Which Bass Amp? ~£500 budget

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Edit:this could be a right giggle. Might or might not be utter shite, but it'll make you grin with volume. http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=111211291005
    They're great - powerful-sounding if not exactly refined, and tough as an armoured vehicle. For £60 you can't possibly go wrong!

    Their main disadvantage is that they weigh 35Kg and have only a top handle - and are tall enough that if you're short (like me) you can't get them off the ground without leaning over at a back-endangering angle in the opposite direction, and they bash into your leg. Not a great design for portability really...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    ^ Also they say postage is extra to NI and you have to contact them... :(

    ^^ Yeah I'd considered that. Big problems are (a) that's no fun :)) and (b) these deals are likely to end soon (for example, the 15" Markbass combo has already gone).

    Plus even the cheaper bass amps are dear enough that they'd take a fair whack out of my "proper amp" fund (not to mention take up extra room). I also don't really want to end up with something rubbish which might put me off playing- I've been playing music for long enough that I'm not liable to quit now, and even what little bass playing I've done so far unplugged I've really enjoyed.

    I'm not seeing a 15 watt Peavey on their site (I'm probably doing something stupid :)) ). Do you mean the Peavey Max 158? It seems to be £100... but most GB shops charge a fair whack for postage to NI, it'd likely end up costing £125 (at least). Postage is the problem with used as well, there's not much point in getting it for, say, £50 used if the seller charges me £35 postage...
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  • ThePrettyDamnedThePrettyDamned Frets: 7472
    edited November 2013
    Not sure on model name... But assuming most Peavey stuff sounds good and is reliable, it might be worth guntreeing and ebaying NI?

    That amp would be hilarious for 60 quid, but 35kg of postage would be... Er... A bit. Still, might be a model to keep an eye out for?

    I remember ibanez doing a 1x10 that was fairly powerful and decent value. I think it was red, too... I'll look.

    For new though, I ain't got a clue. For me, it's all about value for money, and I like things to depreciate before I pay for them ;)

    Here it is. http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/ibanez-promethean-250w-1x10-bass-combo.html

    Might be a nice one?
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    edited November 2013
    Yep I'll certainly keep an eye out, thanks. :) The used market here is pretty rubbish, though, plus you have the whole danger thing with the terrorism/dodgy areas. Obviously you have that everywhere, but it's especially bad here.

    I tend to prefer new. But I keep an eye out for deals (like these) where the price isn't that different to second-hand. For example, that Vigier bass I got was cheaper than most s/h prices I've seen on them (judging by guitars, I've only been looking at basses recently). Same goes for these bass amps. I had a quick look on ebay a few days ago and the markbass I'm looking at is no more than used prices.

    That Ibanez amp, for example, is only £50 less than the Markbass I'm looking at.
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Just to bring up a point ICBM made earlier in the thread about tube amps- I see Thomann has the Traynor yba-200 head for ~£600. Would it be worth considering? I know ICBM has mentioned before that Traynor's reliability isn't so great any more, so that would be a concern. And also being valve it might not sound so good at lower volumes...
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited November 2013
    I remember ibanez doing a 1x10 that was fairly powerful and decent value. I think it was red, too... I'll look.

    Here it is. http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/ibanez-promethean-250w-1x10-bass-combo.html

    Might be a nice one?
    Yes. Unbelievably (literally - if you're used to conventional guitar and bass gear) powerful for such a tiny thing. And sounds good too.

    The chap I got my monster Peavey combo from now has one. He got to the point of being unable to lift the Peavey so he needed something smaller and lighter. Both of us are a bit old-school and didn't really believe such a little amp could be enough for gigging, but it is - small gigs through its own speaker (250W), big gigs through it and a 4x10" extension cab (giving the full 500W). It doesn't have quite the dynamics of a conventional 500W amp - he says the limiter does kick in occasionally, which is slightly annoying - but at that point it's really very loud.

    The only problem he's had with it was that he blew the speaker, when he was using it on its own. Replaced under warranty, but he's been a bit more cautious about using it without the extra cab since.

    The Ibanez version may not be made any more but the RedSub BT5110 is the same basic amp.

