First Amp / Amp history

[mrdirtyrob]

I went a few years of using the rehearsal room's Hartke kickback, then
Hartke VX3500 combo
Orange Terror Bass 500
Orange AD200b MkIII

Honestly don't see myself ever needing to replace the AD200, but that's what I thought about the Bass Terror....

[EBS_freak]

A lot of Trace present in this rig... yet it doesn't seem to be as popular as it once was? Why is that? I used to have a fair bit of Trace and I never really dug the sound despite everybody saying that it should be what I should be using. It certainly doesn't seem as prolific now...?

[Delberthot]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1337600753' post='1662465']
A lot of Trace present in this rig... yet it doesn't seem to be as popular as it once was? Why is that? I used to have a fair bit of Trace and I never really dug the sound despite everybody saying that it should be what I should be using. It certainly doesn't seem as prolific now...?
[/quote]

I was always a big fan of the cabs more than the amps but now that you can get light weight stuff for realistic prices, it makes better sense for someone like me who just wants to lift a cab and a combo in and out of the gig in one go without needing help or a visit to the chiropractor.

Plus, when I was a young lad my bass hero was Nathan East who was using Trace at the time so that's what made me buy it initially, then I suppose brand familiarity and nostalgia kept it going until I couldn't be bothered lifting 40kg cabs 2 or 3 nights every weekend

Edited May 21, 2012 by Delberthot

[Roland Rock]

1 - Cougar 1x15 combo. Did the job fine for my early playing years.
2 - Sound City head + 4x12 HH Cab. Heavy, large, noisy and loud.
3 - SWR Basic Black Combo. Wooly and crap
4 - EA iAMP350 Combo + another CXL110 cab. Good quality, not my sound.
5 - Red Iron 100w Valve amp + EarCandy 2x10 Cab. Lovely.

[markstuk]

Stereogram at home then
Orange AD120
Hiwatt DR 203 both through a home made McKenzie loaded 1x15...

Big gap (kids etc)

Laney HCM65
Ashdown EB180
Ashdown MAG300
Ashdown RPM-1/APM1000 through Warwick Terminator cab.
Hartke 3500/Hartke 2x12.
H&K BaseBass 600 with 2 x EBS proline 410's
RH450 with Barefaced S12T
Markbass F500

Still got the RH450, F500 one of the Prolines and the S12T ..

[Nibody]

Hmmm

80's & 90's:

Some odball 100w 70's thing with a lot of push and toggle switches .. got it second hand. Cant remember make or model (or even if it was a bass amp!?)
Marshall 30w Combo
Carlsbro 150w Head with 2 1x15 cabs
Trace Elliot GP7215SM Combo

'00's
Ampeg BA115HP 200w Combo
Ampeg PF-500 with PF210HF and PF115HF Cabs

[basshead56]

Drive 30w 1x10 (still have)
Ross RB60 1x12 (still have)
[s]Fender Rumble 100[/s]
[s]Laney Richter full stack (head, 4x10 and 1x15)[/s]
[s]Fender 400 Pro with Laney cabs[/s]
[s]Fender 400 Pro with Ampeg BSE 410HLF[/s]
[s]Fender 400 Pro with Ampeg SVT classic 1x15[/s]
[s]Ampeg b500DR with Ampeg BSE 410HLF (x2)[/s]
[s]Trace Elliot prototype 8x10 combo[/s]
[s]Phil Jones Briefcase[/s]
[s]Trace Elliot 2x15 cab[/s]
[s]Ampeg SVT 3 Pro with BSE 410HLF (x2)[/s]
Marshall VBA 400 full stack (head and VBC 412 x2) (still have)
[s]Ampeg SVT 4PRO with BSE 410HLF (x2)[/s]
Ampeg SVT 4PRO and 610HLF (still have)
Ampeg Micro VR and matching 210 (x2) (still have)

[b][i]Then came to New Zealand...[/i][/b]

[s]Fender Rumble 100[/s]
[s]Ampeg SVT III (non pro) and 4x10HE (both 90's USA made)[/s]

[b]Current Amp:[/b]
Mesa Boogie M-Pulse 600 and Powerhouse 8x10 (may add a Mesa PH 210 to head for rehearsal amp next month)

[guildbass]

A Verdik 'quality 10' Hifi valve monobloc [url="http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/verdik_quality_tenq1_mark_ii.html"]http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/verdik_quality_tenq1_mark_ii.html[/url] , driven by it's matching Hi Gain pre Amp, liberated from Salters haberdashery in Tiverton, housed in a home made chipboard enclosure and driven a pair of Fane 2 by 12 PA cabs.

