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Ideas for a sub-$300 bass head...

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs [BG]' started by wangmauler, Dec 6, 2005.

  1. Dec 6, 2005 #1
    wangmauler

    wangmauler

    Nov 10, 2005
    Hello all! I have been playing guitar (dont hurt me please) for about 6 years now, and been studying music for about 15, yet I know fairly little about bass amps and (bass)guitars.

    ***MAIN QUESTION:***
    What bass head for under $300 would everyone recomend for a hardcore/metal/progressive (lamb of god, between the burried and me, haste the day, it dies today, bury your dead, taken, hopesfall type sound) bass player (without distortion/overdrive)?

    He (right now) has no need for effects or a huge 25band eq, as he is not very musicaly smart :) And usauly cheaper amps with lots of effects usualy dont cut it compared to the same priced amps that are simple(usualy better quality...? ).

    He could care less for a sound that craps out at 60db and up, but i'd like the head to at least toss some clean sound for live standards at least. :)

    I was thinking teh Ashdown MAG300, maybe the MAG600 ($410 wiht cosmetic dammage at one site), as i've heard and read LOTS of praise about these amps. ANY help is extremely appreciated, especially after whoever has the time to read this whole thread. Thanks a lot, and keep on bassin!.....

    ***ENDO MAIN QUESTION***

    **STORY BEHIND TEH QUESTION**

    My brother is in a few bands with me, (he plays bass) and he has been playing outa my friends 4x12 hartke and some 200 watt hartke head with a 10-band eq on it . it sounds okay, was just barely loud enough to hear during practices louder than on stage lol). his bass is some really cheap (i'm gonna say ibanez) that is missing a few parts here and there (including part of the bridge).

    My fathers friend gave me (about 5 years ago) a very nice BLUE (now faded, its litteraly green in some spots and turqoise in others, it really looks AWSOME. better than the regular blue sparkle) vintage Kustom 2x15 tuck'n'roll cab - not a scratch on it. the speakers sounded great (i played guitar through it for about a year and a half) - was a very unique sound.
    I did not want to have anyone play bass outa it becuase of the age of the speakers, they would break if anyhting to low or loud came outa them. ANDDDDD my ******* friend (the one who we borroed the hartke stuff from) decided to play outa it when i was not around...and blew one of the Kustom Jenson 15's, and completely riped apart the other one - the paper cone and speaker was flapping around like a flag on a windy day.

    So recently I purchased one EMINENCE LEGEND CB15 and one EMINENCE LEGEND B15 to replace teh now broken unique 25lbs jenson speakers. they match fairly well the theli-small parameters of the kustom 2x15 tuck'n'roll, not 100% but really close - which was a surprise - I LOVE Eminance speakers - I built several cabs, one being my current 4x12 (4x eminence delta pro 12a's) with these speakers, and they all have the best sound i've ever heard even with low-end amps!

    So that is my dillema, and the true endostory. and i dont even like Dodgeball.

    -Chris
     
  2. Dec 6, 2005 #2
    wangmauler

    wangmauler

    Nov 10, 2005
    Also, I was doing some research for a decent cheapo bass head, and I came accross the Hartke Model 3000...that any good? heh.

    -Chris
     
  3. Dec 6, 2005 #3
    Matt Call

    Matt Call Supporting Member

    Aug 1, 2004
    Minneapolis, MN
    See if you can find any used Gallien-Krueger heads. They're awesome. I've owned two, and loved both of them.

    The Ashdowns are great too. I don't have any experience with Ashdown gear; but I know a lot of people around here love it to death. I'm still waiting for the opportunity to try out their amps.
     
  4. Dec 6, 2005 #4
    BurningSkies

    BurningSkies CRAZY BALDHEAD

    Feb 20, 2005
    Syracuse NY
    Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
    My gut instinct is to tell you to save a bit more. For the type of music listed, a 300$ amp isn't going to cut it. But if you can scrape together another 200 bucks, you suddenly have options.

    I'd think for 500 you could get a hartke 5000, one of the higher powered Ashdowns, or something like a Kustom Groovebass 1200, which would have plenty of power to be heard.
     
  5. Dec 6, 2005 #5
    Plain Old Me

    Plain Old Me

    Dec 14, 2004
    Tucson, AZ, SF Bay, CA
    +1
     
  6. Dec 7, 2005 #6
    i_got_a_mohawk

    i_got_a_mohawk

    Feb 9, 2005
    Edinburgh & Dundee, Scotland
    Id suggest a Peavey Firebass second hand, beastly ampsm and reliable as hell :)

    Altho, as burningskies has said, you wont be able to get the sound your looking for with a cheaper amp head, or you could do with using a couple effects
     
  7. Dec 7, 2005 #7
    DaBassman

    DaBassman

    Mar 25, 2002
    Oneonta, NY
    SWR 2004 I got one on sale from MF for $199 last year :bassist:
     
  8. Dec 7, 2005 #8
    georgestrings

    georgestrings Inactive

    Nov 5, 2005
    I play in a heavy metal/hard rock band, and am currently playing a Peavey Mark VIII head - it's 600 watts @ 2 ohm, or 450 @ 4 ohms... It sounds good, and was well under $300, used... I've also used a Mark III, and a Mark VI in the same band, without any troubles - and they were $100 and $200 used, respectively... I'd look into a used Peavey if I were you - they can get a pretty good metal sound, and are built like tanks - besides typically being pretty affordable...



    - georgestrings
     
  9. Dec 7, 2005 #9
    DaBassman

    DaBassman

    Mar 25, 2002
    Oneonta, NY
    btw, they are discontinued, but are on ebay alot and Guitar Centers still have some hanging around
     
  10. Dec 7, 2005 #10
    vintageampeg

    vintageampeg

    Feb 2, 2005
    find a used Peavey Mark IV head. Really cheap - LOUD and INDESTRUCTABLE.
     
  11. Dec 7, 2005 #11
    RS

    RS

    Aug 27, 2000
    Cleveland, OH
    Ashdown MAG 300 is the best sounding sub $900 head I've played/owned. You won't be sorry.
     
  12. Dec 7, 2005 #12
    i_got_a_mohawk

    i_got_a_mohawk

    Feb 9, 2005
    Edinburgh & Dundee, Scotland
    The Firebasses are also indestructable, i personnally find they sound alot nicer than the old mark heads

    700watts @ 2ohm
    475watts @ 4ohm
    275watts @ 8ohm
     
  13. Dec 7, 2005 #13
    phaneo

    phaneo

    Mar 14, 2001
    Fort Worth TX
    I sent you a PM
     
  14. Dec 7, 2005 #14
    XtraLongScale

    XtraLongScale

    Oct 6, 2005
    Holyoke, MA
    +1 on the durability, power & tone of the Firebass. I use mine in a metal cover band (o.k., more like nu metal-Sevendust, Slipknot & so forth) and it does the job more than admirably. I got mine used for $300 and there is nothing better in that price range for metal (or any other style for that matter), imho. I really think it's the best deal (dollars to watts to tone) in bass amplification right now. You won't regret purchasing one. Good luck.
     
  15. Dec 7, 2005 #15
    truckin88

    truckin88

    Oct 18, 2001
    Newburgh, NY

    Good amp but a workingmans 300 head has some more power, and you can find them reasonably priced.