Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Ken

Ken

PlayingWithDollsologist
I have about $600 to spend (could stretch to ~7 bills if I need to) and really need to get a good bass amp for small-stage use (venues of any significant size I prefer to go direct anyway). I can't really give an idea of power handling but I think I need to be in the 200-400 watt range (400 would be massive overkill, methinks).

Styles: Jazz, swing, funk, rock (mostly classic)

Speaker preference: 4x10", at least 2x10" I really like the sounds I've gotten out of Carvin's Redeye with the 15" and 2x10" but a 15" is not a necessity. I do not like 12s for bass.

Sound: Tight bottom that isn't overbearing. Most of the stuff is jazz/swing which requires a subtle bass. It'd be nice to have the ability to get a solid bass end for the funk situations, but I don't want anything flabby. Definition in the mids and a slight roll off in the treble range to give way to the guitars/other instruments.

I'm open to head/cab or combo options. So far I've glanced at the Carvin 2x10" combo and the Gallien Kruegers (combos as well as head/cab).
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

I play bass myself, and in my opinion, there is no 10" speaker that can provide enough lowend for band use. 10's tend to have a frequency peak that makes the midrange sound "harsh" and "clanky" to my ears, too.

I recommend that you should try all the bass combos you can find. Especially the ones with good 15's, since 15-inchers just fills out everything with a warm and smooth sound, and to my ears, the rumors about them are not true.

If you want a very "hi-fi", deep, warm and clear bass sound for jazz\low volume applications, get a SWR Workingmans 15. For rock, the best you can get for your money IMO, is an Aguilar cab, and a Peavey bass head (cheap).

Anyway, sorry for the inconsistency of this post. I'm just a bit tired (slept for 15 hours) :). Good luck though!

-Erlend
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

If a 10" speaker can't give you enough low end for band usage...I shudder to think at how much you think is "enough" :wink:

Thanks for the tip on the SWRs. I remember hearing about them a while back but couldn't remember if they were worthwhile or not.
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Well... "enough" lows to me, is bass that can be felt.

I need a pair of good 15's, with a powerful amp, to have "enough" lows when i'm practicing with my band.

Bass is all about making your nuts shake, imo :D
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Hehe, my 2x10 Ashdown ABM300 combo doesn't just make my nuts shake :)
When the guy behind the bar starts yelling to 'Turn the G###### thing down' because glass and bottles of precious liquids start shaking too much and he fears they'll drop and shatter, you just know you're doing it right :bigthumb:
My previous amp, an EBS300 Gorm 2x10, was even louder, with an awful lot of bottom end.
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

I saw a band play on a very small stage the other night, and the bassist was using a Hartke. I don't have any experience with them personally, but I thought the sound was great.
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

10's cannot give enough lows.

Atleast no 10's i've seen can. :)
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Erlend_G said:
10's cannot give enough lows.

Atleast no 10's i've seen can. :)
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Have you never noticed that fact that a major number of professional bass players get plenty of low end out of 10" speakers? I use 6 10" speakers...ampeg has practically built their bass amplifier company ont heir 8x10" cabinet.....the bass market is the place where 10" speakers still have a major viable foothold, as it's being lost on guitar players.

I play in an alternative rock, heavy bass band...and I have MORE than enough low end, even too much and I'm just using a 300 watt Peavey combo through a peavey 4x10 cab!
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

I'm not sure how they are priced but check out the new Mark Bass line from Italy. Jef fBerlin is endorsing them and I heard them at school this past week. They are butt ugly but they sound very nice and they seem to have quite an extensive line.
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Well, i'm talking LOWS, not low mids. ;)
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

the bass guitar does not produce LOWSSSSS.....it doesn't go much below 50Hz.......yet the woofers in my DAli stereo speakers will go down to around 30 and get very loud.......and they are 8 inch cones
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Keep an eye out for the older GK 800 RB's; they're major workhorses and you can dial in alot of great sounds with them. Newer ones aren't nearly as good though.

Despite the hatred for 10's I dug my Hartke 4x10 cab. I ended up handing it off to my brother who plays on a professional level and he uses it all the time out in Los Angeles.

Funny story; I got the GK from him. He found someone that was letting it go for a deal, but the issue was that he had this homemade 8x10 cabinet that HAD to go with it. The cab was big and heavy and ugly. We took the deal, he sent me the GK and for the cost of a burning permit on the beach which he tacked onto my price we found a home for the cab...after removing the speakers first.
 
