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your progression on amps

#221
Wow, some of you guys have chewed through a lot of gear over the years!

My first amp was an old hand-me-down Kustom practice amp...like a 112 or something. I upgraded to a Peavey TNT115 combo and started playing with my first "band." When we outgrew that, I upgraded that to an Ampeg SVT115E and a used Hartke 3500 head that had seen better days (still have that head!).

Eventually I had bigger needs than that rig, picked up a brand spankin' new Hartke 4200 pro and ran the 3500 through it. I also picked up an SVT-350 to match the 1x15, but sometimes ran that through the Hartke cabinet. Kept that rig a good long time, and only replaced it last year.

Got rid of all the Hartke and Ampeg stuff, replaced the whole shebang with a Genz Benz 6.2 and a Bergantino HT322 that I got a pretty good deal on. Very happy with this setup!

The only thing I would like to pick up in the future would be a tube amp (probably an ampeg) and maybe a sealed cab just to experience it...but I'm mostly interested in the head.
 
#223
Started with ampeg b serie head and cabs.

More than 10 years after, I decided to treat myself and bought a walkabout scout combo. Best sounding combo ever but the parametric mid was too much for me.

Bought markbass, GK combos and then got a great deal on genz benz uber and shuttle amp. Loved it.

I replaced the walkabout with all tube and got a EBS as a total opposite since I love tube sound but prefer slapping on a SS amp.

Got myself some other Genz cab to complement my amps.

Also got a streamliner 600 with those closeout deals.

Can't justify more GAS, I've got everything covered.
 

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#225
Love this thread!
For amps
I started with a carvin bx600 which is still my back up, Aguilar tonehammer 500 that I traded for a Mesa m-pulse 600. Eventually the Mesa got traded away after I picked up a Eden WT800(pre any buy out) which is what I gig now.

For cabinets
My first cab was an Aguilar gs212 4 ohm which is still my main gigging cabinet. At my practice space I have a Bag end s18(big sucker with the port and red fur) and a swr workingman 2x10 that somehow just appeared one day. traded for a aguilar gs 410 awhile back and ditched it at Guitar center when one of the speakers blew.... never been a 4x10 fan. For home practice I have a Eden cxm? 112... coaxial speaker that gives a nice hifi tone at practice volumes.

That's it for me so far although with tax returns coming I am gassing for one of those new Mesa tube amps.
 
#226
Crate 50W combo
Fender BXP 100 - 100W 1x15 combo
GK 1001 rbII w/GK Neo 410 (8ohm) - giant pillowy low end, good for dub / reggae
Now:
MarkBass cmd121p w/ NY 121 extension cab. 500W of clear unadulterated tone. The MB stuff has the most responsive low end out of any and all amps I've tried ... So far.
 
#227
Fender BXR 100 > combo 100 watts 1x15"

Then,
Gallien Krueger 400RB115 > combo 180 watts 1x15"

then added a cab GK 2x10 BLX > 180 watts become 280 watts

Peavey microbass 20 watts > home workhorse

Then,
GK 700 RB 115 > combo 320 watts 1x15 + tweeter

Then removed the head from combo body and added a GK Neo 115 III > head + cab 320 watts 1x15 + tweeter

and i can add the combo body to have a 2x15 and 480 watts if necessary. never happened yet.
 
#228
Nice thread! Interesting to see some progressions.

Amps:

1- Gallien Krueger MB115 combo - faulty, returned it and used the credit for a Crown XLS1500.
2- Built my own design tube preamp.

Cabs:

1- DIY fEARful 15/6/1 with three way crossover.


Job done.
 
#229
FUN THREAD!

1. in high school, ran through the PA, an old Kustom rig with padded 4x12 cabinets. What did I know?
2. Carvin 160w 115 combo (don't remember model #)....good enough rig, kinda heavy but not really...could run extension cab, which was nice.

3. GK400RB + various cabs
A. Amepg 410HLF....awesome, but a back-breaker.
B. Acoustic 215....awesome, but a back-breaker. Still, wish I hadn't sold it.
C. started out making my own cabs about 4 years ago, first built a 2x10, then a couple different 1x10s - not loud enough. Now I'm building 1x15s, in tiltback monitor-style cabinets, so I can position them wherever is most advantageous around the room, usually one behind the drummer and one tilted back BEHIND ME so I can hear myself (in a VERY LOUD band now!).
4. Tried a GK1001RB for a while, but it was too heavy, and don't need that much power, and since I don't use a rack, with the top-exit exhaust fan, various liquids could get in there...not good!

5. Since I use a GK400RB, I don't need a rack. With a P-bass, the GK400RB cuts through the mix, no pedals needed, very lightweight, no BS no problems! The audience doesn't know I'm not using a compressor or a BDDI or whatever....but they can sure feel my 15s in the floor!
 
