First amp?

Are you looking for a combo amp or a separate amp and head? What kind of sound are you looking for? What kind of music are you going to play and at what kind of venues?

Go to your local GC or Irish equivalent and jam on some amps and see which has the sound you seem to like and then do some research from there. It seems like you've got some time before you make this purchase, and I'd use that to try out amps and learn everything you can.



joe

 

I would recommend buying used, as it will get you a big bang for your buck. See what is available and come back here with results and people can better guide you.

That said if you are going the "new gear" route, for a very well rounded tone I would suggest you get an Ampeg Portaflex 500 or a PF-350 with the 115 cab. Both will operate like a combo as the head attaches to the cab, and can flip down in side for transport. These are great "all-a-rounders" as far as tone goes. If you need to be louder than the half stack, and additional 115HE cab can be used for great results. One of our resident Ampeg Guru's uses a pf350 with two 115 cabs and loves it. JimmyM is an Ampeg endorser, but he is absolutely right on these heads. Its not going to replace the sound of a beast tube head, but it has something special that puts it in its own class. Personally I am going to go pick up a PF-500 today, as I am in the market for a micro head, and that is the only one that really spoke to me (I have a 100 pound all tube head that I love, but is a bit much for grab and go to practice somewhere besides the drummers house). Going to pair it with my fEARful 15/6.

 

Try the portaflex. It has a lot of the Ampeg tone, which is considered the industry standard.

 

Might be easier to tell us what your budget is so we know what you are working with.

 

Acoustic makes a very nice sounding combo. If you want it cleaner, GK is the way to go IMO.

 

Don't try to save money on a cheap intro bass combo or rig, usually they don't have enough wattage to be heard or otherwise bad soldering and electronics resulting in repair work later. And you need to trust your gear 100% when you are up on-stage. Look for good used gear, Ampeg, GK, Genz Benz, MarkBass et rest...

 

+1 to budget. I have a GK MB115 200-watt 1x15" combo, weighs 35 lbs. Sounds great, works for everything I need it for. I got mine for $325 used/like-new.

 

For a quality it is hard to beat Ampeg and Hartke.

For price it is hard to beat Behringer

 

Ashdown stuff doesn't get a lot of love on here, but they are becoming more and more popular amps here in the UK. Their range has something for everyone; good combos, good seperate heads and cabs, solud state or tube.

I loved my EB180-15 combo and I was playing similiar stuff in similiar venues and had no problems, especially if there is a PA system. I have since moved up to an ABM900 head and either MAG410 or ABM810 cab, but the EB still gets a lot of use for practice and smaller gigs. Very versatile EQ and an oppurtunity to add an 8ohm extension cab.

Hope this helps man

 

With the orchestra I play in I use a TC Electronic BH500 and a Peavey 4x10, also used in a band with guitars, singers, trumpets, a drummer, piano, list goes on. It's a big band, and we usually play to around 200 people or so. But there's plenty of flexibility with tones and volume is plentiful from the half stack. I do have another cab, but it never gets used, I haven't needed to. For the lot it cost just over £340, all used and b-stock.

Going used is going to save you money, it certainly did me.