Does One Really Need A Big Amp?

[Wally Malone]

At the show I caught last night at the Forum in LA Glaub played with John Fogerty and used two 6-10 cabinets. Now that's movin some air. The bass player with each act used different setups. There were 810's, 410's and some that I couldn't make out. They all sounded great from where I was sitting since I was getting it from the sound system. But I'll bet they all used what they felt they needed to get the sound they wanted to hear on stage.

 

Wally

[Ryan Griffith]

Thanks for all the comments & info, everyone. I'll take all the good advice & start saving up to get something more powerful than my combo. I'd like to hang on to that as well, but I seriously doubt I'll be able to fund a bigger amp without dumping the combo. I went out & tried the SWR 350 & thought very highly of it. I generally like the warmth of a tube preamp at least. So yeah, anyways... thanks for all the great points of view!

[psycho23]

the P.A and your amp serve two diffrent perposes. Your amp is thier to prouduce a goos clean bass signal will the P.A is thier to allow your souns to blend with the rest of the band. so Your amp should produce most of your sound will the P.A just fills it out

[KRLNGA]

After a few years having a small amp (50 Watts) and playing in many churchs that has PA systems only for voices, I was praying for a big gig. On those years the band sound without a low end, and my bass was sounding like a horn because of the PA.

Now I have a Hartke 3500 amp with a Warwick 411-Pro cabinet and I'm in complete relax when we're invited to a church, no matter if I use it with the master knob only at 3, the band now have enough low end, and my bass never sound like a horn again.

 

Sometimes I use it as a sub-woofer system for my personal PA system.

[locoloco]

If you ever played with a guitarist using the classic marshall super lead + 4 x 12 cab you'll know that a 100watt bass amp won't put up .I know , I tried .A 100 watt bass amp will sound good in most situations but i recommend a minimum of 350 - 500 watts .Playing with an amp like that you don't have the worry it's gonna blow up .I've purchased recently a peavy t-max 115 combo & it's got headroom , power, low -end ,everything a bassplayer could dream of and this for a reasonable price . okay It' s not an ampeg or an eden (could not afford it anyway)but it does the job and with a good tone.So yes go for power.

[SteveC]

I have to chime in on this one now. I was using a SWR Super Redhead. 350 watts, 2X10 combo. It's a very nice amp. I am playing in a 10 piece horn/funk/Tower of Power band. The amp just didn't cut it. Even with our PA (which is ok but a little underpowered) with 4 18" subs.

 

I got a good deal on an SWR Bass 750 head, and paired it with an SWR Goliath 4X10 and for the really big gig, I add an SWR Goliath Jr. 2X10. Having 750 watts at my command is great. I may not use them all, but it's nice to have all that head room. The sound is tight and focused with the 10's, yet plenty of bottom end from that 4X10 cab.

 

It's more to haul around, but the tone I get from it is worth it. It's also nice to feel the bass again. My advise, IMHO, is to get all the power you can afford and your cabs can handle. You can always use less, but once you've tapped your peak, that's all there is.

[57pbass]

Right on Steve.

 

Thats the compromise we have to decide.

If we want to haul the big rig around town to get that sound OR bring in a small combo and sacrifice sound for grunting.

I just traded in my Peavey TNT combo for an Ampeg B series 15" cabinet for that reason - its all about the sound.

I will use my SM - 400 head bridged.

It should be am improvement over the TNT.

I have a show this weekend and will drop you a line on this thread.