Bass Amp with 1000 Dollar Budget.

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Drummerslink

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My Bass player is looking for suggestions from other bass players. We play loudly and alot of our space is full. We need him to have an amp that will be reliable in both rehearsal and live clubs/bars. About 1000 dollars in the Budget. What do you suggest? Thanks in advance.

DL
 
I'm a huge Ampeg freak (probably 'cause I used to build 'em). The Ampeg eyeslikefire posted is good.
 
Well, I'm more an SWR freak, but I don't know the other two rigs. Anyway, I guess with these rigs you can't go wrong, it'll come down to taste in sound.


Herwig
 
eyeslikefire said:
This one is $49.00 over your budget, but it might be "worth it" ;)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...004712476/search/g=home/detail/base_id/100235
Click to expand...
This is funny. Suddenly, the B-2R magically has 450WRMS! :D This is an error. Check the Ampeg B-2R Page for the actual (or rather claimed) output figures. Most owners I know share the belief that these ratings are probably rather exaggerated already without MF upping the claimed output another 100WRMS.

The B-2R is the identical amp as the SVT-350H, which resides in a fake SVT housing, BTW. I picked up a new SVT-350H for $289 at GC because an employee broke off the tips of a couple of the EQ faders unpacking it. That's about all the amp is really worth. A lot of folks use these, but the used market for B-2Rs and SVT-350Hs is around in the $300-$350 range. These are OK heads, but overpriced when new.

Speaking of Ampeg's interesting proclivity for packaging the same guts in different skins, I just found out that the rather mysterious and somewhat rare V-50H head shown here is in fact nothing but the insides from the late EL34 version of the vintagy Superjet in an entirely different oversized "heavy metal" case. For all the flimflam, it's a nice sounding amp anyway.
 
Yeah, I know they do that sometimes, but most of their stuff sounds good. I think the most popular is the SVT Classic. Thats what Gene Simmons uses. A friend of mine had a B2 and I think it was one of the best sounding bass combos I've ever heard.
 
Try out the Harkte new combo. It is about 700 $ and 300 watts i guess...
 
Acoustic Image

I've been a little out of the loop in gear-land the last few years (i.e., Ampegs seem to be to the popular thing), but my suggestion for what it's worth:

http://www.acousticimg.com

I have an older model Clarus head, which I got new 2 1/2 years ago for $500. I run it through a Bag End 1x12 cabinet which I got used for $200. I play a Modulus 6 string, and it sounds great throughout the whole range. These amps, I think, are a poor man's alternative to a Walter Woods. Almost all of their newer models should keep you under budget.

Since I live in New York City, portability is a key factor for me. The head weighs about 5 lbs.

I also have an ancient SWR SM-400, which sounds great, but which I bought used and has given me no end of maintenance problems.
 
Re: Acoustic Image

ataranto said:
http://www.acousticimg.com
Click to expand...
nice amps indeed, but I'm afraid you won't get half of the tone of the bass & amp out of an Ampeg cab... That's just a different kind of sound.

I also have an ancient SWR SM-400, which sounds great, but which I bought used and has given me no end of maintenance problems.
Click to expand...
too bad for you. I bought one of the last (new) SM400s'es (just before the 500) and it's rock solid for me. Has served me very, very well yet and won't probably be replaced ever. (except for a new tube every 2-3 years)


Herwig
 
Drummerslink said:
My Bass player is looking for suggestions from other bass players. We play loudly and alot of our space is full. We need him to have an amp that will be reliable in both rehearsal and live clubs/bars. About 1000 dollars in the Budget. What do you suggest? Thanks in advance.

DL
Click to expand...

I've got a truck load of bass rigs and I'd recommend you save your back and get a small combo bass amp, and a DI box.
 
I dunno it's exact name, but I think it's called the Ashdown EVO300. It's a 2x10" combo, with a 1" horn between the speakers, and has A LOT of tonal shaping material. We have those now in college (we used to have those crappy Mesa Boogie slanted tube bass-amps), but the Ashdowns sound amazing. I think more similar to Ampeg (kinda dirty) than to SWR (kinda clean).

anyway, the website is www.ashdownmusic.co.uk
 
Re: Re: Acoustic Image

DeadPoet said:
too bad for you. I bought one of the last (new) SM400s'es (just before the 500) and it's rock solid for me. Has served me very, very well yet and won't probably be replaced ever. (except for a new tube every 2-3 years)[/B]
Click to expand...

Lest I come across as critical of SWR, I should mention that my SM-400 is OLD (I think it's one of the first 50 built), and the guy I bought it from mistreated it a bit, I think. As long as I was able to use it, I ran it through a Goliath Jr. (occasionally through an on-loan Goliath), with excellent results. Actually, I plan to take it in for refurbishment: hopefully, I can find a pretext for using it again.

As I mentioned, portability is extremely important for me these days, so my SWR stuff is presently collecting dust (not something I'm happy about).

I did a funk gig once with a borrowed Redhead, and it blew me away. There's one on ebay right now (the old model), currently going for <$700. That might not be a bad bet.
 
thumbs up for ashdown as well.

ataranto: Rehead is too expensive imo. It cost about as much as my SM-400 + Goliath III rig when I bought those (maybe a few hundred bucks different)
But SWR ain't that portable (except maybe a baby blue, but that's not a lot of power...).



Herwig
 
To my ears ;

SWR: very clean and more of an "audiophile" sound. I have an older Workings Man's 300 head.

Ampeg and Ashdown: more gutsy sound available if you like...a little grit.

Trace Elliott: Very warm and puchy.

I think most of the best live bass sound I have heard in clubs were Trace Eliotts for my taste.
 
I play thru a Hartke - It s a fuckin power house- never had it past 5- got 2 410 cabs pluged into her- brutal- loud enough for the bigest clubs
 
I'm using a Sansamp RBI into a QSC PLX 1202 out of two Aguilar GS 112s. This setup is over your budget, but you can get something similiar in:

Sansamp RBI: $249 at www.fullcompass.com
QSC RMX 850 (bridged mono - 600W at 8 ohms, 830W at 4 ohms): $299 at Musician's Fiend (Full Compass should be cheaper)
Avatar B112 cabs, $200 each: www.avatarspeakers.com

Use just one 12" for practice, both for gigs, or if your bass player is a lot younger than me, get one of the Avatar 4x10 cabs.

For a little over the $1000 budget, he could pick up a 2x10 and a 1x15 cab.

Glenn D.
 
If you don't mind "older" amps, I'll tell you about the set up that I've had for 15 years. i've found amps that sound just as good, but never anything that sounded "better."

Gallien-Krueger 200RCB Head through a Bag End single 15" cabinet. (It made me stop using my 70's Ampeg SVT with 2 8x10" cabinets.)

This set up should run you between $400 - $600 "used."


Take care,
Tony
 
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