Looking for a practice amp

[Killing Floor]

Never even heard of the Phil Jones stuff, but it definitely looks interesting. Their use of smaller drivers to extend top end is something you don't see a lot in the bass world but it's an easy way to do it. I'm gonna do some research on them. I dont need a booming low end anymore. My neighbors don't either lol. My ampeg stack used to drive them nuts at night. Those pjb may be the ticket. I just need to find a place to order where returns are easy if it's not my thing.

I have a Double Four as my normal daytime practice amp. It’s loud enough and clean and has headphone and aux inputs and it holds a low B just fine. Sits on my desk under my monitor nicely. I have used it with a guitarist and a drummer for low level but it’s not really loud enough to gig except “coffee shop” or porch jam stuff. It also handles a guitar just fine.

 

[Drop1]

I have a Double Four as my normal daytime practice amp. It’s loud enough and clean and has headphone and aux inputs and it holds a low B just fine. Sits on my desk under my monitor nicely. I have used it with a guitarist and a drummer for low level but it’s not really loud enough to gig except “coffee shop” or porch jam stuff. It also handles a guitar just fine.

I don't need it to keep up with anything but I do like to feel the bass a bit and usually sit right in from my cabs at home. Do they have enough bottom to be felt as much as say, a single 15"?

 

[Andy Walhor]

That's an interesting set up. Wish it was 2 10's though. I dont think I've ever played through a single 10. It "may" be enough. The price is fair if it does what I want. Guess I could always add a 210 cab if I want more.

There's also the MG12T-V combo:

Magellan 350 MG12T-V COMBO - Genzler Amplification

I know @SteveC loves his, and he has a Genz Benz past, too. I'm sure @Jeff Genzler would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

[Curtbass]

Give the trace Elliot elf combo a try if you’re able. I have the separate head and 2 2x8 cabs and have not been disappointed with that rig in anyway.

 

[SteveC]

That's an interesting set up. Wish it was 2 10's though. I dont think I've ever played through a single 10. It "may" be enough. The price is fair if it does what I want. Guess I could always add a 210 cab if I want more.

I wanted a vertical 210 and actually asked Jeff if one was in the works. He said no but that they were going to release something that would probably work for me. They did. It does. He sent me an MG112T-V and said try it. I did. I kept it. I’ve used it on gigs with a 4 piece fusion type group and it was great. Takes my Roscoe low B just fine - within reason of course. I would stack 2 of these if I needed it. I haven’t yet, but I do use it for smaller gigs. Most of my stuff is DI/IEM.

I may get a Magellan preamp/DI pedal for my DI/IEM board.

 

[coy garcia]

I used to drool over harke cabs when they first launched, but I picked up a harke head and used it to power an ampeg 410 stacked on a 115 and i didn't like it at all. I dont remember exactly what head it was. I know it was older and had a high power rating but it didn't come though the mix very well at all. I spent some time comparing that harke head with my genz. Though similar in power, the genz was far more pronounced and made the harke sound very inferior to my ears. Shame too, I really wanted to like it.

I believe the Harke amps only sound the way they do with the alum speakers.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Clean modern sound = GK

 

[mikewalker]

Hartke Kickbacks are the best little combos I've played lately, the 12 inch model is surprisingly ROOM-FILLING

Kickback Combos | Hartke

 

[MaxSpinrun]

Another thumbs up for the Genzler MG350 combo.

 

[Geogio]

The Jeff Berlin players School amp.
Never had one but it looks interesting, with features. Nice package, it's probably more watts than you want. If I was shopping right now for something in this category I would probably go with this but I'm all set up with Hartke kick back 35.

CMD JB Players School – Markbass

 

[Drop1]

I wanted a vertical 210 and actually asked Jeff if one was in the works. He said no but that they were going to release something that would probably work for me. They did. It does. He sent me an MG112T-V and said try it. I did. I kept it. I’ve used it on gigs with a 4 piece fusion type group and it was great. Takes my Roscoe low B just fine - within reason of course. I would stack 2 of these if I needed it. I haven’t yet, but I do use it for smaller gigs. Most of my stuff is DI/IEM.

I may get a Magellan preamp/DI pedal for my DI/IEM board.

Yall have me looking at their array stuff. I quite like the idea of having some smaller speakers in the mix.
A lot of people think the way I approach bass is overly bright from strings to pickups and on down the line, but it's so easy to remove frequenc

The Jeff Berlin players School amp.
Never had one but it looks interesting, with features. Nice package, it's probably more watts than you want. If I was shopping right now for something in this category I would probably go with this but I'm all set up with Hartke kick back 35.

