Rehearsal space charges $25 an hour has no bass amp.

Hard to have an opinion without more information. What were your expectations? Did you have an agreement with the band or with the rental space owners.

 

Take your bass amp or build your own rehearsal space.

 

Any rehearsal space I have ever used had decent working amps, a PA, and decent drums.

 

Heck we all do it, lol

 

Make a deal where you find and buy a $180 bass amp — like a Peavey 410 and Head — and get 10 free hours of rehearsal. Everybody wins. You move an amp once and get rehearsal time for $18/hr.

 

Totally alien concept to me to rent a rehearsal space. Seems you didn't get what you wanted which should have been agreed to in terms of the rental. Never paid for a space so I have no other opinion.

 

I tagged along once with a friend's group. They did the "budget" room which was vocal only PA and three mics/stands. 100 bucks for 5 hours, first hour free.

I auditioned a couple times in rented spaces that were just empty rooms available for lease. All the gear was the band's.

Now if I were going into a recording facility I'd fully expect something there; but a $100/night jam spot? That's what my friend's group paid in like 1989 for a 12x12 with a pair of 1x10 wedges and a 100 watt PA head.

 

OP doesn't even have a location in their profile, so this could just be normal for them.
Around where I am, the place I really like is $20/hr and has vocal PA, drums (BYO cymbals), amps for bass and guitar. There's other places that are about the same cost that are more central (downtown-ish Seattle) that are $20-25/hr and have no amps, just PA and drums (again BYO cymbals).
Hauling gear is part of the gig. Maybe try having quieter rehearsals so you don't need such a large amp. You'll likely have a lot of other benefits pop out from this as well.

 

I'd fire the drummer

 

Look around for a cheap used cab, like a 115 that you can bring easier.

 

Suggested solution: two amps. I've got a small 200w/35lb GK for the times when I'm too lazy/makes-no-sense-whatsoever to bring a 1000w stack.

 

I prefer to bring my own amp. I have a GK 2x10 cab that weighs 29lbs and an MB-500 head that weighs 4lbs. Most provided practice amps sound like garbage IME so it's preferable to me to bring my own gear.

 

I wouldn't care if they had a bass amp. I'd still bring my Eden WT400 and Epifani UL410. After spending years and going through dozens of amps to find "my tone", I wouldn't use any other amp.

 

Of course it should have an amp.

If someone wants to bring their own amp, fine, but the space should have one. That seems obvious, to me.

 

The rehearsal space rental world is a little hit or miss, but that should reflect in prices (and according explicit warning about the lack of any amp). I don't even expect to be rented an "equipped" rental space that lacks a bass amp, and prices 'round here (Spain) average 10-12€/hour in main (non cheap) cities like Madrid, Barcelona or Bilbao.

 

SOP in southern California, and SF as well, as far as I know. I would also imagine NY, maybe Chicago. In LA proper, because of population density, no basements due to earthquakes, and the fact that every available garage has been converted into at least a studio apartment, it’s big business, plus the fact that there’s a band who is sure that they’re going to make it on every block. Then there is the ‘pro’ market, but that being said, I was in a band that had a three-way lock out share with Stan Ridgeway(Wall Of Voodoo), and singer songwriter Peter Himmelman. Some of the lesser hourly places, you’re better off bringing your own gear, as all that’s provided is Crate level, or beat to hell better brands.

 

Indeed. I do miss being able to rehearse in our house. Setting up in the garage means bothering the neighbors now. But, I'll trade that for not having to drive long ways for rehearsals and gigs!