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Help Me Pick my Forever Amp

I’m partial to big class AB heads. For your budget, I’d definitely recommend the SVT-4 Pro. Lots of power and capability. Never had any issue with any of mine, whether it was made in Vietnam or USA.

And it will last beyond 5 years, no problem.
 
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P.S. I’ve spent a lot of time practicing at home with a SanSamp BDDI V2, blend all the way up, and that sound is phenomenal to me, this is the sound in my head.
then your question contains its own answer!

you don't need a "bass amp" at all. just scrounge up a plain PA power amp that has lots of power and isn't too heavy or expensive and feed it with the 1/4" out from your sansamp (switch that to high level) to drive your stage cab while feeding the XLR to the PA

i run mine in just this way and it sounds awesome, i haven't cared about a "bass amp" in forever

you can try it out right now for no money, just feed the sansamp into the fx return of your rumble head to bypass all the rumble EQ and treat it like a straight power amp
I understand it’s supposed to replicate an SVT + 810 with ultra low on. This doesn’t always work live, so I’m trying to find that balance of how much boxiness can I pull out but still be heard in a live setting
says who? soundguys love the sansamp tone, it works just fine in a rock mix. a big low end with some scoop in the mids serves to fill out the sound while keeping the bass out of the way of the vocals and guitars, and a bit of grind on top gives you some note definition
 
I've heard nothing but good things about Mesa, though I'm very unfamiliar with their line of amps. I can definitely add those to the list. I'll take a look at the Quilter too, thanks!
Eric, the engineer who designed Mesa's Subway series is a Talkbass member (@agedhorse) and regularly posts here about amps, both his own designs and other companies too. I own some of his Genz Benz gear from nearly 15 years ago and it's still going strong. Check out Mesa, it's worth the time.
 
Well my forever amp is t a pre Fender SWR Bass 350 I got in 91 in NYC. It was already used hard then and I used it even harder in a dance band I was in. It is still working today. My synth player also plays with a loud rock band and it was in the rehearsal space since 2018 and then recently, I lent it o another band and they also play loud at their rehearsals. The thing is still working and I only had the input jack and the speakers jacks replaced, plus on my third preamp tube replacement. It's only fault is that it pops when you turn it on. No scratchy pots, relatively quite and if you cab can take it the master volume can be wide open. Yes when I started raising the kids, I used it less, but the components never rotted out. But since 2018, it was used constantly at loud rehearsal or gig levels at least 2 -3 days a week. Never babied and a lot of battle scars. This was it 11 years ago. People like this amp and the so called aural enhancer mid scoop disability that it possesses never bothered anybody. Of course Talkbass says to avoid these like a disease

My point is just pick one and keep it forever

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