Will I benefit from upgrading my amp?

[Stygian1]

My question is pretty straightforward. I want to get some opinions as to whether replacing my power amp which is the Harley Benton Block-800B will make some difference. I know that this is a budget item, so I was thinking whether it's worth it to get something more expensive.

This is my current setup: Bass -> Pedalboard (TC Polytune -> Markbass Compressore -> CTC Space Charged V2 tube boost -> Sushibox Dreamcatcher -> Two Notes Revolt Bass) -> Return of 800B -> Markbass 2x10" Energy 8.

I don't use the Revolt for tone; I think that the Sushibox is vastly superior. I use it for the FX loop where I have a Zoom MS-70CDR+ with various presets, as well as a DI for live settings. I am actually thinking of replacing it with a Sushibox Finally and adding a separate passive FX loop. But that's a different issue altogether.

For the sake of comparison, I'm thinking of getting something like a Markbass Little Mark Tube 800 or STU 1000 or something analogous in terms of specs and price. I'm in Europe, hence the reference to Markbass which I can find locally quite cheaply. My aim is to continue using the pedalboard for tone and the head only as a power amp. Is this a situation where I am likely to have some major benefit or is it a case of "spend the money elsewhere"?

Thank you!

 

[Lo-E]

When people ask about upgrading gear my first question is: What, exactly, are you hoping to improve?

If you can’t answer that, there’s no way to predict whether your upgrade will actually be an upgrade. It could just as easily end up being a change with no noticeable improvement.

 

[Krakmann]

Salud!

In this day and age, I would think twice about updating a functional amp. 99,9% of my gigs, the bass is in the PA, direct from the pedalboard DI. The amp is just an stage monitor. More and more, I even rehearse without an amp, direct to the PA. Sometimes, I go in-ear or hear me through some stage monitor and directly there's no amp.

This said, having a good amp is always nice (I have mine, a Markbass head with Lightbox 112 cab).

If you're not sure why you need the upgrade (more watts for rehearsing?), save your money, I would say.

 

[el murdoque]

You might get more volume, a longer lifespan or more reliability, but I don't think you'll get a better sound when replacing the HB poweramp for some other.
More likely than not, both will be running on the same ICE class-D modules.

 

[Krakmann]

Salud!

Also, you have a very nice pedalboard full of sculpting options, there's no real need for the amp EQ, as if you just had a Precision passive bass and your amp. Last week, I used the venue's nearly destroyed Behringer amp and it allowed me to hear my playing perfectly fine, no real need for anything more.

But GAS is GAS

 

[Jay Corwin]

The Markbass head has a lot of features. If you are only going to use the PA section, it might be a waste of money. On the other hand, you'd have a full featured head if you wanted to go that route in the future.

What is it about your current rig that you don't like? Is the Harley Benton noisy or something?

Also what @el murdoque said.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

With them pedals, not really. You just need a loud box, seems you have that.

 

[Stygian1]

When people ask about upgrading gear my first question is: What, exactly, are you hoping to improve?

If you can’t answer that, there’s no way to predict whether your upgrade will actually be an upgrade. It could just as easily end up being a change with no noticeable improvement.

Thanks. Functionality-wise I am okay as is. I was wondering whether there would be a discernible sound quality difference when using the rig for practice more than anything else.

 

[Stygian1]

Salud!

Also, you have a very nice pedalboard full of sculpting options, there's no real need for the amp EQ, as if you just had a Precision passive bass and your amp. Last week, I used the venue's nearly destroyed Behringer amp and it allowed me to hear my playing perfectly fine, no real need for anything more.

But GAS is GAS

Thanks! All my basses (Warwick Thumb NT5, Ibanez Portamento 5-string fretless, Ibanez SR1100QM - a '90s PJ) are active, so indeed I never used the amp EQ. I used to use the Revolt until I got the Sushibox which is wonderful. I never quite liked the Revolt's tones.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Thanks. Functionality-wise I am okay as is. I was wondering whether there would be a discernible sound quality difference when using the rig for practice more than anything else.

Every head has a different pre amp in it making them all sound different.
Will you like it or think of it as an upgrade, depends if you like the sound of what you picked. Similar to how you prefer the Dreamcatcher to the Revolt.

 

[Kaa]

Thanks. Functionality-wise I am okay as is. I was wondering whether there would be a discernible sound quality difference when using the rig for practice more than anything else.

