Which would you upgrade first? An amp or a bass?

[JazzBassDrooler]

I would say amp...
It's where all the control is...
i had a shoddy guitar and a mediocre amp
but it all sounded way better through the new amp...and it still had that feel i was used to...

either you can have a shoddy sound and a different feel....or a OK sound an a familiar feel

 

[tekhedd]

I said Amp, where by Amp I specifically mean "the speaker and cabinet".

Unless you have a really crappy amplifier stage, tone is usually limited and strongly shaped by the speaker.

 

[Das ßoot]

amp

 

[Jedi Of Syrinx]

It totally depends on who you are and what you do... If you plan on gigging... then you need a high-end amp in order to be heard/have a decent sound. But for woodshedding, or maybe DI recording or something similar, then a little practice amp would do fine, and get whatever the hell axe you like

 

[EskimoBassist]

I voted Bass.

But really I wanted to say EFFECTS PEDALS!!!!!!!

 

[Salty Jon]

I would choose to upgrade the amp first. As I am now, my amp is "okay" and my bass is the Squier VM Fretless (which IMO is a "good" instrument even though it's cheap, etc.) and I'd definitely be upgrading the amp first.

 

[nutso42]

I would rather play a Squier through an Eden or Ampeg rig than a Zon through a Squier or Rogue practice amp.

I should know. I actually *shudder* own a Rogue amp. Fortunately, I didn't pay for it... or ask for it.... or want it. I just wound up getting it. But anyway, no matter what bass you play through it_sounds_like_garbage! But with my beautiful Peavey Renown amp, my old beat up Yamaha sounds amazing.

Without a doubt, if you're upgrading.... AMP!!

 

[buzzbass]

amps are a dime a dozen. a great bass is priceless. get the bass 1st

 

[edpal]

Definately amp first - it's the final connection to the listener's ear. A good amp's equilization can usually be tweaked to make even a shoddy bass sound pretty good. And many reasonably priced basses sound as good as the high end ones. E.g. I walk through my local shop and always have to twang this Modulus that they have there - I always think, " gee my $430 Washburn AND my $127 ebay Vester both have better sustain and sound than this $1300 piece?" And as others have pointed out, many a top tier player uses some old ax of questionable heritage with no problem...through a top notch amp.

 

[Byzcat]

Amp.

I'm just saying that because I have a really great bass and sucky Axtron 30 watter with a speaker that rattles when I turn the low end up the way I like it (you can never have too much low end).

Having said that, I actually once got some really great sound running a G&L SB-2 through a tiny little Gorilla practice amp.

Carrots are good with hummus, and I buy them on a regular basis.

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

Definitely 100% amp. You can upgrade the pickups, get some quality strings and have a luthier do a pro setup and alot of basses will sound great with that kind of work done on them.

The amp is what it is. Buy a good one and you'll be happy. I'll go a step further and say that the cab is even more important than the amp. You cannot change improve the tone of the cab, but you could always run a SABDDI or some sort of similar pedal thru the effects loop of any crappy sounding amp. Essentially, that way you have bypassed the crap and are only relying on the crappy amp's poweramp.

My .02.

 

[Stempelloos]

I'd vote bass first because in my opinion you're better off playing an instrument that fits your playing and that is satisfactory.
Amps can be arranged, at least that's how we did it when gigging.
At most gigs we were supplied with proper amps & drumkit and brought our own instruments.
It's also a good method to get to know the different types of amps that are available and how to adjust them to the sound that you want.
The only one that carried an amp with him was our lead guitarist who needed his Fender/JBL twin reverb for specific feedback and screaming sounds.
(This way the band fits in an ordinary car, otherwise you'll need a van & might be breaking your back carrying bass rigs to odd places)

 

[bstringkyle]

I said amp, but once you get a good amp, then you can focus on upgrading your basses.

 

[djero44]

I vote amp, cause' that's what i've done, and it makes most sense to me; but I will say it's much easier to carry a bass around to test out new amps than it is to haul around a 6x10 around to see how a bass sounds on it! I am looking into upgrading my fretted bass now and will have to face that dilemma...


*edit* I will say, though, that i've had some reservations about my course of action. What if I find a bass I love and it doesn't make me happy with my current rig? I don't have a lot of experience with different basses and amps, but I have found some basses sound way better on certain amps than on others of comparable quality and wattage. I don't like the thought i'll be choosing my bass partly because of my amp, but it will certainly be a factor for me. I was in a situation where I had pretty fair equipment and needed more headroom for gigging and such, and the new amp has definitely changed that reality significantly, to my distinct pleasure. If it weren't for the need there I would have went bass first.

 

[pmano]

You get a bass you fall in love with and I think you're set almost for life in that area at least. Then you go from amp to amp on that never ending quest for perfect tone. At least that's how I am. I am possesed with gear lust but I almost never think of changing basses, I have amp rigs for small, medium and large venues, I love the sound of each rig, yet there are at least 3 cabinets, 1 combo, 1 pre amp and one power amp that I have my eye on. I don't think I will ever be done.

 

[funkmasterjay]

id have to go with the amp

 

[Rudreax]

Probably amp. I'm at the point where I can't get the sound I really want without a different setup, and I don't want to change my bass before my amp until I get close to it.

 

[My name is Mudd]

Tough choice, but I'd say bass first.

 

[nutso42]

New amp. I am reminded of the feelings I had on 2 consecutive days. The first day, I had my Squier P-Bass and a BP-15 amp.

Joe is angry!!

The next day, my Crate BX-100 arrives. I still play it with my Squier P-Bass.

Joe is happy!!

+1

I played my Fender P Lyte through my Traynor 25-watt 1x12, and it sounded okay. I played my Squier P through my Crate BX-200.... sheer beauty.

 

[bassdood]

And one other aspect: Frequently, when someone is in the position described, they are just starting out on bass, or close to that point. If that's the case, you probably won't have good enough fingering technique to tell the difference in a good bass anyway. When I first started, and was getting lots of string noise, I thought it was the bass, but as I got better, that noise started going away. A better bass at that earlier point would have been little use in improving my sound initially. Sure, if you can have anything, get a better bass. But if you can only have one, go for the amp.