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First Amp / Amp history


shizznit
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Carlsbro Cobra 90,
Trace Elliot AH350 1x15 combo,
Ampeg B15T (I really miss that amp),
Ampeg SVT with Ampeg 4x10,
Trace Elliot AH350 head with the above cab, the Ampeg head got nicked :(
SWR Workingmans 350 head with SWR 4x10 cab,
I didn't take the SWR cab to Scotland when I moved here from Ireland, but I have the head with an Ashdown 4X10 cab.

I also use a vox headphone amp thing :D

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I can't remember the name of my very first amp, it was a little practise combo amp, about 10w and had Star in it's name. It was quite nice sounding actually.
From that I went to a Laney Klipp, 100w valve amp. Paired with a 1960s Marshall 4x12. I swapped the cab because I couldn't lift it on my own (I was about 14). The amp blew up. I also had a couple of 1x12s an a huge Vox 2x18. I blew one of the speakers in the Vox and sold it. The 1x12s got left behind when I moved out of the family home. Probably got destroyed along with everything else that I couldn't take with me as I was effectively homeless.
Then a Carlsbro Stingray 100w with a nameless 1x15. I absolutely HATED this amp, there is [i]no way[/i] to get a nice sound out of it.
At one point I had a 50w Laney combo but not for long and I can't remember what it was called.
For the last some odd years I have been using a Peavey T-Max 500. With some 1x15s until middle of last year when I bought a Peavey 410TX. I am very happy with this set-up and don't feel that I would ever change it lest a nasty accident or a lottery win were to happen. Though I would like to add a 2x15 to it.

Not a lot for almost 25 years of playing.

Edited by KingBollock
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First off was a CMI 10w practice amp that lasted about a week before I blew the speaker.

A while later came a Selmer combo with no speakers, given to me by a keyboard playing neighbour. I put a 12" speaker from RSC in it. I think it was called a select-a-tone cos it had pre-set tone buttons. It was 30 watts, iirc.

Then came a Marshall 100w super lead and a Wem 2x12 cab. The cab got changed for a Moore & Stanworth 4x12 which weighed more than the Vauxhall Viva estate I needed to move it around in! (probably lasted a lot longer too)

After a year or so, I traded in the Marshall and 4x12 for an Acoustic 220 head and 404 cab, which is still my main amp some 32 years later. I added a 402 cab a few years ago.

I've also got an Ashdown Mag 600 evo, but its only a back up in case the Acoustic ever dies (it won't)

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Ok, here goes:
[b]late 70s -[/b] Borrowed Peavey TNT100 - hated it

Electronics shop 50W tranny amp into 2x12 homemade cab. Blew the speakers, but in a Celestion G15

Hiwatt 100 (Sound City version - what I would give for it now!) + WEM 4x12
Added a Hiwatt 4x12

[b]Early 80s -[/b] Swapped the lot (Hiwatt went for £70!) for Frunt 200B and a Peavey 2x15
Added another 2x15 - mega stack

[b]Mid 80s [/b]- Things changed, Carlsboro Cobra 90 combo. No idea what happened there.

Discovered that basses can go deep - Trace Elliot 150GP7 and a 2x10 Trace wedge shaped thing
Added Trace 1518 cab. Massive sound. This cab got nicked.

Sold the Trace stuff and bought Trace 200GP11 and a Trace 4x10 with tweeter for a song. This really sang. Still got the 4x10, gigging rig for years
[b]1995ish - [/b]Trace amp got nicked, replaced with SWR Workingman 350 - original California built. Never got on with it, still have it.

[b]2010 -[/b] All change, Hartke HA350 and 2.5XL. Amazing sound. Still have the 2.5, outstanding cabs.
Added 115XL, still have. No point, used it once, 2.5 will do almost everything. This goes out on loan sometimes.
[b]2011 -[/b] Added Hartke 1800 monster. Earthquake sound. Still have, only had the pleasure of using a few times, huge.

Swapped HA3500 with an HA5500. Remarkable amp, with 2x250W and cross over, great with the 1800 but when can you do that?

[b]2012 [/b]- Barefaced Midget T and Compact. Both could fit inside the 1800. Used in various combinations depending on gig etc.

Would like to sell everything bar the Barefaced cabs and buy a powerful microamp.

