worst amp you have owned or had the luck to use

[4000]

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1388082282' post='2318395']
Yamaha B100-115 like this one:

[url="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/dincz/media/yamaha_zpsbe5788c3.jpg.html"][/url]

Not terrible but a rather woolly bottom end and big and heavy for its 100W. I added a single band parametric to it which improved matters a bit.
[/quote]

I used to use a Yamaha guitar head (same era as that combo) through a HH 2x15 back in the day. I really liked it at the time.

Worst for me is Peavey, Peavey, Peavey. Never played a Peavey amp I haven't absolutely hated. Hated every EA I've tried too, although I think it's the cabs not the amps that I detest.

Did a festival last year where I used a big Ampeg valve rig which was utterly horrible IMO (to be fair I've always hated Ampeg gear). Also used a Nemesis rig which sounded utter pants, but the worst I've tried recently was at one of the Bass Days in Manc; think it was poss a GB setup? May have had Berg cabs, can't remember. I tried a W&T through it. I couldn't get a single tone I liked out of it; everything was glass, glass and more glass. I'll admit though that playing the way I do and using the basses I tend to use those big old crap transistor amps and papery speakers tend to work better for me that most more modern hi-fi gear (hence why I'll take Ashdown over most modern alternatives). My Epifani was pretty near useless for me and I was recently forced to record with an Avalon pre which was horrible (yes, you read that right). Oh, SWR Goliath cabs are another contender, they give me nothing I want and everything I don't. I remember when they first came out I tried one in a shop and was told it was the best bass cab going. After 5 minutes I was wondering whether to set fire to it or smash it to pieces.

[4000]

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1366550572' post='2053827']
Marshall 400w valve head, sounded like Thunder, lovely and sweet, but so unreliable, spent years at marshal under warranty.; A bloke broke in the van and ran off with it and I shouted him, mate, take the *&*&****** thing ! Good luck...

[/quote]

I'd forgotten about my Marshall 2001 375W all-valve. 100lbs of pure uselessness, rare as hen's teeth and a good job too. When it wasn't blowing up it sounded rubbish. I think it was called a 2001 because it was both as heavy as and as much use as the monolith.

To be honest almost every modern cab would qualify; they almost all sound like a mixture of glass and plastic. Gimme my old 200W Mk1 Trace 4x10 any day.

[JamesFlashG]

Worst I have played through is probably a Johnson practice amp 1x10 the only sound it made was a distorted mid racket, sounded like it was capable of taking off. Next is a Peavy combo 1x15 cant remember the model of it, it was probably not to bad once upon a time but by the time i came across it was awful sounding thing and probably weighed 40-50KG

[Mark_Bass]

when I was at school i used a carlsboro 1x15 no idea if it was a bass amp or a keyboard amp but it swiftly meant I brought my own amp lol

[Mark_Bass]

but thinking about I owned a warwick tube path 10.1 it made it through 30mins of rehearsal before it went pop!
Sounded pretty good for the time it worked lol

Edited December 30, 2013 by Mark_Bass

[herman]

Anything with the name trace elliot on it!!!

[Nibody]

[sub]had one of these as my first amp. it was awesome (if huge)[/sub]

[sub][/sub]

[sub]But the worst was this piece of trash - cut out during gigs and sounded souless[/sub]

[sub][/sub]

[ern500evo]

[quote name='Mark_Bass' timestamp='1388444962' post='2322178']
but thinking about I owned a warwick tube path 10.1 it made it through 30mins of rehearsal before it went pop!
Sounded pretty good for the time it worked lol
[/quote]
Before I bought my Tubepath 5.1, everyone I spoke to about it told me under no circumstances buy the 10.1, they have zero reliability! Have no idea why though, the 5.1 never gave me any trouble at all.

[spacey]

For me it was the Marshall VBA 400, once they "start" they start, transformers burn out, valve sockets crackle, you need to carry two of them just to get through a gig.
They have loverly warm tone, like a peavey firebass 700 head, in fact soundwise almost identlcle just could not keep the damned things running.

[parker_muse]

Without doubt, the Ashdown Superfly.

Quiet, went back to the shop FOUR times to be repaired, non existent tone.

*shudder*

[dave74200]

[quote name='yorick' timestamp='1359585047' post='1957242']
Anything by Crashdown.............
[/quote]
Good enough for many of the world's current biggest bands ie. Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters, U2, Radiohead, Elbow, The Who......... But not you.

[EmmettC]

[quote name='dave74200' timestamp='1394983357' post='2397330']

Good enough for many of the world's current biggest bands ie. Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters, U2, Radiohead, Elbow, The Who......... But not you.
[/quote]

In his/her opinion, yes not good enough. And just because Adam Clayton says it's good doesn't mean it is. I was actually coming to say that the peavey combo that seems to live in every rehearsal room is the only bad thing I've used, but you just reminded me that an Ashdown 4x10 I had was so bad I almost sold my SWR head, luckily I tried it with a decent cab and realised it was the ashdown that was the problem before I dumped it.

