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Looking for a 500W+ amp recommendation < $2K
- Thread starter bassgasbassgas
- Start date
^This. What I love about it is that it doesn't color your tone. You get the sound of your bass at high volume. That's exactly what I want. It pairs nicely with the bass array 1x15. All lightweight and more than enough volume to match any acoustic drummer on stage. The DI is also very good. No need for dedicated DI box
There are two that I like. One is the Eden TN-501 (500-watts rms into 4 Ω) class D amp. Currently they are only available used. Marshall sold Eden to Gear4Music, which is a UK retailer/distributor. Terms were that Marshall would continue to manufacture Eden amps and cabs for them. Marshall has done a crappy job and things have been very slow coming back into stock after they are sold out. Such is the case for the TN-501. I don't think they've had a new one for sale in at least 6-months, maybe a year. However they are around if you buy used. I actually own the TN-226, which is its little brother (225-watts rms into 4Ω). They share the same preamp. The power section is the difference between them.
When I bought mine, it was exactly what I was looking for to play a small brewpub where we hosted Friday Night Open Mic nights over 40 times a year. I bought it used from a friend and after playing it for a couple of years, wished I had bought the 500-watt version instead. I also own an Eden WT500/800 amp (400-watts rms per channel into 4Ω or Bridged into 8Ω at 800-watt rms). It's an amazing amp but weighs about 36-lbs in its rack and I wanted something lighter and with less power and the 225-watt version was/is perfect for that.
It has a gain knob and a gain clip light that you use to reach the optimal gain for whatever bass you are using. You want that gain clip light to dance when you're hitting your lowest and loudest notes. Don't want it to come on and stay on, nor do you want it to blink. Adjusted correctly it will give you the clearest, lowest distortion, noise-free signal to send to the power section. Once you have everything set to where you like it the Master controls the output of the amp.
The EQ section consists of a bass shelving EQ that adjusts everything from 30Hz on down, a semi-parametric control for the low-mids that adjusts any frequencies between 30Hz and 300hz, another semi-parametric for adjusting between 200Hz and 2KHz, and a Treble shelving EQ for everything above 2KHz. It also has an Enhance control that is a shape control. It boosts bass and treble and scoops out the low mids anywhere from a little to a lot. Good for playing at low levels where the human ear has a hard time hearing bass and treble but hears the mids just fine. I have a number of friends who put all the EQ knobs at flat and just turn the Enhance on to 9 o'clock or lower.
Problem with turning it up much more than 9 o'clock is it scoops too much of the low-mids out and the low-mids are what give your bass presence and definition when playing in a group. With mine I add a little boost (up to about 1:30) at 250Hz using the low-mids control and run everything else flat. I'm playing an '82 passive Jazz and it just sounds great at that setting. It also has a bass boost button that you can push in to just get a boost in the bass without cutting or boosting anything else.
Sound is really clear, clean, and articulate with a tight and focused bottom end. It also has a warm sound to it just like my big Eden amp. My big amp uses a tube in the impedance matching section operating within specific parameters to get the warm sound that Eden amps are known for. I was surprised the first night I used my TN-226 at the warmth it had. I has the same warmth than my big Eden amp with its hybrid preamp has, even though there is no tube in it. Instead it uses a "Golden Ear" Chip (THAT-4301) that among other things emulates tube warmth. My sound from this 4.7-lb amp sounds just like the sound from my big Eden amp.
Another really nice feature to the Eden TN (Terra Nova) amps is their auto-compressor. If you decide to turn it on, once you push the button, the gain knob becomes a de facto threshold control for the compressor. The auto-compressor on my big Eden amp is pretty harsh. It's good for slap but for what I play, that's about it. The auto-compressor on the TN amps on the other hand is very smooth and musical. Using my TN-226 and a single 112 cab at that small brewpub, our 5-pc. group really got too loud. The power clipping light on my amp started flashing and it won't do that for very long before the auto-protect kicks in and turns the amp off.
Dropping the bass EQ didn't fix it and turning the master down made it so I couldn't be heard. So as a last ditch effort I turned the auto-compressor on and turned the gain control up a bit so the compressor would engage a little sooner. Lo and behold, it stopped the clipping without noticeably limiting my attack or dynamics. It just seemed to compress the peaks enough to keep the power section from clipping. And it did it smoothly and musically without any harshness. After we finished the song, I got everyone to turn back down because we were way to loud for that small space. It only happened once there, but in my opinion, that auto-compressor is a real plus.
