How attached are you to your amp?

[tb-player]

I went through a lot of amps until I settled on my current setup. GK, Genzler, Bergantino, Mesa, Hartke, Markbass and even Vanderkley. But when my Aguilar rig arrived, it just clicked. Each cab is only 25lb. The head is less than 5lb. With my bass on my back and the amp in its bag, I can make the load-in walk in one trip. Oh yeah, and it sounds fantastic!! Plenty of power, warmth and bite in a tiny little lightweight package. So yeah… attached enough that I’ve stopped looking (for now ).

The only other thing I’d still consider for gigging is what a friend of mine from London does… a small pre pedal into a QSC monitor. It’s lightweight, kicks back and has the full spectrum of sound. I’m curious to give that a try.

I’m also intrigued by the things I hear about Trickfish gear. Maybe I’ll get to try one somewhere.

 

[Pop C]

not very, its a phil jones flightcase Bg150, I got it for about $350 but would like it more if it had a speaker out for an extension cab. Still searching for a cab around the same weight to complement the Traynor small block 500 of mine that's been collecting dust.

You might like something similar to this. 2 PJB C-2 cabs. The head is an Ampeg PB-250. Works great for small venues.

 

[Benj-jammin]

I am not overly attached to one particular amp. However, I find having an amp or some other means of monitoring that gives me a sound I like to be very important. If I can't hear well or the sound does not suit my needs, it has a negative impact on my performance. However, as a pro I learned to mitigate this significantly. So the biggest impact was my person enjoyment was degraded.

I have over 50 amps. I think they all sound great in their own unique way. However, that does not necessarily mean I would enjoy performing with all of them.

In particular the first rig I ever bought was a brand new MTI era Ampeg SVT and 810. I had it special ordered and when it came in I thought it sounded so bad that suspected it was either damaged or a black market fake. But that is just the way they sound. Althoug millions of people love this rig, it does not suit my needs very well.

My last touring rig was a rack mixer driving a QSC USA 900 power amp. I typically used a single Eden D210XLT. The sound was not perfect, but it was pretty darn good IMHO. I suspect most people who love the way an SVT and 810 sound would hate it.

For the record I own a 69 and 87 SVT and think they sound great through some of my current cabs. I wouldn't mind having a Heritage 810 in my collection, but it's really not my sound.

50 amps! Whoa. Well, that's 49 more than what I have.

 

[portpc]

I'm attached to my amps as much as I am happy when they turn on and function. Working mostly in a vocal-centric trio performing at restaurant volumes I easily get away with 200W amps.
The Ampeg Rocket 200W combo w/15" was junk IMHO and my only regrettable amp purchase. I found a Traynor used SB200 combo at GC priced very favorably and it is working out well.

 

[BassoSaku]

I am very attached to my Mesa WD800 amp. Versatile, lightweight, sublime sound, and extensive sound shaping features. Great as a standalone amp to FOH (IEM setup), awesome with a cabinet!

 

[thunesBARROW]

I’m happy with my Rumble 500 and have no current plans for a new amp, but I’d rather have the SVT and 8x10 I used to use at the rehearsal studio. There’s just no need (or space) for me to have that rig right now. I sadly don't even have enough room for my Bassman, and it sits in storage. I’ve given away my larger cabs to a friend. I’m glad he enjoys them.

I live in an apartment building and usually practice through headphones with my Zoom pedal, or my Fender Princeton Chorus guitar amp on 1. It sounds pretty nice at low volume!

 

[Snibborwocky]

I'm pretty attached to my Aguilar TH 350 for the simple reasons of it is ridiculously light, super transportable with it's carrying bag and sounds fantastic. I suppose another reason is also that it may be discontinued as it is no longer listed on the Aguilar website (even though it's the main picture for the link to the Tone Hammer series?!?).

 

[Jason Hollar]

I’m very pleased with my last purchase - GK Legacy 800 combo.

I’ve used it pretty hard over the past coupla years and it’s been rock solid.

 

[Nebadon2000]

not very, its a phil jones flightcase Bg150, I got it for about $350 but would like it more if it had a speaker out for an extension cab. Still searching for a cab around the same weight to complement the Traynor small block 500 of mine that's been collecting dust.

