Bass Combo Choices

[clinton]

Hi All

anyone have any experience with these bass combos:
Hartke A100
Fender Rumble 100w
Laney RB3 65watt

Also anyone got suggestions (aside from those listed) for a medium sized (50-100 watt) bass combo to be used in a small hall.

Thanks

ps.I know Hartke owns Behringer but apparantly their bass amps are quite good for the price.

[montage]

Maybe an SWR combo?

[ermghoti]

IMO, 50-100w is insufficient for playing in a rehearsal room with a rock drummer, let alone a hall. I have a SWR Basic Black (now replaced by the more powerful Black Beauty), which is 140w, and really submarginal in a loud band volume-wise, but sounds awesome, and is incredibly versaltile. It is also neither particularly large, or heavy. If you don't need the volume, it would be great, and they sell for about $300 nowadays.

[sile2001]

Go ahead and toss out the Fender Rumble 100. Those things are total pieces of crap, both in quality and in sound. I got rid of mine and went over to a Fender Bassman 250 2x10 combo and although I started off with 2 that were evidently from a bad quality run at Fender, the dealer took care of me and the 3rd has been going strong for almost a year now. Clear, punchy, responsive, and has sounded great with every bass I've played through it.

[EdWonbass]

If you are set on getting a small cheap combo check out the Ashdown Electric Blue series. I have the 180 watt with the 12" speaker and it works great. Light weight and has a nice tone. It also has an XLR out so you can run it into a PA or mixer for recording.

[clinton]

Thanks Guys

I live in South Africa so models like Ashdown and SWR are quite hard to get hold of cause they dont come into the country that often.

Basically the amps I see here in shops are like:
Peavey
Fender
Crate
Trace Elliott (if you're lucky)
Laney
Hartke
Behringer

Thats pretty much it..... In my area anyways.

[zacanger]

I've used the Hartke, it's very solid and dependable, great tone.

[banddomain]

Check out Ampeg. Great amps!

[daddyK]

yep - id say check the ampeg's out - best by far! Stay clear of the hartke - metal speakers

[Jouni]

I've got a weirrdd Laney combo.. 120watts, but last night played rehealsals with it, volume knob at 2, with a drummer and 2 guitarists..

But I like the tone of that combo, and some fellow bassists have complemented on that too.

[lpdeluxe]

I have an Ampeg B100R. I just got back from playing in a large venue Saturday. A sound company provided the PA. I set the Ampeg up on stage where the drummer and guitarists could hear me, plugged the Ampeg's line out into a direct box and then into a mic cable to the snake into the board. I was told it sounded great in the house and it functioned as a monitor onstage.

But that's not what I really like about the Ampeg: it sounds terrific with any bass I plug in.

[timboZ]

Originally Posted by clinton

ps.I know Hartke owns Behringer but apparantly their bass amps are quite good for the price.

I think they own samson not behringer.

BTW I just picked up a Eppi Valve Jr head tube 5 watt head.
I have been using it for my bass with a 15 in floor wedge. Sounds great.
It is louder than my 50 watt transistor amp.

[mharr552000]

I've got a Fender Bassman 100 combo with the 15" speaker and horn. Playing alone in my upstairs loft it will rattle the entire house and knock stuff off of the walls, but in a rock band situation it falls WAY short.

[episg]

Ashdown Five Fifteen, 100w, great amp! solid as a rock, and really easy to get a great tone.

[mrT]

I doubt many people will agree but Crate makes some alright bass amps. I've played quite a few and owned a BX-100. The BX-100 sounded better than the comparable Ampeg 15" IMO for a lot less. Not a bad option if you are on a budget. Plus they usually have good build quality.