Need practice amp reccomendations

[David Taylor]

I'm a complete beginner with my bass, and i do mean complete. I bought the bass and case from a shop in Bristol and have been loaned a amp by a mate. However i want to get my own, the guy in the store recomended a Roland Bass Amp, was £200 and he said it would do me good for practising on now, but down the road would be good for jamming later on. Which is what i was after, didn't want to buy an amp now and then another later on.

But yeah, before i went and just buy the first thing a sales rep on commission tells me to buy, figured i'd ask around and get opinion and advice Sadly my mate that loaned me my current amp can't really help since he dosen't play bass any more and hasn't for years. so yeah, advice away please

[Dad3353]

David...

Roland bass amps have a good reputation. There are several models that come into the category of 'practice' amps; some will not be very useful in a band situation, however. Which model have you seen..?
Meanwhile, here's a few extracted from the 'Amps and Cabs For Sale' section of the Marketplace in this forum, where fellow BCers offer their wares. I did a search using 'Bristol' as a criteria; here's what I've chosen...

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/237739-fsft-peavey-tko-115-400-watt-combo/page__p__2472138__hl__combo__fromsearch__1#entry2472138"]Peavey TKO 115 400 Watt Combo £150 Cardiff...[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/239909-roland-cube-100w-l140/page__hl__bristol__fromsearch__1"]Roland Cube 100w £140...[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/232356-ashdown-abm-evo-ii-300-watt/page__hl__bristol__fromsearch__1"]Ashdown ABM EVO II 300 watt £200...[/url]

Please not that I have no connection with any of these ads, they are merely a sample to help you in your search. There are several more if one is prepared to travel for collection, or can arrange transport from anywhere in the country.

Anyway, hope this helps; let us know how you progress, please..?

Edited July 8, 2014 by Dad3353

[David Taylor]

This is the one the sales rep was pointing me to, kept going on about the features which meant nothing to me as total beginner

http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/roland-cube-20xl-bass-guitar-amplifier.html

[Dad3353]

A very nice little amp, but quite definitely in the 'bedroom' category, pretty much useless if playing with others. I wouldn't want to spoil his sale, and I don't know how comfortable you'd be buying second-hand, but you can get much more versatile combos or head/cabs for that much, imo.
If you really want to 'kick off' without spending a lot, the 'headphones only' jackplug amps are quite good, and fairly inexpensive. This could tide you over whilst awaiting the Good Deal, and is always useful. Something of this sort..?

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vox-Bass-Guitar-amPlug-Guitar-Headphone-Amp-AMPLUG-BS-/360936540585?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item54097e89a9"]Vox Bass Amplug...[/url]

Just a suggestion...

[David Taylor]

TBH price isn't THAT much of an issue since i'm using a borrowed Tanglewood one at the moment.



So i'm more than happy to wait a few months and spend £300-500 on one. I was looking at the 120 version of the Rolland, which is £469 [url="http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/roland-cube-120xl-bass-guitar-amplifier.html"]http://www.pmtonline...-amplifier.html[/url]

Buying second hand, i'd rather not. for no other reason that since this is my first time doing it all i wanted to get new just so it has that 'new' smell And the fact if i buy new from a store and something goes wrong i can take it back and they'll fix it for me. Or atleast thats what the sales guy was saying, the guitar has a 3 year warrantly on it where i can take it in for a yearly check up, and amps they do the same thing for. You don't get that with 2nd hand, and since i don't know anything about what i'm doing i think it's a bad idea, since if it did go wrong i'd only end having to pay someone to fix it which is probably going to cost me more than buying new would do from the start

I did just order one of those Vox headphone amps from Amazon though, saves me annoying my neighbours with my terrible playing in the middle of the night

Edited July 8, 2014 by David Taylor

[Dad3353]

[URL=http://www.smileyvault.com/][IMG]http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/CBSA/smileyvault-cute-big-smiley-animated-041.gif[/IMG][/URL]

Reasonable, logical thinking, no problems with that.

Now get to bed; it's late..!

[David Taylor]

meh 2am perfect time to practice and wake the neighbours! hehe

Has anyone used the [url="http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/peavey-max-115-mkii-bass-combo.html"]Peavey MAX 115 MKII Bass Guitar Amplifier Combo [/url] looks like it could be a good one to go with

Edited July 8, 2014 by David Taylor

[Phil Starr]

HI David, welcome to basschat.

