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Why did you choose your amp?

#21
Walter Woods Stereo greenlight

Immense power, versatile, reliable, lightweight, durable, small, cool-looking, sticker price is very high but per-use cost is very low (when a piece of equipment provides flawless performance with zero failure for many years the high initial cost becomes meaningless). As a friend once said: "I can't afford to buy cheap stuff."
 
#22
I wasn't playing bass at the time, but while providing production for a national country music band a couple of years ago, I noticed that the bassist had an EBS Fafner head with a 410 cabinet. I never hear a Fender Precision sound so good. The bassist was kind enough to let me plunk around with it before soundcheck and I was thinking, wow, this sounds particularly good. I own a Hartke 3500 rig, a SWR WorkingPro rig, and a Peavey ProBass rig as back line inventory, but this amp had something I hadn't heard before. At that time, I hadn't considered the possibility that I would be playing again.

Fast-forward to last summer, when I got the urge and started playing again. I certainly wasn't hurting for an amp, but I began to investigate the possibility of getting an EBS rig. WOW, look at those prices! But I was able to find a used EBS Fafner amp at a good price and bought it. And even through my SWR 410 cabinet at 8 ohms, it has that EBS tone I liked so much. I'm hoping to have the 4-ohm Neo 410 cabinet in a couple of weeks. I've been told by EBS users that I haven't really heard what the Fafner can sound like without an EBS cabinet.
 
#23
Having been through many of the 'signature sound' amps like GK, Ampeg and others, I finally decided that I just wanted a light, clear, solid 2x15 rig that:
- supports my 5 stringers
- doesn't weigh 200 pounds
- doesn't cost $1,500 for just the cab
- I can actually play through first before blowing thousands on an untried, TB-hyped cab/head.

I went with the Carvin MB15/115MB micro stack and could not be happier.
 
#24
In 2008, I went to WillCutt Guitars in Lexington, KY to play some Road Worn Fender Basses they had in stock. The amp they offered me was a Mesa M6. I was amazed by the amp. A couple of years later, I found an M9 in a Dallas GC. I A/B'd it with my Crest CA6/ART tube channel through my cabinets. No way, but yes, the M9 had more of everything.

A used one appeared on TB classified a few weeks later. I bought it. Still love it. The fEARful cab thing caught my attention after nearly buying an AVATAR 153 for use in Hawaii. I needed a cab for Reggae/Island music, i.e., good low end, and stumbled onto a deal for a new Anchak-built greenboy 15/6/1. I guess it was serendipity.
 
#30
I don't choose my amps, they choose me. They try to impress me with how good they sound.

As Yoda would say: Depend on your needs, the amp you choose will. To match your power requirements based on the venue, you have. Everything, tone is. Herh herh herh.
 
#31
Pure GAS.

I'm a preamp+poweramp guy, but picked up a GK 700RB-II strictly for GAS pains.
After reading so much about their variety of tone configuration, etc, I wanted to tinker with one.

Mine is a 2004 model that came from a TB member.
It is defect-free, very solidly made (18 pounds) and has the feel of a durable/reliable piece of equipment.

To my ears, it sounds like an amp.
I can tweak the tone controls over a wide range, but I don't.
It makes my bass and keyboards sound nice.

And yes, the wand does choose the wizard.
 
#32
I chose my amp (GK MB210 combo) because my top priority was weight and portability. I needed something in the $600 range with as much volume as possible, no fancy features needed. Tone was less of an issue for me because I'm not a tone snob, and because I'm sure my tone preferences will change over time anyway, so there's no reason to spend extra cash chasing the sound I prefer right now.

I've been pretty happy with it. I'm not always excited about the tone, but it's well worth it if it means having a loud amp I can carry easily without throwing out my back.
 
#34
Hey

Back in the early 90s i saw a bass player with a full Trace Elliot rig (I don't recall what head he used) but he had 2 Trace 4x10's and I thought it was the coolest looking and best sounding rig ever.

A couple of years back I had the chance to put one together, so I nabbed a Trace AH500x head with flight case from a TBer and Trace 4x10 and 2x15 cabs from a local seller and put together my dream rig.

I know a lot of people hear "Trace" and think that the only sound possible is the scooped 80s metal sound that made Trace famous back in the day, but with the 12 band graphic I have dialed in a sweet snobby jazz bass sound (lots of mids and even upper mids) with TONS of epic low end - not scooped at all.

