Looking for a good budget bass head

[BruceG68]

As another option, I picked up a Traynor SB500H class D head (500 watts at 4 ohms) for 300 recently as a backup. Now I use it half the time, great amp for the price of a nice pedal, with a front end that handles gobs of gain.

I tried a Traynor SB500H out at a local music store this spring and was really surprised.Great sounding amp.Canadian made and 2 year warranty even if you break it.Whats not to like.

 

[Redbrangus]

Peavey, Peavey, Peavey. Used, they should easily fit your budget and application.

 

[bassfran]

If you’re patient and a decent hunter you could find a used Hartke or Peavey in your price range with likely upwards of 200w. Great if you can handle the weight.

 

[joe vegas]

Bugera Veryron M BV1000. slots right into your budget. best bang for my buck in 55 gigging years.

 

[eadg98005]

No finer deal on a new bass head...

 

[Artman]

Brand new: Warwick Gnome i-Pro 280 watts. Very clean, plenty of power. Takes pedals very well. Compact and easy to carry.

Used: Find a Hartke HA3500 in good condition. A lot louder than the power rating would lead you to believe.
Clean, takes pedals well, the most flexible eq of anything ever made.
You'll have money left over for pedals or brews.

 

[Gervais Cote]

Brand new: Warwick Gnome i-Pro 280 watts. Very clean, plenty of power. Takes pedals very well. Compact and easy to carry.

Used: Find a Hartke HA3500 in good condition. A lot louder than the power rating would lead you to believe.
Clean, takes pedals well, the most flexible eq of anything ever made.
You'll have money left over for pedals or brews.

I see the Warwick Gnome I pro has a little fan on top so do you know if it’s rather silent or if you can hear it through a conversation between two persons ?

 

[Artman]

I see the Warwick Gnome I pro has a little fan on top so do you know if it’s rather silent or if you can hear it through a conversation between two persons ?

Dead silent. I would have to place my ear right up to it to notice it in a quiet room.

The Hartke has a loud fan. You wouldn't notice it at a gig, but it is loud in the home study.

 

[Rockgeezer]

For $300 in the US used market:

Most class D amps in the 200 watt range, like the GK MB200, TC BH250, Trace ELF, etc. can be bought for under $300 used.

Old solid state amps are out of favor because of the weight, so there’s plenty around selling cheap….Peavey, Ampeg, Trace, Eden, SWR, GK, Hartke, etc.

I have a GK MB200 to sell if anyone’s interested.

 

[dannylectro]

Get a GK RB series head (400rb, 700rb, 1001rb). It’s a pro level head that is cheap now because of size, but they only weigh about 20 pounds. They get really loud for the wattage rating, can be clean or get the classic rails sound, great EQ, there are lots of them around, they are reliable for the most part, and the company is still around which is a good sign.

This is the way. Especially the GK 400RB

 

[groove pump]

hi, my budget is max $300, and i will of course be buying used
i recently bought a cab that is rated 800W at 8 ohms (pretty sure, it is a peavey headliner 410) although i don’t plan on getting close to that level

i’m pretty new to non-combo setups, so what should i look out for in heads, and what are your recommendations (i play a lot of doom and stoner metal stuff, as well as psych rock and thrash metal, overall the mids are very high)

Lots of good ideas already offered above.

As long as you have enough speaker to throw your sound around (it looks like you've got that covered with a 4x10), I don't think you need to worry about going too big with your wattage. There could be a few options that will work well for you that have the Peavey label on them. I also like the bang for our buck that's often included with gear from Hartke, Traynor, and a few others.

You might get what you want from a GK head that has a couple hundred watts on hand - even an older 400rb might be a winner. I have a GK MB 500 that has been rock-solid for me for a few years in terms of its sound and reliability... and the thing is Godzilla loud for me if I turn it up just a bit. It generates big sound through a pair of 2x10 cabs and often no help from the PA. I'm actually glad that I didn't spend extra money on the MB 800 because the 500 gives me all the LOUD I can use without even turning it way up.

I also have a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 that has its own personality that I've grown to adore. Its preamp is relatively simple, but I can dial up anything I want in a snap and it even has terrific filter switches that I actually use when I play through it (extended lows, mid cut, boosted highs). Every now and then I see an older solid-state Genz Benz head for a nice price - examples include the GBE 400 and GBE 500.

 

[scottfeldstein]

No finer deal on a new bass head...

I came here to say it. They're super cheap. And I own a TC Electronic head, the BH550, and it's my main gig amp. No complaints, except some say it lacks high end. For me, I don't think I've ever bumped the treble on a bass amp past noon in my life, so I'm good with it. Mine has two "tone print" knobs for uploading effects, but I don't use them. I'm sure I would be very happy with the Thrust 500 instead.

 

[funkinbottom]

No finer deal on a new bass head...

Yeah, I'd hop on that in a second if I was on a limited budget. $179 for new amp with warranty. I had the TC Electronic BH250 for years, and loved it. Traded it for an Elf because I wanted to see what all the buzz was. Should have kept the BH250. Liked it much better.

 

[eadg98005]

I came here to say it. They're super cheap. And I own a TC Electronic head, the BH550, and it's my main gig amp. No complaints, except some say it lacks high end. For me, I don't think I've ever bumped the treble on a bass amp past noon in my life, so I'm good with it. Mine has two "tone print" knobs for uploading effects, but I don't use them. I'm sure I would be very happy with the Thrust 500 instead.

I use mine as a backup to a GK MB500 Hybrid, but would not hesitate to use it as a first call.

 

[DJ Bebop]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BQ500--tc-electronic-thrust-bq500-500-watt-compact-bass-head

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BXD3000H--behringer-ultrabass-bxd3000h

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[ArteK]

I also recommend the TC Electronics Thrust Head. I have a couple of them, and they've been great for me.