Bass amp or combo?

[JXBase]

Hey - so a friend keeps banging on about the fact I need to invest in a bass amp. I do need a lightweight portable amp that i could gig with in venues that may not have all-inclusive PA equipment, but I'm wondering if I could get away with finding such a lightweight portable amp that is ideal for both electric guitar and suitable for bass?

I've no real budget constraints (well, hoping to keep it under £1,000), I'm more concerned with quality/multi-use for guitar/bass and the fact I'm a girl so something that is portable for the likes of me.

Thanks for your advice in advance!

[D.I. Joe]

Hi and welcome to the forum

I'm not sure such a thing exists in the modern world. Old valve amps like Fender Bassman, Selmer Treble & Bass, Marshall Superbass etc can be used for both, but they will be big, heavy and expensive to buy and maintain and so probably not what you're looking for really. I suppose it depends what kind of tone you're after. Legend has it that Josh Homme used bass amps in the studio with Kyuss:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-MSfd2S7lo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-MSfd2S7lo[/url]

Edited August 18, 2013 by D.I. Joe

[chris_b]

You could check out Markbass, Genz Benz and Aguilar, but I'd look at a Bergantino CN112 and a 500 watt digiital head.

[JapanAxe]

Cheapest/lightest way to go would be a digital head and lightweight speaker for when you play bass; then add a multi fx with amp modelling for when you play guitar.

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1376864247' post='2180220']
Cheapest/lightest way to go would be a digital head and lightweight speaker for when you play bass; then add a multi fx with amp modelling for when you play guitar.
[/quote]
Nice idea.

Or a powered (monitor/ 2x12) speaker system and a bass pre-amp / guitar pre-amp.
Whichever way you approach it, there'll be compromises. Unless you like the sound of a cabinet which is optimised for neither bass nor guitar. Might need some EQ to even get close with guitar, and if it has a tweeter/horn that might not doing nice with guitar unless you roll it off...

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='D.I. Joe' timestamp='1376861517' post='2180167']
Legend has it that Josh Homme used bass amps in the studio with Kyuss:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-MSfd2S7lo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-MSfd2S7lo[/url]
[/quote]

When I saw him on the first QOTSA tour, he had an 8x10 laying sideways under his (2x) 4x12s. It was working. You could hear it over the PA at the front (in a smallish) venue

I think he uses/ used a low-pass filter to feed a separate power amp or head to drive the 8x10.

[TimR]

[quote name='JXBase' timestamp='1376860439' post='2180145']
Hey - so a friend keeps banging on about the fact I need to invest in a bass amp. I do need a lightweight portable amp that i could gig with in venues that may not have all-inclusive PA equipment, but I'm wondering if I could get away with finding such a lightweight portable amp that is ideal for both electric guitar and suitable for bass?

I've no real budget constraints (well, hoping to keep it under £1,000), I'm more concerned with quality/multi-use for guitar/bass and the fact I'm a girl so something that is portable for the likes of me.

Thanks for your advice in advance!
[/quote]

I think you should look second hand for two combo amps.

What type of music are you playing? What type of gigs/venues?

A second hand combo like the Trace Elliot GP7 with a 15" speaker can be found for £300 and will keep up with most drummers. Lots of other 300-500W combos around.

Although Trace Elliot are nenowned for being very heavy but price is going to be your main concern and even us blokes get help carrying gear, so ask for help.

Guitar amps? Don't know.

Edited August 19, 2013 by TimR

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Aguilar, walkabout scout? ,gallon Krueger?

[tauzero]

[quote name='JXBase' timestamp='1376860439' post='2180145']
I've no real budget constraints (well, hoping to keep it under £1,000), I'm more concerned with quality/multi-use for guitar/bass and the fact I'm a girl so something that is portable for the likes of me.
[/quote]

Are you actually going to be using both a bass amp and a guitar amp at the same gig? If not, separate amps would make more sense as you'd need to go for a bass amp/speaker to ensure the speaker can handle the bass range, and that's going to lead to compromise on the guitar side of things. If you go for the one amp solution, you'll need a cab/combo with a tweeter as well as the main driver so you can get clear highs. There's an awful lot of lightweight gear out there now (add Tecamp and TC to the suggestions above) - if you go for separate head and cab, it means you can change one or the other at some later date.