CMD JB Players School – Markbass

Im of the school of thought you can never have too much power.
I compete in car audio sound quality competitions. The goal being for the sound to stage and image just like you are sitting in front of a live band. I run 100w drivers on 550w of power. Not to get loud mind you, just crazy dynamics with tons of head room. Clean! Im the type of guy that wouldn't think twice about putting 1000w head on a single 12 or 15" cab lol. You can always turn it down and I can't stand to hear an amp give up. If I want that sound they have plenty of pre amps and pedals that will give it!

 

[groove pump]

I have both a GK MB 500 (clean and modern for sure) and also a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0. I gig them through a pair of 2x10 cabs, but use one cab when practicing at home. These are my 1A and 1B amps - neither is "better" than the other, but each has its own personality.

I know that higher volume isn't an issue for you, but I can also say that when I'm playing outdoors without PA support, the GK is the easy call in terms of having a little extra oomph. When playing indoors, either one is fine.

So I'll vote for getting another Shuttle - either a 6.0 or perhaps a 3.0 (similar preamp I think) - to push a happy cab. A Genzler Magellan 350 could also be worth a go (haven't sampled any of these yet). If you want more of the "clean and modern" sound, their may easily be a GK like the MB 500 out there to thrill you.

 

[2thAche]

GK combo. MB112 is punchy, small, modern and clean. No horn/tweet tho. Used ones are not bad and they seem pretty bulletproof.

 

[singlemalt]

If you aren’t playing out, why not explore options other than a box with a speaker and amp? Things have come a long way in a short time.

You solution could be completely computer based software and super nice headphones. Or a modeling and fx device. Any DAW will give you tons of options.

Maybe the money is better spent on setting up a nice home practice space with quality studio monitors.

If you have any kind of newish Apple device, open GarageBand. An interface like the Scarlett, or a multi fx modeler will get you going.

$125 used. Does pretty much everything. USB connection lets you use editing software on a computer to build patches, but it’s fairly intuitive.

Options go up from there to Helix or Quad Cortex levels.

I haven’t plugged in my amp in years. I’m pretty amazed at what I can get when I listen back to GarageBand track, even through my janky home stereo as monitors set up.

 

[SteveC]

This is also a good option. My son (guitar player) and I rarely practice with an amp. We have a Mac, Focusrite 2x2 and headphones. We play gigs with our Helix devices so why not practice with them? I also gig with IEM’s so headphones are normal for me.

 

[Drop1]

If you aren’t playing out, why not explore options other than a box with a speaker and amp? Things have come a long way in a short time.

You solution could be completely computer based software and super nice headphones. Or a modeling and fx device. Any DAW will give you tons of options.

Maybe the money is better spent on setting up a nice home practice space with quality studio monitors.

If you have any kind of newish Apple device, open GarageBand. An interface like the Scarlett, or a multi fx modeler will get you going.

View attachment 5402397
$125 used. Does pretty much everything. USB connection lets you use editing software on a computer to build patches, but it’s fairly intuitive.

Options go up from there to Helix or Quad Cortex levels.

I haven’t plugged in my amp in years. I’m pretty amazed at what I can get when I listen back to GarageBand track, even through my janky home stereo as monitors set up.

I like to feel what I'm doing in my chest. I have a nice daw and more software than I could ever use in a lifetime as well as 3 pairs of studio monitors coupled with a studio grade 10" sub. It's not quite the same as playing though a cab. I did consider it, it just "feels" wrong.

 

[burgerdj]

I’m a broken record in my promotion of the Ibanez Promethean 3110. It’s a fabulous cube with a coaxial tweeter, which produces a very coherent sound. It’s also mighty and can easily push an extension cabinet.

 

[scottfeldstein]

I think you might really like my Hartke KB12. It tilts back like a wedge monitor so you can hear it properly without being ten feet in front of it. Plus, it's 250 watts (RMS) into a pretty well built 112 cab. The wedge shape makes it seem not as big of a cab as it is. And it's rear-ported. It's pretty light in the features department. There's a DI and a headphone out and a switchable contour knob. But the bottom line is it's going to sound like a real amp and not a practice amp. I picked mine up used during the pandemic for about $350.

 

[prndltech]

I like the rumble 40 and 100. I sold the 40 to buy a 100 years ago and I love it. I don’t use it for anything other than playing at home though… I use IEM’s out and about.

 

[msb]

For quite a while I was running a GK MB200 mini head and an Ampeg 210AV as a practice rig. It sounded pretty good and could easily cover gigs in a mid sized room.