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looking to buy first rig. help!

G

g.postlapsaria

Apr 9, 2008
3
0
Rockingham, Western Australia
www.mysoace.com
#1
Hey guys. Im pretty much a complete newbie when it comes to bass playing. Steadily improved my playing to stage where im gunna join a friends pop punk band.

Looking around i really like the look of trace elliot, aguilar and gallien krueger gear but like ive said i really have no idea what im getting myself into is a bit daunting at first.

Was hoping you guys can help me out. Im looking to buy my first rig on a budget of roughly $2000 aus. Nothing massively fancy or anything just something solid and reliable for now. Any suggestions on what would be a good starting set up?

Thanks a bunch.
 
#4
First of all, for someone just getting into a band and bass $2000 might be a bit to much to spend on a new bass rig. Its alot of money, and you might be better off getting some cheaper gear until you really find what you like in a bass sound. I'm guessing if your only starting gigging isn't a huge issue over the next 6 months or so. I think what you'll find is your ear develop as your playing does, and you may be in a much better position to make a call on your purchase. Having said that, it would never have stopped me from spending the money.. lol.


With that said you've got a heap of good options in the price point. There are lots of great brands around, and i find brands like Mark Bass and Genz Benz are fantastically priced over here. You could pickup a brand new neo pak and 212t cab for 2000 (maybe a touch over), or a new markbass little mark 2 (i picked mine up for 1100 when i bought it). Gallien Krueger also do super products in your price range. I also saw someone on Melband.COM.AU selling a Eden Wt 400 amp for $1000. Eden is top line gear, so do a search. Any more specific questions please post.

Everyone is more than happy to help you.
 
#5
Get up kids use ampeg (along with almost every rock band ever) also Mesa is also a good bet for that kinda thing, only problem being how ridiculously expensive they both are. Also heard good things about Fender amps recently and they do some cheap(ish) stuff that will probably suit. Only problem with Fender is that you might as well get a pro setup considering there not really that much more expensive then a bassman setup.

Stuff over there's kinda expensive though considering you live a few hundred miles from where' most of it's made...
 
#7
buy used, shop around and you'll find for 1500+ you'll be able to set yourself up pretty nice, my only suggestion...don't cut yourself short, don't go and buy something your gonna need to up grade in the next year or so, buy used and get yourself a nice powerful head, maybe a couple 4x10's or a 6x10 you don't want to do this again, next summer. GK, Eden, you could probably find yourself a good used 1001rb or rbII for less then 400 or so....then get yourself a couple nice cabs and your set......check out that new Eden Nemesis RS700 that thing will rock your sox off!! and i'm pretty sure you shop that around you can get it new for close to 700....
 
#8
I will recommend Marshall also, thats what I am getting in the next few days. MB450 head MBC410 cab, its got a great sound, versitile and if you go to this site http://www.guitar.com.au/amplifiers/bass/marshall/index.htm you can pick one up for about $1500 with shipping.

also check out Mark Bass, Ashdown, Mark Bass, Nemisis. I personaly don't like Trace stuff, Ive played on a few different heads at various stageband and other gigs(4 to be exact), they dont have enough power and not the best tone. (Yes I know its sad me playing in the stageband)
 
#9
I must say if you on the cheap and need something that is going to last through alot of tough gigs peavey might be right up your ally. They are heavy built like tanks get good sound and will last forever. Just my opnion, and I have never had a problem with their customer service always top notch and will answer any question.
 
#10
tom once dead said:
. I personaly don't like Trace stuff, Ive played on a few different heads at various stageband and other gigs(4 to be exact), they dont have enough power and not the best tone. (Yes I know its sad me playing in the stageband)
Click to expand...

They have a very distinctive sound, but it's not very objective to call the tone bad. Your right about the power though, you need a fairly high rated setup before they start to kick out some volume. Definitely avoid the little combos and generally anything that is only 7-band and try get an 11-band for the kinda loudness your gonna need, although you'd be lucky to find an 11-band for cheap.

Marshall is work checking out too as Tom said, unsurprisingly geared toward rock music. If you could afford a VBA400 and matching 8x10 setup that would come high on my list of recommendations for you if you weren't on a budget. The MB450 head looks very cool, 2 preamps to blend so you shouldn't have any trouble getting a good pop punk tone.

Peavey is also good for rock like everyone else has mentioned and I completely forgot about for some reason, can get some nice gritty rock sounds out of them and if you get the right cab plenty of pop-punk twang. Definitely want to watch some of the Peavey cabs though cos some are voiced very low and although that's kinda nice just for it's natural depth it's hard to get any upper mid twang going on. Dunno how much second hand Peavey is in Australia but there's loads lying about in the UK and it seems to be the case with the states too.
 
#11
I could be getting my marshall rig on sunday, if all goes well. (if mum gives me the extra $300 needed, I need to sell my current amp for the same price).

I have also heard good things about the peavy's but they are just that little bit expensive over here. But it think I would rather get the marshall rig than somthing of higher value, it sounds so nice.
 
#13
Hartke does work quite well for Rock, very modern sounding though.

Peavey's a pretty cheap make for the most part, definitely cheaper then decent Marshall (though I'm yet to hear the rig you might be getting, the all tube VBA400+8x10 setup sounds awesome), most people get Peavey for beginners amps, but some people are pretty infatuated with some of their equipment such as some of their older 2x15s with Black Widow speakers.
 
#14
the best sounding, lightest, loudest, most cost efficient rig I've ever used went like this:


Used Sansamp RBI DI Box / Preamp: $80
New Behringer Europower 1500 watt power amp: $200
New Avatar Neo 410 speaker cabinet: $400

Total: $680

Sounded great, tons of different sounds, lightweight and loud as hell.
 
#15
cheers for the help guys.

im still looking around and like the looks of some of the hartke stuff. and a local music shop has a good range of gallien krueger stuff. is there backline stuff very good for what im looking for?

im putting the money out more straight away because i dont want to buy the cheap stuff then have to upgrade in a year or so and i have the money now and as a uni student is probably a fair chance in a years time or so i wont.

ive found a second hand hartke head for quite cheap that im probably going to buy. its a HA3500 i think i remember rightly any thoughts on that head?. then ill look to buy some decent cabs.

The gear seems so much more expensive here. I guess its our fault for living so far away from everything else.
 
#16
GKs good if you want a more modern tone, can get them to growl pretty nicely if you set em up right so you might like them for poppy-punk stuff, never seen anyone really use GK for punk stuff though or alot of rock stuff in general (although a local rock bands bassist round here uses one and it's awesome for them).

Seen lot's of punk bands in the UK use Hartke stuff though, looks kinda modern but doesn't sound too sterile, has tube and fet pre-amp and can get some pretty decent sounds outta it. Only slight reservation is that the cabs are pretty clicky sounding to my ear and it's hard to EQ out, if you like that high mid presence (which you might if you want twangy kinda punk sound) then it might suit you, that for the aluminium cone cabs anyway.

Check those two and the Marshall before buying anything though. The Marshall's extensive blending options sound awesome though, if you wanted a distorted sound you can decide what frequencies you want distorting and cut the rest and then make up for them in the modern section, genius, I'd be very tempted.

Can see why you wanted to go all out getting something of decent quality, the step in-between beginner and reasonablely decent quality (but not pro) gear is a waste of money if you ask me.
 

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