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Most of this sounds familiar...

Gramaphone, at first (elliptical speaker...).
A couple of Linear 30w valve amps from Tottenham Court Road (great amps, I'd like another...).
Home-made trannie amp (4x2N3055; 100w..!), home-made 4x12 (Fane 'Pop' speakers...). I didn't know about cab dimensions, so I 'guessed' at 36" square. Slightly cumbersome is an understatement. Covered it, and the head, with turquoise vinyl. Ugh..! What was I thinking of..?
Hiwatt DR504, into 2 Marshall 2x12 cabs. Very nice.
Hiwatt DR203 (200w PA amp, 4xKT88...) into 4xHiwatt PA cabs (never seen any like 'em, since...). Moved air... After moving to France, the amp got busted (sad story...), and I sold/swapped the cabs. Silly move.
I then acquired a Fender Bassman Export 50w, with it's 2x15 cab. My basic rig, now (for guitar and/or bass...)
My son has taken over the bass role now (I'm a drummer, really...), and used at first a Peavey 130w PA head, then a Hartke 3500 into an Ampeg 4x10. We now have another DR203, into the same cab. Moves air; really needs another 4x10...

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First it was into a car boot bought plastic record player via my dad's ultra complicated system of crocodile clips.
BC Rich 30 Watt combo
Laney Linebacker 100 watt head and a HH 215 (Norfolk and Good)
Hartke 1400 into a Hartke 410XL
Currently the LM Tube and the aggies. Sounds great and is perfect for what I do now but 410s are more fun.
Pretty minimal for 24 years of playing!

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[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1327042107' post='1505499']
First it was into a car boot bought plastic record player via my dad's ultra complicated system of crocodile clips.
BC Rich 30 Watt combo
Laney Linebacker 100 watt head and a HH 215 (Norfolk and Good)
Hartke 1400 into a Hartke 410XL
Currently the LM Tube and the aggies. Sounds great and is perfect for what I do now but 410s are more fun.
Pretty minimal for 24 years of playing!
[/quote]

Minimal? Nah...not really. My friend Ed has been using the same mk2 Peavey 400w amp and 215 cab since the day he bought it 20yrs ago! Never owned anything else!

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Marshall MB4210. Great little mid priced combo.
Ampeg SVT-3 pro. Fantastic sound just lacks juice.
Orange Terror Bass. Confirms I love tube pre.
Markbass LMTube 500 the best head of its kind, if a little over priced when new.
TC Electronic RH750. Really great sound for solid state but something missing, more than the watts.
Markbass F1. So so light.
Eden WTX 500. The worst amp I've had.
And back to the Markbass LMTube 500. So clear and the tube pre sounds amazing, does exactly what I need it to do, don't think ill be buying anything else. For a while.

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[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1327057084' post='1505692']
Eden WTX 500. The worst amp I've had.
[/quote]

Why's that mate? I'm not the worlds biggest David Eden fan, but I thought that amp was pretty good when I tried it at the Bass Gallery.

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I started off with a Laney Klipp guitar amp and matching 4x12-wish i still owned it now.
Then i made the mistake of trading it for a Marshall 1x15 combo because i wanted a "proper" bass amp. I hadn't been playing long so didn't know a great deal about bass amps. What i do know now is that the Marshall was by far the worst amp i've ever used in my life, it was bloody hateful! I'd like to track it down now just so i could take an axe to it, that amp made my playing life a misery!
Next came a Peavey MK3 and 2x15, It weighed an absolute ton, but it served me well for quite a few years and enabled me to earn enough gig money to go towards my first brand new amp, which was:
Trace Elliot AH350SM with matching 1518 and 2103H cabs. I loved this amp, this was the early 90's and remember the first time i gigged it i couldn't stop looking at it, i thought the UV light was so cool!
Then decided if i was in a rock band i simply had to have an 8x10, so in came an Ashdown ABM500 Evo, the chrome rack mounted one with a matching 8x10(I still have this rig, stood in my dining room)
And finally to my Warwick Tubepath, WCA411 and WCA115, Love this amp, Sounds great with my Streamer.
Looking at the weight of the last 4 rigs i've owned i'm surprised my back is still working!! :D

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88/89 - Peavey TKO 80 (bought with a Squier P that I still own after 1 defret and 3 resprays)
early 90's Trace Elliott 715 combo (not sure where that ended up)
mid 90's Trace Elliot RAH300 + 1048 + 1153 (blew up to be replaced with....
early 00's Mesa Boogie mPulse 360
2010 Roland Bass Cube 30
2011 GK MB500
Still using the Trace cabs but would like to upgrade to something lighter and more efficient.

