need a bass amp

[Gibfenderson]

Nice to see this section here.

i am a recently converted guitar ( for many, many years) to bass player. We had a few rehersals and are ready to play a few open mikes to get our feet wet. I have been borrowing a line 6 -150 for rehersal. Time to get my own bass amp.

Playing a mim deluxe P bass special. Music is original but in a classic rock, blues style. A little rockabilly too.

Would like something that is light as posible, enough head room for rehersals and small room gigs.

we are a singer, two guitar, bass and drum outfit.

Whatcha recommend and why?????

thanks

[bassic83]

Mark Bass...Little Mark II. 500W, great tone, $599, and only 6 lbs.! Fits in a laptop bag as well. As far as cabs go, I like my Schroeder...the 1212L has neo speakers and is a good performer, plus it's small.

[Gibfenderson]

Mark Bass...Little Mark II. 500W, great tone, $599, and only 6 lbs.! Fits in a laptop bag as well. As far as cabs go, I like my Schroeder...the 1212L has neo speakers and is a good performer, plus it's small.



I'll check it out thanks.

[Ishouldbeking]

Some of the newer Ampeg BA series combos are supposed to be very good for the money, though I haven't played them. I'm considering picking up the BA-220 for rehearsal and smaller venues and as a complement to my larger stage rig.

[Guy from Idaho]

My Eden WT-330 head and a 2x10 cab work great for that, weighs very little, can always add a second cab for bigger gigs. Bass combos make little sense to me, ymmv. -Guy

[Gibfenderson]

Combos are making less sense to me too. Get the right cab for the right job.

[Ishouldbeking]

To update my post: the model number/name I was trying to remember was wrong. The BA's i mentioned are the low end ampegs. What i meant to say was the B200R from the Diamond blue series. only heard good things, tube preamp, solid state power amp, nice old-school sounding portable combo.

If you're not interested in a combo... take a look at a Thunderfunk (16 lbs, sound great). Match that to whatever sized cab you like, for light weight you'll definitely want neo speakers.

If you don't want to spend a fortune on a cab but don't want junk, I'd go with either Avatar or Dr. Bass. Both can be built to meet your needs, though its generally agreed the Dr. Bass will be of slightly higher quality, though it might cost slightly more.

[Zim]

Don't forget the new line of Bass amps from Carvin. They got neo speakers and pack a lot of wattage= headroom, in a small, light wieght package.

And I hear A LOT of great things on MarkBass and Edan for small, light, power. Thats where I'm looking for my next Bass amp. I love my set up, but it wieghts too damn much! My 410 is 98 lbs!

And i might add, I really dig the hybrid amps. Tube pre and soild output. Easy to dial in great tone. Just my 2 cent.

[CharlieNC]

honestly, you won't need a head/cab setup with todays p.a. systems. it looks nice, but that's just a lot of gear to haul around. check out any of the higher powered 2x10 combos from a number of manufacturers.

behringer makes a great one that's 350 watts with 2x10's and a tweeter as well. also, really like the new fender bassman series though they are noticably higher in price.

also check out any of the old Peavey combos. those things are LOUD and great steals. as long as you have enough bottom end, nobody's going to give a crap how cool your bass rig is.

[jyee]

musiciansfriend's stupid deal of the day is an ashdown combo today... you should check it out.

[Gordon_Gecko]

musiciansfriend's stupid deal of the day is an ashdown combo today... you should check it out.

I wouldnt buy a combo amp for versitility issues, but I do play Ashdown and WOW!!! These amps rock dood. From bright-slap sound to growl to C tuned low-end frequency, the Ashdown does it all... well. My $600 rig kills any Eden, Ampeg, PJ, Mark, Fender, GKunder $2000 that I've played.

[Gibfenderson]

HMMMMMMM........... should I get the Ashdown or am I just going to be looking to upgrade in six months?

price right. 18 lbs is good. Is loud enough to keep up with a drummer and two guitars?

[The Golden Boy]

honestly, you won't need a head/cab setup with todays p.a. systems. it looks nice, but that's just a lot of gear to haul around. check out any of the higher powered 2x10 combos from a number of manufacturers.

I'd much rather have a head/cab setup. I think it's easier carrying two smaller things than one heavy thing, it's also more "upgradable." That being said I've played a few combos that have sounded good- The GK 1001 combo and Fender's Bassman 400 stand out in my memory.

