Most RELIABLE Bass Head ???

[Brad T. Bass]

I’D LIKE TO START (or renew) A DISCUSSION (probably already on this site elsewhere) about the BEST Gigging Bass Amp, in terms of just RELIABILITY. Even the Greatest sounding amp is Worthless if it’s “ Blownin’ Chunks “. I’m not so much looking to trash talk amps with issues (unless it’s to refute a blatantly wrong perception), but more to praise / endorse ones that have stood tall.

I just read this thread:

Hartke LH1000 blowing power fuses | TalkBass.com

Was thinking of trying one of these (Hartke LH1000), but now I’m second guessing after a reading a few of the related threads (NOT trying to “diss” Hartke here, cuz I DON’T know, it’s just what sparked my curiosity).

I have my preferences for RELIABILITY (as noted in my previous posts) which are my Old School Acoustic 370 & Musicman HD-130 (I love to use ‘em & I don’t abuse ‘em). ALWAYS, a Properly Matched load goes a long way towards Reliability. Both have been ROCK solid, but getting tired (going on 40 years and haven’t smoked). Why, you ask, if they are so rock solid, would I be looking at something else? Just getting the hankering to try out a new toy and getting too old to want to experiment., lol.

Let’s hear your preferences & recommendations.

 

[Linnin]

Fender Rumble. Take your pick.

 

[CL400Peavey]

Any of the Peavey Mark Series.

 

[BassmanPaul]

It doesn't matter who makes what - whatever it is is built to "tolerances." Sometimes those tolerances combine harmoniously and something outstanding is born. Most times they just combine and work. Other times they can combine and create a unit that is just poor with reliability issues.

Another issue is "Infant Mortality" where a part, or parts, that should work fine inexplicably fail. Usually during the first few power ups.

It really is luck of the draw.

 

[The Regulator]

GK 800 RB
SWR 750

 

[beans-on-toast]

Some amps stand up better than others. It comes down to more than just a make and model.

There is the engineering that goes into it, how it is serviced, and how it is cared for:

Some amps cost more because they are designed and built better, are tolerant of faults, and are easy to service. These amps are often more road worthy.

A good tech can often make an amp more road worthy by gooping wires and components inside the chassis, hard soldering some connections, and adding vibration/isolation mounts. It depends on the design.

An owner can use common sense to extend the service life of an amp by protecting the amp from thermal shocks due to the weather and not letting the amp bounce around when transporting it.

 

[B-string]

I worked part time for many, many years in a repair shop in So Cal. The brands we saw the least and with only minor troubles were Peavey, G-K. Mesa and Hartke. Most reliable I can't really say as no way to know how many units were out there of each brand.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Any of the Peavey Mark Series.

I have never cared for the tone I got from Peaveys but I would probably put them as the most durable brand... I have seen Peaveys of all shapes and sizes take serious abuse and keep kicking.

As far as Hartke having products that are prone to failure, that just is not true. Hartke is definitely reliable. Mind you, the list of manufacturers I would call unreliable is quite short.

 

[Quadzilla]

My AMP BH-420 (grandfather to the Thunderfunk) has been stone reliable. It's all original from the 1980's. I've owned several and they are extremely reliable (but not always easy to find).

Older Eden gear (made in Montrose, MN) seems to be pretty reliable overall.

 

[dincz]

It's a crowded field and difficult to single out the winners. You might have more luck eliminating the losers.

 

[Eminor3rd]

From what I understand, a GK 800RB has a storied history of reliability.

 

[Joedog]

I had a Yorkville 400B for about 12 years that was flawless...hundreds of gigs (often w/o a backup) and never a hint of a problem.

 

[bebass]

I have used Traynor/Yorkville Sound products for many years and have gone through quite a lot of them. Only one failure to report (in 10 plus years) on a LS800P powered sub - the amp went out right after I got it; they overnighted me a replacement amp. I would have to say that this company offers very reliable products. Engineering can make a huge difference but I think tightly controlled manufacturing in-house like Yorkville Sound/Traynor does can also make a huge difference in reliability. I consider their products to be at the top of reliability.

Some companies farm their products out to be made in another country. I would say these can be reliable but also there can be problems due to the manufacturing process not being tightly controlled and not in-house as well as the education/skill/maturity level of the manufacturing force. In other words, products made by a untrained and less mature labor force may not be as reliable as products made by a trained more mature work force.

I also had really good results with the USA manufactured Peavey products. I did at one time work as an amp repair person and mostly with Peavey products. The company I worked for was the largest retailer in the state and sold a ton of product. I stayed busy but the sheer volume of product sold versus that to be repaired was an encouraging sign of great reliability.
Personally, I would love to see Peavey take a lesson from GK and return their manufacturing to in-house. I think if they did they could return to the level of greatness they once had in the marketplace. A not-so-small part of my desire to see this has nothing to do with reliability and everything to do with putting those people in Meridian back to work. At one time Peavey had a huge workforce of highly skilled people. I grew up an hour from their facility and visited the factory many times.

 

[CrUiSeR]

I wouldn't say all Peaveys are reliable. The Mark Iii, TB Raxx and lil combo inside a T15 case I owned were reliable. While the TMax, which I also owned, could rip your head off, it had plastic
potentiometers, that were not so "reliable"

 

[The Chuck]

I still have my first real "head" a Hartke HA2500 that is more than 20 years old and it still works just fine.

 

[edencab]

Traynor/Yorkville .....tank-like

 

[Jazz Ad]

Yorkville as said, Trace Elliot, GK, Mesa. All well built and gig proof.
Talking about class AB heads, not D which so far seems to favor extreme portability rather than reliability.

 

[spaz21387]

Im going to say hartke. I have an lh500 that was dropped off my 6x10 many times and still runs.

 

[Lesfunk]

GK 800 RB
Trace Elliot from the 90s

 

[Doner Designs]

Someone once said this to me: "a 10% failure rate would be horrifically unacceptable and yet 90% of people will have no problem". Moral of the story - unless you are really hard on your gear it may not need to be your highest priority.