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I still own and use all of these. The year of purchase is in brackets...

Alligator A30 combo (1984)
Alligator A100 combo (1987)
Trace Elliot BLX130 combo (1995)
Trace Elliot 1153H cab (1995)
Trace Elliott AH 300 head (1998)
Trace Elliott 2103H cab (1998)

Both the Alligators were "all-purpose" ones. I also play keyboards and guitar and I was still at school when I bought the first one. It made financial sense to have one one amp that I could use for everything.

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[size=4][color=#666666][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Trace Elliot 712 SMC[/font][/color]
[color=#666666][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Peavey Sessionbass NR[/font][/color]
[color=#666666][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Trace Elliot AH600-7 - no[/font][/color]
Hartke 7000
[color=#666666][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ampeg SVT-CL[/font][/color]
[color=#666666][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]TC RH450[/font][/color]
[color=#666666][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Eden WT800 [/font][/color][/size]

Edited by theotherphiljones
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Christ my memories crap but i think!

Laney linebacker 30
Peavey TKO 115
Eden CXC 410 (best rig ever) one of the older type not the new cxc
Mesa walkabout scout 12"
GK 700RBII + Neo 212 cab
Laney RB 9 + 410 + 1x 15
Trace 715 + 115 mini ABM
Markbass cmd 103
Markbass Jeff berlin + 115 ex cab
Marshall VBA 400 + 4x12 cab (Rig i would have kept until my death................ but Hernia inducing)
Line 6 studio 1x10
Genz Benz st 9.0 + Uber 2x12 cab

Edited by TonyBones
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my 1st bass amp was a Warwick c180 combo - [url="http://www.wikizic.org/Warwick-WAMP-C180/gallery-1.htm"]http://www.wikizic.org/Warwick-WAMP-C180/gallery-1.htm[/url]
which I bought 2nd hand when I was 16. I was the envy of all the other bassists in school at that point as they were using small 30w Laney combos and the like.
It was great and still being used by the guy that bought it off me - a mate.
Next up was a Peavey Mk VI head and a battered Peavey 4x10 cab.
I sold the Peavey cab and replaced it with the Warwick 410 Pro that I still use.
Sold the Peavey head to make way for the Ampeg SVT 3 Pro.
Also have the Ampeg BA300 115 (currently for sale on here) which I leave in the rehearsal room.

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  • 3 months later...

Mine's a pretty short list but here goes!

1. Calsbro Colt 45w keyboard amp
2. Trace Elliot Boxer 65w - still got it!
3. Laney RB4
4. Warwick Pro Fet ? through a Warwick WCA 411
5. Changed the Pro Fet for an Ampeg B5R
6. Markbass CMD 121P

Somewhere in between I stupidly purchased a Laney Fartcore practice amp...man that sounded horrendous!

Must say I'm enjoying not having to lug a washing machine in and out of venues!

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Hm, let's see if I still get it together ;)

-> some Behringer Combo (actually quite decent, nothing special, did the job)
-> Warwick ProFet IV (through a 2x12" from FMC, small German company)
-> Hughes&Kettner QC412 combo
-> Warwick Tube Path 5.1 (through two FMC 1x12"/1x8" cabs which I play 'till today)
-> Ampeg SVT-IIp + Alto D3 power amp
-> BBE BMax + Alto D3
-> ADA MB-1 + Alto D3
-> ADA MB-1 + SWR 800W power amp
-> Peavey T-Max
-> Markbass R500
-> Hartke LH500
-> GK 800RB
-> Ashdown ABM500 EvoIII (blackface special edition), my no.1 amp 'till today :)

Edited by ratking
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Let's see how my memory goes on this .....

