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In praise of practice amps

#141
I'm an old timer getting back into playing after a ten year break to recharge and start a family and I love my Peavy practice amps. My Basic 112 really screams when it's just me and a drum machine. I can drive it really hard and it growls and snarls just like I like. I realize it is not enough to play in a band setting but I got a plan for that... I have a Peavy TNT 115 in storage that I'm retrieving in a week or so and I'm going to split my signal and run them both. The 15 clean and the 12 with some pedals. We will see how it sounds... It's all I got right now so I have to make it work as I've decided to hold off on a rig until I'm more ready for it.

Cheers!

MJW
 
#142
My first amp for practise was a "Tom Scholz Bassmaster", a little box with a input, some sound-knobs (fat, brilliant, flanger) and a headphone out. I did not only practise with this little box, I did several open air concerts with that thing, going direct into the FOH. I also used it for demo tapes. But this was long ago.

The next one I used as practise amp is used by a lots of bassmen for live performances, and I am sorry aout this amp fadet away. I am talking amout the Gallien Krueger MB 200. This little thing was loud enough together with s sealed 410''-cab to do a good job in a punk-band back in the beginning of the 1980's. The guitarrists had both a Fender Twin Reverb, we soundet awesome.

Three years ago I went into my local store, and I saw a cute little amp, and my dealer told me lots of good things about this amp. I tried it out, and now it is the amp I use most. OK, only in small venues like Bars and so on, and I use this little thing often for rehearshalls, jams and sessions. I am talking about the Ibanez Promethean 5110. This little booger is able to get to a serious ammount of volume, and it is a real versatile amp. OK, 250 Watt @ 8 Ohms and 500 Watt with an extension cab and complete 4 Ohm are a lot of wattage for a practise amp. But this thing is so small, so good sounding and so versatile, I love this little amp.

Because this little Ibanez Promethean 5110 stays at a friends place so we are able to jam anytime, I have to practise with the biggest practise amp in the world: An old fullstack, Peavey TMax with a TVX 410 and a TVX 210. It is amazing, at which low volumes this amp is able to get a real fine tone. Maybe it looks like overkill, but I use this amp every day, and noone complains about the volume. This piece of iron is able to give a fine sound at any low volume.

Ciao

Uwe
 
#145
I used to practice without an amp but I discovered my technique was suffering because I played way to hard so I could hear myself. I bought an irig and use an iphone app from G-K. I either run it through headphones or just a set of computer speakers.
 
#147
This is my little home practice amp/corner. The 4x10 isn't hooked up right now.:)
2013-8-14BASSRIG1-MOD_zps7b123eb3.jpg


2013-8-14BASSRIG7_zps639888a3.jpg


2013-8-14BASSRIG6_zps35a9d2c1.jpg
 
#148
Well since everyone else is posting pics, I'll post pics of mine, too...

BA108...worked out perfectly for this little 20's-40's jazz band I play with sometimes:

BA108gig_zpsc49b9812.jpg


BA110...believe it or not, I use this in my main band fairly often. We're a 50's-60's-70's variety band doing anything from doo wop to funk to classic rock. We're not a quiet band, either. We have a drummer who can hit pretty hard when he wants, and a 2-4 pc. horn section. This pic was taken on a casino boat we play once a month. Room seats a little over a hundred and is usually packed and people are dancing. I don't even go into the PA with it. Sometimes I have to turn it down. I would use the BA108 if I could, but it runs out of gas too soon, whereas this one has just enough to run clean and do the job. And last month when we were there, my cart hit a bump and the BA110 went flying across the parking lot. Banged up a metal amp corner but worked perfectly. That's when you're glad you just brought a practice amp.

ba110_zps25cabcd6.jpg
 
#150
I've had my warwick BC 20 for 3-4 weeks now and just loving it... I hated dragging bits out of my room to practice, so this little guy lives in my front room for tv watching noodling... I am very impressed with the headphone amp too, very low noise and the built in comp (non adjustable) works better than I had hoped. Used the aux in to learn a new set off my iphone and again, the quality through both the headphone jack and speakers is fantastic... Can't believe the warm tone from this little amp.
Didn't think 20 watts into 8" would be enough, but held up in a lounge room jam with gusto ! Best $130 spent towards practice and new tune learning.
And to prove I'm not crazy, I also got a Tone hammer a week earlier, I'm in new amp heaven :)
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1376567459.937912.jpg
 