[Ed_S]

And just for added confusion on the Ashdown front, I believe I've already said in this thread or another like it that the ABM500 is one of the worst amps I've owned, but having recently given them another chance the ABM1000 is, without hesitation, one of the best.

[Tobiasthegiant]

Probably my old Carvin R600 Combo. Very lifeless. Tried it with a separate cab, and it only got worse :/

[Biaeothanata-Bassist]

Worst one I've owned was a Gallien Kreuger 700RBII head. Horrible piece of crap! Tried everything I could to get a nice tone out of it but ended up selling it a month later. Wish I had never of parted with my Trace Elliot AH350SMX for it. To be fair, the Hartke LH500 head i'm now using is the best thing ever.

Worst one I've played through that wasn't mine was a Fender Rumble or Marshall MB. They were on par with the GK I owned for crappiness.

[badboy1984]

The worse amp I have play is probably some battered Ashdown combo in a rehearsal studio. Nothing to do with Ashdown amp, is jsut the studio never bother fixing those amp. The speaker always fart and distorted.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='dave74200' timestamp='1394983357' post='2397330']
Good enough for many of the world's current biggest bands ie. Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters, U2, Radiohead, Elbow, The Who......... But not you.
[/quote]

... who have an army of people to cart the gear around, set it up, service it, have standbys in the wings etc, and theres the factor that such gear probably rarely gets actually heard by anyone - the band hear the monitors, the audience hear the PA, in most cases via DIs either direct from the instrument or from the amp.

[SkinnyMike]

Without a doubt a Peavy Session bass 400.

Had to use it in a rehearsal the other week after sending my Orange amp to be serviced. Iv'e never heard my stingray sound so awful. AVOID them at all costs!

[ambient]

Genz Benz shuttle 6.

Sounded like a wasp in a jar, and had the most ridiculously noisy fan, hated it loads.

[JuliusGroove]

Controversial maybe but I absolutely despise Hartke! Ashdown has always been hit n miss for me also..

Though my friend has an Ashdown head with a Hartke cab and its really warm and punchy!

I'll stick to my Mark...

[chrismuzz]

It was either the SVT 3 Pro, or the 7 Pro. Absolutely bloody awful tone, and no volume whatsoever!

[EliasMooseblaster]

In a controversial move, I'm going to stick up for both Laney and Ashdown! My current rig is an Ashdown LB30 connected to the cab of a Laney HCM120B, and I'm rather pleased with it.

I, like many of you, never used to like Ashdowns as I found the overall sound to be too woolly. Until, one day, I cut the bass frequencies a bit, and a lot of clarity and satisfying clank emerged from the fog - and this was from the battered SS stuff in rehearsal rooms, before I'd decided to look for a small valve head. I can see the sound would not be to everyone's ears, but it suits me.

Laney and I have a bit of a history - not that Laney know about it - but my first bass amp was a Laney Session 40 Bassman that I bought S/H. When I upgraded, I went for a bigger Laney (the aforementioned HCM120B) because they were more within my budget than a lot of the other options in front of me at the time. And when the head on that one failed - after a good 10 years of abuse, no less - I scored myself a Laney RB8 off ebay. I just find them quite versatile, and the more modern ones seemed to have a relatively bright tone (with the EQ at 12 o'clock) that suited me but, as I say, possibly not everyone!

Still, in the spirit of this thread I ought to slag something off, so: Line6. I'm sure it's very useful to have four different channels and numerous exciting effects built in, if you like to completely reshape your tone for every song. Unfortunately, I'm more in the set-a-tone-you-like-and-tweak-if-necessary camp, and I just don't like the standard clean tone. I also find them very unresponsive to dynamics.

[winterfire666]

i dont care who uses em, Ashdowns Suck! (imho i would rather cut off my own gentleman's part with a rusty breadknife than use one, they just aint for me) im not keen on some of the cheaper laneys but they do make some great gear, the nexus tube amp is great and the B1/B2 were superb, the B2 in fact i reckon was by far the best combo i have ever used.
i agree about line 6 amps, very unresponsive to dynamics.

[EmmettC]

[quote name='winterfire666' timestamp='1395081158' post='2398445']
(imho i would rather cut off my own gentleman's part with a rusty breadknife than use one, they just aint for me)
[/quote]

Haha, I'm not a fan of them either, but given the choice I'll keep my gentleman's part.

[dave74200]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1395066085' post='2398197']


... who have an army of people to cart the gear around, set it up, service it, have standbys in the wings etc, and theres the factor that such gear probably rarely gets actually heard by anyone - the band hear the monitors, the audience hear the PA, in most cases via DIs either direct from the instrument or from the amp.
[/quote]