The Bass was a '63 Hofner Senator with a pick-up liberated from a Burns Tri-Sonic Guitar.

When i got back into bass after those heady lower sixth days in '75 I built my own rig with a Peavey Max valve pre amp with cross-over going through whatever power amp i could blag with the low end of the signal going into a ported 15" Fender cab loaded with a Gauss 15 and a home made top cab with a pair of 7" HiFi drivers with polyprop cones sitting in tuned enclosures.

Today, I tend to use a little Alesis 60W 1 by 12 or an old '80's Boxer....The basses do the tone...:-)

[chrismuzz]

In chronological order:

[size=4]Hartke Kickback 12 (borrowed)[/size]
[size=4]Laney R5[/size]
[size=4]Marshall B25 MkII[/size]
[size=4]Behringer Ultrabass[color=#000000][font=arial] [/font][/color][/size]BX4410A[color=#000000][font=arial](borrowed)[/font][/color]
Markbass F1 / Markbass STD 104HF

I don't remember the Hartke much, except for how heavy it was for such a small combo! The Laney I actually kept for 5 years until I bought the Markbass rig, I loved that little guy! The Marshall I bought off a mate for £20, still got it today as it's a perfectly serviceable practice amp The Behringer was horrible, couldn't wait to get rid of it.... I've had the Markbass rig for 2 and a half years now... Very happy with it! Almost succumbed to GAS a few times but it looks like it's here to stay... for now!

[Bigwan]

Oh testing the grey matter...
- Vantage 30b (Christmas present '91)
- Torque 100b ('93) & Peavey 410 (pre TX)
- SWR Workingmans 12 & SWR Basic 1x15 ('97)
- Sold SWR combo and bought a Laney 300watt head (name escapes me) & Peavey 810 ('99)
- traded the lot in for my Ashdown ABM combo ('01, not a good deal for me, but it's still here!)
- built 2 1x15 cabs with Eminence Kappa LFs ('02)
- Aguilar AG500SC & Tech Soundsystems ND412 ('06)
- sold Aguilar head on here('08)
- Thunderfunk TF550B (bought and sold '08)
- Ashdown ABM 400 Chrome ('09)
- Another post-Fender SWR Workingmans 12 ('09)
- Aguilar GS112 ('09)
- Line6 Studio 110 ('09 - '11)
- Orange Terror Bass ('11 - '12)
- Ashdown LB30 & LB212 ('12 -)
- Sold my homebrew 1x15 cabs and chrome ABM just a few weeks ago.

Left with what you see in my signature.
Regrets? Not many, but the Laney was a mistake.
Best rig I've owned? Orange & Tech
Most overrated? Aguilar AG500
Most underrated? Line6 Studio 110
Next? No plans. Pretty happy with what i have, BUT I'd like to try an EA rig at some point... I've also toyed with the idea of a fEARful build, but don't have the time, the skills, or the time to develop the skills at the minute. Perhaps some day.

Good job you're not asking me to remember all my basses... Don't know if I could!

Edited May 23, 2012 by Bigwan

[BigRedX]

Here's mine:

First amp Carlsbro Wasp 10W practice amp bought for my guitar and used on the bass for recording (my first band rarely played live). Using the tremolo function on it in conjunction with a home-made fuzz pedal gave me some excellent synth bass sounds.

My second band did a lot of gigging so I had to get a proper amp. Having almost no money at the time, I managed through a series of trades to acquire a no-name generic 100W transistor amp along with a home made 2x12 cab and a 1x18 cab from a reggae sound system.

