Bass amp ?
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Posted on Jul 09, 2003 09:19 am
Geoff
SM7b the Chuck Noris of Mic's
Contributor Since: Jun 20, 2002
I'm not a bass player by any means , so this is the area where I know only a little . Most of my recording of Bass is with my J-station ( it has some nice sounding amps , i think SWR , and Mesa boogie are two ) . My friend that I jam with a bit , is a great bass player and i've come to find out his amp he was using at home to practice on was an old crate guitar amp . I would like to hook ol boy up with a nice new bass amp for his B-day but I don't wan't to go in dept because of it . This is just for practice in his spare time not for giging , maybe a little recording but that's it .
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Jul 09, 2003 10:10 am i use a mckenzie for my practicing, it cost £100.
its a 1x14, but made by matamp, who also make orange, so the speakers pretty good. only thing is i have an active bass and it doesn't seem to like being pushed that way.
matamp make good budget models, and even park are ok on the bass front.
as with most amps, i believe seperates are better the combos, but then you start bumping up the pric.
Jul 09, 2003 10:11 am I am a die-hard Ampeg guy myself when it comes to bass guitar. I have a small (though not THAT small, it's gigable) combo amp, I forget the model, but it's Biamped with 50 watts to an 8" speaker and 100 watts to a 15" speaker with a 9 band EQ built in, built in Direct Box out...super sweet. What makes this such a sweet amp is that with the 8" pluss with the balance control going between the 8" and 15" it actually makes a good sounding guitar amp as well. crank the 8", place a mic dead-center on it and just let the 15" do a wash to handle the lows and catch that with an ambience mic placed back a few feet.
I don't remember the cost, but I remember being happy about the price when I bought it. It works in the basement, at parties, in the studio and has been in and out of several local venues as well...a great all-purpose amp.
The coolest part of this combo is that the bottom of the back is angled and has dolly-wheel on it, so you grab the handle, lean it back and off you go.
GeoffSM7b the Chuck Noris of Mic'sContributor
Since: Jun 20, 2002
Jul 09, 2003 11:05 am that's a cool amp , DB , and it would be sweet to use . The matter of the fact is , this is a B-day present for a good friend of mine ,to play in his spare time , and i think that amp is a little over kill for what i'm looking at , all though i might just look into it for my studio . I'm just looking for something that sounds decent and won't break the bank , something not too flashy . Have you tried anything behringer makes , as in bass amps , I've never delt with any of there amps , but like most of us here we have some behringer product or another in our studio's at home . I was looking at one model :Ultrabass(forgot the #'s) it has a 12 in it that pumps out 60w , I think something like that's fine for just practicing at home , and it was just over 130.
Jul 09, 2003 11:39 am Ya, I new it was a little much, I just like talking about my amp :-) never used behringer bass amps...haven't played through anything but Ampeg or Trace Elliot in years...sorry...for a little practice amp I suggest looking at Peavey...good price, decent sound...their bass guitars suck, but their bass amps are decent enough for the task you are looking to cover.
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Jul 09, 2003 11:58 am Yow! Geof,
That is a rough one. You mentioned that your friend is very good. That makes the formula problematic. My "practice" ( I prefer to call it play ) is a process of getting everything where I want it with the best possible intonation. There is the kicker; intonation. Small inexpensive amps don't cut the mustard. I have a Peavey that I leave at the rehersal hall that is not bad and the band likes the tone fine. But for home where I really can listen and tweek I use my SWR. Hartke is another that I am very impressed with. As Db stated the Ampeg is a quality amp as well. For me the Ampeg is a little "soft" in terms of being articulate (not volume) for my taste. Those are the three main stream amps that I would consider. Even the Peavey was around a $600 amp with a 15" driver. All of the others are multiple 8 and 10 inch cabs. I've tried a number of small porbable inexpensive practice amps and given them away to beginers. The tone does not come through. I could not hear changes in technique. They where good for speed drills and scales. That's about it.
Man, I wish I could help. It would be really cool to give your friend a gift of music for the Bday. Maybe a fine set of strings, or a Toneworks rack tuner. There are some very nice effects units as well as I understand (I don't use them). Or find a good luthier and buy a "tune up" for the bass.
Jul 09, 2003 12:01 pm Oh, ya, Geoff as long as you are that nice of a guy, my birthday is in May :-D
Jul 09, 2003 12:24 pm Mine's in March, but since you missed it, I accept late gifts.
GeoffSM7b the Chuck Noris of Mic'sContributor
Since: Jun 20, 2002
Jul 09, 2003 01:34 pm I should have kept this to myself ...I'm not made of $$$ , I get paid your tax $$ remember . Come to think of it if i bought all you a gift whould that be like you all getting a tax refund ?
Jul 09, 2003 10:19 pm Nice to hear your taking care of a friend. I play bass and have a Bass POD. Of all the sounds on it I actually own a GK 800RB and a Acoustic 360. Both are excellent reproductions on the POD. The GK for me is a great real kinda neutral sounding thing (good at all styles). I like my Acoustic for classic rock and jazz.
But I think I have to go with DB on this, Ampeg, Ampeg, Ampeg. I should own one but don't. Yet
Jul 11, 2003 05:58 am one time my friend built an amp.
