Solid bass amps for a rock band?

greg_l said:
i did post in there, back when it was entertaining and there was an interesting cross-section of people there. It hasn't been that way for quite a while. Now it's just useless trolling shut-ins that argue about nonsense. I got banned from the cave because i used to regularly hurt the feelings of crybabies like you. Think about it, i was banned from a section of the board that only exists for trolls to fight with eachother. I was that good. I was like mike tyson in a children's beginner karate class. What does that say about you? Lol. I've been allowed back in the cave for a long time now though. Step your game up and maybe i'll go back.
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tl/dnr...
 
ya'll stop it ..... this is a decent thread about a legitimate subject so go bitch slap each other in the back room!
:D
 
Lt. Bob said:
Obviously if you feel you have plenty of volume in your band , how can I argue against that? You feel you do and that's the only thing that matters.
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My band isn't that loud. We sound better that way IMO. Maybe that's why the BA500 can keep up. I typically have my DC-5 volume knob at about 3.
 
Lt. Bob said:
IF they actually have the same wattage they will be around the same volume but speakers can have very different efficiencies.
If you take 1 12" speaker and it's 3 or 4 db more efficient it will be WAY louder than the one that's 3 or 4 db less efficient.

And while speaker size isn't necessarily a constraint on loudness .... for a bass actually moving air matters. 2x10s only have a certain amount of cone area and, unless they're VERY large excursion drivers can only move just so much air.

Obviously if you feel you have plenty of volume in your band , how can I argue against that? You feel you do and that's the only thing that matters.
But as a hired gun that regularly plays with all sorts of bands .... my experience is that you need at least a 4x10 and at least 400 watts to be able to really keep up with most rock bands.
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But don't put too much credence on published sensitivity figures for bass drivers at bass frequencies (and very little at all if they are not Celestions!)

The SPL of a bass cab is very much governed by the cab size and design. The aformentioned V30 will be just about as loud in a small as a large cab (but sound different of course). At LF you get what you pay for (and have to lug!) ref box size.

Then, most of the driver parameters relate to genteel audiophile levels, things change at heavy grunting rock volumes!

Dave.
 
Telegram Sam said:
Good man. :thumbs up:

I want a bass amp, this is a good thread.
I wonder if a 4x10 could be used with both a guitar amp and a bass amp,
so as to own just one cab.
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The 4x10 could handle both is it's full of bass speakers. I don't imagine it'd sound too great with a guitar though. On the flip side, guitar speakers don't like bass being run through them.

I want a bass cab myself. Just the cab though. I'd run my bass through one of my Marshall heads and then into a bass cab - Lemmy style.
 
"I'd run my bass through one of my Marshall heads and then into a bass cab - Lemmy style."

I know people do that Mr G but it is very hard on valves.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
I know people do that Mr G but it is very hard on valves.

.
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but that has little to do with cabs. And since there are a lot of classic bass amps that use valves I wonder what magic potion made bass NOT be hard on those valves. How do the valves know whether it says guitar or bass in the amp's model name?

Greg ......... I've run my guitar thru my GK 2x10 cab before ...... sounded great. I think if you check a lot of bass speakers go as high in freq. as guitar speakers. Not all of the of course but some do. These seemed to.
I got a very big fat sound for guitar outta that cab.
 
Lt. Bob said:
but that has little to do with cabs. And since there are a lot of classic bass amps that use valves I wonder what magic potion made bass NOT be hard on those valves. How do the valves know whether it says guitar or bass in the amp's model name?

Greg ......... I've run my guitar thru my GK 2x10 cab before ...... sounded great. I think if you check a lot of bass speakers go as high in freq. as guitar speakers. Not all of the of course but some do. These seemed to.
I got a very big fat sound for guitar outta that cab.
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Depends on the amp of course but many guitar amps use pretty puny output transformers.
These are more than good enough to load the valves adequately down to 100, even 80 Hz or so but run out of inductance soon after that. Look at the size of the traffs in a EL84 10W hi fi amp? Getting on for a 50W geetar jobbie!

No great harm will come to the amp, just be aware that you might get through EL34s or whatever a bit quicker than usual.

Dave.
 
Lt. Bob said:
but that has little to do with cabs. And since there are a lot of classic bass amps that use valves I wonder what magic potion made bass NOT be hard on those valves. How do the valves know whether it says guitar or bass in the amp's model name?

Greg ......... I've run my guitar thru my GK 2x10 cab before ...... sounded great. I think if you check a lot of bass speakers go as high in freq. as guitar speakers. Not all of the of course but some do. These seemed to.
I got a very big fat sound for guitar outta that cab.
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I don't see why an amp would care at all whether a guitar a or bass is plugged into it. What makes a bass harder on tubes than a guitar? I like the sound of a crunchy bass, so it seems like a natural thing to do. :laughings:

A 2x10 is what I've been thinking of getting. Avatar makes one for like 300 bucks. This would be only for recording.
 
ecc83 said:
Depends on the amp of course but many guitar amps use pretty puny output transformers.
These are more than good enough to load the valves adequately down to 100, even 80 Hz or so but run out of inductance soon after that. Look at the size of the traffs in a EL84 10W hi fi amp? Getting on for a 50W geetar jobbie!

