Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Tiny Heads - Your Opinions, Please


Doctor J
 Share

Recommended Posts

Against my better judgement it looks like I might be getting back into a regular rehearsal/gigging situation again and I'm thinking about picking up a small amp head to take some of the lug out of lugging. Amps have never been a big deal to me so I'm not entirely learned as regards what's out there.

I'm looking for something small and light, the kind of thing you might fit in a gig bag, doesn't need to be more than 500W, I reckon. I'd need two speaker outs, not a combined speakon/jack however, two seperate outputs. Tonally, if it could do a bit of dirt, that would be nice. A decent DI output would be good too. If I can keep it under about £600/€700 that would be just tickety boo. I don't need anything outrageuous, tonally, or onboard effects or other gimmicks, the simpler the better as far as I'm concerned. This is a rock band, so I need a bit of ooomph but I don't see myself needing 1.21 gigawatts, if you know what I mean.

The Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 looks decent but my knowledge and experience of them doesn't go beyond their preamps. So, good people of basschat, if you have any experience of this kind of thing I'd appreciate hearing your experience and opinions.

Thanks in advance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GK MB500 is well worth a look. Or the Orange Bass Terror. Both well within your budget. However, if you could push the budget then the Genz Benz STreamliners (600 and 900) and the Ampeg SVT 7Pro are all in a league above.

To be honest I'd recommend a good pedal for dirt with virtually any amp. Just IME and IMO of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

personally i dont like these little car stereo sized amps. i have tried a few now and yes they seem loud enough, but compare to a big ol iron lady SS amp or a valve amp they seem (to me) to lack guts. I know gozillions of people on here swear by them but they aint for me.

I have never seen a touring band or have been on tour with anyone using these. They are always big industrial sized amps. i wouldnt listen to me though! im probably wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For an amp that can fit in a gig bag, I`d look at the GK MB500, or the GK MB Fusion 500. Both are smaller than a laptop, and about the same weight. Very powerful amps, have exactly what you`ve put in the requirements. Difference between the two - the Fusion is "thicker" sounding, due to the pre-amp valves. Plus, GK are great for rock.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When i first got my Markbass F1 I was in a death metal band, I used this with no pedals and it was never lacking. It's super super clean and quick with a tiny high mid bump. Sounds more aggressive than most dirty amps I've tried! dood was selling one for £300 earlier, don't know if its still available but I highly recommend it!

EDIT: Just remembered being at rehearsal last night with the amp on about 10 o clock, and I had to turn the Bass knob down because i had SO much beef my feet were vibrating and I couldnt stand up properly :lol:

Edited by chrismuzz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1338333070' post='1673056']
Thanks, I'll have a look at them. Has anyone tried the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.2?
[/quote]

Haven't tried the 6.2 but I do own the original 6.0 model and its a great little amp. I've always found it to show the sound of your basses well, and often leave the EQ and tone shaping completely flat.

Haven't used it in anger with any of the lightweight cabs that are around, but it certainly loves my 6x10 and I've had many compliments on the tone of it (and many shocked guitarists when they realise that tiny box is my 600w amp!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1338333070' post='1673056']
Thanks, I'll have a look at them. Has anyone tried the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.2?
[/quote]

If you try the shuttle and then a streamliner back to back (and if you are wanting to play rock of any genre) you will never want to play the shuttle again.
The Shuttles are great amps but are relatively hi-fi, modern and "thin". Of course, you can thicken them up a bit with EQing but their basic tonal signature is as I described, which is what a lot of non-rock players are looking for. In contrast, the Streamliner signiture sound is thick, utterly full and powerful. Much more "Ampegy", much more "tubey". They are very, very different amps. I cannot recommend the Streamliner enough for anyone looking for a rock bass amp.

Edited by hamfist
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Decide what you gig can take. It may well be that some gigs would fall about laughing if you turned up with some lightweight/small stuff as image and look can account for quite a lot.
If carry and size is an issue overriding everything, then that points you in one direction.

I don't see the point of lightwieght amps unless you want/need to wak into the gig after schlepping down from the train station so anything upto around 10-12 kgs brings lot of decent amps into the equation
and that weight does not concern me. Cabs at around 40 lb aren't a problem either...but that's me.
I might have a TH500 which I've demo'd, and I like the pedal, but don't see the need atm.
I've tried a few Markbass but my worry is that the sound of them at low volume is lost at higher volumes.

