• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What was your first ever bass amp?

Peavey TNT 130 Black Widow Equipped...bought brand new with a Peavey T-40 bass which was bigger than me! The T-40 was not my first bass incidentally.

peavei%20tnt.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: kikstand454
Well, my first bass amp was this Sunn Beta Bass. The Traynor came later...
PicturesNov06toSept07678.jpg

Bought it new and gigged it during the early 80's with my hair metal band. No nearly loud enough for the job, but I made due.
I still use the cab for practice, I've pulled the head and it's just sitting in the basement. Replaced the OEM speaker with a Gauss 15 and it still pumps today!
Fishheadjoe
 
Roland Jazz 30, 1984. IT SUCKED, for bass. It was better for guitar.

Then I traded some 14 hole Dr. Martens and a BB gun for an SVT and 810. I did not get the better end of that bargain. The SVT needed lots of work (it was LOUD) but had bad grounds, not all the tubes worked, and it shocked everyone in the band. The 810 cab had the bottom worn away from being dragged. It was "ported" due to huge holes. It sounded pretty good, in a way. I couldn't afford to get it fixed. I traded the SVT for a Peavy TKO 120, which did well for small shows and practice, then bought a Peavy Mark IV with an 18, which sort of sucked but I could be heard. Then I started getting paid so I bought an 800RB, a Mesa Diesel 15 and a Hartke 410. Then a Mesa 400+. That is it for early amps. I had what I needed for live and studio with the Mesa and the GK. Now its Orange/Ampeg/Thunderfunk.
 
holy crap - you just jarred my memory. I too had a black Cort headless bass - and forgot it came with THAT exact amp! fortunately I had a peavey amp, but I think the junky little one picked up a station out of Ohio (I was in IL). :thumbsup:

I can't believe I found a picture of one of these on the interwebs. This was a Sears catalog special that came with my Cort Steinberger headless bass in ~1985. In looking back on it, I pulled it out a couple times on a lark and played it (at practice) with my band in college, and it had the most wonderful distortion (read, floppy speaker) when turned all the way up. The most beautiful thing about this amp was, late at night, when I'd be practicing in my bedroom, it would pick up a radio station out of Colorado (I'm in Minnesota) through the electrical plug.

View attachment 599129
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jamvan
My best friend, who had taught me to play bass, gave me an amp when he knew I was going to stick with it. It was an old Road 220 paired with a Road 1x18 cabinet. It worked great for a while, but man that thing was a monster to load! Then one day a bunch of us were jamming in the basement and the Road made a popping noise and powered down. The dreaded "I just died and there's nothing you can do about it" death sound pop. I went and had it looked at and was told that transformer fried therefore killing my amp.:rollno::crying: So I sold the cabinet not knowing how soon I would get another amp or when. It was great until it died, it beat the Fender M80 guitar head I played through after that.
 
My very first amp was a Hohner 15" speaker bass combo amp. I never took a picture of it and I can't find one online. But I know it had a red Hohner logo attached to it. It was a workhorse! NEVER had any issues with it and it was donated to me by someone who used it up north for years!! It never died on me.