I love knocking shelves off the wall in the practice room next to ours... he he he...

People often eschew older Trace gear in favor of newer gear from other manufacturers, but pound for pound I think anyone would be hard pressed to NOT be satisfied with a pre-Gibson heavy duty Trace head and cab. They are built like a tank (heavy, - my head and flight case weigh almost 100 lbs), and effortlessly produce some of the richest, darkest, deepest low end of any amp at any price (the TBer who sold me the head said it produced heavier and easier low end than his Aguilar DB750 in a side by side comparison.)

Anyhoo - that's why i chose Trace. The only way I'd improve it is to double the exact setup. :hyper:

(forgive me but I have to post some old school Trace porn - AH500x, 1048 and 1528 cabs, ESP LTD B206SM and B-336SR basses):

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#35
TONE. Lovely lovely trace elliot tone. And then price ha. I just always enjoyed playing through trace elliots. I've a GP12 SMX, nice and deep with some hi-mid punch and it didnt break the bank. I matched it with a Hartke 4x10 (more for the cheap cost here) but the aluminium cones work really nicely with my growling ric.

It hasnt been the most reliable of amps, I dont know if this is a regular problem with trace but it has had to have a few repairs. still nothing else ever sounds as good to my ears.
 
#36
My main is a Mesa Bass 400 with 6550's (second time around with this head). Reasons: Tone/Tone/mojo/volume. Years ago I had to sell my first one (with KT88's) and I tried a lot of amps between but nothing did the 400 thing. I don't care about weight, portability, trends... just that clear midrange punch and growl with a little overdrive that this amp does.
 
#37
I listened to a ton of videos of the amps I was looking at. The Ashdown had a small reputation for catching fire. But it was always operator error so I wasn't worried. I wasn't worried about weight or size. Except it had to fit in a sedan. I'm stll young so I wasn't thinking about my back. I've since bought a dolly thing to cart my gear around at gigs. For me it was sound. Did L like the sound of the amp. And was it in my price range. Being satisfied with both as a 13 year old I have no regrets 8 years on and its my only amp even still.
 
#39
rtav said:
Hey

Back in the early 90s i saw a bass player with a full Trace Elliot rig (I don't recall what head he used) but he had 2 Trace 4x10's and I thought it was the coolest looking and best sounding rig ever.

A couple of years back I had the chance to put one together, so I nabbed a Trace AH500x head with flight case from a TBer and Trace 4x10 and 2x15 cabs from a local seller and put together my dream rig.

I know a lot of people hear "Trace" and think that the only sound possible is the scooped 80s metal sound that made Trace famous back in the day, but with the 12 band graphic I have dialed in a sweet snobby jazz bass sound (lots of mids and even upper mids) with TONS of epic low end - not scooped at all.

I love knocking shelves off the wall in the practice room next to ours... he he he...

People often eschew older Trace gear in favor of newer gear from other manufacturers, but pound for pound I think anyone would be hard pressed to NOT be satisfied with a pre-Gibson heavy duty Trace head and cab. They are built like a tank (heavy, - my head and flight case weigh almost 100 lbs), and effortlessly produce some of the richest, darkest, deepest low end of any amp at any price (the TBer who sold me the head said it produced heavier and easier low end than his Aguilar DB750 in a side by side comparison.)

Anyhoo - that's why i chose Trace. The only way I'd improve it is to double the exact setup. :hyper:

(forgive me but I have to post some old school Trace porn - AH500x, 1048 and 1528 cabs, ESP LTD B206SM and B-336SR basses):

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Click to expand...

Nice looking Monster amp of Doom - PS, John Entwistle was a big Trace Elliot fan too. :bassist:
 
#40
I hadn't been planning to buy quite so much of a rig just yet, but the deep discounts on Genz Benz equipment a month ago pushed me over the edge. I have a Contour 500-115T with a Focus 115 extension cab. The two boxes fit in the back of my Prius, they're light enough to move without a hand truck, and it sounds great. The "contour" control gives me one knob I can turn to get to a range of different tones, from aggressive and mid-heavy to warm and fat to dark. I'm sad that Genz Benz isn't there any more, but I'm glad I snagged it while the snagging was good.
 

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