Which amp should I buy?

[rco95]

Was wondering what sort of wattage I would need for small gigs, and if anyone can recommend a specific amp?

[chrismuzz]

I'm going to go right ahead and recommend a Markbass combo the CMD102P is 500w, or 300w if you havent got an extension cab to go with it. Should be plenty for any small gig

[Musky]

A bit of a 'how long is piece of string' question.

The wattage you'll need from an amp for a gig is incredibly variable, depending on a number of things like the efficiency of your cab(s), how much bottom end you like in your sound, how many guitarists in the band and what they're using, loudness of the drummer, etc.

Your budget would be a good starting point though.

[rco95]

[quote name='Musky' post='1368108' date='Sep 9 2011, 09:37 PM']A bit of a 'how long is piece of string' question.

The wattage you'll need from an amp for a gig is incredibly variable, depending on a number of things like the efficiency of your cab(s), how much bottom end you like in your sound, how many guitarists in the band and what they're using, loudness of the drummer, etc.

Your budget would be a good starting point though.[/quote]


Budget is minimal, as a guide I'll say £100-120 but cheaper is better

[chrismuzz]

There's a Peavey TNT130 for sale for £100 somewhere. Some venues out there have those as the in-house bass rig and while they're cheap and heavy as hell they're built to withstand a lot of abuse!

[Musky]

[quote name='rco95' post='1368110' date='Sep 9 2011, 09:40 PM']Budget is minimal, as a guide I'll say £100-120 but cheaper is better[/quote]
In that case you're fairly limited. Peavey TNTs and Ashdown MAGS can be picked up for that sort of money and both are gigable, especially if you've got PA support. Don't get too hung up on the wattage differences, as in practice the difference in volume is fairly minimal.

Out of personal preference I'd go for the Peavey, but plenty of others would choose the Ashdown.

P.S. I'm assuming you're looking for amp and speakers here, rather than just the head.

[chrismuzz]

I like Ashdown amps but I wouldnt use a single 2x10 on a gig, they sound a bit thin to my ears

[JTUK]

For that money, look out on e-bay for a Trace Elliot combo,

As long as it hasn't been abused, it should do ok for a full band. If the band is loud, the EQ will be limited but should work for a smal venue/pub

[larrybassman]

For small gigs, like pub gigs, go for a combo of say 150 watts, also go for a 15 inch speaker combo as 10 inch speakers always sound middly to my ears and lack real depth. If you check out the frequency reponse of 10 inch speakers they dont go anywhere near low enough IMHO.

[xgsjx]

For small gigs I often use a Vox Venue 30 Bass. It's a 30 watt combo with a 12" driver & would do most small venues (depending on how noisy they are though) or acoustic gigs.

[munkonthehill]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1368280' date='Sep 10 2011, 09:13 AM']For small gigs I often use a Vox Venue 30 Bass. It's a 30 watt combo with a 12" driver & would do most small venues (depending on how noisy they are though) or acoustic gigs.[/quote]

30watts

How quiet is your drummer?????????

I wouldnt go less than 150watts for a gig.

[xgsjx]

If it's a small venue he often uses hotrods, but not always.
You'd actually be surprised at some of the gigs I've done with sub 100 watt combos, really shows that watts doesny = volume (a good example of folk getting hung up on watts is the TC thread, those heads are loud & put out less than 150w into 8 ohms).

[chris_b]

I just use one of my 112 cabs and my regular amp. It doesn't matter that the amp is 500 watts because it has gain and master volume controls.

I get a much better sound than trying to use a small, low wattage and possibly cheap combo.