I run that TN amp through an Eden EX-112 cab (street price $269), which is a surprisingly good sounding amp. Eden's top of the line D112xst cab is about $600 more and there sure is $600 difference in the sound! It sounded so good the first night I played it that immediately bought a second one so I could use two EX-112 cab's for medium sized venues and save my DNS-410 (by DNA) for large venues, outdoor venues, and music festivals. That's where that TN-501 would have really come in handy. Instead I had to use my Big Eden amp with it because I had purchased the first one in 4Ω so had to get the second one in 4Ω too and my big Eden amp was the only amp I had that would handle two 4Ω cabs.
Street price on them was $650 new, but good luck finding one new. I've seen recent used pricing from as low as $450 up to $600. So it won't cost you an arm and a leg but really is a great sounding amp and versatile amp. The TN-501 weighs in at 5.3-lbs.
Below is a shot of my small-venue set up. It all fits nicely in a chair. I already wrote too much here on the TN-501 so I'll tell you about my DNA-800 in another post.
I’d thrown in the Ashdown ABM600 as an idea (not sure what US availability is like though).
There a few unneeded bells and whistles IMO (compressor, shape and sub-octave circuit) but the EQ section is good and the tube section is nice.
There a few unneeded bells and whistles IMO (compressor, shape and sub-octave circuit) but the EQ section is good and the tube section is nice.
The amp I use for most venues in my DNA-800 class D amp that puts out 800-watts into 4Ω and "almost full power" into 2Ω. It weighs 4.8-lbs and is dead quiet because I doesn't even use a fan. It also has a built-in compressor with adjustable threshold and ratio. You can use it to add anywhere from just a bit of sustain, all the way up to what I call "elephant stomp compression" compressing everything to the point there are no dynamics no matter how hard you hit a string and the sustain lasts as long as you keep fretting the note - think Farfisa organ-type notes. It's really versatile and you can adjust it over a very wide range of compression sounds.
The EQ is much simpler than the ones David designed when he owned Eden. The bass EQ is set at 35Hz, the low-mid is centered at 500Hz, the high-mid is set at 2KHz, and the Treble is a shelving control for everything above 2KHz. It also has a Shape control that adjusts a little differently than the Enhance controls he used on his Eden amps. It boosts the bass, slowly boosts high-mids and highs, and more slowly cuts the low mids. It's basically adjustable over a wider range than the Enhance knob on my Eden amps.
To get the same sound out of my DNA amp that I get from my Eden amps, I boost the bass to about 1 o'clock because it's set at 35Hz instead of 30Hz; add that same small boost to about 1:30 in the low-mids; and leave everything else set flat. I think my Eden amps might be a touch warmer sounding than my DNA amp, but sound is awfully close. The sound is clear, clean, articulate (hear every note in a bass chord distinctly), and produces a tightly focused bottom end, especially with a DNS cab by DNA.
I really like this 800-watt class D amp but unfortunately they are no longer being made. I took delivery on mine in May of 2021 and the only reason I was able to get it was because David had enough parts on hand to build one for me at his location. His factory was out of completed amps and was waiting on parts. Unfortunately the parts never arrived because some of the parts were being made by only one factory, which went out of business during Covid. Because of that lack of parts, David announced he was shuttering DNA earlier this year. There are still some new ones out there and street price is the same as previously at $799. One of his dealers that still has new ones is [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] in Florida. They do show up on used sites from time to time too.
Here's a walk through of the amp by BassMusicianMagazine.com, which gives you a good chance to see its features and hear it. I've cued it up to the part where he's starting to talk about the amp. He's playing this through a DNS-210 cab by DNA too.
Mesa TT-800. It is nice because the Boogie channel is what you are primarily asking for but you can also set up the D channel with a completely different tone. Switch between them with a stomp switch. The quality is great. I am a huge fan of the Markbass LM II (still own mine) and the TT-800 is a good amp to replace the LM II and more.
Another vote for the TT-800. I replaced my MarkBass Vintage with this amp and a pair of Mesa Subway 115s - glorious! The two channels are great. I typically play my pbass through the Boogie channel and my jbass through the Subway channel. Great tones throughout the range on this amp. It does take a little learning time with the tone controls as they are not set to noon = neutral. The well-written manual is your friend. It's truly an amazing amp.
