using a combo amp as a amp head

[PRS MAN]

hello good people, i mainly play guitar, but whiel looking around for a band to join, i notice that many basists use large amps or stacks to cut throught the feed, however i dont have the money to buy a full size stack or combo amp, i have a 30w warwick practice amp, i was just wondering if i bought a set of bass speaker cabinets if i could run my practice amp through the speakers and use the controlls on the combo amp as a head, does eveeryone follow? i hope i made it clear but idk. hopefully it will work but im not sure

[jeremy c]

Your 30 watt practice amp is not enough power to run enough speakers to be heard through the band.

 

If you amp has a speaker out jack, make sure that you check the number of ohms of the amp and the speakers to make sure that you won't blow up the amp. You certainly won't be able to blow any speakers with that amount of power.

 

It's going to be hard to get into a band as a bassist without the proper amp.

 

Bill Wyman became the Stones bass player because he had a large Vox amp.

[Slinky-Blinky]

Have you considered trading? Check for some local guitar or pawn shops and see what you can get. You might be surprised. Try Guitar Center even if they do get a bad rap sometimes. Personally, I relied on a Crate 100w combo for every practice and gig, until I could afford that stack!

[b5pilot]

Yeah, 30 watts isn't going to cut it unless you're working with guys with acoustic guitars. Using it as a head to power bigger speaker cabs won't really do you much good as 30 watts is still pretty underpowered. Hit the pawn shops or things like Craigs list. Check Guitar Center sometimes they have really cheap used stuff. Don't try a trade with Guitar Center as they really lowball you on your trade. You'll get more selling it outright.

[5 string Mike]

So- to sum up what's been said so far, you can probably do it- but you still won't be heard.

 

The main thing to remember when bass amp shopping, especially from a guitar player's perspective, is that bass amps require more power to be heard than a guitar amp. A 30W bass amp just isn't going to generate enough decibels to play with a band, no matter how many speakers are hooked to it.

 

If you are going to start trying to get gigs as a bass player, you are going to need a bare minimum of 200W IMHO. You could possibly go less, with one guitar player and a quiet drummer, but you'll be frustrated you can't be heard if you have less than 200W.

 

Most amp manufacturers offer something in that range. They can get pricey, but keep an eye out for used stuff. b5 mentioned Guitar Center, and they often have pretty good deals going on their Acoustic line and people seem to think they are a decent amp. You can also check online at musicians friend and GC, they sell used stuff and sometimes have some pretty good deals if you don't mind something a little banged up. You can even pick up stuff that doesn't work, and if you know a good amp guy that can fix it, you might get a good deal there too.

[Eric VB]

What was the rule of thumb someone around here once said? Add up all the watts for everyone else in the band and double it? Those 100 W Marshall heads on closed-back 4x12 cabs do sound nice, but if there are two of those in the band you're looking at a minimum of a 400 W bass rig to be heard. (Once the guitars turn on the distortion and begin frequency masking your bass you may want more!)

 

With those three amps the drummer will have a hard time being heard and will need to be mic'd. Actually the stage volume with that setup would be way too loud anyway, right?

 

So, going backwards, your 30 W amp -- regardless of how many drivers you hook up to it -- is good for playing with two guitarists with 7.5 W amps each. And maybe a drummer with brushes (no sticks, no rods).

 

If you're looking to join a working band then you may need to bite the bullet, pay for the gear up front and then hope to make it back through gigs. GC (yeah, I know) often runs "same as cash" deals so you can buy on credit without paying interest (assuming you can pay it off in the allotted time). This is how I bought my PA.

[helizond]

One word: Craigslist

I've found very helpful people here, willing to get you going --yes, I've been scammed too (any suggestions on what I can do with a dead Carvin 15"???)

Look for musical instruments in your local craigslist, be patient, go over all the postings, get an idea of how much you need to spend; maybe even sell or trade your amp there. You can post a WTB (want to buy) message stating your position, there might be somebody who has an extra amp and would be glad to part with... you never know.

Good luck.

[WCriley]

What was the rule of thumb someone around here once said? Add up all the watts for everyone else in the band and double it? Those 100 W Marshall heads on closed-back 4x12 cabs do sound nice, but if there are two of those in the band you're looking at a minimum of a 400 W bass rig to be heard.

Although this may have been true before the typical local bar bands started running everything through the sound system, it's no longer a hard and fast rule.

 

In today's gigging world, on-stage rigs only need to be loud enough for the player to hear him/herself over the drums' acoustic output. Any investment beyond that is:

1. Money better spent on PA gear and

2. Time better spent teaching bandmates that less is more when it comes to stage volume.