A lot of people more intelligent than I would tell you a speaker/cab change will have a MUCH bigger difference in tone than a power amp change. If it's working, with the signal chain you have going, I'd not worry about it, personally.

 

[brianrost]

Will it make some difference to use different power amps? Very likely. How much difference? You will have to use your ears.

The better question is what you think is missing when using the Hartley Benton. For practicing at home only? Save your money and keep the Block 800B.

 

[Kaa]

Will it make some difference to use different power amps? Very likely. How much difference? You will have to use your ears.

The better question is what you think is missing when using the Hartley Benton. For practicing at home only? Save your money and keep the Block 800B.

To follow up on the above question, I wonder if you've become "tone deaf' to your current rig. I don't mean that in the sense of you can't tell the difference in tone from good to bad, I mean it in the sense of you have it dialed in to where you like it, and are seeking something in a different piece of gear that you may have already, and you just need to turn some knobs to find it.

 

[Nille]

Eventhough the 800B is rather cheap and therefore often considered to be sort of a beginners amp, the power module apparently is quite high quality. The same unit is being used in amps that cost quite a bit more than the 800B. So chances are you would end up with the exact same module in a different amp, if you‘d set out to buy something more fancy now. In your case the only reason to swap the 800B for another amp would be if you were depending on the internal preamp and looking for a different flavor there, in my opinion.

 

[Stygian1]

Every head has a different pre amp in it making them all sound different.
Will you like it or think of it as an upgrade, depends if you like the sound of what you picked. Similar to how you prefer the Dreamcatcher to the Revolt.

Right but I don't intend to use the preamp at all. Which is why I am asking whether the more experienced would think that there's a likely sonic upgrade on the power stage alone. And it seems that the consensus is no!

 

[Stygian1]

To follow up on the above question, I wonder if you've become "tone deaf' to your current rig. I don't mean that in the sense of you can't tell the difference in tone from good to bad, I mean it in the sense of you have it dialed in to where you like it, and are seeking something in a different piece of gear that you may have already, and you just need to turn some knobs to find it.

I certainly do like it. I'm not complaining by any means. I was just wondering whether others would say something like "if you like it like this, wait till you hear amp X." But I get the message that it is unlikely to be the case.

 

[lamarjones]

With YOUR theory on your gear if Im understanding it right, as your signal chain is where you want it to be which is why you're going in the return, a FRFR sounds like a better idea.

But a markbass head with your markbass cab isn't a bad idea

 

[groovaholic]

I've had plenty of instances where I preferred the sound of lowbrow or outdated gear.
But I've never enjoyed gear that wasn't working correctly.

So unless your Block 800-B is malfunctioning, there's no guarantee that a new amp would sound any better.

 

[DuluthDank]

looks like you just need a pedal platform, and your amp is just a glorified stage monitor. it might not be that big of a deal, unless you specifically hear a problem with your current amp, or something you'd like to improve.

 

[FullumMusic]

Thanks. Functionality-wise I am okay as is. I was wondering whether there would be a discernible sound quality difference when using the rig for practice more than anything else.

Sound-quality/tone is subjective and contextual. So, it still jumps back around to what is it about the current tone your amp produces you don't like? Or, are there other amps out there that have a tone you prefer?

Some amps have a fairly neutral tonal quality, while others have a sorta "baked in" tone: Bright; Scooped Mids; Mid-forward; Round and Bassy/Vintage Ampeg; etc. If your amp fits one of the categories, but you prefer the sound of another category, then yeah, you could probably get some sort of "sound quality improvement."

But, again, sound quality/tone is subjective and contextual. There is no objectively "better tone" for every situation or every person. If there was, every bass would sound like that, every pickup would sound like that, every set of strings would sound like that, every amp and cab would sound like that. So, if you like how your amp sounds, you don't need to buy another amp. Save yourself the money.

If you find an amp that you prefer the tone of, then it could be worth it for you to switch if you think it sounds good enough to you for the price. But also, you need to hear it amplifying YOUR bass and powering YOUR cabinet. It might sound great at the store with a bass off the wall and the cab they have it plugged into. But then you get it home and it just doesn't mesh well with your bass and cab.

Also, if you're looking for a different tone, the biggest tone changers are free or cheap: Different technique (free); Tone Knob/Different EQ settings on your amp (free); Different strings (cheap). Those three things will change your tone way more than any other change (pickups; amp; speakers/cab.)