#230
Interesting retrospective.. I learned more about bass gear from here than anywhere else.. I sold that Acoustic head I had back in 1980 or 81.. and basically did not play much at all till 2001 after that.. I did a thing for about a 18 months with a dead band but I did not use my own gear only my bass. What little I knew about bass gear back then could be summed up in this is a bass amp .. this is a guitar amp.. don't play your bass through a guitar amp too loud or you will mess something up .. and more amps meant more umph. That was it.. I was not even aware of speaker sizes and whatnot.. I just didn't pay attention to it.. If it was a bass amp I plugged in and that was that.

I started playing again in 2001 at my current church and have been doing so ever since. Things went up a few notches when I joined a band in 2009. I learned to play bass back in the day.. but I became a bass player over the past 13 years.. I still have yet to become a bassist.. at least IMO :). TB has been a part of that process. ;)

Amps
1977-Fender Musicmaster Bass Amp N(20W I think.. maybe 15..)
1979-Acoustic Head.. I don't remember if it was a 220 or a 370.. I think it was a 220 because I remember the EQ section had a white background.
2002-SWR La-15 N
2009-SWR WP400 N
2009-GB Shuttle 6.0 *
2011-Shuttle 9.0 *
2012-GB SL900 *
2013-Shuttle Max 9.2 N

Cabs
1979-Acoustic 301
2009-Schroeder 1212L-4 *
2010-Avatar B212
2011-Schroeder 1212L-8 (trade) *
2011-AccuGroove Tri 115 *
2013-2 Schroeder Mini 12Ls *

*=TB Classifieds deal
N=New
 
#231
In order....I think:

BBE383 Pre + Crown CE1000 into Steel Sound 2x10 and 1x15 cabs
subbed a QSC RMX850 for the crown.
Silent/In Ears via a Ampeg SVP-Pro
SVP Pro sold for a Line 6 Bass Pod Pro
SWR Headlite + TC Electronics 2x12
Mesa Mpulse 600 + TC Electronics 2x12
Mesa Mpulse 600 + Ampeg SVT410 HLF
Orange TB1000 + Ampeg SVT410 HLF
Fender Bassman 100T and 6x10 Pro
TC Electronics BG250 as a small gig amp with above.

That does it...interesting journey and still evolving, but the Fender stays forever :)
 
#235
Anyway, My first amp was not even a bass amp. It was an Ampeg Reverborocket with a 12" Jensen. It actually sounded darn good for bass.
Moved up to a Kustom 100 - black tuck and roll.
From there, up to a V4B with B40 cabinet - B40 was replaced by an SVT810. That rig was the best tone that I've ever had in an amp setup.
Downsized to an amp that I absolutely hated during my Top40 band days - a Yamaha B100 combo.
Next got into my preamp/poweramp phase - Demeter/Crest, SansAmp RBI/Crest with Eden cabs.
Got tired of lugging the pre/power rack so I switched to Eden amps.
Along came the Class-D gear so that gets me to my current setup, which is in my profile - Ampeg PF350, Aggie Tone Hammer with Peavey IPR1600 poweramp, Genz Focus, Aggie GS 112, or Ampeg 210AV cabs.
 
#236
My latest progression: I got a regular upstairs gig and decided my mini-rig should also be lightweight. So, I got an Aguilar TH500 (4 pounds) that I use with one or two Bergantino CN112 cabs (28 pounds each). :)

For the upstairs gig, just one CN112 is enough even though I'm playing with drums, guitars, and bari sax. I will use both CN112s with my "Motown band" where I share the stage with 5 horns, guitar, drums, and Hammond organ played through a stack of Leslies.



P.S. My fave rig is still my "faux SVT": VTRM rack rig, Bergantino NV610. I use that for my loud rock gigs.
 
#237
1985-1990 - 1970's Hiwatt Custom 100 and custom 410 cab
1990-1993 - 1960's Fender Bassman combo (forget if it was 4x10 or 2x15 but it was a beast!)
1993-2005 - basically nothing. Kids, wife, house, job, etc. Basically quit playing.
2005 - Carvin BR610 combo
2006-2008 - Ampeg B2-RE, Ampeg SVT, Markbass F1, GK1001RB-II
2009-2012 - GBE2100 and 12.0, Aguilar 500SC, Mesa M9 (x2), Mesa BB750, GK 800RB, GK Fusion 550, GK MB Fusion, 70's Vox Tube head.... and a few more I am forgetting.
2012-present - Jule Monique preamp with various poweramps
 
#238
1970s - Yamaha B100 w/ 120L (2x15) cab
Peavey Mark III w/Black Widow 2x15 cab
MusicMan HD150 w/ RH115 cabs (2)

1980s - Ampeg SVT (still have it)
SWR (first endorsement deal)
SM400s/SM900 heads
Big Ben 1x18 cabs (2)
Golliath II 4x10 cabs (2)

1990s - SWR Cont.
Mo Bass head
Golliath Sr. Cabs
California Blonde Combo (2)

Late 90s/2000s - Back to the SVT
GK 400rb and 2001rb heads

Now - Same old SVT
Sunn 200s w/ 1x15 JBL-loaded cab
GMT 300b and 600b with 4x12 GMT folded horn cab

Funny thing - All of my current gear was made before 1974.
 

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