Lets talk bass amps

[Tom M]

Re: Lets talk bass amps

Keep in mind all the SVT's you guys are raving about are a completely different monster than the B-series. I have a B3 combo amp (discontinued). It sounds pretty decent for a solid state amp, but any of the tube Ampegs would be a vast improvement on it.

The Gallien-Kruegers are probably the best sounding SS amps I've used. Stay far away from Crate, I blew one of their bass heads up a while back.

One thing - how much is your bassist looking to spend on an amp, and what are the guitar amps in the band? That really determines everything.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Lets talk bass amps

Look for a previous generation Carvin Red Eye bass amp. Lots of power and tonal control with a great sounding tube preamp. The newer ones still sound good, but they don't have tubes.

[Ken]

Re: Lets talk bass amps

Correction:

The Redeye I played through was the Cyclops model. It contains a 15" with two 8" speakers on top and the tweeter, not the two 10" speakers as I thought. The 1x15" w/ 2x10" comes as two separate cabs.

The Cyclops still sounds great. If I were looking for a good, versatile and reliable SS amp, that would be the one for me.

[mr breaker]

Re: Lets talk bass amps

for guitar amps we're using a JCM 2000 DSL and a JCM 900. Probably looking to spend 600-800 on a used bass rig...I think just a 4x10 cab will probably do the trick...no need for a huge 8x10 or anything.

[Norman_T]

Re: Lets talk bass amps

for guitar amps we're using a JCM 2000 DSL and a JCM 900. Probably looking to spend 600-800 on a used bass rig...I think just a 4x10 cab will probably do the trick...no need for a huge 8x10 or anything.

That sounds a good way to go having a 4x10 cab, but I do think if you can get a 2x10 cab and also a 1x15 cab (the latter to handle the lower end) then that is going to be the sensible way to go. Why you ask?

It's what I use and found to be a lot more versatile and I have been gigging for the last 20 years. Whilst the 2x10 and even the 4x10 will give you that nice clean punchy sound - you will or the bass player will miss the lower end.

My main rig is a Laney B2 2x10 combo (this pushes out in total 750W - clean power). What I used to find on some gigs was I missed that lower end, particularly if I was doing any rock/blues stuff. I purchased a Laney 1x15 cabinet and hey presto my low end was back. With this combination you will have your mids and highs plus the low end. I do think that this would be the way for you and your bassist to go.

Of course I don't always take out my main bass rig and sometimes just take out my combo alone but I also have a number of other bass amps when I don't need all that power.

[mr breaker]

Re: Lets talk bass amps

yeah, I figured, get a 4x10 for now, and then pick up a 1x15 whenever we find a good deal on one