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Key Punk Rock Bass Amps

#22
It's all been said. Whatever you could afford or a venue would backline. I've played into a GK head and Ampeg cab, and a 70s Peavey head and Crate cab. The best were the clubs who'd say "you must use our bass amp!" and it was an underpowered Fender BXR or the Choadhammer's cousin.

When I can bring my own amp, it's a Mesa D350 into a GK Neo 115.
 
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#26
70s, 80s, Whatever was cheap, and loud..
As previously mentioned Peavey mk111, and mk 4, were common. Once a band ,(or more probable) IF a band was signed, then more expensive amps were used, (that is IF the band didn't spend their advance on drugs/alcohol..) I also agree that later, 90s , the sansamp was used profusely .
To be honest, I think attitude, was more of a prerequisite than gear...
 
#29
HelpImaRock said:
It's all been said. Whatever you could afford or a venue would backline. I've played into a GK head and Ampeg cab, and a 70s Peavey head and Crate cab. The best were the clubs who'd say "you must use our bass amp!" and it was an underpowered Fender BXR or the Choadhammer's cousin.

When I can bring my own amp, it's a Mesa D350 into a GK Neo 115.
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I've been in so many situations where I played a show and the club or a band didn't want me to load my bass rig onto the stage, so I had to use whatever was there. More than a few times we might share a van with another band to go to a show or a festival or something and just took whichever members' gear was either best or easiest to move (very different criteria). I've played plenty of shows where someone would come up to me asking how I got my tone and I'd have to tell them I didn't even know whose amp I was playing. I just brought my bass, sometimes a pedal, and turned the knobs until it sounded like what I wanted.

Not trying to be a "tone is in the fingers!" person, but I definitely agree with everyone saying punk has pretty much always been about just playing whatever you have. Lots of bands have come into money and splurged on whatever amazing gear their heroes played or they think is cool and that's also fine. Plenty of punk bands have played very specific iconic gear live and then made albums with whatever gear is in the studio where they're recording.
 
#30
Whatever made the most noise for the least money. Never any talk of ohms, watts or weight...just the loudest and least pretty. After blowing up a couple of Peaveys...I moved on to Ampeg which served me until I sold it 10 years later...I'd have chopped off a finger to have what I have now! But wow, what a load of fun~
no memory.jpg
 
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#33
Aidenn7 said:
You can go from the Who to Ramones to Motorhead to Black Flag to Green Day- after that it became mostly sansamp.
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Another way to phrase my question: Are there particular bands or scenes whose sound you want to emulate?

Because otherwise you're asking "what is the essential bass amp?" and the answer is "all of them". Pretty nearly every commercially successful amp has contributed to the signature sound of one band or another.
 
#34
Matt O said:
Now that you mention it, I think it’s a Peavey 400.
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Earth Sound Research, which had been the Plush brand, moved away from their Kustom-like tuck’n’roll style(the amps were actually tube), and besides imitating the cosmetics of tweed Fenders and Sunn, brought out a solid state line that was a knock-off of Peavey, so it could be anything.
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