Looking for Bass Tube Amp Recommendations

[Cnivek61]

I am a relatively new bass player and enjoy playing and working with (restoring) older (typically '80s) basses and amps. My primary amp at home is a SWR Workingman 300 driving a Peavey 115BX BW cab.

I'd like to to find an all tube bass amp and have the following on my radar:

• Peavey AlphaBass
• Peavey VB-2
• Traynor YBA-200

What else should I be looking for in this zone?

 

[BassJuju]

Orange AD200 and Ampeg of you favorite wattage.

 

[two fingers]

What's your budget and (roughly) where are you?

Tubes are fun!!!

 

[coreyfyfe]

What are your selection criteria? Budget?

Looking at the three you mentioned an FMV tone stack, a mix of 2, 4, 8 ohm options, 250 watts or less, and fairly budget friendly. From that maybe also a Mesa buster or D180, Fender bassman 100/135 either vintage or newer, one of the various univox models (1501?), or maybe one of the fender/sunn 300T amps if you can find one. I was recently poking around in an ampeg SVT-100 (aka Ampeg V5) for a friend. They're from the 80s and are generally described as an ampeg take on a marshall, usually come up for not too much money.

 

[Cnivek61]

What's your budget and (roughly) where are you?

Tubes are fun!!!

Reverb has examples of the aforementioned amps for $500-600, though I'd rather spend a bit less and leave room in the budget for new tubes. I live in Michigan. What do you have in mind?

 

[BlacknWhite]

I am a relatively new bass player and enjoy playing and working with (restoring) older (typically '80s) basses and amps. My primary amp at home is a SWR Workingman 300 driving a Peavey 115BX BW cab.

I'd like to to find an all tube bass amp and have the following on my radar:

• Peavey AlphaBass
• Peavey VB-2
• Traynor YBA-200

What else should I be looking for in this zone?

I have been using the Traynor YBA200-2 for about 2 years now and love it. I run it through a single 410 traynor cab and it sounds great and plenty loud. Used it at big shows and little ones and have always had enough power. Great DI out and the build quality is awesome. I've even dropped it a couple times and it just keeps ticking. Cant beat the price either.

 

[Cnivek61]

What are your selection criteria? Budget?

Looking at the three you mentioned an FMV tone stack, a mix of 2, 4, 8 ohm options, 250 watts or less, and fairly budget friendly. From that maybe also a Mesa buster or D180, Fender bassman 100/135 either vintage or newer, one of the various univox models (1501?), or maybe one of the fender/sunn 300T amps if you can find one. I was recently poking around in an ampeg SVT-100 (aka Ampeg V5) for a friend. They're from the 80s and are generally described as an ampeg take on a marshall, usually come up for not too much money.

You are very close on selection criteria, including budget friendly. I'm not a collector and don't want museum pieces - I will play whatever I buy. A vintage Fender would be nice but they tend to command premium prices. My other criteria are reputation for good tone and "work-on-ability" i.e. wiring and components that are reasonably accessible and replaceable if needed. I neglected to mention the Sunn 200T / 300T - those hit my radar also but seem to be quite rare.

 

[coreyfyfe]

Sunn 200T / 300T - those hit my radar also but seem to be quite rare.

Yeah you probably see more of the 300T with the fender badge (actually looks like most on reverb are sunn labeled), same amp, though probably not the most serviceable. Or cheap.

 

[Mr. Foxen]

I am a relatively new bass player and enjoy playing and working with (restoring) older (typically '80s) basses and amps. My primary amp at home is a SWR Workingman 300 driving a Peavey 115BX BW cab.

I'd like to to find an all tube bass amp and have the following on my radar:

• Peavey AlphaBass
• Peavey VB-2
• Traynor YBA-200

What else should I be looking for in this zone?

The two peaveys are hybrids, solid state in the preamp.

If you are into restoring stuff, a vintage tube PA is where the max value for money is.

 

[neddyrow]

I’ve been very happy with my Genz Benz shuttle 9.0. It is similar to what you are looking at with a tube preamp and solid state amplifier. GB are always out there used.

 

[BaltBass5]

Ampeg V4-B. Done.

more than enough power, killer tone, lighter than most tube amps.

 

[vvvmmm]

Musicman HD130; S/S pre, tubes power, some have tube recto's.

 

[crazyBassClown]

If you are into restoring stuff, a vintage tube PA is where the max value for money is.

I have a 50 watt vintage PA that had 4 inputs, I've modded a few tube stages into a high gain guitar stage and left an input thats great for bass.
You could also check out the eden300t/fame-smarvo-bvh300/ashton bv300 as a cheap and easy to work on option.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I am a relatively new bass player and enjoy playing and working with (restoring) older (typically '80s) basses and amps. My primary amp at home is a SWR Workingman 300 driving a Peavey 115BX BW cab.

I'd like to to find an all tube bass amp and have the following on my radar:

• Peavey AlphaBass
• Peavey VB-2
• Traynor YBA-200

What else should I be looking for in this zone?

Fender Studio Bass

 

[Bruiser Stone]

The two peaveys are hybrids, solid state in the preamp.

If you are into restoring stuff, a vintage tube PA is where the max value for money is.

I own an Alpha Bass. It’s all tubes. Another TB’er has a fine example of one for sale right now.

I also used to own a Sunn 300T. It’s a monster.

 

[capnjim]

If you can find one...Traynor YBA-3 custom special. Best sounding bass amp ever made.
Plus..when it goes from standby to on there are two jewel lights and it goes from red to green.
Heavy suckers....but you won't find a better tone from any other amp ever made.

 

[Mr. Foxen]

I own an Alpha Bass. It’s all tubes. Another TB’er has a fine example of one for sale right now.

Graphic EQ on the front gives away the solid state. Need another preamp valve for every two bands if it ran off valves.

 

[Bruiser Stone]

Graphic EQ on the front gives away the solid state. Need another preamp valve for every two bands if it ran off valves.

It can run with/without the EQ activated. Same with the 300T. I’m not sure if that qualifies as all-tube when disengaged, but I like both of them.

 

[Mr. Foxen]

It can run with/without the EQ activated. Same with the 300T. I’m not sure if that qualifies as all-tube when disengaged, but I like both of them.

300T is def a hybrid, laods of SS in the pre, token preamp valves.

 

[Cnivek61]

Graphic EQ on the front gives away the solid state. Need another preamp valve for every two bands if it ran off valves.

The Peavey manual for the AlphaBass indicates a switchable 9-band graphic equalizer (may be removed from the signal chain) and a 3-band passive equalizer. Tube complement is 2-12AX7s in the preamp section and 6 6L6GCs in the power section with a 12AT7 drive and 12AX7 predriver.