i hate decisions!

[pcake]

thanks, but i can't use headphones. sound proximity, even when quiet, causes me issues.

 

[TNCreature]

This whole discussion all over again?
Give us a review of whatever you choose.
Interested in reading your review and experience.

 

[Krakmann]

Sorry, but... is really that important which amp you get for playing in your living room? If size is important to you, just choose the smaller/lighter one, even if the other sounds better.

 

[pcake]

Sorry, but... is really that important which amp you get for playing in your living room? If size is important to you, just choose the smaller/lighter one, even if the other sounds better.

size is important - well, weight is - but who wants to play through something that makes their basses sound bad?

 

[packhowitzer]

i didn't know they made a little amp. that would have been a very likely contender except for the lack of volume/master knob. i like a very clean, warm sound, and the reason i didn't get the GK MB200 (which also has no volume knob), was that if you turn up the gain at all, the sound gets grindier. is this little combo the same?

i'd REALLY like to try one of these and see if i can get the sound i want with the gain turned very low. i wonder what the odds are of finding one locally to try.

my son and I play his ibanez mikro p-j through it. i have never played it at a volume loud enough to hear it break up. and let me tell you- indoors in a bedroom or living room setting? in my opinion it would be uncomfortably loud before any hint of breakup. In fact, with the amp's gain at about 9 o'clock and the eq's all at about noon, I can detect the sound outside of our house as he plays. It's not obnoxious- and it's not something that our neighbors can hear - but the sound is there. I'll admit that I'm a GK fan and I like the GK sound, but I have been thoroughly impressed by this amp from as objective a perspective as I can muster.
I'll go as far as to say that unless you have some strong objection to GK amps or you somehow get a dud, you will really like this amp.

In fact, in my music room in my basement, I have a GK MB800 powering two Mesa PH410s - just waiting for me. I also have an SVT 2pro that I can fire up with just a few minutes setup. But, I have actually spent more bass time playing through the MB108 lately than the heavy hitters down in the music room- just because it sounds so good. The reverse P pickup combined with the J in my son's Ibby Mikro are absolutely complimented by the tone of the GK. If you want something that you can play in the house, but still get a solid sound, this is your amp. It'll hold up with any kind of in-the-living-room-strummy jam session with ease.

Here's a photo. The bass is a very short scale, but for a size reference, compare the amp to the electrical receptacle on the wall:

 

[packhowitzer]

BTW: Here's a closeup of the amp settings:

I live in fairly well-built subdivision style house. And at these settings, I can hear my son's bass outside the house. very clean sound. no break-up. just GK thumpy bass.
From left to right: Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass

 

[BAG]

so for the past few weeks, i've been trying to find a very light, decent sounding and cheap combo for playing late at night in the livingroom. i actually bought a blackstar fly3 bass, but there was something wrong with it. i returned it and got a blackstar fly3 bass pack (with the extra speaker), but i'm not pleased with it and sweetwater is letting me return it.

so we headed off to guitar center where they have no small bass amps lighter than the rumble 25, which is heavier than my wimpy self wanted to deal with, but i really do like that particular amp. sam ash carries some of the amps that interest me, but there are none in stock within 150 miles of me.

i wasn't able to find any of the other amps on my list to try, so i read reviews, checked demos - ignoring the tone on the ones with the mic touching or almost touching the grill.

that leaves these two as the best sounding. i know the rumble is going to be challenging for me to move around, although i could slide it on the floor. the warwick, a full 8 pounds lighter, has been recommended to me by several people on TB and the samples have a hint of ampeg BA-108 to the tone, which is nice, but there are none in stock anywhere, so i'd have to buy to try AND would have to wait till mid december, assuming they show up on time.

without further ado, the rumble and warwick samples.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_bc_10.htm

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

thoughts?

Pcake, it's not been mentioned as far as i can see but the Roland Street Cube is one of the best value pieces of gear I've ever bought. I use it every single day in the lounge room as a quiet practice amp as I can move it anywhere without worrying about a power cord. Goes really well if you use a pedal or two as well.
It gets used for most jams with my daughters both on acoustic guitars and singing with some cajon as well. I use six rechargeable Eneloop AA batteries which makes it last around 20 hours. With a spare set always charged up I can take it camping for 5 days or more with my travel bass plus we take it to BBQ's and backyard parties for jamming with acoustic guitars. It'll also take an aux input to play music anywhere.

I am certain that i've used it more than any other piece of sound gear I own.

