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High powered head

T

theAntihero

May 9, 2010
98
9
#1
Posting this for my bass player, basically he wants a pretty high powered head,1000w-ish, that isnt Carvin and is reliable. He plays very deep and really needs lots of headroom.

What would you guys recommend?
 
#2
Wattage is not as important as having enough speakers, good speakers. Many here gig with very loud bands using 300 watt bass heads, and massive spkr cabs, (8x10's, 4x12's, etc.) My advice, stick to the brands you read good things about on TB, and don't skimp on spkrs.
 
#4
I know you said no Carvin, but do a search here on the Carvin B1500. Very, very well liked here on TB and very reliable amp. Plus 1900 watts does not hurt. I've owned SWR's, GK's, Genz-Benz, Ampeg........and the Carvin is by far my favorite amp. I'm pumping my Sadowsky basses through it and it kicks butt!
 
#6
ClassicJazz said:
I know you said no Carvin, but do a search here on the Carvin B1500. Very, very well liked here on TB and very reliable amp. Plus 1900 watts does not hurt. I've owned SWR's, GK's, Genz-Benz, Ampeg........and the Carvin is by far my favorite amp. I'm pumping my Sadowsky basses through it and it kicks butt!
Click to expand...

gotta check out his other thread - I think the "C" word is outta the question! :D

I'm of the camp of 1000 watts is either a gimmick or just plain and simply overkill! That much power will likely cause physical damage to the player . . .

There are plenty of good amps out there that'll do it. MB's come to mind - their LMIII800, SD1200 or the GK 1001 rb or a sans amp/power amp set up. But really, a 500 watt amp through the right speakers ought to be good enough for any gig . . .

and a +1000 to the good cab post! I would imagine an aggie 4x12 could knock down a small human :eyebrow::bassist::eyebrow:
 
#7
This guy has been through the ringer with them and I don't think he will ever own another piece of their gear even if it was given to him.

Try out a VT pedal. If it meets his needs, buy it either new or used. Then find a qsc or crest amp and call it a day.

GK, Ashdown, GB. Hartkie are also really good and reliable choices. I would also look at Aguilar but I don't know what his budget is.

The sad part is I have a carvin B1500 head that I use as a backup. It's been perfect and I have used it a few times at outdoor gigs. The last three weekends I've had outside work and one weekendit was 102 in the shade. The head was perfect. It sucks that he got "the business" from Carvin.

Look around, he will find something that works for him.
 
#11
That's another reason I suggested the Hartke head if you're looking for something with a lot of power. Larry Hartke seems like a very personable and reachable guy- the other day I stumbled across an old thread where Larry Hartke posted his own cell phone number in response to a guy who had questions about his amp. THAT's customer service.

pasta4lnch said:
. . . would love to try a pair of the hydrive 12s
Click to expand...

Next week I plan on picking up a Hydrive 410 cab... Gotta love Sweetwater's 3 payment option!
:hyper:
 
#12
Watts are over rated [nuk nuk nuk], retaining your chosen tone on transients or when overdriven, long duty cycle/short recovery time, ability to cope with voltage drop and high ambient tempurature... these things are important for any low frequency signal amplifier that leaves the house.

Generally an amp that is superlative at all of the above has a very high wattage rating for the job at hand - so if you address these matters you probably have a stupid amount if watts - but IMO, as you sort through your choices you'll make a better selection if you look past the wattage label and consider instead the above matters.

Example: I use a 4k watt Crown iTech in my big rig - not because I need 4,000 watts [I don't need em or even use all them watts] but because the iTech is better than needed at the abovelisted hurdles in all circumstances and at all volume levels humans can endure. That amp can function properly at 90 volts and 120 f all day long without skipping a beat.

+1 to looking at the speakers first... get the best cabs you can - and then pick your amp to drive your cabs like they owe you money.
 
#13
So besides Acme what other cabs would you recommend for high power handling, lots of lowend and isnt made by Carvin?

Also acme's website looks like it hasnt been updated in awhile, is there another site im not aware of?

Hartke looks good, i like that they have a good CS rep.
 
#17
My .o2:

Mesa M6 Carbine 212 combo. 1299. If he wants more power so he can develop a sideline demolishing buildings he can get a Mesa 412 and pull the head out for use with that cab when the need arises. Use of both cabs together would likely result in involuntary manslaughter charges and incarceration. Forget the 1K watts, 600 will be overkill with enough cone area and box size.
 
#20
theAntihero said:
So besides Acme what other cabs would you recommend for high power handling, lots of lowend and isnt made by Carvin?

Also acme's website looks like it hasnt been updated in awhile, is there another site im not aware of?

Hartke looks good, i like that they have a good CS rep.
Click to expand...

Aguilar GS412 is my Doom machine of choice (well, one of them, one rig = Not Doom). The only things tempting me away from that is the Barefaced stuff http://barefacedbass.com/product-range.htm. Alex the main man has been pretty good to deal with as a small operation.
 

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