#152
i like the pignose hog30 at really low volumes with a fuzz or digital distortion when practicing by myself, or i like it at high volume only with a pbass in a controlled volume jam session, for 100 bucks and the ability to use it with no electricity i'd say it was a good investment, it's lasted 3 years and i've only had to charge it 5 times
 
#153
I got a gig with a pianist/guitarist at a very small wine bar/restaurant in 2005 with basically no room to stand. Up to that point I had only the large rig type setup. Since it was low volume, I bought an Ibanez Soundwave 35 brand new for $149.95 at the local Music-Go-Round. Played there twice a week for the next 4 years, and then on to the next 'micro gig', which I still have. I literally made thousands of dollars with that little box and sold it to pianist/guitarist for $40 for his kid to practice with, and replaced it with a Promethean P5110. Yes it was a practice amp, but I got as much out of it as any single piece of equipment I've ever owned.

God bless the practice amp.
 
#154
For me practicing alone, I still have this Peavey Microbass amp thst I bought new around 87. Not the best sound out of it but its a good low volume solution for home. My practice rig I leave in our rehersal space is a Mesa RR115 powered bya GK700RBII.

I can always plug some head phones into my Streamliner and use that at home too.
 
#155
nukes_da_bass said:
I don't hate practice amps but I don't see the point either. I don't see the point of an amp that can't match a middle strength drummer.
Click to expand...

No one ever said you *have* to play with a drummer. ;)

My Bassman 60 and Studio 110 can both hang with a drummer, and can even be too loud for some smaller venues around here, tasting rooms and restaurants mostly. Depends on how loud you play, how live the room is, and where you place the amp.
 
#156
i wouldn't want my drummer and two guitarists sitting in a van outside my house 24 hours a day in case i want to work out a bit of bass at maybe three in the morning and i'm pretty sure mrs area wouldn't be overjoyed either. gigging amps are for rehearsal, band practice,and indeed even suprise, suprise GIGS. the practice amps were talking about are bedroom music room tools for personal use.some here would say "what do you want a bicycle for?you cant go to sturgis on it. get a harley.
 
#157
deathsdj said:
I'm an old timer getting back into playing after a ten year break to recharge and start a family and I love my Peavy practice amps. My Basic 112 really screams when it's just me and a drum machine. I can drive it really hard and it growls and snarls just like I like. I realize it is not enough to play in a band setting but I got a plan for that... I have a Peavy TNT 115 in storage that I'm retrieving in a week or so and I'm going to split my signal and run them both. The 15 clean and the 12 with some pedals. We will see how it sounds... It's all I got right now so I have to make it work as I've decided to hold off on a rig until I'm more ready for it.

Cheers!

MJW
Click to expand...

That will be a cool sound indeed. I used to have a Basic12 and should've never sold it, but I use a little Epiphone Valve Jr. 5 watt tube amp for livingroom jam stuff now, also a way cool little amp.
 
#158
grey area said:
i wouldn't want my drummer and two guitarists sitting in a van outside my house 24 hours a day in case i want to work out a bit of bass at maybe three in the morning and i'm pretty sure mrs area wouldn't be overjoyed either. gigging amps are for rehearsal, band practice,and indeed even suprise, suprise GIGS. the practice amps were talking about are bedroom music room tools for personal use.some here would say "what do you want a bicycle for?you cant go to sturgis on it. get a harley.
Click to expand...
Exactly! I find the vast majority of people who say "You can't" really mean "I can't." And in this thread, that's exactly what it means when they say it, because I can.

:p
 
#160
grey area said:
i wouldn't want my drummer and two guitarists sitting in a van outside my house 24 hours a day in case i want to work out a bit of bass at maybe three in the morning and i'm pretty sure mrs area wouldn't be overjoyed either. gigging amps are for rehearsal, band practice,and indeed even suprise, suprise GIGS. the practice amps were talking about are bedroom music room tools for personal use.some here would say "what do you want a bicycle for?you cant go to sturgis on it. get a harley.
Click to expand...

JimmyM said:
Exactly! I find the vast majority of people who say "You can't" really mean "I can't." And in this thread, that's exactly what it means when they say it, because I can.

:p
Click to expand...

+2.....one for each of ya.
 

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