Need practice amp reccomendations

[TheRev]

Whereabouts in Bristol are you? I have a Hartke HA3500 amp head that I've been hanging onto for sentimental reasons and on the off chance I'll ever play electric bass in a rock band again. You can have it for £50 and I'll even drive it to your house.
Then all you'll need is a nice little 2x10 or 1x12 cab to get you up and rocking.
PM me if you're interested.

Dave

[thebassman]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1404929007' post='2497130']
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!
[/quote]
That's very true, I can't recommend this amp higly enough. Maybe a bit overkill for the op though :-)
Cheers
Thebassman

[ricksterphil]

1 word

Roland 100w Bass Cube (ok 4 words)

So well built and reliable and easy to sell when you upgrade

If you're not in a rush, 1 will come up on ebay in the right condition and delivered.

You should be able to get a decent secondhand one for £100 - £140 and you'll get that back when you sell it.

If you do end up buying new, haggle the price down - they'll knock 10-15% off almost just by asking

Good luck

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='thebassman' timestamp='1404944883' post='2497302']

That's very true, I can't recommend this amp higly enough. Maybe a bit overkill for the op though :-)
Cheers
Thebassman
[/quote]
Haha yes probably, more the concept of a class D and a cab than the actual one I said , I also have a shuttle 3.0 and a 1x12 cab as a better example, it will demolish a Roland bass cube and weights about the same as the card board box a Roland bass cube comes in!

[David Taylor]

[quote name='ricksterphil' timestamp='1404972876' post='2497360']
1 word

Roland 100w Bass Cube (ok 4 words)

So well built and reliable and easy to sell when you upgrade

If you're not in a rush, 1 will come up on ebay in the right condition and delivered.

You should be able to get a decent secondhand one for £100 - £140 and you'll get that back when you sell it.

If you do end up buying new, haggle the price down - they'll knock 10-15% off almost just by asking

Good luck
[/quote]

I've actually been seriously looking at the Roland, i like the looks of the them and the fact they seem to be easily portable. I'll probably buy new, but thats cause i know i'll get a good price. My mates going back to PMT at the end of the month to pick up his new guitar and few other bits, he's spending like £3k on a single guitar o.O so if i buy my amp on his ticket i'll get a good discount, Thats what happened with my Bass, was on sale for 249, i bought it when he bought one so i got mine reduced to £200 and they GAVE me the official Hofner hard case for free. So i was well chuffed with that considering the case was going to be another 89£

[quote name='thebassman' timestamp='1404909993' post='2496871']
[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]
[/quote]

Little confused on this one, if i got one of those do i need to get a seperate set of speakers for them? As in it's not a combo? Holy hell, no way i can afford those!! £1078 thats way out of range lol http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Genz_Benz_Max_9.html

Edited July 10, 2014 by David Taylor

[thebassman]

[quote name='David Taylor' timestamp='1404993557' post='2497642']

Little confused on this one, if i got one of those do i need to get a seperate set of speakers for them? As in it's not a combo? Holy hell, no way i can afford those!! £1078 thats way out of range lol [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Genz_Benz_Max_9.html"]http://www.bassdirec...Benz_Max_9.html[/url]
[/quote]

Hi David

Sorry, should of said, yes it is just a head. You would need a cab to get external sound.

For home practice you can use this amp, and I expect quite a few others, without a cab, using headphones and aux in for your backing tracks.
This is a 900 watt amp though, but as Stingraypete suggests, you can get a 300 watt version.

cheers

thebassman

Edited July 10, 2014 by thebassman

[David Taylor]

Ahhh cheers for the clarification!

These are the ones on my list to look at when i go to bristol next:

Ashdown Five Fifteen Mini Rig (£359): http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/ashdown-five-fifteen-mini-rig.html
Roland Cube 120XL (£459): http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/roland-cube-120xl-bass-guitar-amplifier.html
BC Electronic BG250=115 mkII (£329): http://www.pmtonline.co.uk/tc-electronic-bg250-115-mkii-bass-guitar-amplifier-combo.html

[stingrayPete1977]

They do other small class D heads, GK do a 200 watt one for example, it will fit in your gig bag! There are lots of other makes to look at, all you need is a speaker cab to use with it, easier to move around and the delicate bits can be stored in your sock drawer while the speaker gets thrown in the garage for example, you can then expand either/both parts to suit. Think of it like a train set,a combo is like a kids one that is ok to play with at first but you can't buy extra track or a spare train if it breaks, plus only that train works on that track, an amp head and speaker is like a hornby set where you can buy some second hand track in good condition (a used 1x12) or maybe a slightly more budget bundle of track new (GK do a nice range of cheaper cabs), then spend as much as you like on a train to run on it, or lots of trains and loads of tracks as any you buy from any toy shop will run just fine

[David Taylor]

i never actually thought of it that way >.< cheers! Back to the drawing board lol

[stingrayPete1977]

A combo is fine for £100 or less but for the prices in your links there's no way I'd buy a combo!
Look at the thomann site you can get either a GK mb200 or a tc bh250 for £236 those are amps people on this site will be gigging with tonight! A brand new hartke 2x10 speaker can be had for £102 pounds, if you buy them together postage is free!

