even places with good PA may struggle with bass unless they have subs and many thousands of watts available.
This.
I just played an outdoor gig this afternoon with no PA support for bass (just vocals and sax) and killed it with a GK MB Fusion 800 (4 pounds) and Barefaced Big Baby 2 (29 pounds). That's what I love about the Big Baby 2-- sounds like you have bass PA support when you don't, huge volume, great sound quality, and SO easy to move. You get big power, big sound, small footprint and weight. No need for big-- you just need big sound.
There are so many directions to go at this point in the conversation.
First, I feel like I'm hearing way too many "I run 2x15 and 500 watts so I know I'm set" or "get yourself a cheap 2000 watts and you'll be ready for anything." What are these watts DOING for you? Are you talking about what they offer in terms of volume? Clean headroom? Tone? A 2,000 watt solid state Carvin will sound different than a 800 watt class D Mesa will sound different than a 300 watt blue line SVT will sound different than a 365 watt Acoustic 370. And it will have to do with a LOT more than the wattage.
That's why I appreciated my old SVT-4 and 810 cab. At the time I didn't KNOW or CARE how many watts it was. It had warm tube tone and as much volume as I'd ever need. I only realized after I sold it that it was pushing anywhere from 800-1200 watts depending on the load.
But that was a hybrid head--tube pre and solid state power sections. Which is why the classic SVT's 300 tube watts (that I toured with for a few years after) sounded just as powerful as my old 4-pro hybrid. Conversely, a 300 watt class D amplifier (like my RH450) won't have nearly the volume or power of the SVT, or my brand spankin' new Super Bassman--both 300 watts.
Just don't go chasing watts. The numbers aren't important, and are often misleading. What's important is the tone and the volume. Check out pros that are playing the music that you like with tone that you appreciate. Find out what they play. Buy something reasonable that has the mojo you want. If you're young, don't worry about size.
First, I feel like I'm hearing way too many "I run 2x15 and 500 watts so I know I'm set" or "get yourself a cheap 2000 watts and you'll be ready for anything." What are these watts DOING for you? Are you talking about what they offer in terms of volume? Clean headroom? Tone? A 2,000 watt solid state Carvin will sound different than a 800 watt class D Mesa will sound different than a 300 watt blue line SVT will sound different than a 365 watt Acoustic 370. And it will have to do with a LOT more than the wattage.
That's why I appreciated my old SVT-4 and 810 cab. At the time I didn't KNOW or CARE how many watts it was. It had warm tube tone and as much volume as I'd ever need. I only realized after I sold it that it was pushing anywhere from 800-1200 watts depending on the load.
But that was a hybrid head--tube pre and solid state power sections. Which is why the classic SVT's 300 tube watts (that I toured with for a few years after) sounded just as powerful as my old 4-pro hybrid. Conversely, a 300 watt class D amplifier (like my RH450) won't have nearly the volume or power of the SVT, or my brand spankin' new Super Bassman--both 300 watts.
Just don't go chasing watts. The numbers aren't important, and are often misleading. What's important is the tone and the volume. Check out pros that are playing the music that you like with tone that you appreciate. Find out what they play. Buy something reasonable that has the mojo you want. If you're young, don't worry about size.
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You were coming through loud and clear on your rig for the Blues Jam over at Queen City Brewery & that is a big room.
I probably forgot to say so at the time, but great playing as well!
Thanks, I appreciate the compliment!
I will say that was a pretty quiet jam. I recorded it on my Zoom H4 and there are points where the bass is completely masked by the guitars. Not a lot and not for more than a note or two, but I think I could have been up a bit more in that mix. Then again many folks don't seem to care when you can't hear every note the bassist plays. I am not one of those folks.
I don't know man... down south we got some big wimens.Bigger is always better at these venues.
This is my logic. You don't need a huge rig, or any rig other than a DI for that matter, if you have a decent PA, but it's just not the same feeling without! I'm gonna get an Ampeg SVT-CL and a pair of Marshall 1960Bs the first chance I get!
