After coming to the realization that 90% of my music is played by myself, 10% is jamming with others and 0% is at gigs, I feel that I really don't need to have a giant Mesa tube head. It's pretty cumbersome to haul around for quiet basement practices, and I'm having a hard time getting a good jazz sound from it that I like. It's really a great rock amp, but that's not exactly my cup of tea. I love listening to metal and heavy stuff, I just don't like playing it. Finally, I almost never use it at home, instead opting for my vintage Epiphone solid-state combo. So essentially the Bass 400 sits around collecting dust until the semi-rare occasion I jam with people.
Therefore, I think it's time to put it in a better home where it'll get played and gigged constantly, like it should be.
Where that leaves me...... I really have no idea! I'm basically torn between GK, Trace, and Eden. I need a "relatively" portable solid-state amp that's super-toneful and pure-sounding, so I can get the best sound possible from my Warwicks and vintage Stingray. My styles are mainly jazz, reggae, some fusion/avant-garde, and some singer-songwriter stuff. Volume-wise, I need something that can handle all *practical* situations and sound good at any volume level.
I'm not at all seeking to emulate the tube tone; I just want an amp that's pure-sounding and faithful to my basses' natural tone. However, I don't want a sterile amp, nor do I want one with gobs of "character" that overshadows my basses' sounds.
To be honest, the single greatest head I've ever owned (and the head I was truly happy with) was my late-80's 800RB. I've owned most of the Ampeg Pro-series, and SVT-CL, and two Mesa all-tube amps, and the little $200 GK amp satisfied the most. I'm keeping that as my main option for now, but I'd like to get some opinions on other models and advice from others in my situation.
Thanks!
Therefore, I think it's time to put it in a better home where it'll get played and gigged constantly, like it should be.
Where that leaves me...... I really have no idea! I'm basically torn between GK, Trace, and Eden. I need a "relatively" portable solid-state amp that's super-toneful and pure-sounding, so I can get the best sound possible from my Warwicks and vintage Stingray. My styles are mainly jazz, reggae, some fusion/avant-garde, and some singer-songwriter stuff. Volume-wise, I need something that can handle all *practical* situations and sound good at any volume level.
I'm not at all seeking to emulate the tube tone; I just want an amp that's pure-sounding and faithful to my basses' natural tone. However, I don't want a sterile amp, nor do I want one with gobs of "character" that overshadows my basses' sounds.
To be honest, the single greatest head I've ever owned (and the head I was truly happy with) was my late-80's 800RB. I've owned most of the Ampeg Pro-series, and SVT-CL, and two Mesa all-tube amps, and the little $200 GK amp satisfied the most. I'm keeping that as my main option for now, but I'd like to get some opinions on other models and advice from others in my situation.
Thanks!
