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Looks like I need a new practice amp

H

Helbent Revenge

Feb 16, 2009
31
0
#1
So my crappy practice amp I've had for 5 years that came in a starter pack is finally starting to have it's limitations for me. I haven't been jamming too hard with it until recently, and it's not up to my standards. I was planning to save up for a big full-stack Hartke setup, but that'll have to wait, as I'm probably not too sure what I'd do with $1,000USD worth of power if I'm not playing shows.

Alright so I know how the drill here goes. I play a lot of indie-music and all off-shoots of it, big into post-rock in general, I like my tone to be real fat, my EQ settings right now are at: GAIN 2; BASS +15; MID -9; TREB -12; PRESENCE 0; VOL 5, keeping in mind of course I move them around a bit, but I ALWAYS have the bass +15 and keep the mid and treble low, so I REALLY play the low-end. My combo amp right now is 30W so I'm thinking 70-100W should be fine. Price isn't really an issue, I'll save up as much as neccessary, but really I won't need a practice amp that's like $1,000. Lets aim for a price as to anywhere under $500USD, I don't see any reason why I'd need to spend more than that.

I should note, I'd like another combo amp. Under $500, ~70W+, good low-end tone. Thanks guys.

Also I'm pretty limited to amp brands I can test, there's no Ashdown, Ampeg, or Acoustic dealerships around.
 
#3
I'm going to suggest the Fender Bassman 100. Great sounding little amp. It has inputs for CD and headphones for silent practice. Gets a great tone when pushed. Light weight, too! Great build. When I compared it to the Acoustic, the Fender won out in the tone department. Although, it is more money than some of the Acoustic offerings.
 
#4
No input? I thought there'd be tons of people jumping on suggesting what amp I should get.

Alright so after a while of searching I came up with these, it'd be nice to get some opinions on each one:

Peavy Max 115

Acoustic B100 or B200

Rocktron Rampage Bass 100

Nemesis N28

Ashdown EB15-180

Fender Bassman 100

Haven't heard much of Rocktron or Nemesis, how say you TalkBass?

Edit: haha just when I thought the thread was dead, someone revived it just before me
 
#5
while ive never played a nemesis, ive heard nothing but good things about em (and you can get used ones pretty cheap, check out basscentral.com - [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - towards the bottom you'll find a used nemesis 2x12 combo)

+1 on the fender bassman (not the rumble though). its what ive been using and that thing is pretty dang good. loud, nice tones, clean looks, has the fender name on it if you wanna impress people :) and ive seen em go used for approximately $300, so its well within your price range.

either way, $500 should get you pretty far if you buy a used combo.
 
#9
NWB said:
I'd put all my money into a big rig and then just turn it down for practicing. Or use the headphone jack found on many amp heads these days.:)
Click to expand...

Yeah I'd like to eventually save up and get a full Hartke stack, it'll be around $1,000 - $1,2000 USD, but that'll be for the future if I get to the point where I play shows, so I'm just going medium-ground for now.
 
#11
My vote goes to the SWR family of Workingman's combos--10, 12, 15. I have owned all three. In general I have preferred the 12. It's giggable, xlr out, but small and controllable. I rehearse with the little 10 cube, and it's beyond adequate at living room volumes (hey, I'm old, I actually keep a car in the garage). The 15 is more of everything--power, volume, air movement, weight. Controls on all are simple but still offer variety and education. Look for used. You'll be within budget.
 
#13
Eden Nemesis series is great. I have used them and am constantly suprised by the tone they can pull out relative to others in their price range. The other one you might consider is an Ampeg BA115. You said 75-100 watts, and that meets it; several different eq presets to help get the sound you are looking for, and is a kickback if that is desired.
 
#14
Lee Barker said:
My vote goes to the SWR family of Workingman's combos
Click to expand...
When I got my new combo, I didn't have a chance to play these. I've heard from many people that they like the sound of LA series better. I played an SWR LA12 and fell in love with the tone. But I like to play a little louder than it was capable of cleanly playing, hence the reason I opted for the Rumble 100/210.

I'll be getting a smaller combo sometime in the future that I can move around the house easier and it will be the LA12.
 

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