What Is The Best Amp You Ever Owned?

[Ric Vice]

Best for sound - Ampeg B-15, early 25w with double baffle and Jensen speaker. As I have commented, these amps are a bass player's crack - once you've tried one everything else is just chasing it. But 25W is only enough for the studio nowadays.

I have a 1964 B-15N(C) Realistically it can't keep up, but it's got something that newer amplifiers lack. The sound of the switches clicking into position.
the glow of the tube cage and the light from the logo. There's nothing really like it now. Nostalgia is a curiosity

 

[Uncle Ernie]

There seems to be a disproportionate amount of Genz Benz and Genzler gear. I still miss my GBE 1200 that was stolen years ago, but this had helped keep me distracted.

View attachment 5285501

I still use a GBE 600 with 2 NEOX 112s, loud, punchy & versatile. I also love my MESA Walkabout

 

[ryco]

These.
The GK Fusion 800/210 gets most of the gigs nowadays. Original rock/pop. Was looking at the NEO IV 410 cab but my old 410MBE comes in at half the weight. Originally ran with a GK 1001RB/210 combo which I still have. Was looking to lighten the load!
The Sunn Concert 215 gets used if I have to share as backline. Foolproof.
Sometimes bring out the 200S + 215 cab for oldies gigs. Have had this rig since high school '72. ☮

 

[Blues Bass 2]

My favorite old-school amp was my 72 SVT head and Cerwin Vega loaded Peavey folded horns . Despite what many say about the lack of real mids and no highs with the horn , my Ric with Rotosound round wounds cut very well . I could take it to any venue and it would just dominate . No problem keeping even with the guitars .
Second was my Ampeg SVPCL preamp going into a Crown XLS 1500 into a fEarful stack . A lot lighter but way more balanced . The SVP pre is basically the tube front end of an SVT . I had been using Sansamp RBI preamps with Crowns and they are great but the Ampeg was the tone I had been trying to get to . My current amps and cabs are very close to as good but those two rigs really stood out .

 

[J-Bass RMR]

In a previous life; my GK800RB. I just didn't realize it at the time, and let it go after I got my SWR SM900 - which I held on to way too long, but never looked back once it was gone.

But the "modern" amps I have are by far my favorite / best amps I've ever owned.
For a quick pick, I'll say my Tone Hammer for a "vintage" vibe and my runner up / recent favorite for a clean amp: the Bergantino Forte HP. (the Forte D was impressive as well)

Anyone tracking the results?
No surprise - it seems like the (various-eras) SVT (has the single most votes, with the Mesa 400+/400 not too far behind... (Mesa has the most mentions overall - GK has many too.)
Genz Benz still a favorite after being goe for 10(?) years.
Not as many DB750/751s as I would have thought....

I did just buy an Aguilar DB 751

Where did you find it? I was watching 3 of them on Reverb and they all just suddenly disappeared...

 

[Gabu]

What I liked the most, was an old Ampeg SVT400T with its matching 1540he cab. I think if you like it the most, that counts as the best. Now I have an Ampeg B2R and a PR-212H cab, which is cool too. But I usually use my Acoustic B200 combo.

Actually there is a dude selling an Ampeg PB500 head with a PB210 and its matching 115, and they are in immaculate shape. I love that classic look. I haven't heard them yet. But man, I am so tempted... I don't need them... but I am still so tempted.

 

[nonohmic]

Most memorable was the first amp I had, borrowed from a neighbor in high school who eventually took it back when he moved: an Ampeg B-18 fliptop.

Right now it has to be my 2012 15" Genz Benz Contour 500 View attachment 5285283

that Drake!

 

[Danny C]

Should have kept my Thunderfunk. Went through many different amps over the decades. I'm now happy with what I have. Mark bass 210 combo stays home. The giggables are Mesa 800+, Mesa WD800 and JFA Sisma. I'm happy and done.

 

[timmus]

I have a 1964 B-15N(C) Realistically it can't keep up, but it's got something that newer amplifiers lack. The sound of the switches clicking into position.
the glow of the tube cage and the light from the logo. There's nothing really like it now. Nostalgia is a curiosity

View attachment 5286023 View attachment 5286024 View attachment 5286025

One of my dream setups...I've repaired many of them in my past amp repair life but never found one that I could afford...I even considered building one from scratch but I don't do woodwork or metalwork very well.

 

[bottomzone]

My Phil Jones Bass BP-800 is the best amp that I've ever owned!

 

[Marko 1]

Fender Super Bassman on the 610 Pro Neo
View attachment 5285998

 

[voodoobassist]

My old svt with an acoustic cab loaded with 2 15 EV's was pretty incredible back in the day. I am pretty fond of my Bergantino rig these days though.

 

[ryco]

Noticing no one is mentioning Peavey gear.
Remember when everyone was schlepping that stuff around. Including me who ran a Mark III thru a 215 Plush cab w/ 412B Altecs.
To think I put my Sunns in the back room for a couple of decades for this rig. Honestly made my living 80s-90s with Peavey gear. Remember when the Musician head with all of the ridiculous bells and whistles was the predominant head for all my funk bassist buddies. And then a ton of freinds had the TNT 15 combos with the EQ knob settings labeled as "Punch", "Body", etc before they stuck the graphic EQ on 'em. Or guys bi-amping with the 2x8 + 118 cabs.
Around 2000 bought a GK 1001RB/210 combo and it was game over. And then a few years ago brought the Sunns back out and (200s and Concert + 215 JBL) and fell in love all over again - even started using 'em out again. But that Mark III head paid for my house and a couple of pickup trucks, back when one could make a decent living playing week long rock T-40 cover gigs in niteclubs, bars, and hotels. So I'll always be very grateful for that sterile Peavey rig - which had a lot of bells and whistles itself as far as graphic and rotary EQ, passive and active channels that one could blend, and built-in compressor.
But yah - guess it was nobody's "Best" as far as tone. It's not like that company didn't try with all the features offered! lol ☮

 

[Jeff Scott]

Noticing no one is mentioning Peavey gear.

I am pretty sure I saw Peavey mentioned, at least once, if not more, in this thread.

 

[KohanMike]

The four I own are best for me under specific circumstances. I mainly use a Phil Jones Bass Double Four when I play with my uke group of about 25 people in the backyard of one member, and for smaller indoor gigs. When a few of us roam the rooms at UCLA/Mattel Children's Hospital, I use a Blackstar Fly 3 with matching extension. For most larger indoor and outdoor gigs, I use a Carvin MB15, and for big indoor and outdoor gigs, I add a Carvin 115MBE. I also have an old Crate Limo that I just started to use for singers at our open mic sessions in the backyard.

 

[Marko 1]

Noticing no one is mentioning Peavey gear.
Remember when everyone was schlepping that stuff around. Including me who ran a Mark III thru a 215 Plush cab w/ 412B Altecs.

I'm definitely old enough to remember... but was all about cars back then.

But I can mention my Peavey Headliner 1000 as a favorite amp, along with the Line-6 Lowdown HD750 with a few amp models, typically set to "Rock" ('74 Ampeg SVT).

 

[LowActionHero]

Yorkville xs800, I still have it, just don't have the opportunity to let it loose as of late

 

[bobyoung53]

1970's Ampeg SVTs.

 

[pcake]

mesa D-350.

 

[Old Blastard]

that Drake!

It's close to 10 years old and gets gigged just about every gig I get, which as lot back before COVID. He builds them to play out!