What Is The Best Amp You Ever Owned?

[burgerdj]

Tough call. I've loved and been frustrated by many amps over the years. In the love category are my current Mesa Walkabout and Eden WT390 and my previous love was a Trace AH350SMX. C'mon, who doesn't love some black light on a dark stage!

 

[Jason Hollar]

Sorry no pics … hurts my back just thinking about it though!

Best ever amp rig for me was an Eden Navigator preamp into a Crown K2 amp.

Into an SWR Goliath III 4x10 and / or 2x10 both equipped with Eminence BP 102s.

Ah the glory days!

 

[JMarkD]

 

[Matt O]

Toss up between any of SVTs I've blown up over the years and the Fender Super Bassman I use now.

Edge goes to the Fender. It hasn't blown up and it hasn't tried to kill me, yet. A bit lighter, too.

 

[spufman]

I have and have had a good number of fine amps through the years. My easy overall favorite is the Genz Benz Streamliner 600. Such a solid, pretty piece that always delivers the goods.

 

[iriegnome]

These ones.

 

[VeryTallBassist]

Toss-up between the Bass 400+ and the GK 2001RB. I might have to give it to the GK. Tone was monstrous, was able to run lots of power to multiple cabinets, the distortion channel was ridiculous (even used it to record guitars!), and it was less than half the weight of the 400+.

 

[Killing Floor]

I don't have a pic on my phone but the rig tone I am always chasing and never quite there was centered around Yamaha PB1 and a pair of 2 channel Crest sleds. 2 2-15 center ports and 2 4-12 sealed in 2 neat little 5' tall stacks.
It was rock'n'roll all the way.

Now I have a small Mesa rig with 2 12" I'm really happy with but if there was any realistic way I could get away with 4 15s and 8 12s I would jump.
Rock

 

[faulknersj]

Try the Mesa TT-800. It's modeled after the Bass 400/400+ and you can hear that legacy, though it doesn't OD as aggressively as the 400+. It also has a separate Subway channel for more modern tone. I really like it alot. It's the only hybrid amp I've played that really feels like an all-tube head.

I have been thinking about pulling the trigger on one of those…or an 800+! I did just buy an Aguilar DB 751 though…which cost a pretty penny.

How long have you had the TT 800? How would you describe the 2 preamp sections?

 

[Thumpin6string]

Maybe not the best, but my favorite sounding amp was the Eden WT550.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I haven't owned tons of amps, but my best would be my current Genzler Magellan 800.

 

[spiritbass]

View attachment 5285262

"Vitamin B-15" I love it!

On topic: Ampeg PF-20T for low volume (my living room), Reeves Custom 225 for higher (church). Both are amazing. I have a Mesa Subway D-800+ which is excellent, but I prefer tube tones more and don't have to move the Reeves. If I were still playing out, I'd bring the Mesa with me. Past amps: Kustom 200, Peavey Centurion, Ampeg B-15N, Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0, Thunderfunk 425 and 550, black-face Mesa Walkabout.

 

[bassballs27]

An Ampeg SVT-VR with a Bergantino NV610. Way more than most people need.

 

[lowendrv]

This is my number one . I don't need too much volume . I have other rigs for that .

 

[LowWay]

Bergantino Forté HP, and 4 NXT 112 cabs is my favorite of all time. Sounds huge. Easy carry. Especially if you only need 1-2 cabs.

honorable mention to a Peavey Mark VI and 2 Eden XLT 410s. That Peavey sounded better live than my Eden, Trace, Genz-Benz, EA, PJB, GK, SWR, Fender, etc.

Though my Trace pre through crown pa amps driving 2 Trace 1048s was pretty close.

 

[BaltBass5]

Ashdown ABM 500 EVO II

 

[Ggaa]

The best sounding tube od tone was a Bassman 100 from mid 70s...... I get what I need from my Magellan 800 and Rumble 800 heads(GK MBE cabs). Same from the SVT3 non pro, but don't necessarily want it back. I would have held on to a Rumble 200 head but it didn't have Speakons. Best amp, hard to say.

 

[shoot-r]

My fav from days gone by, the Acoustic 360. After gigging with several manufacturers equipment that was available back then, (Ampeg, Kustom, Sunn), the 360 was the first system where I (and everyone one else present at the gig) could hear every note I played!

(Picture of today's favorite.)

 

[rojo412]

I've loved every GK amp I've ever had (400RB, 800RB, 700RB, 1001RB, BL600, MB210, MB112), but the winner of all of of them would most certainly be the MB500 (technically the MB2-500, but same idea).
It was massively powerful and small enough to fit in the pocket of a gig bag. Despite that, I still mounted it in a rack case:

This, paired with an Aguilar GS212 was the best amp setup I've ever enjoyed.

It was in our practice space and being neglected when COVID came to town and I pretty much decided that it was superfluous to have such a rig that I'd never use again for gigs. And the new practice space became a barn where an entire other amp setup was being employed, as well as was less dangerous to leave in the environment year round. So I sold the head to my good buddy @rogerbmiller and moved the cab locally and thought I'd be happy with life from that point on.

If I had the opportunity to buy another rig like this, I wouldn't hesitate. And I'm doing what I can to rebuild something similar sounding as I move along. But this was the hands-down winner.

The MB210 combo is a close second, as it's essentially the same head guts in a portable package that I've used for many gigs that didn't require the girth this had (and some that did).

 

[cymbop]

1974 SVT.

His nickname is Yahweh.