I'd strongly advise you against a 'practice' amp for two reasons (at least)

proper practice amps are tiny things that just make a noise by and large. They help you practice but are usually only 10-30W and cost under £100 but although very good value ultimately they don't do bass very well and are ultimately unsatisfying. The big plus is that they are small so if you practice in a bedroom they don't take a lot of space. http://www.thomann.de/gb/hartke_b200_bseries_basscombo.htm

A combo with 200W of power and something like a single 12 or 15" speaker or a 2x10 built in will enable you to play with a full drum kit in the rehearsal room and even most full venues as a stage amp. They will also make a much nicer noise and that encourages you to practice. (The most important reason to go this way, especially as within reason money is not the main isssue for you) http://www.thomann.de/gb/tc_electronic_bg250_115.htm

Then there are the things that most guitar shops sell, usually in the 50-100W range and with a 10-12" speaker. For a bass player they are largely pointless. They aren't loud enough to play with a drummer and guitarist, even though some of them sound pretty good. They are designed for the shop not the player, they hit a price point for the person who wants something a little better than a practice amp, they look like a real bass amp and they will sound incredibly loud in the shop, crucially they don't take up much space in a shop which sells 10 guitar amps for every bass amp they sell. Ultimately they make little sense, too large and loud for normal practice and too small to be used as a practical gigging amp. http://www.thomann.de/gb/hartke_a70_aseries_basscombo.htm

So for something flexible that will encourage you to play more often, sound good and get you out of the shed and playing with other people without getting left behind for volume go for a small but decent combo. It'll live with you for at least a couple of years until you are experienced enough to have ideas of your own about your ideal amp.

[Horizontalste]

I can only really echo what others have said, but I what I will add is if your looking to play with other's you should be considering amp's with 250 to 300 watts as a starting point. Even with 300 I often find myself looking for more headroom.
As for practice and learning songs I use a mixer and headphones, its much more practical for me and I can take it anywhere.

[Oopsdabassist]

Phil nailed it there I reckon, and PMT in Bristol have one of those TC BG250-115 in stock, for not [i]that[/i] much more than the Roland you were thinking of. http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=TC+Electronic+BG250-115

Its the way to go I tells ya!

Oh and Welcome to Basschat BTW

Edited July 8, 2014 by Oopsdabassist

[BassTractor]

What others have said.
I started with a practice amp and almost never use it since a 300W amp was bought very soon after.

Decide whether you need an input for mp3 or the like and an output for headphones. I didn't, always keep forgetting this, and always want to sell the practice amp that has those (and the big set of course has not).
Be not as stupid as I am.
BTW, I get the impression more giggable amps lack those than practice amps, but this may be wrong.

Also, if you do go for giggable amplification, you may wish to consider splitting the thing in two or three units, like a head and two cabinets, both for carrying purposes and for the flexibility of being able to exchange just one bit - which comes in handy in many situations.
More expensive right away, probably, but can save both back and wallet later.
My old 300W combo weighed 45 kilograms (that's foreign for back aches). My new three units may weigh 60 kilos totally, but are three easy carries.

Brand and model wise, there's a lot of good stuff out there, and even Thomann's cheap Harley Benton line is useable in every respect. BC will steer you in the right direction once you have some central parameters decided.

Good luck!

[barkin]

Just to echo what others have said really...

I've done the "20 Watt practice amp" thing, and wouldn't do it again. They're really only any good for bedroom practice, and don't really take any less space than a proper rig that'll be usable for playing with others - with a drum kit etc.

I know you said you'd rather buy new, and I kinda understand that, but just to give some food for thought...you could get a very usable cab (there's a Hartke 2x10 in the For Sale section here, for example, for 100 quid IIRC) that won't really take any more floor space than a practice combo. Add to that a separate amp head (I've done loads of gigs in pubs etc with a Hartke HA2500, for example - 200 quid new...) and you've got a setup that'll not only sound better at bedroom levels IMO than a practice combo, but will also be usable if/when you start playing with others, and give the option of adding another cab later on, should you need to, to make a 4x10/2x10 + 1x15/whatever rig that'll cope with pretty much any pub-type gig situation.

Just a thought...

[Conan]

I've got one of these [url="http://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-combos/pid24520/cid687/ashdown-perfect-ten-40-watt-bass-practice-amp.asp?LGWCODE=24520;56375;2717&utm_source=googlebase&utm_term=PERFECTTEN40&utm_medium=pricecomp&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKEAjwre6dBRC94d-Gma7g3wcSJACNatZeuuOOWcfrZzM1kJY1m8IM7qeKZCqtbp_Rrr6R2d8qdBoCJq_w_wcB"]http://www.andertons.co.uk/bass-combos/pid24520/cid687/ashdown-perfect-ten-40-watt-bass-practice-amp.asp?LGWCODE=24520;56375;2717&utm_source=googlebase&utm_term=PERFECTTEN40&utm_medium=pricecomp&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKEAjwre6dBRC94d-Gma7g3wcSJACNatZeuuOOWcfrZzM1kJY1m8IM7qeKZCqtbp_Rrr6R2d8qdBoCJq_w_wcB[/url] which I really like. Good price too

Mine is a few years old and I'm fairly sure it is 30 watts, whereas the new version is claiming 40...