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Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

The Mark Bass amp that I heard has two cone and a piezo tweeter. It also had a ported cabinet which allowed it to produce big sound in a light package. It was producing enough low bass that the sound became onmidirectional in the medium size room we were playing in. Sometimes I couldn't tell where the amp was and other times, it sounded like it was right next to me even though i was across the room. Nice tight sound though.
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

jdm61 said:
the bass guitar does not produce LOWSSSSS.....it doesn't go much below 50Hz.......yet the woofers in my DAli stereo speakers will go down to around 30 and get very loud.......and they are 8 inch cones
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1. The E-string of a bass guitar has a base frequency of 41.2 hertz. The B string on a 5-stringed bass has a base frequency of 30.9 hertz. So don't tell me that a bass doesn't go under 50 hertz.

2. Your dali's are hi-fi speakers. I'm talking PA\Bass guitar amplification. You gotta understand the difference. Also, i seriously doubt that your speakers would amplify a 30hz sine wave signal "very loud" either.

-Erlend
 
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Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

10's produce a sound you can still feel, but it's more an in-the-chest feel than a through-the-feet feel that 15's make.

When he says "tight bottom that isn't overbearing," he's saying tens to me.

I've heard plenty of bands playing 6x10 or 8x10 cabs that hurt with the low end they're throwing out.
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Tom M said:
I've heard plenty of bands playing 6x10 or 8x10 cabs that hurt with the low end they're throwing out.
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Hell yeah! H&K have an incredible 6x10 in their Quantum-series. Now that's one cab that really makes you shake on your feet! :notworthy
But the threadstarter wasn't asking for something that big :)

I suggest looking at Ashdown. I don't know how far you'll get at 600-700 USD, but those amps will get you anywhere. From my ABM300 C210T, I can get anything from a clean and refined pop-and-slap tone to a dirty tube roar (and everything inbetween). More affordable Ashdown series do not provide that tube dirt, but the clean tone is there. I think you can get the MAG-series at fairly good prices. Those are available in several combo sizes and a head version with a power of 300 watts. Well worth considering. There's also the Electric Blue series, but those are more down to (band) practice level, not so much for gigging I guess, at 180 watts.
 
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Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

being able to throw low bass has less to do with cone size and more to do with cone excursion and amplifier power. Low bass requires more power and you get some funny resistance dips. Why does the average bass amp have 4 times as much rated power as a comparable guitar amp? By the way, about thhe only instruments that require a reference quality (flat to sub-sonic)speaker or sub to be heard completely are a pipe organ (low pedal tones) and a contra-basoon. 30-35 Hz is more than adequate fordouble bass and bass guitar. And that is assuming that you want your bass to sound like a stereo and not a bass. Most bass amps are rated as being flat from 45 Hz on up.:bigthumb: As for my speakers, I do believe that they will play their full spectrum up to somewhere north of 110 Db. I have them in a small room and cannot turn the amp up above the 10 o' clock position and I am not using a 400-600 watt reference quality amp.
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

So what the heck is your point? All i can see is a bunch of inconsistent nonsense, with your opinions changing every post. And also, stop trying to misquote me, you'll only look dumb doing it.

Peace out,
-Erlend
 
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Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

And you stop trying to sell your own opinion as the only real truth ;)
 
Re: Looking for a road-worthy bass amp

Firstly, DON'T POST IN MY THREAD IF YOU BOYS CAN'T PLAY NICE!!! :bsflag:


Erlend_G said:
10's cannot give enough lows.

Atleast no 10's i've seen can. :)
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They must not have ghettos in Norway. 'Round here, if you've got an amp and two 10's in the back you can make the license plate rattle loose (as well as the teeth of anyone passing by) with little trouble.

tom m said:
10's produce a sound you can still feel, but it's more an in-the-chest feel than a through-the-feet feel that 15's make.

When he says "tight bottom that isn't overbearing," he's saying tens to me.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I'm saying. Hit 'em in the chest, not shake their entire body. Keep in mind that my emphasis as a bassist is on jazz/funk (I know, I know, a real jazz cat plays an upright...I'm saving up) and classic rock, so a huge lowend isn't necessary.

So when you say older GK 800 RB, what exactly am I looking for?
What are the specs on the Ashdown?
 
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