Bass Amp for Tone Concious Practice

Nola

Nola

Well-known member
Hey guys. So I want to practice bass more through an amp since it's a hassle going into a preamp just to practice.

I was looking at the Fender 40 Rumble since it's a 10" speaker and decent wattage to get some tone. But, I'm in an apartment, and I don't know if that will be suitable.

Is that a good amp for someone in an apartment who cares about tone a lot, even when practicing?
If not, or maybe just in addition so I can explore, can you recommend any other good practice amps for this situation?

Thanks!
 
What I have is a Gallien-Krueger MB500 head. I've also got a 4x10 cabinet that has been in the basement for the past couple of years. The Class D head doesn't require a speaker load, so it's direct out from the head into a compressor and then my interface. That's what I use for practicing, recording, or just noodling.
 
I really doubt that you can get a bass amp loud enough in an apartment for the tone to even matter very much. Those bass frequencies are going to pass right through thin apartment walls, floors, ceilings and bring your neighbors' wrath down upon you. I'd suggest sticking with the preamp and headphones in an apartment, unless you happen to live amongst deaf neighbors.

That said, I've only ever owned one bass amp in my life, and it's Ampeg's cheapest-of-the-cheap BA110. It looks comparable to the Rumble 40...its a 30 watt 1x10 combo practice amp. Other than the fact that it rattles like a motherfucker, I really like the way this little crappy practice amp sounds. It's become 100% of how I record bass now. I stick an Audix D6 in front of it, turn it down so the rattles are manageable, and holy crap I've been satisfied with my bass tone for the first time in years of trying. It shouldn't sound as good as it does...it's one of those mysteries of the universe.

But even 30 solid-state watts at about 40% volume is waaaaaay too loud for an apartment. Turn it down much more than that and it loses its character.
 
Tadpui said:
I really doubt that you can get a bass amp loud enough in an apartment for the tone to even matter very much.
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:(

Damn.

Do we have any sick rich members who want to buy nola a house! : D

Ugh.

I hate not being free.
 
Tadpui said:
I really doubt that you can get a bass amp loud enough in an apartment for the tone to even matter very much. Those bass frequencies are going to pass right through thin apartment walls, floors, ceilings and bring your neighbors' wrath down upon you.
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This.
 
Is that true even if I get a 8" speaker and get it off the ground?

Those 8" speakers are kind of midrangy and boxy with a tone I can't stand, but it might be acceptable for practice.

I do have a guitar amp.
Is it safe to play, at low volumes, my bass through a guitar amp (Fender Princeton)? Say...low volume and try not to give a powerful attack. I was concerned I'd blow the speaker or transformer so was leaning toward a dedicated bass amp.
 
Nola said:
Is that true even if I get a 8" speaker and get it off the ground?

Those 8" speakers are kind of midrangy and boxy with a tone I can't stand, but it might be acceptable for practice.

Is it safe to play, at low volumes, my bass through a guitar amp? Say...low volume and try not to give a powerful attack.
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Aren't you trying to get killer tone for practice because you care about tone a lot? Now you wanna compromise on speaker size or going through a guitar amp?

Yes, you can play your bass through a guitar amp at low volume.

Or just play through headphones like you've been doing.
 
Oh man, I hear you! I HATED living in an apartment. I'm way too loud of a person to share walls with other families. I talk loud, I play loud guitar, I watch loud movies, I listen to loud music, I play loud video games. Hell, I just bought a drum set, so I'm gonna be even louder.

Be patient, be smart, get a good education and a good job. Hell, even a bad job. Plan a little, save a little. Don't get 5 women pregnant or anything :D Housing will come eventually.

In the meantime, play bass direct through that sweet-assed preamp of yours.
 
Greg_L said:
Aren't you trying to get killer tone for practice because you care about tone a lot? Now you wanna compromise on speaker size or going through a guitar amp?
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The guitar amp has a 10" speaker that sounds great (on guitar). I was just wondering if I could use it without blowing the speaker, at say 2 or 3.

Originally I thought I could get a bass amp that sounded good, tone wise, but now that I realize I can't, I'm in compromise mode and willing to use what I have or any creative solution. I really don't like practicing with headphones, and I'd like to play out loud so I can accompany my girlfriend when she practices her instrument.
 
Tadpui said:
Oh man, I hear you! I HATED living in an apartment. I'm way too loud of a person to share walls with other families. I talk loud, I play loud guitar, I watch loud movies, I listen to loud music, I play loud video games. Hell, I just bought a drum set, so I'm gonna be even louder.

Be patient, be smart, get a good education and a good job. Hell, even a bad job. Plan a little, save a little. Don't get 5 women pregnant or anything :D

In the meantime, play bass direct through that sweet-assed preamp of yours.
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Oh man, I have two degrees. My education is just fine. But man, California is just insane. Houses in my area start around 1 mil.
It's brutal. I need to move if i want a higher quality of life but can't right now for life reasons.
 
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Nola said:
The guitar amp has a 10" speaker that sounds great (on guitar). I was just wondering if I could use it without blowing the speaker, at say 2 or 3.
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It'll be fine. Guitar speakers hate bass, but if you're not pushing them it's no big deal.
 
Nola said:
Oh man, I have two degrees in biology and computer science. My education is just fine. But man, California is just insane. Houses in my area start around 1 mil.
It's brutal. I need to move if i want a higher quality of life but can't right now for life reasons.
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Oh shit! Yeah, Cali just seems like an unlivable kind of hell for property value. It's so beautiful and the weather is so amazing that everybody wants to live there. And they can't all fit.

I live in the midwest. Brutal summers, brutal winters, nobody seems to want to pay for roads or education. But holy crap, it's a cheap place to live. Even in a metro area, cost of living is amazing compared to most other places in the country. I'm a computer programmer working in the travel industry, and on my meager salary I can at least afford a plot of land to call my own, plus gravy things like amps and drums and guitars. I'm having a hard time wanting to move elsewhere, even though I would love to move elsewhere.
 
Tadpui said:
Oh shit! Yeah, Cali just seems like an unlivable kind of hell for property value. It's so beautiful and the weather is so amazing that everybody wants to live there. And they can't all fit.

I live in the midwest. Brutal summers, brutal winters, nobody seems to want to pay for roads or education. But holy crap, it's a cheap place to live. Even in a metro area, cost of living is amazing compared to most other places in the country. I'm a computer programmer working in the travel industry, and on my meager salary I can at least afford a plot of land to call my own, plus gravy things like amps and drums and guitars. I'm having a hard time wanting to move elsewhere, even though I would love to move elsewhere.
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Exactly!
I built my stock portfolio around the masses migrating to the midwest. : /
 
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Nola, I have a little Peavey micro bass practice amp. Sounds fine.

I had a drum kit when I lived in a small flat (appartment)
 
The only amp I had when living in a flat for 3 years was a monster single cone Etone cab with a massive speaker in it. It had to have some volume to make all that paper move.
I was careful though & only played in the most exterior room with SHAG carpet floor and doors closed & not after 7pm.
 
Nola said:
Sweet, thanks Greg.
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For whatever it's worth, I've recorded about a million bass tracks through guitar amps at low volumes. If you like that sort of growly midrange bass tone, it's great, sounds great, and works fine. But I suck at music, so....
 
It wont fix your apt situation, but....
You can allways get a fender bassman.

A bass amp you can also play guitar through. :D
 
I've usually been able to find some kind of Crate that sounds good* at low volumes.

* My definition of "good" is probably most people's definition of bad. :D
 
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