I gigged with it at the weekend To be fair, it was in a smallish room in a castle, and the drummer was using his electronic kit - but I got a decent sound that was plenty loud enough. If you play with a quietish band, then some of these "practice" amps are loud enough to gig. I also use it at rehearsals sometimes... make of that what you will!

[zero9]

I would advise against a practice amp. A headphone amp or cheap mixer with DI in would be more useful for home practice.

The Roland is a nice combo, but expensive for something that outputs 120 Watts, and won't be loud enough for a band setting. For the same money, you can get a brand new separate amp head and 2x10 cab rated at 250 Watts, such as TC Electronic, which will do most things.

[Musicman20]

TC BH combos or the giggable sized Peaveys would be your best bet.

[Mornats]

Another +1 to skipping a practice amp and going for a usable more powerful amp. You've ordered a set of Vox amp headphone things which will sort you your quiet practice sessions so you'll need something for the in-the-room sound when you're practising and then jamming/playing live.

Those TC Electronics mentioned above are meant to be quite decent so you could try those. PMT are an Ashdown dealer and their Bristol store have loads in stock and they'll let you test them out. They're pretty decent guys in there. I've bought loads from them including my Ashdown 2x12 Touring rig. They have the new Ashdown Rootmaster combos too which would be worth checking out.

Either take your bass in or use an identical one they have in the shop when you're testing. That way you'll get a feel for the sound and it should be the same when you get it home.

Which bass did you buy by the way? Won't make a difference to the amp but hey, this is Basschat and we want to see pics! Welcome to the club from a fellow Bristolian by the way

[David Taylor]

One of the biggest issues for me with buying 2ndhand is getting there. Since I dontdrive getting to places is difficult, as is carrying the stuff on public transport

With store bought I can get there easily and then have them deliver to me. I dont know enough to buy blind.

[David Taylor]

Yeah im heading upto PMt at the end of the month so ill have a look at what they got

[HowieBass]

If you're happy to spend about £450 I'd be looking long and hard at this Fender Rumble 500 [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Fender-Rumble-500-2x10-Bass-Combo-Amp/X0R?origin=product-ads&gclid=CIyrx8jvtb8CFQQFwwodqnMA9g"]http://www.gear4musi...CFQQFwwodqnMA9g[/url]

It's Fender's new line of bass amps/combos and has inherited Genz Benz tech. I've got a Genz Benz combo and couldn't be happier so I expect the Rumbles to be every bit as good AND they're getting good reviews from owners on here.

Edited July 8, 2014 by HowieBass

[Ed_S]

If you don't drive and want a small, bus-portable combo that produces a genuinely pleasing sound I can wholeheartedly recommend the Markbass Micromark 801. You need one in front of you to fully comprehend just how much a little amp can do if it's designed right!

http://www.thomann.de/gb/markbass_micromark_801.htm

[Musicman20]

+1 to the new Fender Rumble combos.

If I were you I would make a list of decent giggable small combos and go from there. I agree if you are new, buying new with a warranty/free delivery/7 day trial is much safer...IMO.

Ashdown would also be a good place to look.

[stingrayPete1977]

I'd get a class D head and a really good used cab either a 2x10 or a 1x12, the class D heads can be used as a head phone amp and you can always add another matching cab to give you a rig similar to what most of us will be using. Ie 4x10 or 2x12, without wasting any money along the way

[JTUK]

If you have an amp on loan and the guy is in no hurry to get it back..then that fills your needs for now.

If you plan to gig or jam later then spend some time here getting to be familiar with what people talk about and use that
as a sort of reasonable reference.
You'll likely spend more money but if you buy S/H from a good contributor here, you should be able to get good gear and a good price
and you should get to know what is fit for puropse.
In short, you should get a better deal here than an arbitary shop...plus there is a good bank of knowledge from people who can point out
any pluses and minuses on gear.

But..all the while you have that loaned amp...you don't have to be in a hurry..as long as the guy isn't mad to have it back.

[thebassman]

[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"]Yeah, agree about the class D suggestion.[/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"]My shuttlemax 9.2 has a headphone out and Aux in for cd or mp3 players, great for home practicing too.[/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"]Cheers[/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"]thebassman [/color][/size][/font]

[stingrayPete1977]

As you know thebassman I have the same amp, we could literally use it in the spare room as a headphone amp one night and as the main rig at Glastonbury the one after!