Give me a Hartke kick back as a back line any day
That's the first thing that came to mind!
My Markbass Minimark has been a great practice, and gigging, amp.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
In praise of practice amps
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
That's the first thing that came to mind!
My Markbass Minimark has been a great practice, and gigging, amp.
My SWR Workingman's Pro 12 combo is a great little practice amp. 100 watts, 120 with 8 ohm extension cab.
And with an extension cab you can do small gigs. I put a 15" under it for my beach gigs.
$40 Craigslist bargain.
And with an extension cab you can do small gigs. I put a 15" under it for my beach gigs.
$40 Craigslist bargain.
Well this thread took off! Awesome!
Some of you have pretty expensive practice amps, though...that's kind of cheating
Some of you have pretty expensive practice amps, though...that's kind of cheating
I bought a Crate K-50(keyboard amp) with a heavy duty 20ft instrument cord at a garage sale early this summer for $20. The little beast has 2 inputs with separate volume controls, a 12 inch speaker, and 50 watts. I have used it for several open mike situations and still would if I hadn't made a trade for a Markbass 121 combo. 300 watts and even lighter than the Crate. I'm still not getting rid of the Crate. In fact, it is going to be used at a friend's wedding this weekend to amp the piano.
Well this thread took off! Awesome!
Some of you have pretty expensive practice amps, though...that's kind of cheating
Oh. I don't see "In praise of cheap practice amps." in the title.
you know, Jimmy: when you start something you cannot even predict where it would head to!!!! (Leo Invented the solid body to fight the feedback and to have a cheap, reliable axe: what did he know about Hendrix and the vintage market!?!)
I don't know if my current practice rig qualifies for the thread: my MB200 is surely expensive for the category, but I have it already at home; on the other hand the micro cab I built stays below the 100 euro....
I don't know if my current practice rig qualifies for the thread: my MB200 is surely expensive for the category, but I have it already at home; on the other hand the micro cab I built stays below the 100 euro....
I'm currently in a condo apt, so no big rig at home for me. That's a good thing: if I could crank up my big rig at home then I probably would, and my ears have taken too much abuse already the past 30+ years.
I don't know if this is praise, but here's my roundup:
My favorite practice amp was a Polytone Mini-Brute II, a 1x12 good enough for small gigs, but it's crapped out twice so I've given up on it.
I also have a Fender Bassman 25 1x10. It sounds decent, but the gain structure is messed up (with my active basses, anyway): "too loud for home" is around 9 o'clock so I have VERY little wiggle room, tweaking volume can be a pain.
I replaced the Polytone with a Hartke Kickback 15" that I got cheap from a friend. It's definitely overkill for home rehearsal, but the volume knob is not as touchy as the Fender so it's easier to tweak. It sounds good, I like it better than the Fender for tone, and I'm sure I could gig it in some situations. That said, I'd only do so if I had to use a combo. For small gigs I'd prefer to use my 4 space rack rig with a small-ish Bergantino cab, either the NV115 or HS210.
I don't know if this is praise, but here's my roundup:
My favorite practice amp was a Polytone Mini-Brute II, a 1x12 good enough for small gigs, but it's crapped out twice so I've given up on it.
I also have a Fender Bassman 25 1x10. It sounds decent, but the gain structure is messed up (with my active basses, anyway): "too loud for home" is around 9 o'clock so I have VERY little wiggle room, tweaking volume can be a pain.
I replaced the Polytone with a Hartke Kickback 15" that I got cheap from a friend. It's definitely overkill for home rehearsal, but the volume knob is not as touchy as the Fender so it's easier to tweak. It sounds good, I like it better than the Fender for tone, and I'm sure I could gig it in some situations. That said, I'd only do so if I had to use a combo. For small gigs I'd prefer to use my 4 space rack rig with a small-ish Bergantino cab, either the NV115 or HS210.
"Cheap" has many connotations. The obvious one is price: so-called "practice amps" are usually the budget models made with crappy speakers and components. As a by-product, many of them sound like crap.
I had a piece-of-**** "practice amp" several years ago. It was lightweight, convenient, etc. But I'll say this: the last thing it made me want to do was play the bass. It sounded terrible! Scratchy pots, flubby bass, inarticulate tone. Yuch! If beginners are buying these products, it's no wonder if they don't feel an incentive to practice ... and then they give up. For me the pleasure of playing isn't how cool it is to pluck or pick or fret the strings. It's how the bass SOUNDS. And when it sounds good -- REAL good -- I want to play more.
None of this is meant to say you can't find an inexpensive "practice amp" that produces acceptable tone. Then again, as they say, "you get what you pay for."
