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The worst amp I've ever owned
- Thread starter JKT
- Start date
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
+1
Had one. Total crap, as was the WM-12, but then I tend to hate combos.
Also had a Vox Essex. Junk. Dare I say I hated every B-12, B-15, and B-18 I ever played through?
OK, Jimmy and everybody--peace! I know all y'all love them. I just was always stunned by how little actual sound they made. Tone? Yes. Sound--No. Hate 'em to this day. Only thing almost as bad was an Epiphone Constellation.
I also hated my Marshall Major 200 watt 8x12. Not the head, the cabs were not useable for bass. Glad I ditched them for an Acoustic 301. That was a cab!
Now the list of stuff I love is much longer.
Dfinitely my 70 bassman. Bought it new---everyone woukd laugh amp was 3X bigger then anyone elses and you could hardly hear it--great guitar amp, but left a lot to be desired for bass
Yes, I still remember a Montgomery Wards catalog from the 60s where they explained that their power ratings were superior to their competitors' because it showed much larger numbers. 
They actually had the gall to list the amp's average, IHF, peak, and their fabricated MAP (max avail power) ratings for a sample unit. The MAP was something ridiculous like 1000 watts, down through the average (RMS-so called). "See, if we rated this RMS you'd only be getting 10 watts!" Unbelievable.
They actually had the gall to list the amp's average, IHF, peak, and their fabricated MAP (max avail power) ratings for a sample unit. The MAP was something ridiculous like 1000 watts, down through the average (RMS-so called). "See, if we rated this RMS you'd only be getting 10 watts!" Unbelievable.
Fender solid state Bassman, just okay sound, would get loud but you could actually time the trips to a tech bench!
I joke a bit about the Pro-Bass, it was neither pro nor a bass amp, partial open back and all. Actually , it wasn't such a bad amp, it worked well for the time as a keyboard amp and later in its life with a couple of cap changes and a speaker change a not bad guitar amp.
The Showman was so weak and ill, that no one could fix it.
Best of Luck,
Wesley R.
The Showman was so weak and ill, that no one could fix it.
Best of Luck,
Wesley R.
Ah,yes! The Gretsch Pro Bass. Two twelve's if I recall(I could be mistaken).
Gretsch amps were made by Valco who also owned/made the National & Supro amps.The Gretsch amps were made a little better than the Supro's. A lot of them had the same cool Gretsch chrome knobs as the guitars. The Pro bass was actually FAR from the worst 60's bass amp though it was a better guitar amp.
Oh, the memories! Once again a Beheringer head/cabinet was far superior to an easy nine out of ten 60's bass amps. And those amps back then cost a lot more. I think that Gretsch Pro Bass was about $325-350 new in 1966!
Gretsch amps were made by Valco who also owned/made the National & Supro amps.The Gretsch amps were made a little better than the Supro's. A lot of them had the same cool Gretsch chrome knobs as the guitars. The Pro bass was actually FAR from the worst 60's bass amp though it was a better guitar amp.
Oh, the memories! Once again a Beheringer head/cabinet was far superior to an easy nine out of ten 60's bass amps. And those amps back then cost a lot more. I think that Gretsch Pro Bass was about $325-350 new in 1966!
Oh man, I faintly remember those SG monstrosities. Looked very space-age but sounded like complete CRAP!
My least favorite bass amp I ever played through, a Peavey, built like a tank, loud, sounded boxy as hell though. Can't say I miss it or that I'll EVER EVER use Peavey gear ever again:
Im pretty sure my old practice place had some of those SG's or something simmilar they had some crappy Russian guitar amps as well from what i remember, i used one with no badge of the grill sounded like dog crap tho 1 of the speakers was blown doubt that was the cause of it.
Quote "late 80's Fender BXR 300 (?) never could get a tone I liked from this amp"
Ahhh yes, I agree it was the worst amp I have ever owned and used.
I love Peavey and has done me well for many years of my life...
But...that Combo 300 , I could not get a sound good.
