Bass Amps

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MatchBookNotes

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Hey, my girlfriend wants to start playing bass what kind of amp would be good in the 100-500 range that could also be gigged with? I don't know that much about good bass tone so all suggestions are appreciated, thanks muchly :D
 
I don't have the answer to that one, but it will make a difference as to what kind of music, the other bandmembers (instrumentation), and how big a venue she expects it to fill. A singer/songwriter duo or trio in a coffeehouse is obviously a different thing than thrash metal with 3 guitar players plying old theaters turned into clubs.
 
A friend has a Fender Bassman combo and likes it a lot.

A few years ago I checked out bass amps and basically tried out everything I could plug my bass into. I concluded that there wasn't much out there for under $500. I ended up with an Ampeg B100R, which I got before the price jumped over $500, and gigged happily with it for a couple of years. Its only disadvantage was weight (65 lb). Now I use a Hartke HA2500 (about $250) and a Hartke 210TP (discontinued, but still available for around $150). The head weighs 20 lb and the cab, 34, so it's portable. I like the sound, and it has a small footprint.
 
My first amp was a fender BXR 60 that I bought used for 150. For 100-150 dollars, you will get more amp for the money if you buy used. People have decently loud combos for that price on craigslist quite often. Pretty much everything sold new for that price will be a little practice amp...so if she wants to play gigs anytime soon a practice amp won't cut it. Get something a little bigger used and there will be enough power to start playing gigs.
 
Try pawn shops...mine has 2 of those bassmans.

I use a nice monoblock slave poweramp and a sansamp by tech 21...since Im a tech I got this setup cheaply because I had to put a screwdriver to it...but it cuts the nuts off anyones bass setup Ive ever heard.
 
I'm partial to my SWR Basic Black. They've been discontinued a while, but they turn up used in decent shape for $250-300 pretty regularly. They'll play with a moderate to loud band, especially with an extension speaker. Very versatile sound, a little imposing looking, but quite light. Cats love the fuzzy covering.
 
There are a great many entry level bass amps that are practically useless. It's reasonably easy to find pretty good -- and lightweight -- gear for under $500. I hate to see people buying junk when they could get something useful.

This is true even if a person doesn't stay with the bass: you'll get more back out of a good amp when you sell than some disposable POS.
 
well the guitarist plays through a peavy delta blues with the 15inch black widow, so I was thinking something with a 15inch driver... maybe that power amp method is the way to go if its not to difficult, she's not predisposed to musical instruments and EQing.
 
Ashdown makes some pretty good smaller bass amps. I've got a MAG300T combo with 2 10's, and I like it a lot.
 
Kustom Groove 310C Bass Combo Amp is the biggest bang for the buck right now
Musicians friend is blowing them out for 500 Bennys.
 
i'm canadian, musiciansfriend ain't my buddy, guy! :o

there's a local kustom dealer in town, he's a douche but I'll venture over there, thanks for the suggestion.
Power doesn't really matter all that much when you can mic the cab, right?
what are the dynamic differences between 15inch and 10inch?
 
MatchBookNotes said:
Power doesn't really matter all that much when you can mic the cab, right?
what are the dynamic differences between 15inch and 10inch?
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Well, for the audience power doesn't matter so much if you are going into the PA. For the musician, it's a bit of a different story, since even if you go through the monitors, most monitor systems roll off low end pretty severely.

The dynamic diffs between 10 and 15 inch speakers can get pretty complex. Ten inch speakers made for bass will perform much better than 15 inch speakers that are not.
 
Yeah, I'd hesitate to generalize. I play some 5 string, so I like to have a bigger speaker, as they can usually be trusted to get into those ultra low B string fundamentals a little better. For a four-string tuned standard or D, a 4x10 will have plenty of lows, and probably better punch.

Something about a P bass and 15's for pure weapons-of-bass-destruction fun though. My "big" rig is the Basic Black and a Son of Bertha, so it's two 15s and 2 tweeters in two enclosures. Plenty of punch and snap available, but it'll reach down to about 30 Hz pretty well.
 
I owned 2 Ampegs with 15s (B15N, B100R) and they both had great tone. I've usually preferred 10s (used a Music Man head for a long time with a Hartke 410XL) but when I downsized I ended up with Hartke 115 and it was tubby sounding. That's when I got the Hartke 210.

Like the man says, generalizations don't get you very far.
 
Try an old Acoustic brand amp. The combos are always stupid cheap and the tone is definitely usable. The boxes were nice pine too, try finding her a 1x15 Acoustic amp, should cost $150-200 and if she gives up you can sell it for $150 to $200.
 
craigslist

fender has some good combo amps for under $500. well, decent at least.

your best bet is to look for bass amps on craigslist. just search for "bass amp" in the musical instruments for sale section. a lot of people are unloading their gear due to the rough economy.

ebay is another option, but then you'd have to pay s/h which is expensive.

~ riCh
 
so 15" is for the heavy low end and 10" are more for the punchy bass sound? What if you use 1x15+1x10? well her current band bassist generally plays rock-jam-funk and he'd probably borrow it if his dumbass hasn't gotten an amp yet. Her I think she wants something that would handle rock+punk kind of stuff so would 10" be more ideal for that sound?

there's also not a lot on kamloops.craigslist. its a small city.
 
MatchBookNotes said:
so 15" is for the heavy low end and 10" are more for the punchy bass sound? What if you use 1x15+1x10? well her current band bassist generally plays rock-jam-funk and he'd probably borrow it if his dumbass hasn't gotten an amp yet. Her I think she wants something that would handle rock+punk kind of stuff so would 10" be more ideal for that sound?

there's also not a lot on kamloops.craigslist. its a small city.
Click to expand...

Why not go with a Traynor/Yorkvile? They're a Canadian company. Maybe you could find a deal? I've heard nothing but good things about them. I know a guy who plays through a Traynor YBA200. That thing is pure sex!!! Out of your price range but it put them on my short list for when I go looking for a new amp.

Fletch
 
That's not a bad idea, we're already a traynor house hold with yga-2 & yga-3 and i saw a couple of months ago the old traynor bass amps go for a fair price on egay now to accumilate $$$ and keep a sharp eye...

but what kind of cab would be best suited to yba's?
 
MatchBookNotes said:
so 15" is for the heavy low end and 10" are more for the punchy bass sound? What if you use 1x15+1x10? well her current band bassist generally plays rock-jam-funk and he'd probably borrow it if his dumbass hasn't gotten an amp yet. Her I think she wants something that would handle rock+punk kind of stuff so would 10" be more ideal for that sound?

there's also not a lot on kamloops.craigslist. its a small city.
Click to expand...

Again, that's a lot of generalization, and how 10's vs. 15's sound is not that simple. I'd advise evaluating amps/spkrs on a case by case basis; there's a lot of variability. I've got an SVT in my studio with 8-10's, and it has all the low end you'd ever want or need. I use an Ashdown 2-10 combo over a single 15 extension cab on stage, and the 15 definitely filled in the low end. OTOH, I ran sound a couple of weeks ago in a small venue for a band whose bassist had this tiny combo GK amp with 1 12 in it. I ran his line out to the board but I didn't need it; that little amp kicked butt!
 
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