I believe your practice tone should be just as good as your performance tone. You don't need a monster rig to get good tone. Fantastic tone is absolutely doable with a tiny rig. Read that last sentence a few times and let it sink in. If you want to be inspired when you practice, go for the best possible "practice amp" you can afford. That piece of gear will often suffice for both practice, rehearsals where everyone turns down (what a novel concept!), and for coffee shop type gigs.
If you want to discourage yourself from practicing, go ahead and buy a crappy "practice amp." Just know in advance what you're doing to sabotage your improvement as a player and a performer.
I had a piece-of-**** "practice amp" several years ago. It was lightweight, convenient, etc. But I'll say this: the last thing it made me want to do was play the bass. It sounded terrible! Scratchy pots, flubby bass, inarticulate tone. Yuch! If beginners are buying these products, it's no wonder if they don't feel an incentive to practice ... and then they give up. For me the pleasure of playing isn't how cool it is to pluck or pick or fret the strings. It's how the bass SOUNDS. And when it sounds good -- REAL good -- I want to play more.
None of this is meant to say you can't find an inexpensive "practice amp" that produces acceptable tone. Then again, as they say, "you get what you pay for."
I believe your practice tone should be just as good as your performance tone. You don't need a monster rig to get good tone. Fantastic tone is absolutely doable with a tiny rig. Read that last sentence a few times and let it sink in. If you want to be inspired when you practice, go for the best possible "practice amp" you can afford. That piece of gear will often suffice for both practice, rehearsals where everyone turns down (what a novel concept!), and for coffee shop type gigs.
If you want to discourage yourself from practicing, go ahead and buy a crappy "practice amp." Just know in advance what you're doing to sabotage your improvement as a player and a performer.
My two practice amps sound good Sure, they're not quite as good as my more expensive stuff, but I've used them both on gigs and gotten some nice compliments about my tones.
Sure, they're not quite as good as my more expensive stuff, but I've used them both on gigs and gotten some nice compliments about my tones.
I just use that sound turner down thing on my main rig when I practice.
Honestly, I have a 30w crappy Hiwatt practice amp that I never use. I always have my main rig in my studio and that is where I practice. I just turn way down.
Honestly, I have a 30w crappy Hiwatt practice amp that I never use. I always have my main rig in my studio and that is where I practice. I just turn way down.
My trusty little Behringer BX600 has been with me for nearly ten years I think, Ive done a few quieter gigs and some recording with it, $150 out the door, no complaints here.
My orange CR50BXT is all I need! It wasn't terribly cheap, but it's LOUD and allows me to be heard over guitarists and their half stacks.
I got a Yamaha THR10 for a second practice amp, and now it's the only one I use for bass and guitar. It's tiny, but plenty of juice for noodling on my own. And it's not another ugly black box - it looks like a radio (about the size of a large thermos). Something your better half might appreciate!
Define "practice amp".
Is it just "small"? If so, my Promethean 1x10 combo is The Business. $525, shipped. 250W by itself. 500W with an extension. 37 pounds. Aux In. Headphone out. DI out. Detachable head, for use with completely different cabs. I have gigged with it, by itself, several times. I used it once, by itself, with no PA reinforcement, as part of a 3 piece Blues band, playing at a small local bar and it was MORE than enough. And the guitarist and drummer were agog (don't you love that word? Agog.) at the volume and the tone. That bar was small and I never had to turn the Master past about 10 or 11:00 to fill the room with bass (and still let people talk).
Is it just cheap? A good CL bargain could net you many different, small to large rigs for cheap.
Is it small and cheap? I wouldn't waste my money on something that has no other use than just to practice with. Unless we're talking $100 or less. Adding an iRig to my iPod Touch cost me $17 and I've used lots for practicing.
Or is it just "what you practice with"? In which, I mostly practice with my SVT+NV610 or my B-15R. Both, I think, fairly decent setups, for practice rigs.
Is it just "small"? If so, my Promethean 1x10 combo is The Business. $525, shipped. 250W by itself. 500W with an extension. 37 pounds. Aux In. Headphone out. DI out. Detachable head, for use with completely different cabs. I have gigged with it, by itself, several times. I used it once, by itself, with no PA reinforcement, as part of a 3 piece Blues band, playing at a small local bar and it was MORE than enough. And the guitarist and drummer were agog (don't you love that word? Agog.) at the volume and the tone. That bar was small and I never had to turn the Master past about 10 or 11:00 to fill the room with bass (and still let people talk).
Is it just cheap? A good CL bargain could net you many different, small to large rigs for cheap.
Is it small and cheap? I wouldn't waste my money on something that has no other use than just to practice with. Unless we're talking $100 or less. Adding an iRig to my iPod Touch cost me $17 and I've used lots for practicing.
Or is it just "what you practice with"? In which, I mostly practice with my SVT+NV610 or my B-15R. Both, I think, fairly decent setups, for practice rigs.
