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looking for a bass amp...

NewJPageNewJPage Posts: 3,309
edited June 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
ok, here's the deal...

due to some circumstances in my band, i'm gonna need to pick up the bass for a bit, so i'll be needing an amp. i'm looking for something that handle small gigs and some good loud jamming, but nothing too huge or expensive. hoping to spend under $400. any suggestions of places to start my search would be appreciated. thanks...

matt
6/26/98, 8/17/00, 10/8/00, 12/8/02, 12/9/02, 4/25/03, 5/28/03, 6/1/03, 6/3/03, 6/5/03, 6/6/03, 6/12/03, 6/13/03, 6/15/03, 6/18/03, 6/21/03, 6/22/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03, 10/3/04, 10/5/04, 9/9/05, 9/11/05, 9/16/05, 5/16/06, 5/17/06, 5/19/06, 6/30/06, 7/23/06, 8/5/07, 6/30/08, 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 5/4/10, 5/7/10, 9/3/11, 9/4/11, 10/11/13, 10/17/14, 8/20/16
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Comments

  • parchyparchy Posts: 205
    Peavey TKO 115 Combo is perfect for you... it pushes some serious air in not-too-big settings, and it's more than you need for just jamming around... it was my first true bass amp and it can take a beating... it had about a 200 pound portable amp system fall on it and all it came away with was a mini scratch...


    It's perfect for small gigs though... if you're going larger, you'll need to upgrade, but for your needs, it will do fine
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  • evenflowrocksevenflowrocks Posts: 96
    whatever you don't get a SWR workingmans. I bought the 1-15 combo for the small gigs it was "perfect for" and blew it up twice!the repair guys had nothing good to say about it either and werent suprised when I brought it back the second time. now it sits in my basement collecting dust. should've stayed true to peavey, very durable and good sounding too. peace
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  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Both Crate and Peavey make good 1x15" combo bass amps that work well. When I found myself in EXACTLY the same situation a few years ago, I got myself a Crate BX-100, and it was great, reliable, and worked for every situation, and I think it cost me about $400 brand new. In fact, it's probably the only big item (other than my drums) that I ever bought brand new. My advice: get one with an XLR Direct Out, so you can hook straight up to PA systems for gigs. 15" speakers are great for bass, but they don't mic up well.

    Stay away from Fender bass amps, they suck...

    Ampeg and SWR make great stuff, but their entry-level stuff isn't well-built. If you don't want to spend $1,000 or more, get something else.

    Gallien Krueger is one of my favorites for gigging bass rigs. They might be a bit more than you want to spend, but they sound great and are incredibly reliable. A Backline amp or a used RB400 on top of a 4x10" cabinet would be a great rig.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    Originally posted by NewJPage
    ok, here's the deal...

    due to some circumstances in my band, i'm gonna need to pick up the bass for a bit, so i'll be needing an amp. i'm looking for something that handle small gigs and some good loud jamming, but nothing too huge or expensive. hoping to spend under $400. any suggestions of places to start my search would be appreciated. thanks...

    matt

    That was my first amp. Pain to move though.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

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  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    I have a Ampeg B2r rack mount head, that I'm about to put on ebay.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

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  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    SWR workingmans series is the biggest waste of money potentially in the bass amp industry. They are horrid.

    It's ashamed because their other amps are fantastic.

    In that range, Dead budget cheap, I'm with parchy some kind of 1x15 be it Peavy, Trace Elliot or otherwise. My personal favorite is the Ampeg BA115. Somebody said the B2R, that's a good one, As is the B4 and B5 series. The AVT's are probably a bit pricey for your dime. Also budget, you could look for a bass preamp and and old 200 to 1000 watt power amp and that will be more than ample. Depending on how long you've been playing you may have one around.

    If you want a tighter sound, a 4x10 external cab and some kind of head in the range of 300 watts or so is much more focused albiet more expensive. Some even have tweeters so you get a more focused high end as well.

    They won't be in your price range but my favorite 4x10's and 1x15/18's so far are the Ampeg HLF's. There are many ample 4x10's and other options around though depending on your wallet and the strength in your back. You can probably find a Gallien Kruger Backline cab for pretty cheap.


    You can always upgrade later. Go around play a few, at loud full volume and look for clarity, you want it to be at full concert volume with zero distortion. If you want that later you can add pedals. Basses are the balls, heart and soul of the band no matter what your guitar player thinks (and I am one) you should be the loudest guy up there besides the drummer so make sure your rig will be loud and clear and able to take that kind of pounding night in and night out.


    Bottom line, power is clarity, Clarity is Golden you can add distortion and other crap later. just don't push your speakers too hard and make sure you always match the proper ohm levels.


    I've had success with the Ampeg's of all quality levels (BA115 being my low end fav) though Crate is the lower line and I'm usually a big believer in staying away from the lowest end of a quality brand (see Mercedes C class why germany why?)


    I'd bet in your price range a used Peavy, Hartke,Carvin, Crate, Trace Elliot, or Gallien Kruger will serve you well and you should be able to find good ones in the 400 dollar range.


    here's some carvins to look at so you'll be familiar with other brands you might see.

    http://www.carvin.com/products/group.php?CID=BA
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Gallien Krueger RB400 head on top of a 4x10" cabinet...

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10171&item=3729596194&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10171&item=3729341995&rd=1
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    Originally posted by All Those Yesterdays
    I have a Ampeg B2r rack mount head, that I'm about to put on ebay.

    Deffinately 4 10's or even 4 8's either have tons of bass, and are really punchy!
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

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