Some people do good with a 1x15 cab, some people do good with a 2x10, some people do good with a 4x10... If'n I were looking for a smaller rig I'd be looking for no less than 300w SS and a 1x15 cab that can handle 400w. I'd want to make sure that you have a rig that can realistically cover what you're going to be doing. Hearing yourself over guitars, drums and vocals, not to mention the ability to cover a room... This weekend we played a 150-200 person hall with the PA only covering vocals, kick and snare, there's a few places that we play that have similar rooms and systems.

I haven't played any of the superlight Neo cabs, I've heard differing opinions- the old school guys don't like them because they're too "sterile" but the SS guys seem to love them. With the way they're doing SS transformers these days, a 600w amp under 20 pounds isn't out of the question- my old 600w Seymour Duncan amps are around 35 pounds- and it's all iron, but my 900w SWR is 22 pounds...

as long as you have enough bottom end, nobody's going to give a crap how cool your bass rig is.

Because nobody cares what the bass sounds like anyway???

[bassic83]

Doubtful. 1-12", plus the full 180W is not on tap unless you hook up an extension cab. Maybe 120W...

[CrazyFingers]

Another coverted guitar player here. I had the Ashdown 180 Electric Blue. Good amp but not enough headroom to get past my three guitars and drums (classic rock) at an outdoor gig. Also, the thing is pretty heavy.

For gigging, I bought an Ampeg B2RE head plus BSE410 cab. I like a tight, snappy bass sound and for me the 4x10 non-ported cab had the sound and moves enough air to make the bass' presense "felt". Adding a 1x15 was too boomy for me but you could do that. I think I paid about $800 a couple year ago (new). This head-cab combo is very portable. Each part is small and relatively light. For bass, I really liked the Ampeg solid-state sound (and it's more reliable than tubes).

Power-wise, this gives you ~350W at 8 ohms. More than enough for me. Anything beyond that I can route through the PA.

FWIW: I started using the Ashdown for practice got tired of lugging it around. so I sold it and got a Crate 1x10 (B100, I think). For the price ($350), this is a cool little practice amp. I've even used it for small gigs. It tilts back, is ported, has volume-adjusted direct-out and a built in tuner.

[Gibfenderson]

think i will go back to the original idea of a head and cab ( light). I am thinking 300 watts or more and a 2x10 cab to start with. They don't mike your cab at a lot of open mikes or other places. Plus, I could get an extenson or bigger cab if I need it down the road.

thanks for helping me think this through guys.

[John Phillips]

I think you'll need a 4x10". I just tried a little Trace Elliot 2x10", which sounded great at low volume but ran out of low-end very quickly when pushed a bit harder.

For gigging, I bought an Ampeg B2RE head plus BSE410 cab. I like a tight, snappy bass sound and for me the 4x10 non-ported cab had the sound and moves enough air to make the bass' presense "felt". Adding a 1x15 was too boomy for me but you could do that. I think I paid about $800 a couple year ago (new). This head-cab combo is very portable. Each part is small and relatively light. For bass, I really liked the Ampeg solid-state sound (and it's more reliable than tubes).

Power-wise, this gives you ~350W at 8 ohms. More than enough for me.One of the practice rooms I use has the smaller B1-RE with a 4x10 cab... very nice sound, and easily movable. (I could be wrong, but I thought the cab was ported - there's a slot along the bottom.) The amp is 300W into 4 ohms (which the cab is, so you get all of it). Seems like enough, anyway... although somehow I seem to usually run it with the limiter light on the whole time :).

[Steeltoe]

Check out the Mesa M-Pulse Venture 600 2x12 combo. Not
exactly light, but it has a handle and wheels. You will find out
that good bass gear is not light. The saying goes: Will haul for Tone!
Better to have more than you need, than to be wanting for more.

[Swampash]

+10 for the Thunderfunk head....then pic a cab that suits you.

[The Golden Boy]

Check out the Mesa M-Pulse Venture 600 2x12 combo.

I really liked the M-Pulse I played years ago...

[Ishouldbeking]

Ah the world of bass... I love how if you read this thread straight thru you see an awful lot of conflicting advice and theories. I won't pretend my ideas are right, by any means... just like anything else this stuff is subjective as all hell.

Regarding Ashdown... they're known for sounding very good, but there have been way too many reliability concerns raised... A common report was that some of the amps were clipping at absurdly low volumes. Not trying to flame the company, I'm just saying use caution, or buy an extended warranty, and check some of the talkbass forums for more discussion on ashdown's reliability.

Other than that, it sounds like you've got a good idea what you're looking for... hope you find something that rocks your socks off!

[CrazyFingers]

I think you'll need a 4x10". I just tried a little Trace Elliot 2x10", which sounded great at low volume but ran out of low-end very quickly when pushed a bit harder.

