I'm a dyed in the wool GK user, but the Quilter stuff has turned me around. Got a used BB800 and a new BB802. Good stuff...
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Why did you choose the amp that you use?
- Thread starter PraiseBassing
- Start date
I had perhaps more money than sense, liked tube amps, and heard of one that was 435 watts. Saw one for sale online, rolled the dice buying it. It turned out to be a great sounding amp fortunately.
6 years ago, I auditioned for a power pop cover band. I had a '98 MIM Precision and a Peavey Basic 60 that I never played. Typically, I showed up, so I got the gig despite not having any real-world bass playing experience (must have been the provided amp 
). Well, now I needed an actual amp. So I sold my Princeton Reverb and had a budget to spend. But, I'm also not a real bassist. So off to scouring TalkBass and Craigslist.
I set out to buy a GK 400rb and a 2x10 cab. I ended up with a Markbass LMII from TalkBass and a GK Neo 115 III from Craigslist. $500 all told, and lugging that damn cab down 5 flights of stairs, up and down multiple subway staircases, 2 trains, and then up 2 more flights of stairs in 100 degree heat. I really didn't have a clue how to dial it in until this year. I didn't buy it for tone, I bought it because I found pieces I knew would be loud and were in my budget. These days, I could probably get away with a Rumble 100. But I'm glad I have a rig that I can use for pretty much any project I get into.
). Well, now I needed an actual amp. So I sold my Princeton Reverb and had a budget to spend. But, I'm also not a real bassist. So off to scouring TalkBass and Craigslist. I set out to buy a GK 400rb and a 2x10 cab. I ended up with a Markbass LMII from TalkBass and a GK Neo 115 III from Craigslist. $500 all told, and lugging that damn cab down 5 flights of stairs, up and down multiple subway staircases, 2 trains, and then up 2 more flights of stairs in 100 degree heat. I really didn't have a clue how to dial it in until this year. I didn't buy it for tone, I bought it because I found pieces I knew would be loud and were in my budget. These days, I could probably get away with a Rumble 100. But I'm glad I have a rig that I can use for pretty much any project I get into.
Al Kraft
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- May 2, 2016
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I would bet that is a very versatile rig. While I have used both that cab and head before, I have never used them together, but can see where they would make a interesting combination.
The GASsing part of me still wants a GK 400rb. The practical part of me wants to know how to EQ my Markbass so it sounds like one through the cab.
My first bass map I got with the bass a package deal
A Garnet stencil--tube amp--huge thing awkward to move.
I had lent it out & for ease of use& moving at home I got a Traynor TBM10 --a little 10 watt practice amp that did the job it was meant to do.
the third & most recent bass amp I have was a reward type thing--and I didn't have a lot of options--but after trying one out I liked it and knew it would do the job.
I use it as my practice amp (It's lighter than the TBM10--and louder & better sounding.
Oh what is it?
a fender Rumble 40
I don't gig, but when I play at church I bring along my Rumble and use it as a DI & personal monitor.
And the sound guys seem to like it.
A Garnet stencil--tube amp--huge thing awkward to move.
I had lent it out & for ease of use& moving at home I got a Traynor TBM10 --a little 10 watt practice amp that did the job it was meant to do.
the third & most recent bass amp I have was a reward type thing--and I didn't have a lot of options--but after trying one out I liked it and knew it would do the job.
I use it as my practice amp (It's lighter than the TBM10--and louder & better sounding.
Oh what is it?
a fender Rumble 40
I don't gig, but when I play at church I bring along my Rumble and use it as a DI & personal monitor.
And the sound guys seem to like it.
Four years ago I bought a Carvin MB15 combo with 115MBE ext. cab. for 250w because when I tried to use my Crate Limo 10" 50w outdoors, it couldn't handle it. Asking here on Talk Bass convinced me to get as big a speaker as I could, plus I had them swap to neo speakers, and the rig was on sale, $805 including shipping.
I'm running a Roland BN-100 combo. Chose it for it's clean, rich tone. I'm using it at church, so bass 0900, mids and treble 1200, volume 2. I use a multi-effect pedal to dial in the eq, as I use both a J and a P for service. Chorus off, slight delay on the P, a little more on the J. Tone on the basses rolled mostly down.
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Why did you choose the amp that you use?
I choose it cause it was the best amp I could get way past in the time.
I choose it cause it was the best amp I could get way past in the time.
scottfeldstein
Roots and fifths and a little extra.
My main gig amp is a Carvin BX1500. I chose it for it's amazing array of features, it's cab/load flexibility, and it's high watt capabilities. One at a time...
Features. It has lots of them. Built in compressor. Built in crossover. Direct out, pre- or post-EQ. Tube preamp that can also be bypassed. Five band EQ that includes three parametric mid controls between the bass and treble. Nine band graphic EQ that can be switched in and out as needed. And more.
