Ok, BIG AMP lovers, which one would you choose...

[N. Kentucky Bass]

R.A.D. Engineering ICE-1000 based amp. About 8 pounds. Sounds tubular-fantastic with a Noble tube preamp/DI. I love the all tube amps too but am done moving them around. No reason too with newer solutions like this! 1100 watts @ 4ohm, 525 watts @ 8ohms. (I use the Euphonic Audio Micro 550 amp when I'm feeling lazy.)

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[ghostinthemach]

Peavey VB-2: American made, 225W, 2 channels, adjustable mid freq (200, 400, 600, 800), adjustable impedance (2, 4, or 8), effects loop, DI out, and all just under 60 lbs.

Took the words right outta my mouth the VB-2 was quite a discovery for me.
Love it.
I also have some nicely powered vintage Acoustic gear 270 amp & 406 wide cab.

The why for me is T-O-N-E tone.

I have digital amps, have amp modeling neo speakers pedal boards and controllers and have for years now. The problem was that I would spend way too much time searching and tweaking (tone monger here), until i decided to re-try tried and true analog stuff. Attempting to choose tone over convenience (which is what I already had and wasn't very happy), I first acquired the "retro" Acoustic gear and then a VB-2 fell into my lap at a price I couldn't refuse and now i have my first tube amp in 40 years haha... and "tone heaven" to quote a new friend on TB.
Never been happier than right now.

 

[rickbass1]

Have owned a70's Hiwatt 200 (I wish I still owned), trace Elliot V4, Mark bass 300 (Worst amp ever owned), Ampeg V4b, Fender 300t. What's making my socks go up and down these days is the Super Bassman 300. Can't imagine ever having gas for another amp. Also own a Darkglass 900 as a backup, pretty nice if you're considering digital though mine's not getting a look in over the SB300.

 

[40Hz]

Kind of hard to believe a "big amp" thread without mentioning the Acoustic 360 and 370 with their big 18" folded horn cabs.

You betcha!

Rocked a 360 stack for several years. It was an awesome amp. Also had a their 150 head and a 301 18" folded horn for "small" venues which was equally good.

Those old Acoustics are still the only solid state amps I ever felt really gave tubes a run for their money.

 

[bigcam]

...and why?

I'm not planning on stepping away from my ab fab, 6.3lb Mesa D800+, but a conversation with another bassist that I respect, admire, and trust got me wondering if the consensus really is all tube, all the time or "as long as there's a tube in there somewhere, I'm good"? He really likes my tone, but the fact that it's coming from an amp that weighs less than some basses completely baffles him...

As we were talking about gear, I told him there were just a few of the ginormous heads left, so he asked me which one I thought was THE one? I tried to come up with pros and cons for each and it came out pretty even for all of them, so I said I'd ask you guys.

If you had someone to schlep your gear(or you don't mind doing it yourself), which amp would you choose? Why?

-Ampeg SVT(any of it's variations-CL/VR/??)
-Mesa Strategy 8:88
-Mesa Prodigy 4:88
-Aguilar DB751
-Fender Super Bassman
-Orange ADB-200
-Ashdown CTM-300

I know there's a bunch of boutique amps that I'm missing(Reeves, Electric Amps, Verellen, etc), so if you wanna throw those in there, that's cool. I have no idea if he wants a new amp, all I know is that I gotta cart my own crap, so a big amp isn't high on my list of things to do, but I like having the info...thanks!

 

[spiritbass]

The Reeves Custom 225 has been a complete GAS-ender for me.

 

[bigcam]

I'm old school and love tubes with 12s. Have owned several Fenders, Ampeg, Mesa, etc. but they are heavy. I've got too many years and miles on me now.
I'm down to only two amps.
#1. Mesa 400+ with 412 cab. Believe me this gets r done.
#2. TC Electrictronic RH750 with 212 cab. It took me a while to dial in the tone, but with time and patience it can be done. This has become my main amp due to its light weight.
Also have a Ernie Ball Musicman HD212 Audiophile. Love this cab.

 

[Flipper]

Every time I stray from Mesa I regret it. But an SVT or Orange could happen. Right now I've got a 400+ and a Road Ready 810 (200lbs), a Prodigy backed up by a Subway 800 and two Subway 12s. Pretty much bucket list rigs in any configuration.

 

[spiritbass]

Have owned a70's Hiwatt 200 (I wish I still owned), trace Elliot V4, Mark bass 300 (Worst amp ever owned), Ampeg V4b, Fender 300t. What's making my socks go up and down these days is the Super Bassman 300. Can't imagine ever having gas for another amp. Also own a Darkglass 900 as a backup, pretty nice if you're considering digital though mine's not getting a look in over the SB300.

I learned from one of our resident amp gurus in another thread that the SB 300 was designed by the same guy who engineered the SVT. I think he knows how to design a good amp.

 

[GIZA]

So, I've owned or currently still own quite a number of the bass amps listed.
Here's the list of the heads I've owned or played extensively.

Sunn 300T / Fender Bassman 300
Sunn 2000
Orange AD200
Hiwatt Custom 400
Hiwatt Custom Slave 200
Verellen Meatsmoke
Marshall VBA 400
Ampeg SVT (blue line)
Electric Amp Power Unit
Fender Super Bassman

As I see it, the issues here are three-fold as most of these amps are heavy as hell and sound great. Cost of the amp, the tone you're looking, and volume if that's an issue as it is for me.

Here's my ranking: (granted they are all fine options)

8. The Orange AD200, Sunn 2000, and the Hiwatt Slave 200 have only one issue. It's that they are not loud enough to be your main amp. The Orange is an amazing amp but I need two of them to be loud enough to play with a guitar player playing a full-stack. They sound fantastic but not after about 6 or 7 on the volume knob. The Sunn 2000 is sorta the same problem. It's clean sounding beast and works perfectly as the second amp in a stereo rig, but not quite loud enough for a main amp. The Hiwatt Slave is an amazing amp and is currently one-half of my main rig. It needs to be the 2nd amp as well since you need another preamp to give it tone, but if you're main rig is amazing, then find one of these and give it some more juice.

