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HS Jazz Band Amp

A

acbert

May 27, 2007
28
2
Louisville, KY.
#1
Using my Dad's login, for some reason I can't get the activation email to get past the spam blocker on my school's email account

I am a 1st year High School band director who is running a Jazz Band a couple mornings a week. When I got here (moved from MI to CO for the job) I found they had been using only 2 amps, a Roland keyboard amp and a guitar amp (the poor bass player had been plugging in with the guitarist). So now I have some money to get a proper amp (budget from $500 to $700 and need to include shipping).

The amp will be used primarily for Jazz Band gigs in our auditorium, we have about 20 kids in the band and the auditoruim is pretty average size. I want to make sure I get something with enough wattage so that the bass can be easily heard, other than that I don't really know what feature(s) would benefit me most.

Here's what I've been looking at after browsing the forums on my plan period. Fender Bassman 250/210 and Bassman 250/115 (not sure which setup would be best for my situation) and the Carvin BR610N and BR615N.

Please let me know your opinion as to which of these choices might be best, or if you have any other suggestions they would be much appreciated.

Thank you!
 
#2
As a fellow high school band director...others on this board might not agree, but I would say the Fender Bassman 150 is great combo amp in that price range. I would not get a 15 incher for upright bass use in the future. The 150 is small enough to carry in hand and can be tilted back, which is great for a tight setup on those festival stages where you setup in 4 minutes. I like Carvin stuff, but those amps a bit more aggressive in the mids I believe is not the traditional sound that I would like for jazz big band. 150 watts and a 12 inch is plenty even for those bad gym gigs...it will drown out your sax section everytime.
PM me if you want

Blake
 
#3
Well I have never been a fan of "Fender" bass stuff, but I will suggest a Gallien-Krueger 400rb IV head and NEO 112. Request a quote from Invalid Link Removed it would be one sweet sounding rig, better than I ever had in Jazz Band. G-K has some new Micro Bass (MB) combos coming out in late April of this year also.
 
#4
Combo amps are better for school use...they tend to last longer. Heads don't fall off cabs, and speaker cables arn't forgot when on the road.
GK has some good combos too. The MB150's and the like. Backline stuff not really. 400combo with 2x10's is alright too.
 
#6
Having been in that situation....and a HS band staffer.

If combos blow your skirt up-
Peavey 115 combo's, pretty versatile from funk to shuffle to swing, passive/active and upright. And they are freakin tough. I've been out of school for 8 years, and my old band director actually bought my old peavey 115 TNT from me a few months ago. Plenty of amp for a student band.

I am using GK and Mesa Boogie now, so if you want to stay in that price range, take a look for a GK 400RB-IV head and a cab of your choice. (1-15,2-10, or 4-10). You might want to look at used gear too.

no bad voodoo to bad5x8..... I've been on hundreds of gigs, and advised many students, and never had an issue with heads falling off cabs. I always rack case a head though, just something to think about.

As far as other features... think into the future..... you can add more head or another cab as your needs grow.
 
#8
bad5x8 said:
Combo amps are better for school use...they tend to last longer. Heads don't fall off cabs, and speaker cables arn't forgot when on the road.
GK has some good combos too. The MB150's and the like. Backline stuff not really. 400combo with 2x10's is alright too.
Click to expand...

+1 The gk combos really get the job done. I was in the same boat freshman year of highschool in Jazz band.

Just stay away from 115's and the such if you want to have something that sounds even close to decent for DB.

Shoot a PM if you want a longer conversation about anything.
 
#11
An oldie but a goodie - possibly a Polytone. In high school, one of the amps I played was an old one and it may be small, but plenty powerful. I would agree that a 1x12" or 1x15" would be better for jazz, especially if you are going to be using upright bass for at least part of the time. I love 1x15" personally, but have owned quite a few 1x12" over the years.

I never leved GK, but the MicroBass series is OK. Owned one in college and it's plenty loud.

If you're going to be playing competitions, having something that is more portable than not is a good thing. My main amp for most of high school was an Ampeg B-25B head and the matching 2x15". Loved it, but what a pain to schlep. I bought the 2x15" from the school district years ago.
 

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