Hello talkbass. I am looking for an amp that has a graphic eq and comes with on board compression. I am also looking for it to be above 500 watts and dr it to be solid state or hybrid. Can any of you guys point out some options. I am going for a clean tone that has very deep lows and sparkly highs.
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Looking for an amp....
- Thread starter devin_bass
- Start date
Devin, if you filled out your profile fully we'd all know the area of the world you live in. If you are in the Americas then I would endorse Bass_Pounders post re Carvin BX series amps. I own the older BX1500. It has everything that you specify with a huge amount of power on tap. It weighs just a few pounds. The BX1600 is its newer brother.
- Sep 3, 2006
- 4,358
- 6,117
- Disclosures
- Authorized dealer for Dingwall, Genzler, Phil Jones Bass, Cort, Traynor, Yorkville Sound
Would you be satisfied with 5 band EQ with sweepable mids or it needs to be graphic? What weight are you looking for?
500w doesn't mean squat
Say what cabinet(s) you'll be playing through - Give the spl output from the cabinet or a frequency response graph
500w through an efficient cabinet will blow everyone off stage, or it will be super quiet into an inefficient cab.
"Efficiency" is called "Sensitivity" for cabinets.
Say what cabinet(s) you'll be playing through - Give the spl output from the cabinet or a frequency response graph
500w through an efficient cabinet will blow everyone off stage, or it will be super quiet into an inefficient cab.
"Efficiency" is called "Sensitivity" for cabinets.
Since you will likely need to make some compromises, it might be a good idea to prioritize your criteria if you want to get advices from fellow tbers experience.
To find exactly what you are looking for, I had to make a search and find a few amps that meet your criteria but that I never heard or try myself. What about this:
1- Search for the few amps that have the wattage & features you are looking for
2- Then look for reviews on here or elsewhere on the web
3- Use the thread to gather feedback on your heads shortlist
From my personal experience, the Traynor Dynabass DB800h is hard to beat. It has switchable mosfet or tube preamp, 800 watts of (very torquy) power, pre&post DI, on board compression, parallel footswitchable distortion, Flexible EQ wih parametric mids (compromise on the graphic EQ here), scoop, adjustable bass damping factor to suit ported or sealed cabs, has a 2 years "no questions asked" warranty, is built like a tank, super reliable, and made in Canada. Hoo, and they are great value too- no "branding or marketing premium on the sale price".
It is about 23 pounds and 3 rack units- in case size & weight is of any concern
To find exactly what you are looking for, I had to make a search and find a few amps that meet your criteria but that I never heard or try myself. What about this:
1- Search for the few amps that have the wattage & features you are looking for
2- Then look for reviews on here or elsewhere on the web
3- Use the thread to gather feedback on your heads shortlist
From my personal experience, the Traynor Dynabass DB800h is hard to beat. It has switchable mosfet or tube preamp, 800 watts of (very torquy) power, pre&post DI, on board compression, parallel footswitchable distortion, Flexible EQ wih parametric mids (compromise on the graphic EQ here), scoop, adjustable bass damping factor to suit ported or sealed cabs, has a 2 years "no questions asked" warranty, is built like a tank, super reliable, and made in Canada. Hoo, and they are great value too- no "branding or marketing premium on the sale price".
It is about 23 pounds and 3 rack units- in case size & weight is of any concern
I plan on running the head through s fearless can design, so the cab will be very efficient. Thanks for the help.
I will definately read up on this amp ehen I get home. So far in looking at hartke ha5500, m9carbine, hartke kilo, carvin bx1500, and the traynor amp
The main tonal quality that I have experienced is a nice built-in punch. People have different definitions of what this means, and it is also wildly dependent on your bass, pedals, and cab, but when running a side by side comparison with everything else equal, this amp has significantly more built-in punch than a SVT 3 or an Acoustic B600. Those are the only ones I was able to compare.
The compression is subtle, but works very well.
I gigged the HA3500 for years after buying the head used in 2005, and it only recently started giving me trouble (I suspect because it was dropped several times by people who were moving my gear after shows). Personally, I think it is one of best heads out there in the budget gear price range.
- Sep 3, 2006
- 4,358
- 6,117
- Disclosures
- Authorized dealer for Dingwall, Genzler, Phil Jones Bass, Cort, Traynor, Yorkville Sound
Agree on the Traynor DB800H. If a person doesn't have to have the extreme lightweight amps, I personally don't think there is anything out there that can touch the DB800H for price/performance. Chock full of features for a tone monster with plenty of juice behind it. If a person wants the 5 lb amp then the Traynor SB500H is what I use.
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I wasnt even aware they had amps with built in compression 
I use an LH1000 Hartke as a power amp and have a dbx 160A for the compression. The amp is 1000 watts for $500 brand new and the dbx swings around $200 used.
I use an LH1000 Hartke as a power amp and have a dbx 160A for the compression. The amp is 1000 watts for $500 brand new and the dbx swings around $200 used.
I'm leaning towards the traynor db800h or the mesa m9carbine? Has anyone here tried these two amps? What is the traynor sound like with this head? Also, how is the overdrive on the traynor?
The Traynor DB800h overdrive-ability is awesome. There are 5 ways to tweak it depending on the results you want. You can get anything from warm, subtle and harmonically rich grit to full on overdrive (a la bigg muff):
-Modulate the gain stage- and it sounds awesome when the signal is red hot.
-Activating the tube pre or mosfet pre will give different results (warmer or dryer respectively)
-Dial in on board compression past 12 o clock and you'll be rewarded with a nice touch of subtle grit, on top of the compression (feels like maxing power tubes)
-Dial in the amount of overdrive should you activate overdrive or not
-Mix & blend the overdriven signal with main signal to your liking
With the above, it is difficult not to find what you are looking for with a little bit of tweaking & trial & error.
You can also get a nice mosfet clean and crystalline sound. The amount of bass this bad boy can deliver is enough to challenge most of current cabs excursion limits.
I never played or heard the carbine, but I'm sure this is an awesome head. Lots of great reviews. If you are after this specific sound and nametag, I guess this is what you need to get.
However I doubt it is as versatile and you'll have to pay more $$.
I think I have decided on the Traynor. I guess Ill be on the lookout for a deal on it. Thanks guys!
