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Need amp advice

#21
See if you can find the coffeehouse ten thread. It's a cheap but decent premade empty car sub cab retasked with a real bass guitar speaker like a basslite neo.

There are limits to light and loud even with serious money to spend. You're unrealistic in expectations. You should be able to put together the coffee thing and pick up a used GK mb200 with your budget, and it's pretty light. Whether or not it can get loud enough for playing with teenagers is questionable.
 
#22
So I've been looking at what's out there and at the suggestions that you guys have been making. I've been seriously looking at the Carvin MB10. It's 299 plus shipping, 250W, 23lbs, and it's 11.5x12.75.18.5.

Is this a decent combo amp? As a brand new bass player, will this be something that I won't have to toss right away?

I'd love to hear the opinions of those that have had good or bad experiences with this amp.

Thanks,

Les
 
#23
Ljorges said:
So I've been looking at what's out there and at the suggestions that you guys have been making. I've been seriously looking at the Carvin MB10. It's 299 plus shipping, 250W, 23lbs, and it's 11.5x12.75.18.5.

Is this a decent combo amp? As a brand new bass player, will this be something that I won't have to toss right away?

I'd love to hear the opinions of those that have had good or bad experiences with this amp.

Thanks,

Les
Click to expand...

It depends on your volume needs. That wattage spec is meaninless as the speaker will hit its limitations FAR in advance of the amp.

If all you are doing is accoustic stuff it will be fine. If you are playing with a drummer that has any sort of spunk its not going to be. To be perfectly clear, that is not a limitation of the power of the amp, but of the speaker. If you want volume then you need your cab to be capable. IMHO there really isnt a combo out there that is useful for what I want in my sound.

YMMV.
 
#24
CL400Peavey said:
It depends on your volume needs. That wattage spec is meaninless as the speaker will hit its limitations FAR in advance of the amp.

If all you are doing is accoustic stuff it will be fine. If you are playing with a drummer that has any sort of spunk its not going to be. To be perfectly clear, that is not a limitation of the power of the amp, but of the speaker. If you want volume then you need your cab to be capable. IMHO there really isnt a combo out there that is useful for what I want in my sound.

YMMV.
Click to expand...

I think that is where my problem lies. I just started taking bass classes. I'm not a spring chicken, being a hair past 50, so I'm not really sure what my volume needs are. I would love to eventually get together with some like minded individuals to play together but when that will happen, I'm not sure.

Les
 
#25
Ljorges said:
I think that is where my problem lies. I just started taking bass classes. I'm not a spring chicken, being a hair past 50, so I'm not really sure what my volume needs are. I would love to eventually get together with some like minded individuals to play together but when that will happen, I'm not sure.

Les
Click to expand...

This is all kind of like asking, "which girl should I take home from the bar?"

Some guys like red heads, some prefer blondes or brunettes. Some might be able to manage two at a time, others are looking specifically young or old ones. :D

You will have to figure out what will work. TB can help you with comparrisons between gear, but your ears will be the final say.
 
#26
Generally speaking amp acquisition follows three main stages:

1 - be audible
2 - be louder
3 - sound better


At first you get something that fits a budget and allows you to hear the bass. Later on, you find that jamming with a drummer and guitarist requires a little more firepower. Finally, over time you start to develop new and very specific tastes and seek out gear that adds the flavors to your sound that you like.

You can't skip to step three unfortunately. You can buy the most highly-lauded golden-tubed angelic tone machine on the market, but only time will tell if it suits you and your playing style. This is the amp-side version of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). The bass-side version of GAS is more closely related to collecting cars or comic books.
 
#27
CL400Peavey said:
This is all kind of like asking, "which girl should I take home from the bar?"

Some guys like red heads yes, some prefer blondes or brunettes yes. Some might be able to manage two at a time I wish, others are looking specifically young or old ones sure why not. :D

You will have to figure out what will work. TB can help you with comparrisons between gear, but your ears will be the final say.
Click to expand...
I absolutely agree. Just looking for a decent starting point. Like when I began taking acoustic guitar lessons and I wanted to buy my first acoustic. I didn't want to start with the cheapest thing out there because that's what many of my friends did and they regretted it because they quickly wanted a better build and better sound. I spent a little more and got a great Seagull and still love the way it looks and sounds. She is one that I'm gonna keep even if I buy another one.

DigitalMan said:
Generally speaking amp acquisition follows three main stages:

1 - be audible
2 - be louder
3 - sound better


At first you get something that fits a budget and allows you to hear the bass. Later on, you find that jamming with a drummer and guitarist requires a little more firepower. Finally, over time you start to develop new and very specific tastes and seek out gear that adds the flavors to your sound that you like.

You can't skip to step three unfortunately. You can buy the most highly-lauded golden-tubed angelic tone machine on the market, but only time will tell if it suits you and your playing style. This is the amp-side version of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). The bass-side version of GAS is more closely related to collecting cars or comic books.
Click to expand...

So I guess that's what I'm looking for is something that fits my budget of course, and allows me to hear the bass. I was just hoping that I could get an amp that I would be happy with in say, an informal jam session with buds and hold my own, sonically.

BTW: I appreciate all the input that you guys have given so far.

Les
 
#28
Ljorges said:
So I've been looking at what's out there and at the suggestions that you guys have been making. I've been seriously looking at the Carvin MB10. It's 299 plus shipping, 250W, 23lbs, and it's 11.5x12.75.18.5.

Is this a decent combo amp? As a brand new bass player, will this be something that I won't have to toss right away?

I'd love to hear the opinions of those that have had good or bad experiences with this amp.

Thanks,

Les
Click to expand...

I don't have the Carvin amp, but I use an Acoustic B200H into the Carvin MBE210MBE 2x10 extension cabinet. I would be a little concerned about the 1x10 putting out enough volume when you start playing with your friends, especially if there are going to be drums. I would spend the extra $50 to get the Carvin MBE210, the extra speaker area will make a lot of difference.
 
#29
Ljorges said:
I think that is where my problem lies. I just started taking bass classes. I'm not a spring chicken, being a hair past 50, so I'm not really sure what my volume needs are. I would love to eventually get together with some like minded individuals to play together but when that will happen, I'm not sure.

Les
Click to expand...

The Carvin combos are really good value, but I'd steer more towards a 12 rather than a 10. I use a single 10 cab for upright bass in fairly low volume settings but anything louder and more aggressive it tends to get ugly fast. Also the Carvin combos have additional matching cabs available. If it were me, I'd go for the 12. I hear good things all the time about the Gallien Krueger combos also - my brother also plays bass and loves his.

It's going to be hard to do a micro head/speaker cab approach for anything much under 500+, by the time you finish with a head (maybe get one for $2-300), and a decent cab.

I am not a newbie but started back up after many years away with a Carvin combo and it was fine for a while. When I moved on to bigger and better stuff it served as my practice amp, or you can sell it off on TB.

Good luck!
 
#30
Invalid Link Removed
Nice and light (41 lbs). Nice and LOUD (375 watts @8 ohms/600 watts @ 4 ohms)
ST60210T_sm.jpg
 
#31
Oh, you're not a teenager. I suggest you go out to some bars and see what bass players are using to play real gigs. You won't see any 300 dollar flyweight rigs.

If you go to a jazz gig you might see a jazz drummer and a single 10" bass speaker, otherwise no. Blues rock practices are at least that loud but usually much louder.
 
#32
I would o the gk route if I were in your shoes. Assuming you were serious in getting rid of the $300 limit, I would get an mb110 or 112, and an MBP powered extension speaker. That way, your rig would be modular- little combo for class, larger stack for gigs.
 

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