Does anyone know if there is a specific amp(s) for playing jazz. I have a Behringer right know but don't know if there is a better amp for playing jazz.
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.
Jazz amps
- Thread starter jlo95
- Start date
Most good bass amps these days are pretty versatile, but jazz is a pretty big genre. There are a lot of 5 and 6 string bassists playing "smooth jazz" pumping a lot of bottom end and bright presence through 4x10 + 1x15, etc. , and then there are upright bassists and electric players doing more traditional jazz using Polytone Mini-Brutes, Roland Cubes, PJ Briefcase, etc. It's a whole different thing.
i use vintage ampegs for pretty much everything, including the occasional jazz gigs i do. nobody's ever complained. used to use an swr sm-500 into a tube works 410t or a little markbass 112 combo, too. nobody ever complained. seen a lot of jazz players use a lot of different amps. don't know if anyone ever complained but i never complained. so i'd say yes, you can use anything. i might, however, shy away from an svt/810 in a piano bar 
For straight-ahead stuff I see a lot of the SWR Workingman Combos. Personally, however, I use a Walkabout 1x12 Scout.
I played electric bass in school and college jazz bands, and continue to play combo and big band jazz, though more often on upright these days. I have to plead ignorance about the "smooth" side of jazz, so my comments are limited to rough jazz. 
All good points so far, so I will simply offer my own angle. You can get away with a fairly generic bass tone. At the same time, it is vital for an amp to "work" in a functional sense in the typical jazz setting. This means blending in with the other instruments, and being audible but not dominating. Jazz tends to get played in smaller venues with unpredictable acoustics where bass-heavy speakers are too squirrely.
If your Behringer is a small combo, there's no harm in giving it a try. I think that physically large speakers can be problematic because it's hard to position them in cramped spaces, for coverage of both the band and audience. Also, you won't need a lot of volume, and will eventually start gassing for the convenience of a small amp when everybody else is showing up with portable gear.
The gear that I have arrived at after playing jazz for three decades is listed in my profile, but to summarize, I use a "micro" head and a very small DIY 1x12 neo cab. My entire rig weighs less than 20 pounds, and I am thinking of downsizing again, to a 1x10.
All good points so far, so I will simply offer my own angle. You can get away with a fairly generic bass tone. At the same time, it is vital for an amp to "work" in a functional sense in the typical jazz setting. This means blending in with the other instruments, and being audible but not dominating. Jazz tends to get played in smaller venues with unpredictable acoustics where bass-heavy speakers are too squirrely.
If your Behringer is a small combo, there's no harm in giving it a try. I think that physically large speakers can be problematic because it's hard to position them in cramped spaces, for coverage of both the band and audience. Also, you won't need a lot of volume, and will eventually start gassing for the convenience of a small amp when everybody else is showing up with portable gear.
The gear that I have arrived at after playing jazz for three decades is listed in my profile, but to summarize, I use a "micro" head and a very small DIY 1x12 neo cab. My entire rig weighs less than 20 pounds, and I am thinking of downsizing again, to a 1x10.
Yup, that's my backup amp, and also the one that I bring when I really need to set up quickly. A classic.
markbass heads, or walter woods.
paired with any good 2x12" is what i like. i use brickhouse cabs- www.mcfrost.com is the only onfo there is on those cabs on the web. theyre the best, IMO.
but to be less specific, anything that can get you a clean sound is fine. having a lot of depth and punch is usually a good thing, too..
paired with any good 2x12" is what i like. i use brickhouse cabs- www.mcfrost.com is the only onfo there is on those cabs on the web. theyre the best, IMO.
but to be less specific, anything that can get you a clean sound is fine. having a lot of depth and punch is usually a good thing, too..
I used a EBS rig and that was insanly clean all the way to the top! Think it was one of the solid state rigs rather than the valve heads though! Light cabs and head as well!!
My choice for jazz would be the Roland D-Bass 115 (15" + tweeter).
Clean, full range, light, and pretty powerfull. Portable combo amp.
Clean, full range, light, and pretty powerfull. Portable combo amp.
I use a GB Shuttle 3.0-8T, it's a great sounding amp.
However, I think a good jazz sound is as much about technique as your equipment
.
However, I think a good jazz sound is as much about technique as your equipment
.
However, I think a good jazz sound is as much about technique as your equipment
Absolutely. In fact, it could probably be said that the main criterion for a jazz amp is simply to avoid getting in the way of developing that technique.
I have a Polytone Mini-Teeny Brute from the 1970s or 1980s and its great for jazz. Its very small but with 100 watts and an output for an extension speaker, its plenty powerful. And when I play either small group or big band jazz, I go for a much more "trebely" tone, so that my notes are clearer to the other players. This makes the amp's 12" speaker fine for an electric bass. I see these amps on eBay for a few hundred bucks.
About a year ago I was in search of an amp for jazz gigs, where typically you alone are not required to shake the earth...My Mesa 410 was a little overkill.
I ended up with an SWR Working Pro 10 combo. It's clean, clear and responsive. 100 watt into 110 packs a clean thump. Being this is a tiltback cab, the flooring adds some extra boom in most clubs or stages. I'm really happy so far. + it's light too. I can carry everything into a gig in 1 trip, amp, axe, stand and bag.
As mentioned above, sonic gremilns are at every jazz gig. The thing I look for most is a wide range of tone adjustments and CONNECTIVITY. Mute, line and direct out, pads on the output, sends and returns, and tuner outs. All of this connects me whatever the need.Here's what I got into with this little beast in the last few months.
5pc jazz/rock theater show for an albumn promo- Amp to PA
16pc big band at an indoor stage- naked amp
7pc jazz group- outdoor festival, at night, in the rain, under a tent- Amp to PA- was glad for the small/light amp!!.
Quartets, Trio's and Duos- naked amp.
200 person dinner show- Amp to PA
Go play one and see if your dig it !!
I ended up with an SWR Working Pro 10 combo. It's clean, clear and responsive. 100 watt into 110 packs a clean thump. Being this is a tiltback cab, the flooring adds some extra boom in most clubs or stages. I'm really happy so far. + it's light too. I can carry everything into a gig in 1 trip, amp, axe, stand and bag.
As mentioned above, sonic gremilns are at every jazz gig. The thing I look for most is a wide range of tone adjustments and CONNECTIVITY. Mute, line and direct out, pads on the output, sends and returns, and tuner outs. All of this connects me whatever the need.Here's what I got into with this little beast in the last few months.
5pc jazz/rock theater show for an albumn promo- Amp to PA
16pc big band at an indoor stage- naked amp
7pc jazz group- outdoor festival, at night, in the rain, under a tent- Amp to PA- was glad for the small/light amp!!.
Quartets, Trio's and Duos- naked amp.
200 person dinner show- Amp to PA
Go play one and see if your dig it !!