When I started playing bass again the in the 90s I got a new rig consisting of a Roland GP8 Multi-effects unit, a Trace Elliot GP12 pre-amp used in bi-amp mode into a home-made (from Maplins modules) 100+100W stereo power amp feeding a Carlsbro 1x15 cab for the bass and a home-made 2x8 cab for the treble.

This then got upgraded to a Peavey Bassfex and Peavey Spectrum Filter running into a Carlsbro CPX600 Stereo Power amp and the same 1x15 and 2x8 cabs.

Next the Peavey units got replaced by a Line 6 Pod XT Pro, with the Carlsbro amp and the 1x15 and 2x8 cabs

Then I discovered Basschat...

Currently I have two rigs depending on the size of venue: Pod XT Pro going into a Tech Soundsytems Black Cat amp and then feeding either EBS Proline 4x10 and 2x10 cabs or Dr Bass 2x10 and 12/6 cabs.

[Merton]

Deep breath, here goes... The ones i red I still have

Vox Escort 50
[color=#FF0000]Trace Elliot Commando 15[/color]
Trace Elliot Commando 15 Mk 2
Ashdown C210T combo
Trace Elliot AH300-12
Ashdown MAG410T cab
Trace Elliot 1153 cab
Trace Elliot 2103H cab
Trace Elliot V-Type 300H head
Trace Elliot 1x15 V-Type Combo
Trace Elliot 4x8 V-Type Combo
Trace Elliot 4x8 extension cab
Eden Nemesis NA320
Hartke LH500
Barefaced Compact
Barefaced Vintage
Eden Nemesis NA650
Eden WT550
[color=#FF0000]Barefaced Super 12[/color]
[color=#FF0000]GK MB200[/color]
[color=#FF0000]GK MB Fusion[/color]

[Bassmonkey]

Started in 1982 with an ENORMOUS Custom Sound Combo - like a wardrobe
then - Custom Sound 150W head with 1 x 15 cab (smaller)
Marshall DB4500 head, 1x15 and 4x10 cabs (bigger)
Ampeg SVT450 head plus 4x10 cab, then 2 x 4x10 cabs finally 1 x 8x10 monster (BIGGEST)
Ampeg B100r (smaller)
Ampeg B200r (bit bigger)
Orange 500W Bass Terror and 2x12 cab (SMALLEST EVER)

Hopefully that's the last one for me now. Satisfied

(for now at least........)

[Deep Thought]

1st amp was a Peavey Century 100watt head with a pair of Marshall 2X12's-a mate who was in the house band at the holiday camp I worked at tried the head out and told me never to sell it! I did though.
Next came a Marshall 12W combo which I still have, but I don't think it's much use these days!
Then I got a 60W Marshall combo, which was big and heavy but not particularly loud. Then I gave up playing for 15 years (not because of the Marshall!)
When I started playing again the first thing I got was an Ashdown Mag 300 combo. Wasn't keen on that. Insufficient bollocks.
Replaced it with a Trace 1X15 300W combo, which I later added a Hartke Transporter 4X10 cab to.
That was replaced by my current rig which I have had for three years, my Genz Shuttle 6 with two 1X12 custom Ashdown ABM cabs with Celestion Neo's, which does everything I want it to. There are a couple of practice amps too, a Peavey Microbass and another which I've forgotten the name of.
I would really like another head as a backup, preferably a Markbass, but funds don't currently permit.

[jimknc]

Laney Linebacker 100 combo - not good
Ampeg B25B head & cab - nice tone not loud enough
Trace Elliot 7215 SMC GP7 combo & 1048H cab - great
Ampeg SVP II & SWR Stereo 800 & Mesa Boogie 1516 - ok
Acoustic 220 & 402 (from Mr Foxen) - very, very nice but could be louder - anyone selling another 402???

[JPJ]

1978 First amp I used was a Customsound Trucker combo that the local arts centre used to hire out to bands. It was a pucka valve amp, probably around 45w and a 1x15 (or possibly 1x12) speaker.