The negative for you is it won't sound as good as a dedicated bass amp, but you can get close and you get so many other uses.

If you want more grunt with less battery life the Street Cube Ex might work too.

 

[JaseyT]

Mm, yes, you say you hate making decisions...very interesting. Tell me, when did you first decide that you feel this way?

 

[CryingBass]

No amp? Or do you like to feel it even at home? A small Peavy combo might help for the later. I like the PJB stuff for that, but for headphones/in the box gear ( I always loved that phrase ) there are a ton of usb/fw options. Not like the old days . GLWYS

 

[Leo Thunder]

There is no need for a bass amp to play quietly. Any good sounding guitar amplifier will do. Or a jack to cinch cable plugged into the aux input of the hi-fi.

 

[madbanjoman]

Save your pennies and get the PJB double four. Nothing is lighter and sounds as good.

 

[xnewyorka]

Sorry if this was covered, I couldn't read the whole thread. But is there a reason why you cannot just use a headphone amp?

 

[Lammchop93]

Have you looked at Phil Jones Amps?

Phil Jones Session 77 100W Bass Combo Amp (w/Free Shipping) Authorized Dealer Phil Jones Session 77 100W Bass Combo Amp (w/Free Shipping) Authorized Dealer

 

[alaskaleftybass]

i didn't know they made a little amp. that would have been a very likely contender except for the lack of volume/master knob. i like a very clean, warm sound, and the reason i didn't get the GK MB200 (which also has no volume knob), was that if you turn up the gain at all, the sound gets grindier. is this little combo the same?

i'd REALLY like to try one of these and see if i can get the sound i want with the gain turned very low. i wonder what the odds are of finding one locally to try.

Hi @pcake . I own both the MB200 and previously the MB108. Sorry that I returned the MB108, it is easily the best combo for the size, weight, and money. Believe me, I must have ordered 7 or 8 combos over six months. The MB108 was able to put out a nice, clean, punchy sound up to pretty loud. Very loud for such a small amp, and actually had a surprising amount of bass output. And it had great tone.

I'm puzzled that your MB200 got grindy. I have one that I use with an Eden and it gets very loud before it starts breaking up. But then again, the Eden EX110's are very loud and efficient cabs and really bring out the bottom and volume of the MB200's.

 

[nilorius]

The Warwick is cheaper and don't have a headphone out.
The fender is 2 times much powered and have that headphone and some radio poopie but is little more expensive.
I would choose Fender.

 

[basscapes]

Well, for real late-night practicing that won't disturb anyone, why not try an Ampeg SCR-DI with a decent set of headphones? I have tinnitus and still manage to get a decent sound with headphones (even with a very low volume). No room acoustics to F things up either!

I use one as a preamp for my main rig, and for late practicing (as well as DI recording). Sounds incredible through my Sennheiser HD280s!

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

I’ve got a fender BXR 25. It’s very good. I see them on eBay now and then. I bought mine from GC over 10 years ago. It’s still kicking.

 

[macmanlou]

The Warwick is cheaper and don't have a headphone out.

The Warwick has a headphone jack, but the OP can't use headphones anyway. In fact, if the aux input is stereo, the headphone output is also stereo. Invalid Link Removed

 

[brianrost]

What I'm reading in the original post is that you need to be able to move the amp around. So perhaps the real question to be asking is what kind of amp can you just leave in the living room?

 

[4stringsjack]

so i research, listen to demos, read reviews, ask for advice, knowing that ultimately the only way to be sure something will work out in most cases is to toss a coin and buy the thing. and i HATE those kinds of decisions like crazy!!! it's getting harder for me to make those decisions, too

But then you have to decide whether to flip a quarter, or a dime... Or your lucky penny, but then maybe you'd be biasing the outcome...

I know it's already been mentioned, but the Fender Rumbles are really hard to beat for their awesome combination of tone, cost, and light weight. I've owned the Rumble 40 and still own the 100 as my "throw it in the trunk for rehearsal" amp.

I don't know if anyone has suggested the Peavey Microbass yet. I owned one years ago just like this one:

SOLD - Peavey Microbass practice amp

It sounded shockingly good, as long as you kept the volume low. I don't know what the exact weight was, but it was very small and light.

If you had unlimited budget I'd suggest a Barefaced One10 and the tiny head of your choice; maybe a Trace Elliot ELF. That would be a bucketload of money, however, for a living room amp.

Good luck!