[Lozz196]

Not sure about being able to use it for guitar, but the Markbass Mini CMD121P combo fits all the rest of the criteria specified. Light, portable, and plenty loud enough.

And welcome to the forum, btw.

Edited August 19, 2013 by Lozz196

[BassTractor]

Only thing I know is that the Ashdown Little Bastard 30 sounds [i]lovely[/i] with guitar, in an Eric Clapton kind of way.
I'm selling my guitar amp now because of the LB (no, not selling on BC).

That said, it's not one of the tiny lightweights, so may be out of range.

[thunderider]

im not one for combos but ive played thro a couple of old peavey 75/85w combos....mannnn are they powerfull!! cheap too!!

[leschirons]

If it's any help, I used my Genz Shuttle 6.0 combo last week for an acoustic guitar number and our guitarist assumed I was using the AER that was parked next to me. It sounded great. Also sounds really nice with my Strat in a sort of clean compressed way.

[xgsjx]

I can confirm that the Markbass combos are excellent for sticking electro-acoustic guitar through & even does a decent job with the electric guitar. I dare say most of the digital amps would be too.
Another option would be to get a good active pa cab & use an amp modeling pedal.

[woolleydick]

The new Peavey Vipyr might be what you need?

[url="http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/guitars/peavey-vypyr-vip-3-581738"]http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/guitars/peavey-vypyr-vip-3-581738[/url]

[JXBase]

Thanks for the responses - I've been looking into all the suggestions and I have to say Markbass and Peavey Vyper amps look like they hit the spot.

I am working both solo and band set-up in small venues where they sometimes don't have the equipment (band is not big enough or closely based enough for roadie/helping hands or anything, given how unreliable people can be).

On the bass, it will range between low simple basslines to jumping funk/melodic lines like red hot chili peppers. For guitar, I've got pedals (though yet to delve into the world of pedal boards). Generally the guitar is fairly clean with minimal reverb and maybe distortion/overdrive in sections - can be rocky at it's heaviest but not like heavy-metal.

I'll probably decided between peavey and markbass. Thanks again fellow players.

JX

[Evil Undead]

Being female and not very strong, I found that the Fender rumble cabs worked for me. I have two 1x12's, they are a pleasure to carry at 24lbs each, loud enough for any gig I've played. And cheaper than markbass stuff as well.

[WalMan]

A head and cabs might give you more scope to mix & match.

I have been running a Genz Benz Streamliner 6 with a Barefaced Super12T, which is a great rig, though pushing you budget and all bass

Then again I picked up a TC Electronic BH250 head recently to run for smaller gigs, and with a view to getting a second cab so that I have another rig I can run the bass pedals through for the proggy gig. I have to say that paired with the S12T is also an awesome sounding rig and was plenty loud enough at the gigs on the last two Saturdays.

Markbass are good, and also small & light, but they really won't do guitar as well. For that you might consider something like an Orange Tiny Terror - though again that would need a separate cab. One of the guitarists tonight was talking about getting the new Micro Terror for rehearsals & small gigs in London when he is heading there on the Tube. He used a Blackstar 5W amp & cab at a gig last year and it was great & plenty loud enough.

[BobVbass]

The thing I like about amps and cabs is that you can get the best choice for both your speakers and your amp - most combos I've experienced have been a compromised as one or another. Also you obviously split the weight when you split the components ( although when their both very light in a combo who cares). You can also after the initial outlay upgrade either part as you fancy.

Personally I've gone down the route of heavy analogue amp which although heavy is a manageable size and a lightweight cab - for my ears that gives me the traditional distorted sound I'm used to being an old git with something that doesn't hurt my back ( being an old git)

Edited August 25, 2013 by BobVbass