    Dave_Mc said:
    Just to bring up a point ICBM made earlier in the thread about tube amps- I see Thomann has the Traynor yba-200 head for ~£600. Would it be worth considering? I know ICBM has mentioned before that Traynor's reliability isn't so great any more, so that would be a concern. And also being valve it might not sound so good at lower volumes…
    I haven't seen one, so I don't know about the build quality. Don't worry about turning it down, only guitarists think that powerful amps don't sound good at low volumes :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    edited November 2013
    :))

    Yeah even as a guitarist I don't care too much about turning up valve amps. No worries if you haven't tried the Traynor. :)

    I think I'm edging towards one of the Genz Benzes- I almost had myself talked into the MarkBass yesterday, but then I listened to the Youtube clips again and I think the Genz Benzes sound a lot better. Admittedly tons of variables there, and clips aren't the best way to judge, but it's all I've got. :)) An added advantage of going the Genz Benz route is that I'd have a separate head and cabinet, so if I wanted to add another head later I could do so (say the Traynor, or even a solid state head for more modern tones) without adding that much size or expense. I suppose you could use the MarkBass combo's speakers as a separate cab, too, but that's normally a bit of a faff (plus there are only two of them and less wattage handling capability).

    Does that make sense?

    Thanks for all your help everyone. :) I'll let you guys know what I decide to go for (or if I think of any more inane questions :)) ).
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    I spent my AC15 money on a TC Elec. BG250 with a 1x12" in it - it should get to me at the same time the Vox gets to its new owner :)
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Nice :D I asked this same question on Ultimate Guitar and I think it seemed to be well-respected :)

    I have something on the way but I don't want to jinx it. :)) I can see this supposed cold snap we have on the way not helping matters :))
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  • MaxiMaxi Frets: 13
    edited November 2013

    Just go for a 4X10 cab trace elliot head or combo . 
    These old bass amp are dead cheap but theyre still the real deal . Always enough power but easy to turn down .

    I love these:


    The list could run on a bit , I never really worried too much about matching the head and cab , I never had one fail because of it but matching would obviously get the best out of both .
    Flown the nest .
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Thanks, but too late :))

    Also those big cabinets, with me being in NI, most are collection-only which isn't possible.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Those  are great but they're getting a bit old now, and can have some problems. I know someone who has a storage unit full of them, he can't resist buying them because they're so cheap! I have had to resort to cannibalising some of them as the most economical way to keep them going.

    They also weigh a ton for the rated power - although are also very loud for the rated power, so it probably balances out…

    I had a MkV AH150, MkV AH250 and a Series 6 AH200 at various times - the 250 was a massive thing, ridiculously heavy for such a "moderately" powered bass amp, but had such authority and projection it didn't matter.

    I also A/B'd the 150 against an Ashdown Evo 600, and ridiculous as it sounds, although the Ashdown was maybe a bit louder, it was nowhere near like four times the power - the little Trace easily held its own, and punched through better.

    Anything that lights up fluorescent green and purple with ultraviolet light has to be cool anyway!

    (But make sure you aren't standing too close to the amp in line of sight of the bulb, or it will give you an eye burn… speaking from experience.)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • One of my mates has a 200 ish watt 1x15 trace elliot combo with a couple of tweeters.

    It sounds massive, easily fills a hall. I think he's disconnected the tweeters as one blew up when he ran his hot tubes pedal into it...
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  • I've got a TC Electronic BG500, weighs a ton but it's a great amp.
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  • Check out the Amp Section in classifieds on Basschat. Will be able to pick yourself up an absolute bargain for £500

    http://basschat.co.uk/forum/20-amps-and-cabs-for-sale/

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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    ^ Thanks, but I've already got an amp. Haven't been able to try the darn thing yet as there was a duff-up with the speaker cable I ordered (and it only uses speakon connectors, I have loads of guitar speaker cables with jack connectors) :))
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  • Dave_Mc;87027" said:
    ^ Thanks, but I've already got an amp. Haven't been able to try the darn thing yet as there was a duff-up with the speaker cable I ordered (and it only uses speakon connectors, I have loads of guitar speaker cables with jack connectors) :))
    Did you go for a genz benz in the end? Whatever it is, I hope it works out for you!
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Thanks :) Yeah I went with the streamliner 600 and the focus 410 cab.

    Postie hasn't been yet, I'm hoping the cable turns up today :))
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  • Yum yum.  Let us know how you get on!  


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited November 2013
    When you can get around to it, get a spare cable. Nothing worse than having "non standard" (yes, I know Speakons are standard for *proper* speaker cables these days) connectors for gigging gear. If you lose or damage it the show can't go on.

    For this reason I still prefer to have 1/4" jacks on bass gear, at least in addition to the Speakon - it's easier to find a 1/4" speaker cable in an emergency at the average small gig. In a dire emergency where you can't find one of those you can even risk an instrument cable. (Or better, if the guitar amp has a proper speaker cable, nick that for the bass amp and use the instrument cable for the guitar amp.)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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