One of the practice rooms I use has the smaller B1-RE with a 4x10 cab... very nice sound, and easily movable. (I could be wrong, but I thought the cab was ported - there's a slot along the bottom.) The amp is 300W into 4 ohms (which the cab is, so you get all of it). Seems like enough, anyway... although somehow I seem to usually run it with the limiter light on the whole time :).


1. Agree with the 4x10 recommendation. It's not much larger or heavier than a 2x10 but it moves more air and really pumps-up the band's sound.

2. Ampeg makes two 4x10 cabs: the BSE410 and the BSE410HLF. The latter is considered a higher-end model and is ported ("high-end" and "ported" are unrelated). I think it's a 4ohm cab too. I have the BSE410--I prefer the sound of a non-ported cab. Mine is an 8ohm cab.

One more thing: if you buy a cab and plan to add-on later, make sure you do your impedance calculations properly. If you buy a 4ohm cab today and add another extension cab later, that will ususally take you to 2ohms (assuming the extension is two ohms). Some amps will burn-out running with that impendance.

[Fineblend]

Almost did not see the TF recommendation, huge ups for that

No Aguilar love? Check out the AG500 m(Two models, one with out OD and one with), crazy good used deals and very versatile, these two heads have such an amazing EQ section

Eden gets a nod no matter the forum, and the Mark for the doe can not be beat.

[Gibfenderson]

1. Agree with the 4x10 recommendation. It's not much larger or heavier than a 2x10 but it moves more air and really pumps-up the band's sound.

2. Ampeg makes two 4x10 cabs: the BSE410 and the BSE410HLF. The latter is considered a higher-end model and is ported ("high-end" and "ported" are unrelated). I think it's a 4ohm cab too. I have the BSE410--I prefer the sound of a non-ported cab. Mine is an 8ohm cab.

One more thing: if you buy a cab and plan to add-on later, make sure you do your impedance calculations properly. If you buy a 4ohm cab today and add another extension cab later, that will ususally take you to 2ohms (assuming the extension is two ohms). Some amps will burn-out running with that impendance.


HUH??????? If I buy an 4ohm head now ; I should buy an 8 ohm cab if I plan to add another cab later???? The additional cab should be #*^ ohms?

Now my brain hurts! If a train leaves St. Louis at 3pm with two people drinking heavily and another train leaves Chicago 4 pm with 5 people and a midget drinking moderately. What time and station will a fight break out or how ohms do you need?

[Fineblend]

2 ohms = 2x 4 ohms

4 ohms = 2x 8 ohms

8 ohms = 2x 16 ohms

from tunemybass.com

Impedance

Impedance is a measure of resistance. When electricity flows to a load some of the electricity is resisted, or impeded. Impedance is measured in ohms (denoted with the Greek letter omega — Ω). Most bass cabinets have an impedance of 4 ohms or 8 ohms.
More ohms (higher number) means more resistance. The more resistance there is, the less power will flow to the speaker.
Bass amp heads specify how much power is sent to a load (a cabinet or group of cabinets) of a certain impedance (the amount of resistance measured in ohms). For example, you may see an amp rated “400 Watts @ 4 ohms”.
Let’s look at an example so you better understand all of this. A particular amp head might send 200 Watts into an 8-ohm load. That same amp might send 350 Watts into 4 ohms. More power will flow from an amp as the ohm rating (resistance) decreases. If you went down to 2 ohms, that same amp might send 600 Watts to the load.
All of this is important because amps are designed to work with a certain resistance in mind. If there is not enough resistance, the amp will put out more juice than the amp can handle, and it will overheat and burn up! You don’t want your precious bass amp catching fire no matter how cool it looks on stage.

[bassic83]

Get two 8 ohm cabs. Run together, they make 4 ohms, because:

8+8=4
8+4=2.67
4+4=2

[Ishouldbeking]

And if you run an 8 ohm cab and a 4 ohm cab together, the 4 ohm cab will drown the other out to the point where it would barely be worth combining them. Stupid ohms.

[Gibfenderson]

Ok. What if I run one 8 ohm cab to a four ohm head?

[The Golden Boy]

Ok. What if I run one 8 ohm cab to a four ohm head?

That's OK- you just don't want to go lower than the head.

[Ishouldbeking]

Ok. What if I run one 8 ohm cab to a four ohm head?

Yeah, like Golden Boy said, it's fine. The only noticeable difference is that the 8 ohm cab will be slightly quieter than if you were to run a 4 ohm cab thru a 4 ohm head.