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Need Direction

Frankthetank79

Frankthetank79

Oct 3, 2018
11
9
Regina SK
#1
Hey guys new hear to TalkBass. I been playing guitar for 20 years and decided I need to try a different instrument bass was something I always wanted to pick up. I realize this question has been asked a zillion times so hear it is one more time.

I recently bought myself a new bass and I need to buy an amp. I have been renting a Traynor 112 for two months. It’s a decent amp dosent blow me away but I don’t hate it. I have spent time researching what my favourite artist use and it’s all over the place the majority are using big heads and cabinets which I don’t need. So I guess if you guys can point me in a direction it would be much appreciated.

Bass- ESP 5 string neck through EMG pickups
Use- Practice and perhaps when I get better rehearsal with friends.
Tone- Modern sounding, I listen to extreme metal (Cattle Decapitation, Cannibal Corpse etc.) but saying that my playing level is not there yet (hopefully one day it will be). I have been noodling with some Metallica,Pantera,Slayer,GNR classic rock as I learn.
Amp features- Aux in, headphone jack, effects in and out.
Type-Combo or head and cab I’m open.

Chances are I will be putting a distortion/fuzz pedal along with some type of compression pedal. So does a guy shoot for a real clean sounding amp and switch in the distortion pedal for the times I want to sound dirty or to achieve a more modern tone do you use a more versatile amp able to achieve a dirty tone and cleans.

In the guitar world it seems a lot easier to achieve a great tone. Just plug into a Dual Rec, 5150, 6505 any modern amp and the tone is there. I am finding bass is more complicated or I am just over complicating things perhaps.

Sorry for the long exhausting post.
 
#2
Welcome to here. :smug:

I think you’ll find a lot of things that are different in the bass world from guitar, but that’s the fun of learning something new.

You are wise in steering away from the amps that people you like play just because you like them.
That works for deodorant, razors and beer. Not so much for golf balls and bass amps. There is nothing wrong however, in playing the same type of bass as one of your favs.

Guitars amps -are- easy. You’ve got that figured out.
For bass, you need to find what works for you. It may not be as much a brand name as a configuration.
Tubes? Solid State? Combo, or head and cab. How many speakers? What configuration? 10s, 12s 15s?

For bass your probably going to need more power and a larger compliment of speakers to keep up with the guitars and drummer in metal bands. Even just for jamming or rehearsal. It takes more oomph to hear lower frequencies.
It also means lugging bigger and heavier, though great strides have been made in that area. You mentioned pedals? That’s a whole other universe to explore.

There are so many good amps out there these days that it’s hard to say which is best for metal. (Note that I was able to work in a long running TB gad there.) You’ll catch on soon if haven’t yet.
But you really can’t go terribly wrong these days with most of the offerings.
I recommend you start looking at all of the on-line vendors, both new and used, just to get familiar with what’s out there. That includes TB classifies. Perhaps just for your own practice a small practice amp would do you well so you can get playing, then take some time to really see what’s out there. By the time you’re ready to start hanging with some others, which with your guitar background shouldn’t be too long, you might find something you really like for stuff other than home practice.

Not much help in the way of specifics, plenty of others will be filling the pages with that before long.
Just more of a wanted to say glad you’re here, and check in often with any questions or comments.

BTW... you need to post a picture of your bass. We like showing off our gear and seeing what others have.
 
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#3
Frankthetank79 said:
I am finding bass is more complicated
Click to expand...
Remember all them jokes you made about Bass players? You ain't laughing now. :woot:

Welcome to the lowend, others will be along shortly to assist you.


giphy.gif
 
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#4
S-Bigbottom said:
Remember all them jokes you made about Bass players? You ain't laughing now. :woot:

Welcome to the lowend, others will be along shortly to assist you.


View attachment 3170748
Click to expand...
Oh yeah. And we don’t take ourselves too seriously... until we do.
If you can’t find the info you’re looking for, at least you’ll have fun trying.
 
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#6
Old Garage-Bander said:
Welcome to here. :smug:

I think you’ll find a lot of things that are different in the bass world from guitar, but that’s the fun of learning something new.

You are wise in steering away from the amps that people you like play just because you like them.
That works for deodorant, razors and beer. Not so much for golf balls and bass amps. There is nothing wrong however, in playing the same type of bass as one of your favs.

Guitars amps -are- easy. You’ve got that figured out.
For bass, you need to find what works for you. It may not be as much a brand name as a configuration.
Tubes? Solid State? Combo, or head and cab. How many speakers? What configuration? 10s, 12s 15s?

For bass your probably going to need more power and a larger compliment of speakers to keep up with the guitars and drummer in metal bands. Even just for jamming or rehearsal. It takes more oomph to hear lower frequencies.
It also means lugging bigger and heavier, though great strides have been made in that area. You mentioned pedals? That’s a whole other universe to explore.

There are so many good amps out there these days that it’s hard to say which is best for metal. (Note that I was able to work in a long running TB gad there.) You’ll catch on soon if haven’t yet.
But you really can’t go terribly wrong these days with most of the offerings.
I recommend you start looking at all of the on-line vendors, both new and used, just to get familiar with what’s out there. That includes TB classifies. Perhaps just for your own practice a small practice amp would do you well so you can get playing, then take some time to really see what’s out there. By the time you’re ready to start hanging with some others, which with your guitar background shouldn’t be too long, you might find something you really like for stuff other than home practice.