7. The Hiwatt 400 is so damn good it's insane. the only issue is the cost is astronomical. 4k at least for the head make is hard to afford. Not to mention that they are quite hard to find.

6. The Electric Amp Power Unit is great, but not for everyone. This amp is the most tone dependent amp here. If you play heavier music all of the time it's an amazing amp but not great overall for just regular bass amp for any style of music. It's also very expensive......at over 3k it's not a cheap rig and not the best choice if you play tons of differing styles.

5. The Marshall VBA400 is simply a fantastic head. It's REALLY hard to find. They didn't make many and were stupid expensive when they came out. Finding one is a bitch. They are also a pain in the ass to retube as they have 8 kt88s. They sound great for any style. If not for a few other amps, it'd be one of the top three bass amps ever made.

4. The Ampeg SVT is a renowned and well-loved amp for a reason. They sound great and are easy as hell to find and with the exception of the blue-line models they are very reasonable amps to purchase. Overall the tone is great with a options that work for most any form of music.

3. The Sunn 300T / Bassman 300 is the cheapest amp on this list by quite a bit. At around 800 - 1200 it's a steal. The only issue I had with the head is that it's got too many bells and whistles that aren't really essential. The parametric EQ, and the dip switches are completely unnecessary. The compression is fantastic, but if moves slightly while carrying the heads things can go from sounding great to sounding like poopie in an instant. It's a ton of crap to not mess with in order to make sure your tone isn't getting screwy. The second channel's overdrive is stellar with blend options that make the most of the tone. Just saying.

2. The Fender Super Bassman is basically the Sunn 300t without the annoying bells and whistles. The amp is a bit more expensive new and used, but it's the not a big jump at 1200 - 1600. I'd buy this any day of the week over the Sunn/Fender 300. The amp is also smaller so it' makes it a bit easier to haul around as well.

1. The cream of the crop is the Verellen Meatsmoke. I've owned my Meastsmoke for several years and have compared it with any number of heads and with the exception of the Hiwatt no amp even comes close. The clean channel is somewhere between an SVT and the Hiwatt as far as tone and has massive amounts of volume. The best part of the amp though is the 2nd channel. The gain is spectacular at any setting and kills every other amp for bass in this regard. Even the Electric Amp doesn't touch this amp for heaviness. It's also a very simple amp in it's setup. gain, bass, mid, teb, and master volume and a deep and bright switch like the SVT. The Meatsmoke is really the king of all bass amps in its versatility, tone and gain. Nothing is close.

My current rig is:
1957 P bass, 1967 Jazz Bass, or 75 Travis Bean 2000.
Sunmachine Colossus, Matchless Hotbox, EHX Memory Man
Verellen Meatsmoke into two Fender Pro Bass 215 cabs. Plus, preamp out feeding into Hiwatt Slave 200 and Ampeg 8x10.

 

[JimmyM]

There are a ton of great D-class amp out there with tons of power, sound great and weight 5Lbs. Genzler, TC Electronics, Aguilar, GK etc. Add a sans amp and you have pretty darn close to an SVT with way more power and... your back and pocket book will thank you too. The purists will never agree but trust me you can great great tone from class D amplification.

There's a reason the purists don't agree Close but no cigar.

 

[theBassTender]

I've had several different rigs over the years, SVT, Fender, Eden, Acoustic. All have their strengths and weaknesses. It honestly depends on your playing style, instrument and "that sound" you're going for. For me, I find an all-tube Mesa 8:88 with a powerhouse cab gives me a lot of latitude in tone and plenty of foundation for any need. But, it's all personal preference. I find Mesa to be more reliable, especially in touring situations. I've seen them literally tumble down stairs and perform flawlessly.

 

[Dbassmon]

There's a reason the purists don't agree Close but no cigar.

Not close.... better!

 

[Mastermold]

....If you had someone to schlep your gear(or you don't mind doing it yourself), which amp would you choose? Why?

The tone I get from my two SVTs (Heritage CL and Classic CL) is always what my ears love to hear. Every venue, every time. My preferred cabs are the Heritage 810 and AV212. Yes they are heavy but with their sturdy side handles I have no problems hauling them to/from my truck.

 

[bigcam]

Owned them all. Love the tone and sound of all tube amps. I completely understand the problem. The my body just can't handle the weight. 50 years ago I didn't give it a second thought!
Down to just a Mess 400+ with a 412 cab and a TC Electronic 750 with a 212 cab.

 

[sharkbait130]

My ears want an SVT. My back is starting to argue with my ears but so far , my ears are winning.

 

[JimmyM]

Not close.... better!

Easy with the sacrilege, Skippy

 

[Jeff Scott]

My ears want an SVT. My back is starting to argue with my ears but so far , my ears are winning.

Don't wait too long, or else your back may do more than just argue.

 

[ryco]

Sunn 2000s or a Coliseum 300.
but even a 200s or a Concert is plenty loud!

Like the power and the "transparency" of old Sunns. They don't add color of the rig to the tone. My P sounds liike a P, my Ripper sounds like a muddy Gibson, my clanky-poofy 4001 sounds like a Ric, my old Jackson sounds like a beast.
The bass I don't think sounds good is my old MM Sterling through tubes. Active pups seem a bit too powerful for tubes. Sounds good through the SS Concert.

 

[Rickenmonster]

I do love my SVT CL with one or both SVT 212AV cabs.
I do want a micro tho. Like to try the sansamp 500.