udontsay Posted March 21, 2001 Share Posted March 21, 2001 I'm thinking about getting a Bass Amp, but have no idea where to start. There are so many choices out there. Please give me some input. Thank you, George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted March 21, 2001 Share Posted March 21, 2001 George, Limit the possibilities by making some statements about what you intend to use the amp for. Practice in your room? Playing small clubs? Large venues? Also, think about a price range, that tends to narrow the field as well. ------------------ www.edfriedland.com www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornbread_medhotmail.com Posted March 21, 2001 Share Posted March 21, 2001 Well, are you wanting a small practice amp to play by yourself? Do you want an amp that will hang with a small guitar amp? Do you need one to compete with drums? Do you need a rig big enough for an arena tour? First, you need to address these questions and then look at particular amps. But, I have a Trace Elliot BLX-80 combo that will do all of these and it was right at $250. Of course, I have had it a while. Peavey makes some really good practice amps for cheap. I think the Microbass is $115. It's a pretty good basic small practice amp. A friend of mine has a small Marshall amp that's pretty good. And then there's the trusted old Gorilla amp. I think most of us started out on a Gorilla or one similar. The SWR Workingman's series are also good amps and they're affordable. Try out a few and see what you like. I wouldn't worry too much about tube or solid state or anything like that if you're just starting out. Play several different amps before you buy. Make sure you are getting what you want. And here's a little trick--bring your bass with you to try out amps. If the store won't let you, go to one that will. Most music stores don't mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
udontsay Posted March 22, 2001 Author Share Posted March 22, 2001 Thank you everyone! The truth is, a Pro Audio company wants me to help design a bass amp. Yes, you read it right -- design an amp for bass guitar from scratch. But I need your input! So far you all have been great help and I keep track your effort. If the company offers some goodies, I will then pass it along to those who contribute to my project. Practice amp? Performance amp? What's the difference? What do you look for when you bought your amp? What do you wish your current amp has that are missing now? What make a player choose one amp over another? What other questions have I left out? Please continue our conversation by posting replies, Or email me directly at georgelien@email.com Thank you all very, very much! George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornbread_medhotmail.com Posted March 23, 2001 Share Posted March 23, 2001 Well, I look for a versatile amp. I need an amp that has the power to hold it's own with 2 guitars and drums yet can be played at a low enough volume to not bother the neighbors. I also prefer multi-speaker cabinets with a deep bass response. I also think a balanced D.I. out is important as is a tuner out and maybe an effects loop. Also, a standby switch is important. I like the sound of tubes, but tube amps are really heavy and more expensive than solid state counterparts. I am not a fan of modeling amps, but a lot of people like them. I'm more of a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, so maybe all I will ever use is chorus and not in front of my amp. Well, I hope this helps and good luck. Chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
udontsay Posted March 27, 2001 Author Share Posted March 27, 2001 Thanks again for your inputs. For your information though, I'm also helping to design a guitar amp. Thus I posted a Guitar Amp topic over at the Guitar Forum. So far I got 18 replies. We've got only what. 3 here? Come on guys! I'm sure there are a lot more Bass players who can share some thoughts with us here. Please, pretty please? Hey, worst come to worst, with your contribution there may be a product out there in the very near future that will suit your needs. Thank ya in advance, George Lien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Wise Man Posted March 27, 2001 Share Posted March 27, 2001 Bass players appreciate honesty, and you tried to snooker us ("I'm thinking about getting an amp..."). This is not a good start to a co-operative relationship, nor is it good market research. This message has been edited by Mr. Wise Man on 03-27-2001 at 04:46 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtian_dup1 Posted March 27, 2001 Share Posted March 27, 2001 Hey George, As a bass player with over 18 years of experience, and the proud owner of a new Laney RBH700 bass head, I might be able to give you some pointers on what I would like to see in the design of a good amp. First off, I want the head and the speaker cabinet to be separate. It cuts down on the amount of weight I have to carry around, and I can treat the head more delicately than the cabinet. The head needs to