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Simplest no-frill Bass Amp. Does one exist?
- Thread starter MGR
- Start date
OP here. Thanks to all that have posted.
Yes, I have picked the Hartke LH500, so the search is over. I really enjoyed reading your opinions here, and of course it was a blast researching all the options presented. If you care to read further, I will list in order why I didn't choose any of the others.
1) Terror bass- I had one years ago when I went thru a "tryout bass period" (I am really a drummer turned bassist and have gone thru fits and starts. I always sold my gear when I went back and forth to finance new instrument purchases, so I sold the terror and the Isobaric 210 in 2011). The Terror was awesome no doubt, but it did always seem a little overdriven, and while it sounded great on its own, I found that with a band it didn't cut thru. At least with that cab anyway. So no Terror for me this time, and although I started a thread on the new Ob1's and their amazing tone, I heard a video where the OB1 was being used along with a guitarist using another amp. With that overdriven OB1 tone, it was the same phenomenon as the Terror. Awesome sounding alone, completely muddy in the mix, especially if the guitar is distorted.
2) Kustom-Call me a snob, but I just always thought Kustom stuff looked cheap.
3) Fender rumbles-Not quite simple enough for my needs, and they sounded a little muddy in the store.
4) All the boutique stuff-If I were a rich man.........Actually, even if I was a rich man, I might stay away. I find the boutique stuff is way overpriced for what you're actually getting. I find it weird that the simpler a boutique item is, the more expensive it gets. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Yes, I get it....they are handmade in the US or Europe with high quality parts. And?
So I chode the LH500 for all the reasons I needed an amp for. Tons of clean, punchy tone and power that can be a great foil for pedals. Simple, no frills EQ section, no preamp gain. Oh, and the best part is it doesn't break the bank....or the back!
Yes, I have picked the Hartke LH500, so the search is over. I really enjoyed reading your opinions here, and of course it was a blast researching all the options presented. If you care to read further, I will list in order why I didn't choose any of the others.
1) Terror bass- I had one years ago when I went thru a "tryout bass period" (I am really a drummer turned bassist and have gone thru fits and starts. I always sold my gear when I went back and forth to finance new instrument purchases, so I sold the terror and the Isobaric 210 in 2011). The Terror was awesome no doubt, but it did always seem a little overdriven, and while it sounded great on its own, I found that with a band it didn't cut thru. At least with that cab anyway. So no Terror for me this time, and although I started a thread on the new Ob1's and their amazing tone, I heard a video where the OB1 was being used along with a guitarist using another amp. With that overdriven OB1 tone, it was the same phenomenon as the Terror. Awesome sounding alone, completely muddy in the mix, especially if the guitar is distorted.
2) Kustom-Call me a snob, but I just always thought Kustom stuff looked cheap.
3) Fender rumbles-Not quite simple enough for my needs, and they sounded a little muddy in the store.
4) All the boutique stuff-If I were a rich man.........Actually, even if I was a rich man, I might stay away. I find the boutique stuff is way overpriced for what you're actually getting. I find it weird that the simpler a boutique item is, the more expensive it gets. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Yes, I get it....they are handmade in the US or Europe with high quality parts. And?
So I chode the LH500 for all the reasons I needed an amp for. Tons of clean, punchy tone and power that can be a great foil for pedals. Simple, no frills EQ section, no preamp gain. Oh, and the best part is it doesn't break the bank....or the back!
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Good! I like those amps a lot. They are exactly as you say, simple, clean, tons of head room.