50 Top amp (50 watt guitar/bass head made by Carlsboro)
Impact 2x15 cab
Home made 1x18 cab with Goodmans speaker
Marshall Bass amp
Sound City 120
2x Sound City 4x12's
Ampeg V4 (2x15 cab)
Intermusic bass amp
Peterson amp
Peavet 1810 cab (1x18 + 2x10)
Acoustic 220
3x Orange 120 amps
Mesa Boogie Bass 400 (still own) - bought 1989
2 x Mesa Boogie Diesel 2x15 cabs (still own one) - bought 1989
Mesa Boogie Road Ready 2x18 (still own) - bought 2007
Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ (still own) - bought 2012

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Can't remember my first practice amp, a little 10w jobbie though.

Then got a Carlsbro Bassline 80 which got upgraded to a Bassline 150 before I went to college. Not brilliant amps but did the job for about 7 years.

Then got my GK 700RB-II and two 210RBH cabs. One of the best amps I've ever had which is why I had a sex wee when GK offered me an endorsement.

Sold that rig and immediately upgraded to a 2001RB-II and two 410RBH cabs. Still got that rig but it's very big and very heavy. Not at all practical.

Last year I was at the LBGS on GK's stand and had a chance to try out all their gear properly, the next week I got my MB Fusion and two NEO212s. :)

I can't see either of those rigs going anywhere, love them both and I know that they'll do any gig from playing in a pub to 5 people acoustically to playing an arena.

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Umm, I don't really care about amps as much as I do basses, so here's an incredibly short list compared to some folks on here:

Laney HCM30B - 30W practice amp (first amp) (still got it)
Ibanez GA1B - 4W tiny practice amp (sold)
Hartke HA3500 head and Ashdown ABM 4x10
Hartke HA3500 head and Zoot 4x10
RedSub BT5110 combo with removable head

The Hartke and the Ashdown are in the process of being sold. Nowadays I use the RedSub combo for small stuff and remove the head and use it with my Zoot cab for the big stuff.

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Ok, here goes............

Acoustic 120 with 2x15 Leech Cab
Fender Bassman 135 with matching 2x15 cab
Peavey Combo 300
Ampeg V4 (actually chopped VT22 combo!)
Ampeg SVT all valve head with 8x10 cab (my best rig ever?)
Peavey Mk2 300 watt head
Trace Elliot AH250
Trace Elliot AH500, with Peavey 410TX cab, and Peavey 210TX for smaller gigs!
Ashdown ABM500 (early one) with matching ABM 410H cab
Peavey valve preamp with QSC USA850 power amp, Loud 4x10 cab
Trace Elliot BLX80 (for small gigs!)
Carlsbro Delta 500 watt head
Dean Markley 150 head (actually great amp, bought/sold for £60!)
SWR SM 400 with SWR Henry 8x8 cab (great but heavy)
Ampeg SVT3 Pro head
Hartke 3500, Hartke 4x10 cabs (2!)
Gallien Krueger RB800 , with EV 2x15 cab ( both still in use)
Gallien Krueger 700RB11,with Loud 1x15 cab
Gallien Krueger 1001RB (still in use)
Mark Bass LM2, with Barefaced Compact (still in use)
Gallien Krueger 1001RB (Spare amp, still in use)

Think thats it, but may need to edit later...................

Edited by casapete
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I think this is all of them:

Squier 15w guitar amp (my first amp when I was 12)
Peavey TNT 160
Trace 7210H
Trace 1048H
Trace 1153
Trace 1524
Trace 1528 V-type cab
Trace 1248H V-type cab
Trace Multistack 15
Trace 2103H
Trace 1110 MkV 4x10" combo
Trace 1518 Series 6
Trace AH150 MkV
Trace 7215
Trace Bright Box
Gallien Krueger 800RB
Gallien Krueger 700RB II (3 of them)
Gallien Krueger MB210 Combo
Gallien Krueger 115MBE cab
Schroeder 1212L
Crate 2x15"
Ashdown ABM500 chrome rack mount thingy
Ashdown ABM115 (x2)
Ashdown Mag 810
Hartke LH500
HH Combo115
Peavey 410TX
Ashdown Mag 410 (x3)
Hartke 215XL
Hartke 120w Kickback combo
Laney NX115

Even I'm surprised by that and I think that there may be more that I've missed. :shok:

Edited by Delberthot
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