have a handle, and the handle needs to be in a USEFUL position. If you can't carry it for 2 city blocks comfortably, then the handle is in the wrong place. (Handles should probably be on the left or right side, so the head can be carried hanging down. This makes it easier to get your body and amp and guitar case through doorways.) The head should have a tuner output. Period. The head should have a bypass switch so that I can easily and quickly change basses without having to mess with the knobs. It would be great if the head had a headphone jack. Laney does this on some of their heads, but unfortunately not mine! :-( I would really like it if the feet on the bottom of the head were able to isolate it a bit from the vibrations of the cabinet it is sitting on, and from the vibrations of the car when I am driving to/from gigs/practice. I am somewhat an oddball in this regard, but I would like my bass amplifier to simply amplify whatever sound I am sending to it. I don't want an amp with 100 knobs and dials on it and a 16,000 band equalizer. I will take care of all that with a preamp, or with the electronics on my bass. (Most basses nowadays have built-in preamps with lots of options, so duplicating all that on the bass head just complicates things.) So gimme a head with lots of power, basic tone-shaping capabilities (check out the Ashdown MAG series), and rugged build. Anyway, I hope some of this helps with the "practical" aspects of amp design. As far as the electronics go, well, there are a whole lot of really nice bass amps out there. Check them out and see which ones people are buying. Thanks for asking, - Christian Budapest, Hungary www.Crunchy-Frog.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted March 27, 2001 Share Posted March 27, 2001 I should think that anyone who works with a bass rig or ten would know what they think needs to be there and how it should be implemented. Everybody could tell you where their sweet spot is but if you don't have much of an idea what it is you want to bring to the market, there are already plenty of vendors out there who have targeted what they think is important. I don't understand why someone would get commisioned to build a rig if they don't have a concept they are already championing. <-- greenboy ---<<<< just my reaction; I could be wrong ; } . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
udontsay Posted March 28, 2001 Author Share Posted March 28, 2001 Mr. Wise Man wrote: "Bass players appreciate honesty, and you tried to snooker us ("I'm thinking about getting an amp..."). This is not a good start to a co-operative relationship, nor is it good market research." Mr. Wise Man, Sorry for giving you the impression that I'm being dishonest. But I did think about getting a bass amp, so I can learn more about the art of bass amps. But later on, I decided to be even more honest of why I really want to get a bass amp since people are so nice around here, giving me feedback and stuff. I however find people who replying this post more hostile than the post I made over at the guitar forum. "Honesty" I don't know, but lack of will of helping and sharing with others is what I see. greenboy, Hope I will have the opportunity to prove you wrong. My goal is not to produce the best bass amp. Instead I want to design something users find useful and affordable. For the rest of the gang, thank you again for your inputs. Regards, George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted March 30, 2001 Share Posted March 30, 2001 Uh oh! We're more hostile than guitar players? Guys, better lay back on the steroids! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif Well, sorry if anyone seemed less than helpful. www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornbread_medhotmail.com Posted March 30, 2001 Share Posted March 30, 2001 An easy way of transporting it would be good. Like maybe an extended dolly handle that is strong and won't break after 2 or 3 gigs and wheels. Maybe even a stainless steel skid plate on the back for protection going up stairs or putting it onstage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrbreez Posted March 30, 2001 Share Posted March 30, 2001 I like the Sunn 2OOS. I liked their 2x15 cabinet that they made in '68 and '69. They made 2 of the best folded horn cabinets ever made a 1x18 and a 2x15 (which was fantastic). I currently have a 2OOS with a 1x18 folded horn cab. I also use a Ampeg SVT Pro2 with a 2x1O cab and a 1x15 cab. I went this route so I could put it is a Geo Metro. Another good amp to look at is a '65 Fender blackface Bassman with the small 2x12 cab. Why Fender hasn't reissued this I'll never know, but this is the ultimate small amp even though it is a piggyback amp and not a combo. Buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
udontsay Posted April 3, 2001 Author Share Posted April 3, 2001 Thank you, thank you. Please keep them coming. More, more, more! Thank you!!! George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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