Not mentioned is the Eich 900T
I’ve gone through tons of amps as we all have and I like this so much I bought a second used just in case. Clean and warm yet just sits in the mix so well as an ensemble amp
I’ve gone through tons of amps as we all have and I like this so much I bought a second used just in case. Clean and warm yet just sits in the mix so well as an ensemble amp
For me it must support 2 ohms. So boils down to
Ampeg SVTs
Mesa (I do not have a Subway but have the bass 400)
AI (which I have)
GK Legacy or Fusion S -> I am thinking of getting one
Bergantino
I am sure there are others
Ampeg SVTs
Mesa (I do not have a Subway but have the bass 400)
AI (which I have)
GK Legacy or Fusion S -> I am thinking of getting one
Bergantino
I am sure there are others
Go up another 9 lbs you can rock a used Mesa Boogie Prodigy. All tube. All badass.
All. Night. Long.
All. Night. Long.
Turnaround
Commercial User
This sounds like my path - Sadowsky NYC 4 string into a Little Mark II into two Berg HT112's. The LM died. I went with a Basswitch pedal into Demeter Minnie 800D power amp. If the Darkglass has sufficient output it will drive the Minnie fine. The combined weight of the DG and Minnie would be just over 4 pounds.
BobDeRosa
Commercial User
- May 16, 2012
- 2,444
- 4,402
- Disclosures
- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
Nothing wrong with any of those mentioned; just different flavors of good.
You might also consider a Quilter BB800 or BB802. This will have to be a used purchase, because they've recently been discontinued, and we haven't yet seen the replacement, which will probably be awesome.
Still, the BB's have done well by a lot of TBers, me included. Be aware, though, the 800's EQ takes some getting used to, though it's simple once you get the idea.
I've never tried these, but perhaps a Trickfish would be worth looking into: Bullhead .5K – TRICKFISH AMPLIFICATION
You might also consider a Quilter BB800 or BB802. This will have to be a used purchase, because they've recently been discontinued, and we haven't yet seen the replacement, which will probably be awesome.
Still, the BB's have done well by a lot of TBers, me included. Be aware, though, the 800's EQ takes some getting used to, though it's simple once you get the idea.
I've never tried these, but perhaps a Trickfish would be worth looking into: Bullhead .5K – TRICKFISH AMPLIFICATION
Mesa D-800+. I own one, it's light, powerful, and excellent sounding, and even has a good HPF built-in. I believe Sweetwater has them at that same stated price (as the Mesa site at the link) but including a gig bag, which is always nice! Bonus points here for their customer service being both reachable and good, and I believe there's a very nice fellow from there who posts regularly around here too.
For nearly a decade I've been happy with Aguilar amps. First a TH500, then an AG700 and now a TH700. During that time I've bought, and sold, a Quilter, BB800, Mesa Subway 800 and a Berg Forte HP.
During my search I tried several amps… many of which were suggested in the earlier replies. I ended up with the Bergantino Forte HP. Not only do I love the huge array of tones, the gobs of power, and especially the massive amount of “punch” I can get out of the amp, but I am constantly finding myself being asked about my rig by other bassists.
I spent years and a lot of wasted money looking for the right amp. I am VERY VERY happy to say I finally found what I wanted (and more) in the Forte HP.
I spent years and a lot of wasted money looking for the right amp. I am VERY VERY happy to say I finally found what I wanted (and more) in the Forte HP.
I've only done one gig with the TH700 so I'm still in the "opinion forming" stage.
IMO the AG700 sounds very, very good. It's been my #1 since I bought it about 8 years ago. Any bass in any band just sings with the AG700. I sometimes use my TH500 on lower volume gigs and when using my PJ5.
The TH700 seems to be like the TH500, but on steroids. It is loud and punchy and probably cleaner than the TH500. When I plugged my Mike Lull PJ5 and Lakland 55-02 in I had the biggest smile, but I think there are basses that require more effort. My Ibanez and Cort sounded thin and sterile. I can probably sort that out, given a few more gigs, but I was surprised because they sound fine through the AG700.
If I had to give a recommendation at this stage, it would be for the AG700. It's a complete design, from Precision to Jazz, 4 and 5 strings, quiet to loud and any style of music. IMO it's a high point in D class amp design.