Finally on a tour down south I had to use one....and was happier putting my Sansamp BDDI in front...did magic to the sound.
Sure love my Sansamp! A superhero! Rescued me on more than one occasion. much respect!
Ahhh yes, I agree it was the worst amp I have ever owned and used.
I love Peavey and has done me well for many years of my life...
But...that Combo 300 , I could not get a sound good.
Finally on a tour down south I had to use one....and was happier putting my Sansamp BDDI in front...did magic to the sound.
Sure love my Sansamp! A superhero! Rescued me on more than one occasion. much respect!
- Nov 29, 2007
- 3,641
- 13
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist GENZ BENZ/HERCULES STANDS/XSonics
The worst? OK for me that would be the GK 1200CEB. It WAS a 300 watt 15 combo. Digital chorus and a compact end all... it endd me using GK (I never should have gotten rid of my 400RB). I went through 6 of them in 4 months. GK was blue labeling them to me almost weekly. 2 of them came blown from the factory This was 15 years ago and the store (Dundalk Music) STILL busts my b*lls about that amp.
Every word is correct!!!
I remember having one of these in my friend's studio. My farts were heard better than this amp in a rehearsal, not to mention concerts. We've bought an extension cabinet hoping that this amp will sound better......well, dreaming pays off sometimes, not in this case!
After a year and a half the darn thing went off in the middle of a rehearsal, and not just the amp, THE WHOLE THING!!!! There was a smoke coming out of the speaker's cone. We've replaced the speaker, found someone to fix it (it wasn't easy and took us a year or so) and got rid of it as fast as we could.
Oh man, I faintly remember those SG monstrosities. Looked very space-age but sounded like complete CRAP!
My least favorite bass amp I ever played through, a Peavey, built like a tank, loud, sounded boxy as hell though. Can't say I miss it or that I'll EVER EVER use Peavey gear ever again:
I think i used one of these peavy combos at a venue last month because i didnt have an amp at the time, is it the one with the 2 knobs on the left which you can push in for extra punch or something??
I've got to agree. I actually still have a TKO 115 with the Sheffield speaker lying around somewhere. It's an okay sounding amp if you're after the sound of a 115, but it doesn't get all that loud. Heavy as all **** though. I used to move it around with a handcart.
My worst amp was my silverface Fender Bassman 100 that came with a huge Fender 4 x 12" quadbox that had the speakers all angled in towards each other. Impossible to lug without assistance (or a trolley), anything above the lowest of volume levels would produce ever increasing levels of distortion. The sound was so dreadful that I even went to the expense of completely retubing the head in the hopes that the tone would improve. It didn't.
It was my first "real" amp - I bought it a good twenty years ago when I was 19 and living under the mythology that anything with the big F on it meant quality. That sure showed me.
It was my first "real" amp - I bought it a good twenty years ago when I was 19 and living under the mythology that anything with the big F on it meant quality. That sure showed me.
ace tone bass 6 w/2-12 cab .....could not keep up with even un amped drums.......prolly best that i could never hear myself as it was not a great sound above bedroom volumes
Worst Amp? Peavey TNT-115 hands down. It was my first amp, and wasn't bad when I was playing in my bedroom. Then I started gigging...the thing was heavier than any combo I've ever come across. And the sound was awful. I replaced the speaker in hopes that it would improve the tone. It didn't do much. The handle sucked and eventually broke, but it had casters. Also the covering was really rough and jagged, so it tore your skin up.
The final straw came when my band played a Relay For Life at a local college. They wouldn't let us park anywhere near the track for some reason. I ended up dragging this cab across a parking lot, 2 Soccer fields, and the track to get to where we were supposed to play. Needless to say I was done with that amp. I bought my first cab and head setup and haven't looked back.
The final straw came when my band played a Relay For Life at a local college. They wouldn't let us park anywhere near the track for some reason. I ended up dragging this cab across a parking lot, 2 Soccer fields, and the track to get to where we were supposed to play. Needless to say I was done with that amp. I bought my first cab and head setup and haven't looked back.