Not much help in the way of specifics, plenty of others will be filling the pages with that before long.
Just more of a wanted to say glad you’re here, and check in often with any questions or comments.

BTW... you need to post a picture of your bass. We like showing off our gear and seeing what others have.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome it’s appreciated. In the guitar world I play tube amps but definitely open to others. I think nowadays the technology is there for solid states and the hybrids to get really good tones out of them. I’m imagining more of a practice amp than a gigging amp for sure perhaps a combo amp fits that bill better than a head and cab.

Speakers I’m not sure about. The 12” I am playing through now sounds pretty good to my ears but from what I have heard most guys are using 10’s with perhaps a 15” ext cab for the punchy with some lows for heavier music not sure how much truth there is to this. So maybe a 12” is the sweet spot right in the middle.

Pedals is down the road after I figure out the amp but all the guys I listen to play Darkglass stuff for the most part.



Stumbo said:
What's your max budget?
Click to expand...

Max budget $1500 I am thinking. I am notorious for spending money on gear on a whim. Sometimes it works out sometimes it dosent Hahaha.
 
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#7
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#8
Frankthetank79 said:
In the guitar world it seems a lot easier to achieve a great tone. Just plug into a Dual Rec, 5150, 6505 any modern amp and the tone is there. I am finding bass is more complicated or I am just over complicating things perhaps.
Click to expand...

It is that easy. Ampeg P50T/V4B/SVT, Gallien Kruger RB/MB, Traynor YBA.

For what you're doing, the P50T and a PF112 would probably do great. Rex played Ampeg. if/when you're ready to bulk up on volume add a second matching 112 or get wild and get an 810.
 
Last edited:
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#10
For $1500 you can actually get some seriously good gear that you can add another cab to later when/if you need it.
$600 will get you a Quilter BB800 & there's several good cabs in the $900 range: personally I would go with an Audiokinesis Hathor 1533, if you want a sealed cab vibe Bergantino NV115, other great cabs there's the Genzler BA12-3, & Barefaced has some good cabs in that price range, then there'll be a lot of used options.
 
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#11
John D Harris said:
For $1500 you can actually get some seriously good gear that you can add another cab to later when/if you need it.
$600 will get you a Quilter BB800 & there's several good cabs in the $900 range: personally I would go with an Audiokinesis Hathor 1533, if you want a sealed cab vibe Bergantino NV115, other great cabs there's the Genzler BA12-3, & Barefaced has some good cabs in that price range, then there'll be a lot of used options.
Click to expand...

Sweet never heard of Quilter or Audiokinesis will check it out
 
#12
I like a modular set up:and amp powerful enough to drive multiple cabs when needed(not always needed). One good thing about this in your situation is you can start off with a single cab enabling you to spend more on the head. When it’s time to get get another cab you’re good to go, or if you want that 8x10 your also good to go.
 
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#13
lowphatbass said:
I like a modular set up:and amp powerful enough to drive multiple cabs when needed(not always needed). One good thing about this in your situation is you can start off with a single cab enabling you to spend more on the head. When it’s time to get get another cab you’re good to go, or if you want that 8x10 your also good to go.
Click to expand...

Yeah that’s definitely a plus which I could see myself eventually getting to wanting to add another cab. Cheers
 
#14
Frankthetank79 said:
Sweet never heard of Quilter or Audiokinesis will check it out
Click to expand...
Also look at the GK MB-800 and the Mesa D800+ for heads. Both get a lot of love here, and both are from good companies with great reputations. That will chew up about half your budget.

For cabs, check out the Mesa subway series, Bergantino, Schroeder, Aguilar too. Lots of good options (even used). Recommend a full-range 1x12, or at least a 2x10. (This part really depends on your use case.)

You'll get lots of opinions on all this gear, some of it conflicting. Don't be shy about asking more questions as you do your research. We love to give our opinions, even when they're not wanted. ;)
 
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#18
Frankthetank79 said:
...I am notorious for spending money on gear on a whim...
Click to expand...
You're going to get along here just fine. :laugh:

You'll find out pretty soon the answers are one or more of: P bass with flats, tort, SVT with an 8x10 fridge, fire the drummer, and carrots.

I always say that people have an ideal sound in their head that they want to get out of their equipment. But maybe, when they're starting out they don't quite know how to get it. So they buy some gear that sounds OK to them, and they play it, and over time they might then change their strings, bass, pedals, head, speakers or any combination of these, to try to get closer and closer to the sound they're chasing.

You've got plenty of choice in Regina. Long and McQuade have Ampeg, Bergantino, Bugera, Fender, Gallien-Krueger, Markbass, Mesa Boogie, Orange, TC Electronic, Traynor... B Sharp has Peavy and Trace Elliot. St John's have Eden, Fender, Peavey, Warwick. With your budget you could afford a pretty nice combo that will probably be fine for practising on your own or jamming with friends, but you could also get a decent separate amp and cab that would be good for gigging as well. My best advice for you is: take your own bass into town and try out as many different brands and configurations as you can, and see what gets you closest to that sound in your head.

Good luck!
 
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