I tend not to like class D and NEO on the basis of my experience so far....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had the PF500, Ian, and it was great. Unfortunately the sound wasn`t right for one of my bands, just a bit too warm, so I sold it, but I`d recommend them in an instant.

There have apparently been some problems however, with some of them, but I never encountered any, either on 2hr gigs, 4hr rehearsals, or day-long recording sessions. If you like the Ampeg sound, you`ll like the PF amps. I reviewed mine on here, and our very own Truckstop is the current owner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If i was in a rock band at the present moment i would go for either a EBS Reidmar or a Ibanez Promethean and use a pedal for girth (SansAmp VT Bass would be one of the choices). I'm currently using a Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 (just about identical to the Aguilar TH500) because i need a cleaner tone without that big bottom muddying my sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1338378593' post='1673486']
I had the PF500, Ian, and it was great. Unfortunately the sound wasn`t right for one of my bands, just a bit too warm, so I sold it, but I`d recommend them in an instant.

There have apparently been some problems however, with some of them, but I never encountered any, either on 2hr gigs, 4hr rehearsals, or day-long recording sessions. If you like the Ampeg sound, you`ll like the PF amps. I reviewed mine on here, and our very own Truckstop is the current owner.
[/quote]

Cheers Loz, that's reassuring (warm is exactly what I want, to be honest; gonna be putting a Precision and/or a SUB through it for old-school rock-type stuff) - I notice the feet on them are quite high, are there cooling grilles on the bottom or something?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Ian Savage' timestamp='1338382739' post='1673596']
Cheers Loz, that's reassuring (warm is exactly what I want, to be honest; gonna be putting a Precision and/or a SUB through it for old-school rock-type stuff) - I notice the feet on them are quite high, are there cooling grilles on the bottom or something?
[/quote]

I didn`t notice any, though have to admit, wasn`t looking. I think it`s more down to the Portaflex cabs having a handle on top, so the feet need to be high enough to place the amp over this.

With a Precision these amps sound great, ideal for old-school rock - really miss mine, but no point having an amp that`s wrong for the band :sad:

Edited by Lozz196
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1338388113' post='1673719']
I didn`t notice any, though have to admit, wasn`t looking. I think it`s more down to the Portaflex cabs having a handle on top, so the feet need to be high enough to place the amp over this.

With a Precision these amps sound great, ideal for old-school rock - really miss mine, but no point having an amp that`s wrong for the band :sad:
[/quote]

Magic, thanks man; think I might be treating myself to a 350 in the near future then!

Anyone wanna buy a Hartke HA5000 (in need of a bit of TLC) or a 3U rack case? :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='longtimefred' timestamp='1338325212' post='1672899']
personally i dont like these little car stereo sized amps. i have tried a few now and yes they seem loud enough, but compare to a big ol iron lady SS amp or a valve amp they seem (to me) to lack guts. I know gozillions of people on here swear by them but they aint for me.

I have never seen a touring band or have been on tour with anyone using these. They are always big industrial sized amps. i wouldnt listen to me though! im probably wrong.
[/quote]

I think you make fair points. However, touring bands probably don't benefit from tiny size like us plebs who have to lug gear around ourselves. I think you have to check them out yourself to see if they lack anything. In the end, its the power section which has been mostly reduced in size as opposed to the tone creating parts. I'm happy with my Streamliner, bit difficult to say if I've lost any guts from the HA5000, both are very powerful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed. My principal interest here is because I have a pain in my hole lugging stuff around for gigs. If I can get something which sounds decent and fits in a gig bag pocket then I'm a truly happy camper. It doesn't have to be the best sounding amp in the history of the world ever, though obviously it's got to sound good. I will be somewhat forgiving tonally if the size and weight is right. The Streamliner looks about right but there seem to be lots of people out there changing the eq valve to make it something a bit more useable, which is a concern.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1338369454' post='1673278']
I've tried a few Markbass but my worry is that the sound of them at low volume is lost at higher volumes.
[/quote]

Actually I've found that my Markbass rig sounds a lot different at higher volumes. You really get the full benefit of those earth shaking lows when you crank it, but you don't lose any of that clarity! The settings I normally have tend to sound a bit thin at low levels..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...