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What was your first ever bass amp?

Gorilla 30W combo. Sucked, but it got me through my early learning phase.

Added a Peavey Mark IV head w/ Peavey 1615 cab (2x8, 1x15). Was solid rig for playing in my high school cover band - Led Zep, REM, Bob Marley, Pink Floyd, Smithereens, Violent Femmes, David Bowie, and more.

And heavy. Good lord, was that rig heavy.

Then a Hartke 410XL replaced the 1615. Then a Hartke 2000 replaced the Mark IV. Then an SWR Super Redhead replaced the Hartke rig... (And eventually an Ampeg B50R replaced the Gorilla as a practice amp. GREAT improvement.) But I digress, and will spare you the rig iterations since!
 
It was a sad POS: an Alamo Fury combo with a 15-inch speaker. It was marginally better than having no amp at all. No warm-and-fuzzies here. When I sold it, I was stunned that there was someone out there who wanted it. It was all I could do not to talk the buyer out of it, as a favor to him. Proof again that there is an ass for every saddle.
 
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A Kalamazoo Bass 50, circa 1967. Actually not a bad amp. The one shown in the photo (back view, showing the flip out controls) is not the actual one I owned.
backflip.jpg
 
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

A Sano accordian amp, sometime in early 1963. This is just a pic that I found, but it looked (as best I can remember) like this. Didn't have it long, ditched it for an Ampeg B-15 :cool:, but it was a cool little amp at the time....
 
I built my very first amp in early 70's. It played for a while then I burned it up playing wide-open all the time. Had a great unintentional distorted sound. After that it was all Peavey for a while. And Kustom tuck n roll. I was an early adopter of separate pre and amp with one of those CS200's then CS400 then CS800.
 
The first I purchased was a Peavey MicroBass, which was strictly for apartment practicing (and wasn't even very good for that) but before the Peavey there was a borrowed Traynor 1x15 cab driven with a borrowed Yamaha P.A. head, which sounded better than I would have expected. The borrowed Traynor/Yamaha rig then got replaced by a homemade rig I got from a family friend - a keyboardist and electrical engineer - which consisted of a 1x15+horn cab about the size of Mount Vesuvius and a SS head which he had built in an aluminum project box about the size and shape of a loaf of bread. That rig didn't look like much, but it sounded terrible! ;)
I have absolutely no recollection of where that rig ended up.

After that began the loooong road of buying/selling that led me to the too much gear I have today.
 
1966/7 Fender Bassman 50 and Sunn 410 cab that I picked up for next to nothing. The cab was a boat anchor that smelled like rat piss and I hate myself for selling that head...but sold them before I turned completely to playing bass. So, technically...GK 1001RB-II and Crate 215 (then GK 410RBH/210RBH for years) and a Peavey Combo 300 (that I got for free from a dope who couldn't fix the $5 caps that went bad). Wish i still that combo also...but life happens...
 
IMG_1873.JPG Megaabass head.jpg
Inspired by this thread: Being heard while scooped | TalkBass.com

Here's mine: (not my actual one, found the pic online)

View attachment 598928

Ah yes. The not legendary Ross RB 15. A 10" speaker straddling 15 watts of pure... watts. I can't remember what the difference between the 'volume' and 'master' knobs was lol. Three rock guitarist roommates and me figuring out bass. The endless Metallica/Hendrix/Nirvana bedroom jams... Tearing up over here...

So what was yours?
Peavey Megabass head and GK MB115 Cabinet......just went back and are using them today after years on the shelf.
 
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Well 2x15s seem to be a popular 'starter'. Myself I felt the domination provided by a 15w Ross best suited my needs.

Destroyed boxes, dumpster cabs, Dinosaurs, Gorillas, Rumbles, Peaveys, POS that deserved to die, more Peaveys, frickin' Ampeg 8x10s... Thanks for the love. Around here we spend a lot of time look forward to the next naughty purchase. I think it's good to look back sometimes.

So far 17 people said Peavey. I just realised that I've owned three Peavey amps. My god, it's an invasion.
 
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First amp I played through / learned on was my brother's Ampeg B15N, first amp I actually owned myself was of course another B15N. ;)
 
GK RB750> hartke 410xl

I jumped right into a full fledged band when I started playing bass and didn't have a need for a "practice amp". The lady I bought my first bass from ( Dean 5- still play it every gig- for 15 yrs now) threw in a 100w York 15" amp. Its alright. But I don't consider it my first amp. ... I didn't even play through it the first year I had it. Lol .

Ill try to dig up a pic of me and my first rig. .....hmmm. ...