1980 First amp I bought was a Ohm GB80 1x15 80w combo, H&H speaker, five band graphic eq but knobs not sliders.

1981 Then I bought a FAL solid state 100w amp head and built a 1x15 cab to use with that and used to stack the FAL on top of the Ohm on top of the home made 1x15 for a mega 180w stack

1988 Then I bought a Carlsboro Stingray Pro Bass 300 head and an old Hiwatt 4x12 (which I only sold recently)

1990 Then I took a hiatus from gigging (got married), kept the Carlsboro and the Hiwatt and bought a Laney G120 120w 1x15 combo for use in the house.

2005 And I'm about to return to the gigging scene, so I sell the Laney and buy an SWR Black Beauty 300w 1x15 combo and very quickly add a workingman's 2x10 to fill out the sound. I become addicted to the SWR sound.

2006 see's the Black Beauty combo replaced with a 750x head, Goliath 4x10 and Son of Bertha 1x15.

2008 see's the Son of Bertha replaced with a second Goliath 4x10 and tonal nirvana is achieved.

2010 see's the 750x replaced with the SM1500 and a Schroeder 21012 added to the mix for smaller gigs where two 4x10's might actually cause structural damage to the venue.

In between times, an Orange Terror Bass 500 popped in (and out again) and I've now got gas for a Markbass Randy Jackson head to pair with the Schroeder for something different.

[Rich]

1. Homebrewed 30w amp built with substantial assistance from my physics teacher; massively heavy 1x15" cab bought from my metalwork teacher for £20 (who also sold me my first bass, a '64 Hofner Artist that I still have). Replaced by...
2. Phoenix PHA-1 hybrid 100w head, Custom Sound 4x12" cab. It was the only Phoenix amp I've ever seen. Replaced by...
3. Laney Pro-Bass 4x10" combo -- 21st birthday prez from my folks, love 'em. Brilliant amp, now belongs to a mate and still going strong. Superb in every way. Replaced by...
4. Carlsbro Delta 300w head plus matching 1x18" and 2x8" cabs. Nice amp but never really delivered on its promise. Replaced by...
5. Trace GP12 preamp plus Citronic 600w power amp; two Peavey 4x10" cabs. Great sound but oh christ it was heavy. Power amp blew up.
6. As above but with SoundTech power amp. Much better, plus the new power amp weighed 30lbs less than the old one. Cabs still hugely heavy though, so they went. 
7. As above but with SWR Triad cab bought from our very own Kiwi. Still the best sounding cab I've ever owned. Pre/power sold...
8. Eden WT-400 Traveller+ head, SWR Triad cab. A great combination, tried Kiwi's Ken Smith 5 through it once and it was one of the best bass sounds I've ever heard. Had this rig for quite a while, until I eventually sold the Triad as it was just getting too heavy for my feeble old muscles.
9. Eden WT-400 Traveller+ head, Eden Nemesis NSP 2x10" and 1x15" cabs. Great sound, used for a while until the inevitable GAS attack.
10. Euphonic Audio iAmp 350 combo (straight swap for the Eden with Rich Bowman), Eden Nemesis NSP 2x10" and 1x15" cabs. The EA combo was cute but I removed the head from it and used it with my cabs. Used this rig for a while until I read some interesting stuff about speaker combinations and decided on a change. Sold the 2x10 and replaced it with a second 1x15.
11. Euphonic Audio iAmp 350 head, two Eden Nemesis NSP 1x15" cabs. This cab change worked better than I could have hoped. No real loss of top end or snap thanks to the tweeters in the cabs, but the sound is so much more rounded and warm, really full-range. Thanks to Alex and BFM for making the light bulb glow. GAS attack and curiosity leads to amp change...
12. Focusrite preamp, Crown XTi power amp, two Eden Nemesis NSP 1x15" cabs. The Focusrite is/was a wonderful piece of kit, with the best compressor I have ever heard. (During this time, I also bought a Hartke HA3500 head which I used as a chuck-it-in-the-car rehearsal amp.) The Crown XTi power amp is an amazingly flexible beast with loads of cool features that i never got round to using before it was eventually sold due to an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
13. SWR SM-900 head, two Eden Nemesis NSP 1x15" cabs. I'd always fancied the big SWR so when the chance came I grabbed it. Glorious sounding thing but oh god I hadn't realised just how heavy it is. Sold the Focusrite pre as I just didn't need it, despite the amazing compressor. Eventually the sheer weight of the SWR became too annoying and another GAS attack saw it sold.
14. Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0  head, two Eden Nemesis NSP 1x15" cabs. At last, my perfect rig. It's the sound I've always had in my head, and oh my god it's so light. The entire rig now weighs 20lbs less than just one of my old Peavey 4x10s. And because the amp is rackmounted with my wireless receiver, I can get completely set up in just over a minute.

