Bass amp suggestions needed

d1dsj

d1dsj

Cornographer
Hey bottom feeders, I'm hoping you can help me get a decent bass amp for my new project. I've had a bass for a while now and if I'm honest never played it much. I've recently decided that's got to change and so with the drummer out of my other band, started a 3 piece band with me on bass. I have my bass guitars sorted and have a David Eden 2 x 10 XLT cab which I think is rated at 350watts but no amp as yet. Ideally I'd like a 300 -500 water and I've been looking on the bay at Eden amps and the Ampeg PF500. Out of those 2 manufacturers Ampeg are more readily available but I've heard conflicting views on newer low end Ampegs reliability? What other amps are going to deliver the goods without breaking the bank? Cheers.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

Funk- the BH500 does look bang for the buck, it can be had new for about £275! It's definitely on my list.... Cheers.

Synz- those Genz look pretty cool but as you say not common over here so I'm guessing they would be pricey... That's not to say I'm not going to keep my eyes open as that 6.2 does fit the bill :-)
 
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Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

GK makes some decent heads. I also like Peavey a lot. I would also consider Carvin or Roland.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

I have the TC Electronics BH250, and I love it! I can second (or third) the recommendations for the BH500.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

Dunno about across the pond, but Hartke 3500 are available for a proverbial song here and if you like that sort of tone might be just the ticket.

Of course, I like the "Drier" punchy sort of tone they are known for and am not generally a fan of Ampeg tones, so there's that....
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

I use a Hartke HyDrive 112C.

I noodled around with the similar price bass amps with a 6-string bass in guitar center and that is what I walked away with.

The 12" half-Alu speaker was much better able to hold together for the low B string than all the other 12" and most of the 15".

The cheap Ampeg is total garbage. I don't like that the TC comes with these canned programs that you cannot change. The GK didn't do anything really wrong but was clearly inferior to the Hartke. The Markbass stuff was the second choice after the Hartke but they are more expensive, the 2x10 lacked depth (duh) and I didn't like some detail about how the tweeter worked in the 15" combo.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

Well I was watching a Genz Benz shuttle 6 on the bay and missed the end of the auction as I had to go out with my better half. So I'm still looking although I am still a little daunted about what to get as Bass is still pretty new to me and I don't really know what I want my sound to be. Thanks for the suggestions so far though guys.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

I've used an Eden WT800 with two 210XLT's for years. Never had a problemo. So a WT300 or 500 should be a great matched set for you.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

Get a 15inch powered speaker and a Boss ME30b
Much lighter
Versatile
Can be used for Acoustic or vocals as well

Plenty loud

A bass amp is just a big clean pa with compressor and eq



*(Sent from my durned phone!)*
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

I have been using GK bass amps for 15 years now. Love them, swear by them and will be buried with them. When I moved from the US to Europe one of the first things I did was locate a GK.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

I've been messing a bit with my Hartke HyDrive 112C again.

The thing is. Once you have a decent power stage, and the sound-shaping gizmos you need, the speaker is the thing deciding whether the amp is any good or not. In a small combo amp that needs to compete with a drumset the speaker is what it hinges on.

The half-alu speaker in the Hartke is what made it stand out so much for me when I tested a variety of small amps in guitar center with a 6 string bass. It really projects a lot better.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

uOpt said:
I've been messing a bit with my Hartke HyDrive 112C again.

The thing is. Once you have a decent power stage, and the sound-shaping gizmos you need, the speaker is the thing deciding whether the amp is any good or not. In a small combo amp that needs to compete with a drumset the speaker is what it hinges on.

The half-alu speaker in the Hartke is what made it stand out so much for me when I tested a variety of small amps in guitar center with a 6 string bass. It really projects a lot better.
Click to expand...

This is absolutely true!

I used to run a GK 1001RB through a hartke 2x10 paired with a hartke 2x15 cab. This rig pounded and I loved it. The hartke cabs were equipped with aluminum drivers. Through the years my back got tired of going up and down stairs to play in dive bars through Minnesota winters... ice on steps the whole 9 yards. So, I sold the hartke cabs for GK neo driver cabs. Sure the new cabs were lighter but that same GK 1001RB amp could now barely hold it's own in a full band.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

For the record, my cheap-ish amp has these half alu cone speakers. Good compromise and the combo isn't too heavy.
 
Re: Bass amp suggestions needed

Some great info here guys and I really appreciate it. I am still looking for an amp, I have looked for a used Hartke HyDrive but nothing around. I have missed a couple of Genz amps, a 6.0 and a 9.2, for what appeared to be very reasonable prices. Regarding speakers, I'm still hopeful my little David Eden 2 x 10 XLT will be good enough for my limited needs and I guess as its 8 ohms I could always add another cab at a later date if the 3 piece band works out. Money is now considerably restricted due to my recent new guitar but I'm sure something will pop up.... Probably now I can't really afford it! Lol
 
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