Cab/load flexibility. The Carvin BX1500 has two power amps that operate independently of each other. They each have their own output on the back. Each one makes 300w at 8 Ohms, 450w at 4 Ohms, and yes 750w at 2 Ohms. This means that I could run a single 8 Ohm cab at 300w. Or I could run a pair of 8 Ohm cabs 300w each, or that same pair splitting 450w at 4 Ohms. I could even run wildly mismatched cabs because I can control the volume for each one separately.
High watt capabilities. I can bridge the two amps together into a single output for 900w at 8 Ohms and 1500w at 4 Ohms. Think: drive some Greenboy 15/6 cabs or similar. They don't get louder than a 410 by magic. They get that loud with high watts! The magic part is that they can take the high watts if you have them.
If I ever replace this amp it will be replaced with a similarly-watted stereo power amp and a separate rack mountable preamp. Maybe the Sansamp Geddy 2112.
Features. It has lots of them. Built in compressor. Built in crossover. Direct out, pre- or post-EQ. Tube preamp that can also be bypassed. Five band EQ that includes three parametric mid controls between the bass and treble. Nine band graphic EQ that can be switched in and out as needed. And more.
Cab/load flexibility. The Carvin BX1500 has two power amps that operate independently of each other. They each have their own output on the back. Each one makes 300w at 8 Ohms, 450w at 4 Ohms, and yes 750w at 2 Ohms. This means that I could run a single 8 Ohm cab at 300w. Or I could run a pair of 8 Ohm cabs 300w each, or that same pair splitting 450w at 4 Ohms. I could even run wildly mismatched cabs because I can control the volume for each one separately.
High watt capabilities. I can bridge the two amps together into a single output for 900w at 8 Ohms and 1500w at 4 Ohms. Think: drive some Greenboy 15/6 cabs or similar. They don't get louder than a 410 by magic. They get that loud with high watts! The magic part is that they can take the high watts if you have them.
If I ever replace this amp it will be replaced with a similarly-watted stereo power amp and a separate rack mountable preamp. Maybe the Sansamp Geddy 2112.
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Getting a kick out of the Eden love on this thread. Always sounded like a DI into a 1073 to my ears. A good thing if there ever was one. I don't have one, using a Eden WTDI as a proxy. Close enough (wish the padding was adjustable though).
Been running a Benz Genz Shuttle 9.0 ever since they were first available for purchase. Lots of flavor to be found in the pre-amp, although mine mostly stays with everything as 12 o'clock. Using pedals for color. But the knobs on 12 just sound so good matched with the NeoX. A lot of claims about matching the right head with the right cab. The only match that rang true to my ears was an Ampeg matched with a fridge. I found the same with the neo and the Shuttle. Joined at the hip. You're not going to dial in a Shuttle tone from and Ampeg and fridge, and you won't do the opposite with a Shuttle and a NeoX. Different animals. But the head/cab marriage is similar.
Bought the Shuttle and the Genz Benz NeoX 2x12 cab expecting the return it. Simply didn't trust the wattage rating. I came from using a 1000 watt power amp and rack preamps. 900 watts is supposed to weigh at least 50lb's, minimum, right?
The Genz did indeed move the air. Turns out, you can divide by zero.
I was, and am, more impressed with the articulation of this head. It's just impossibly honest, yet still "woke". That's always been such a tough thing for bass gear to pull off. Clean, but not clinical.
I never ever used all the power when I used those heavy power amps. My thought was always that the big power just gave u the headroom to let the cab breath as deep as it wanted. Now I get to do that with a 4lb head with the Shuttle. Dividing by zero.
Guessing that the Genzler gear has the same kind of voodoo. Haven't felt the need to pivot to the new. Curious, but super content.
Been running a Benz Genz Shuttle 9.0 ever since they were first available for purchase. Lots of flavor to be found in the pre-amp, although mine mostly stays with everything as 12 o'clock. Using pedals for color. But the knobs on 12 just sound so good matched with the NeoX. A lot of claims about matching the right head with the right cab. The only match that rang true to my ears was an Ampeg matched with a fridge. I found the same with the neo and the Shuttle. Joined at the hip. You're not going to dial in a Shuttle tone from and Ampeg and fridge, and you won't do the opposite with a Shuttle and a NeoX. Different animals. But the head/cab marriage is similar.
Bought the Shuttle and the Genz Benz NeoX 2x12 cab expecting the return it. Simply didn't trust the wattage rating. I came from using a 1000 watt power amp and rack preamps. 900 watts is supposed to weigh at least 50lb's, minimum, right?
The Genz did indeed move the air. Turns out, you can divide by zero.
I was, and am, more impressed with the articulation of this head. It's just impossibly honest, yet still "woke". That's always been such a tough thing for bass gear to pull off. Clean, but not clinical.
I never ever used all the power when I used those heavy power amps. My thought was always that the big power just gave u the headroom to let the cab breath as deep as it wanted. Now I get to do that with a 4lb head with the Shuttle. Dividing by zero.
Guessing that the Genzler gear has the same kind of voodoo. Haven't felt the need to pivot to the new. Curious, but super content.