No great harm will come to the amp, just be aware that you might get through EL34s or whatever a bit quicker than usual.

Dave.
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ahhhhhh ....... thanks. Cool info.
 
Since you're on a budget, you might consider an older Peavey setup. They are under valued and built like a tank. Should fit in well with 60s & 70s stuff. I have several older Peavey guitar amps, but only one Peavey bass amp (Delta Bass), so I'm not particularly familiar with all the models (pros & cons). If you want to explore this option, you might want to jump over to the Peavey bass amp forum and ask around...

http://forums.peavey.com/
 
First decide whether you're shooting for 10s or maybe a biamped 15/18 + 10/8 setup. There are advantages to both, so if you haven't already get to your local stores and give a listen to some and find out what sounds best for your style of music. For $700 budget, you're probably going to look used. Sometimes you can buy great cabs (like a Peavey 1820) that are unloaded for cheap (bought my first one for $50.) Then hit up EV or whoever's speakers you like and load 'er up.

Vintage amps will give you great vintage sound. There are some givens...SVTs are going to give you one of the best sounds available. But don't be afraid to go cheaper. Any amp with a direct out (like my Yamaha B100) can be run with power amps you can buy at the local pawns for CHEAP. BTW, saw a B100 online after you asked this for just $80...just sayin', great tone, great possibilities.

New amps that will keep your budget together, if you're looking used, include the Peavey Tour 450 with built in EQ and lots of other tonal shaping is a definite contender. SWR makes a 400w that I've never played/heard, but gets pretty stout reviews. Gallien Kruger 400 (which BTW is only 280W) actually kicks really well if you can get a good 4 Ohm cab with good SPL...

But like I said, get out and hear some stuff. If you have a major Guitar Center somewhere near you, you can sometimes find some great deals on used stuff, plus get your ears around some great equipment. The local here (Raleigh, NC) doesn't ever mind me bringing my own axes.
 
I'm not a bass player, but I've played in many rock bands at various levels (from garage to major-label arena rock) and I've always found the best bang for the buck is use a great cabinet (one guy I played with got amazing results with H&K Pro Bass Series 4x10 cabs; they're discontinued but you could probably find some on eBay. Otherwise, Ampeg is always a solid choice) powered by a power amp (no EQ or anything, just a volume knob) with a Sans Amp Bass Driver for tone (Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver | Sweetwater.com). This works well because the sound guy can pull a DI off the Sans Amp AND mic up the cabinet for a really huge, full sound in the house mix. Also, the Sans Amp allows for many different tones, which is handy for altering tones to match different playing styles (fingers, pick, slap).
 
creekster said:
Since you're on a budget, you might consider an older Peavey setup. They are under valued and built like a tank. Should fit in well with 60s & 70s stuff. I have several older Peavey guitar amps, but only one Peavey bass amp (Delta Bass), so I'm not particularly familiar with all the models (pros & cons). If you want to explore this option, you might want to jump over to the Peavey bass amp forum and ask around...

Peavey Forums • Index page
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that's not a bad idea. They've made some decent bass heads you could get for pretty cheap I think.
 
chaimesparker said:
I'm looking for a solid bass amp that can handle gigging out. I'm mostly playing 60s-70s style rock music. I've got a pretty tight budget, but am willing to dish what I can for an amp I can be happy with for a good long while. $700 is probably the most I can do.

Any suggestions?
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Humongous Ampeg, if you can swing it.
 
creekster said:
Since you're on a budget, you might consider an older Peavey setup. They are under valued and built like a tank. Should fit in well with 60s & 70s stuff. I have several older Peavey guitar amps, but only one Peavey bass amp (Delta Bass), so I'm not particularly familiar with all the models (pros & cons). If you want to explore this option, you might want to jump over to the Peavey bass amp forum and ask around...

Peavey Forums • Index page
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I have to second the comments about Peavy. They cost a little less than others but do hold up.
 
Johnny Don't! said:
I'm not a bass player, but I've played in many rock bands at various levels (from garage to major-label arena rock) and I've always found the best bang for the buck is use a great cabinet (one guy I played with got amazing results with H&K Pro Bass Series 4x10 cabs; they're discontinued but you could probably find some on eBay. Otherwise, Ampeg is always a solid choice) powered by a power amp (no EQ or anything, just a volume knob) with a Sans Amp Bass Driver for tone (Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver | Sweetwater.com). This works well because the sound guy can pull a DI off the Sans Amp AND mic up the cabinet for a really huge, full sound in the house mix. Also, the Sans Amp allows for many different tones, which is handy for altering tones to match different playing styles (fingers, pick, slap).
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Yes, they--(Ampegs)--are excellent for any venue, even at lower volumes.

But, who wants lower volumes?
 
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