I've come a long way since that homebrew 30w tin can.

[VTypeV4]

Go on then, I'll do my best..

Beavis: 60w valve amp built by my step-dad in the mid '90s driving two Goodmans loaded WEM 1x15s (still got all of that)
Trace Elliot Boxer 30: Traded for a Shaftesbury Les Paul copy
Trace Elliot 712 SMC: Great amp especially with the 2103H 2x10 extention cab
Trace Elliot AH300 SM: The 712 was traded for this amp.
Trace Elliot AH300 SMX: Bought this outright with a view to selling the SM. Had an 1153 1x15 in addition to the 2103H too.
Trace Elliot RAH600 SMX: Thought I'd try the 'big one' along with a 1048H. Sold the SM and 2103H. (still got the 600)
Trace Elliot V-Type 4808: Heavy but awesome. Swapped it for the 300SMX.
Trace Elliot V4 Mk2: I was looking for a change of sound so a retrogressive step was the way forward. .Later had the matching 1084 8x10 and that was monsterous!
Trace Elliot AH400SMX: Probably the best graphic series amps they made.
Trace Elliot 715 - 7: It came up cheap and had plenty of poke for it's size.
Ashton BV300H: A gem of an amplifier.

I still have Beavis (6550 powered Linear L50/Marshall hybrid) and cabs but damaged one of the Goodmans and replaced it with an HH driver so I could just use one cab. Currently building a 2x12 with some electrovoice drivers so I can re-cone and re-install the goodmans drive unit.

I've owned and sold the 600SMX a few times but it's a superb peice of kit. Great with Trace 4x10 and 1x15 cabs.

I think the 4808 belongs to someone on here, Longtimefred sold it on here a while back.

The Peavey 4x10 went when I got the 810 and when that went had an Ashdown 210 for the V4 to drive.

Shouldn't have sold the 400SMX, a truly excellent amp.

Loving my Ashton tho, I'll be keeping this one, it's top drawer!

[grunge666]

I 1st used a Titan 100w pa amp though my Dads Fane disco speakers when I was 11!
He got a bit worried when I blew a tweeter and bought me a a no name 18" sealed cab - it was awful so I got a Yamaha 100 15" combo - it was HUGE!
When I started work I got a Laney DP150 and 1x15 on HP - added a MAJ 4x10 and used that set up for about 15 years - it did the job until I stopped playing when I got married to an over-bearing hell witch!
The divorce/house sale paid for an Ampeg SVT 3 pro and an SVT 410HLF.
The HLF made way for a Barefaced S12 earlier this year and now the SVT3 has gone for an Orange TB 500.
I think I'm set now!

This thread is great!

[steve-soar]

I'm sure I've done one of these before but here goes.


1985, my stereo, blew the speakers.
Not long after, Summer 1985, McGregor Bassman 200, into an HH 2X15BL.
1986, McGregor Bassman, into 2 1x15" ohm PA cabs.
1986, McGregor into a SVT 8X10" with replacment WEM speakers.
1986, Peavey Combo 300. (Amazing amp)
Marshall Jubilee 300 head and 4x10" cab, sounded rubbish.
Marshall Jubilee 300 head, into Peavey 1810. sounded rubbish.
Peavey Mark VI, into a Peavey Black Widow 2x15" cab, sounded incredible!!!
Ampeg SVT II, into my old SVT cab, with the WEM speakers. Played Reading and Finsbury Park with this, Superb!
Ashdown C115, sh*te.
Then added an Ashdown "Mini" 4x8", still sh*te.
Bored now...will tell the rest of the journey after a cup of tea.