Let's talk bass amps.

[Nightburst]

Does anyone know a good bass amp suitable for gigs somewhere in the €500 range?
I kinda know what's good for guitar but for bass I'm at a loss.

What are the fine brands?

Trace Elliot?
Ampeg?
Eden?
SWR?

[The Owl]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

Hartke makes good bass heads (just none to crazy about their speakers which blow too easily). I had a Hartke head a while back and it sounded killer!

Yorkville makes good bass heads too

Eden and SWR are very good, a bit on the high-end price wise if you're constrained $-wise though.

Epifani makes great amps and cabs too

And don't forget Gallien-Kruger, their stuff willl last for years!

However, stay away from Fender, Peavey and Crate, their bass amps are complete CRAP!

[Thames]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

SWR Workingman 1x15 is a damn great lil' amp!

[Thurisarz]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

Ampeg does great stuff but it's expensive, Trace Elliot is good, but i would like to recommend Ashdown! Getting my practice amp hopefully next week, Perfect 10 it's called. If it's good, i'm getting a 4x10 also!

[LesStrat]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

Check this out:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=6134&highlight=roland

These can be had for about $500. They make a bigger one as well.

[Norman_T]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

Laney, Carlsboro, Ashdown - would be my recommendations at the sort of prices that you want. Stay clear of Hartke. SWR and Trace Elliots are good but they can be expensive and so can Ampegs.

I presume you are looking for something in the region of 100-150W with either a a 12" or 15" speaker - this should be more than adequate for any small gigs and band practices.

FWIW - my bass rigs are as follows - Ashdown 120W with 15" speaker, Carlsboro 100W 12" speakers (2 of), Polytone Teeny Brute 50W with an ext 12" speaker, Laney B2 750W 2X10 and 1X15 speaker

[Nightburst]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

You guys rock, thanks for the quick responses!
I think a 1x15 should be sufficient? I have no clue about the wattage in bass amps, they always seem to have a lot of watts onboard.

[Norman_T]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

You guys rock, thanks for the quick responses!
I think a 1x15 should be sufficient? I have no clue about the wattage in bass amps, they always seem to have a lot of watts onboard.

1x15 is an excellent choice as it will give you that low end grunt when you need it - nothing wrong with having x10s or whatever but if it is just going to be one speaker than that is what you should get. As for bass amps having a lot of power - this is because you need to have adequate clean headroom without it distorting. Typically you will need to have 3 or 4 times what guitar amps put out just so that you can keep up with them. Another way of looking at is that you will find in PA's the bass (sub woofers) will have quite high power ratings to the rest of the PA.

An interesting thing to do the next time you are at a concert is to bend down and you will notice the drop in volume, particularly in the bass region.

[Nightburst]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

Yes that makes a lot of sense, thanks for the explanation.

I thought that bass tones always sound the same anywhere in a room?
With band rehearsal we've found that the bass sounds pretty much the same standing on the floor or on a chair or the drumstage. It's a 1x15 Peavey and it's nothing special to say the least.

[LesStrat]

Re: Let's talk bass amps.

Generally true. Bass travels differently. Also, do not stand right by your amp when playing. You will keep cranking the volume trying to hear it, and everyone else will suffer from ear bleeds . It's best to stand 6-10 feet away.

The Roland amp I recommended is a sweet deal. My dad has one, and he uses it for gigs in small venues with no problems. It has a digital "speaker size" selector that is pretty cool, and really does sound as though you are switching from a 12 to a 15" speaker. Interesting feature.