Hey everyone! I'm a new member and a guitar player making the transition to bass guitar. I have question regarding bass amps that I havent been able to find an answer for, so I figured I'd ask. Anyway I'm looking to play with an assortment of effects pedals and was wondering what kind of amp would be ideal for pedal use, without being muddy? I'm looking at the Carvin BX500-210 Compact Bass system and wondering will the 210 speaker be enough? And if not what would you recommend for pedal use? My price range is $500-550. Thanks!
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New to bass! question about amp?
- Thread starter Andrew McClelland
- Start date
What kind of music do you play? With drums? Electric guitars or acoustic? Practice or gigs? Coffee shop or clubs? Do you want (need) a headphone jack and aux input for practice? Pedals will work with any amp but the questions that need to be answered first are combo or head/cab, how much power, what type/size speakers you like.
I was looking at a Carvin BX 500 Head with a 210 CAB. Thats what I have my eye on now. Thanks everyone for the replies! I'm really just looking to play small gigs, like coffee shops hookah bars, stuff like that. Nothing big or serious. I'm just looking for an amp that will handle my pedals without sounding muddy.
Actually answer this post.
Speaker size will only tell you the size of the speaker, not about tone.
The BX500 is plenty loud and sounds terrific. 2x10's is good for really small gigs but you can always add a 15 or 2 more 10's.
Well for coffee shops I would recomend a 1-15 cab to give a mellow sound and counteract the excess caffeine jitters. For a hooka bar you need a 2-10 cab with a horn to cut through the smoke.
More seriously, generally speaking a 2-10 cab will have more punch and less mud than 15's. personally I like a 15 (old school) and use some pedals but my effects tend to be pretty subtle.
More seriously, generally speaking a 2-10 cab will have more punch and less mud than 15's. personally I like a 15 (old school) and use some pedals but my effects tend to be pretty subtle.
Thank you guys for the replies! I play very mellow ambient music. Stuff to just relax and chill too. The pedals I use most are loopers, delays and reverbs. I'm not currently playing with anyone else. So I dont have to cut through anything.
Listen, an ashdown ABM 500 is the best amp I've ever played through. It had this really warm (but not muddy) and tubey-sounding quality about it. Ashdown makes some the best amps on the market that don't break the bank. Bassists from bands such as the foo fighters, arctic monkeys, DCFC, etc. all play Ashdowns. Look into their root master amps, they are cheaper, slightly scaled down versions of their flagship ABM models.
I play a Carvin MB 15 combo and it's plenty for most small gigs. Add an ext spkr and it will easily do larger gigs plus you also have PA support if needed. That's 250 watts, so the 500 watt head with 2 10" spkrs would be more than enough. Works fine with effects also, although I have limited exp with them.
Liam, there are some bass players who like to use effects, and you're just going to have to get used to the idea. You don't have to use effects yourself, but as an effects user my own self, you have to accept Andrew and me doing it
Pretty much any amp can be used for effects, Andrew. All a matter of tastes. I greatly prefer Ampeg amps, but you might like them or something else. Picking out an amp for you is like picking out a wife for you in some ways...not exactly the same but neither should be done by committee.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
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To the OP.
Cool. You are going to do bass. Maybe it is a solo/small group looper thang right now in the local Falafel palace, but next month you might be in a larger place with a louder band. Gonna find out whether or not your rig cuts it then? Here are some of my prejudices. Hope they help.
You would be well served with a 350 watt (minimum, 1000 is not too much) head, and a cab with a horn that can be attenuated. You will need a horn if you want clarity from chords played in the upper register. You will also need to attenuate it if it gets harsh with a distortion pedal.
A 210, 112x2, 212, 115, 410, 210x2, 115x2, 610 215, 412, and others all work, but avoid mixing 10s and 15s or other such things.
Think twice about so-called combos. An all-in-one combo will lock you in. If one part dies or is not enough, you are dead in the water or at best a fart machine.
You've set $500ish budget. My advice is two-fold. Raise your budget, and buy used. How high? $350ish for a head and $450ish for a cab. Look for Ampeg, Carvin (heads), Eden, Epifani (cabs), Gallien Krueger, Genz Benz, Hartke (heads), Markbass, Mesa. There are others, but I don't know them as well as those.
Skip the vintage gear thing. I am 64 years old, and have played all of it. Current stuff is (ALMOST) all vastly superior in one way or an other.
Don't believe anyone who says the driver size determines the character of the cabinet. Believe me, there are huge differences between cabinets, and much less difference between heads. Used stuff costs about 35-40% of new stuff.
Avoid 4 ohm cabinets unless they are Epifani UL1 410 4 ohm cabs.
It is hard to have too much power and too fine a cabinet, but if I had to choose one of those, it would the "too fine a cabinet." I am fEARful such things are hard to find.
Or just forget all this and buy a used combo.
Cool. You are going to do bass. Maybe it is a solo/small group looper thang right now in the local Falafel palace, but next month you might be in a larger place with a louder band. Gonna find out whether or not your rig cuts it then? Here are some of my prejudices. Hope they help.
You would be well served with a 350 watt (minimum, 1000 is not too much) head, and a cab with a horn that can be attenuated. You will need a horn if you want clarity from chords played in the upper register. You will also need to attenuate it if it gets harsh with a distortion pedal.
A 210, 112x2, 212, 115, 410, 210x2, 115x2, 610 215, 412, and others all work, but avoid mixing 10s and 15s or other such things.
Think twice about so-called combos. An all-in-one combo will lock you in. If one part dies or is not enough, you are dead in the water or at best a fart machine.
You've set $500ish budget. My advice is two-fold. Raise your budget, and buy used. How high? $350ish for a head and $450ish for a cab. Look for Ampeg, Carvin (heads), Eden, Epifani (cabs), Gallien Krueger, Genz Benz, Hartke (heads), Markbass, Mesa. There are others, but I don't know them as well as those.
Skip the vintage gear thing. I am 64 years old, and have played all of it. Current stuff is (ALMOST) all vastly superior in one way or an other.
Don't believe anyone who says the driver size determines the character of the cabinet. Believe me, there are huge differences between cabinets, and much less difference between heads. Used stuff costs about 35-40% of new stuff.
Avoid 4 ohm cabinets unless they are Epifani UL1 410 4 ohm cabs.
It is hard to have too much power and too fine a cabinet, but if I had to choose one of those, it would the "too fine a cabinet." I am fEARful such things are hard to find.
Or just forget all this and buy a used combo.
This was my first gigworthy setup and it sounded good and was pretty damn loud.
Hartke LH500 head
Ampeg SVT-15e cabinet
Both can be found used commonly:
Invalid Link Removed
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You can always add another svt 15 to stack with if you need more volume.
I'm sure someone else will chime in with their own suggestions
Hartke LH500 head
Ampeg SVT-15e cabinet
Both can be found used commonly:
Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed
You can always add another svt 15 to stack with if you need more volume.
I'm sure someone else will chime in with their own suggestions
[QUOTE="JimmyM, post: 16447718, member: 55676" ] Picking out an amp for you is like picking out a wife for you in some ways...not exactly the same but neither should be done by committee.[/QUOTE]
My market for used gear dried up very suddenly just now.
My market for used gear dried up very suddenly just now.
Hopefully your market for wives doesn't suffer a similar fate.
