Do I need to get a practice amp for practicing? I found a Peavey MAX 112 Bass Combo and I havent played any gigs but im told its only for gigs and stuff.Thing is I dont plan on getting any new amps for a while. Basically what im asking is would it be smart to buy this as a practice amp for now and use it later on for gigs
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Practice Amps
- Thread starter HalfPlayer
- Start date
I don't believe this will work for any gig. Unless its just you and an unplugged acoustic guitar. But, as a practice amp, this will work great. For another $200 you can get a Gallien Krueger MB115 combo and have 200 watts instead of 40 in a lightweight, 1-15 package that you can practice and do small gigs with.
+1 the Max 12 IS a small practice combo. If you need to carry the room with a full band, you're way under-gunned.
To answer the first part of the question, yes you need a practice amp (or any amp) for practicing. Without an amp you really won't know how your playing will sound amplified.
while i do agree that you dont know how it will sound amplified, i must disagree with what you said about NEEDING an amp.
for the first two years of my playing, i didnt have an amp to practice with. i lived in a cramped apartment building with walls as thin as rice paper. you can still keep your fingers moving without an amp. you wont know how your tone is, but youll still be warmed up and ready to play.
oh yeah, and i hate to throw out celebrity names to prove a point. but i think i remember an interview where jason newsted said that he didnt have an amp growing up and thats why he plucks so hard.
A different opinion might be that always practicing with an amp never allows you to learn to get a good natural tone from the instrument.
Many players I know practiced without amps when they were learning, myself included. We only used the amp for rehearsals and gigs.
If you practice without an amp of some kind, even if it is a trainer/headphone amp you can't learn how hand position and attack affects the sound produced.
Alright, try this: pluck at the neck then at the pickup and bridge without a amp of some kind and then with. Unless you are playing an upright (if so I missed this) you will find a big difference in tone.
I hear a big difference both ways. Maybe you need your hearing checked?
Yes, I understand the pickup position will also affect the sound. But getting a good, natural, acoustic sound from an electric is , IMO, also important. "Tone is in the hands", remember? You can start with a good natural sound, or you can end up trying to 'fix' it with EQ. It's your choice.
What attack? I asked a question. Hearing damage is pretty common among players.
Relax a little, B-string. Don't get your feelings hurt, so easily.
We have a difference of opinion here and that is fine. To say "wrong, completely wrong" would be a surprise to the many I have taught over in years. Not one of them experienced hung drivers in amplified rigs from not learning attack control or came back to say how surprised playing position changed the sound.
YMMV.
Thanks for cleaning up your post. I agree not relying on the amp to do your dirty work is an excellent tool, but just equally important.
I've never once even heard of a 'hung' driver from too hard an attack; only from too much power. Geddy Lee comes to mind, as do many slappers, for literally hitting the bass.. I've never experienced a hung driver in as long as I've been playing, and for many years I didn't even know what a compressor was. I'm just saying.
The fellows I know, who practice without any amplification, consistently get great tones and have a great understanding of how to 'work' the instrument. An understanding of dynamics and tonality doesn't only come from an amplified instrument.
I never practice with an amp. Although I always have one for playing out and rehearsing. The best practice is amp less.