You can use line out on back or send to add one of their powered Cab's and you can link up as many as you please. Also a few other companies have powered cabs such as Blackstar and PA Cabs

 

[Pelagic]

I used to be absolutely sold on my rig, but then I started playing around with other setups. Now I go for light and plenty of headroom. I run a Markbass Pure 210 4 ohm with a Genzler Magellan 350 which comes in under 35 lbs, a Fender Rublme 800 210 and a GK MB212-ii. Each has there its own sound, covers everything I do and with my Lune 6 HX Stomp XL, I have a few standard presets in banks that are designed to match the sound of each cab. Super easy to set up and move and they sound great.

But now that I see all these posts, I want a new Mesa rig more than ever lol

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I really like my GK combo. It's plenty loud and if I needed more juice, I'd go FOH anyway so it's not like I would need anything more powerful. With that said, I still miss my Subway setup from a few years ago. It has more features that I like and the aesthetic was really cool. I often wrestle with myself thinking I should try to get my old rig back, but with how expensive everything is these days and the fact I'm probably at least a few years away from gigging regularly again, it seems like a frivolous endeavor. Whenever I've ran direct, I've never thought to myself, "gee I wish I had my amp right now."

How attached are you to your amp? How integral is it to your overall desire to play?

Horrifically attached to my Eden Rack set up.(WT-100 Navigator Preamp-WT-1250 stereo power amp) powering a D-210-XLT and a D-210-XST powered in stereo mode. It 150lbs of rig and way too much capacity you the gigs I’m playing these days.

Hence I have a Mesa WD-800 and I use one D-210-XST cab on most gig now a days. It’s also a solid rig, but well, it just isn’t the same.

 

[6thplanet]

Totally attached. It's as much a part of my tone as the instrument or fingers.

Especially when you've built the amp and cabs yourself. They are a part of me.

 

[Stranger Danger]

I really like my GK combo. It's plenty loud and if I needed more juice, I'd go FOH anyway so it's not like I would need anything more powerful. With that said, I still miss my Subway setup from a few years ago. It has more features that I like and the aesthetic was really cool. I often wrestle with myself thinking I should try to get my old rig back, but with how expensive everything is these days and the fact I'm probably at least a few years away from gigging regularly again, it seems like a frivolous endeavor. Whenever I've ran direct, I've never thought to myself, "gee I wish I had my amp right now."

How attached are you to your amp? How integral is it to your overall desire to play?

Very attached

 

[The_Owl]

Quite attached indeed. Me acquiring this rig is the closing of a circle that’s been open for 11 years. Couldn’t be happier. It’s everything I wished for, and more!

 

[MegaSwing]

I’m not so much attached to my amps, but they’re all good. Otherwise I wouldn’t bother. I think I’m more attached to finding deals.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

I am very attached to amps. They sound spectacular and I put them together myself from various parts. They are also very modular. If I had something better I'd be good with changing it up, but I'm not looking to do such.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I'm attached to my amp until I unplug.

Srsly I'm in my amplification sweet spot atm.

See, that's it: I'm not attached to my amp. I use a wireless system.

 

[superheavyfunk]

How attached are you to your amp? How integral is it to your overall desire to play?

Not at all. My desire to play comes from loving music and wanting to participate in it. The gear is completely irrelevant, in the end. If my house burned down and I couldn’t get exact replacements for my amp or anything else, I’d just buy something new and get back to playing

 

[Nedmundo]

I'm oddly attached to my Roland Cube Bass 100 combo from around 2005. I think it sounds great, and it has useful amp models, compression, and a decent DI, so it's extremely versatile. It's also way louder than anyone would expect from a 100 watt 1x12 combo. By today's standards (e.g., Fender Rumble 100) it's heavy, but it's compact, so it's manageable. (The small dimensions also make it suitable for playing in tight spaces, like under a raised stage for a musical theater show.)

I've considered replacing it with a more gig-worthy, slightly lighter G-K Legacy 1x12 combo, but I haven't been able to bring myself to ditch the Roland.

I'm somewhat attached to my gig rig as well, a G-K MB-100 head and Neo112 combo, but that seems more rational.

 

[2thAche]

GK MB800 fusion into one or two F112. I don't have any urge to change anything. I have also run them on either side of the stage and they've sounded great (I don't notice any comb filtering when I walk around in front).

I'll be honest too, I've played through other great amps / cabs and you can nitpick but in the end those nits only matter if you're a bedroom player (nothing wrong with that). If you gave me a Mesa setup, I'd make it work just as well and wouldn't be put out.