For £340 inc postage they do a hartke 2500 amp, a hartke 4x10 cab and a speaker lead, that's gig ready for bedroom combo money IMO

Edited July 10, 2014 by stingrayPete1977

[David Taylor]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1404997900' post='2497697']
A combo is fine for £100 or less but for the prices in your links there's no way I'd buy a combo!
Look at the thomann site you can get either a GK mb200 or a tc bh250 for £236 those are amps people on this site will be gigging with tonight! A brand new hartke 2x10 speaker can be had for £102 pounds, if you buy them together postage is free!

For £340 inc postage they do a hartke 2500 amp, a hartke 4x10 cab and a speaker lead, that's gig ready for bedroom combo money IMO
[/quote]

This is why i joined this forum As a total noob i tend to go on what everyone else tells me lol. I was told to get a combo for ease of transport and just ease of using. But have to admit from what i've read on the Hartke 2500 sounds like it's more than adequate lol, for a lot cheaper

[stingrayPete1977]

Some people love a combo, I've had a big Peavey TNT, Ashdown abm300 1x10 with an extra 1x15 Ashdown cab beneath, Laney something or other etc.

Micro head and a cab job done, you can take your head to practice in a practice room and just use the supplied cab so as you get a feel for the controls on your own amp too.

Years ago combos were cheap and a rig was not, this isn't the case anymore. A Mark bass combo is great but it's still stuck to that cab (some will separate, see my Genz 1x12T shuttle combo for example) you could add a cab to one later but that's going to cost loads new.

If all goes well get a big head at a later date if you prefer the sound, that's another topic! You can use the same cabs and keep the little class D as a spare or practice amp for home, recording, head phone amp etc etc

Edited July 10, 2014 by stingrayPete1977

[TheGreek]

Hey David

Most of the micro heads available are tiny and properly lightweight and will fit inside a gig bag - basically the size of a hardback book. Add a decent sized lightweight speaker - and there are lots of good 1x12s available - and you're pretty much set up for a couple of years. By the time you really need to upgrade you'll have more knowledge and experience and won't be such an easy target for salesmen wanting to shift whatever they have in the store rather than selling you the best item for what you need.

I understand you wanting to buy new but why not let somebody else take the big hit in depreciation?? - there's a ton of really good gear in the "For Sale" section here and visits to ebay/ Gumtree always yield bargains. You'll find some really nice gear for a [b]lot[/b] less than new and probably find you'll get a lot more amp for the same money you'd planned on spending buying new.

I'd try and get along to your nearest Bass Bash to see what others are using, get some advice and try out some equipment. You're pretty much guaranteed to meet a great bunch of guys who'll give you some pointers around both gear and practicing. You might make the right connections and find somebody who's prepared to teach you the basics and save you those £34 lessons.

For free lessons check out Scott Devine's site, youtube and here:

http://playbassnow.com/

Good luck..

[Mornats]

[quote name='David Taylor' timestamp='1404993557' post='2497642']
I've actually been seriously looking at the Roland, i like the looks of the them and the fact they seem to be easily portable. I'll probably buy new, but thats cause i know i'll get a good price. My mates going back to PMT at the end of the month to pick up his new guitar and few other bits, he's spending like £3k on a single guitar o.O so if i buy my amp on his ticket i'll get a good discount, Thats what happened with my Bass, was on sale for 249, i bought it when he bought one so i got mine reduced to £200 and they GAVE me the official Hofner hard case for free. So i was well chuffed with that considering the case was going to be another 89£
[/quote]

They're great guys in the Bristol PMT. The prices on display are usually competitive with Internet prices and there's room for haggling. That's a good deal you got there though, quite the bargain!

With regards portability of gear and combos vs. separate head and cab then I'd say it's more about the size and weight than whether it's a combo or not. I've got a MarkBass CMD 121P that weighs 12.5KG and isn't much larger than my Laney 15w RB1 practice amp. I know someone with an Ashdown 300w head and 1x15 cab and each of them weighs more than my combo. It depends on the combo or head/cab. Saying that, as someone above mentioned, I'm stuck with the cab that's in my combo but it's the one I'd use anyway so it's good for me.

PMT say they're getting some MarkBass gear in soon but their supplier hasn't followed up on it so last time I was in (a few weeks ago) they didn't have any. However as you're local to Bristol you're more than welcome to have a look and a play on mine. I'm down in Southville if that's close to you. I've also got an Ashdown Touring 220 rig (1x12 combo with an extra 1x12 cab) that you can try too. They're discontinued now though but I'm thinking of selling mine if you ever did like it It's big and heavy though, 27KG for the combo and around 17-18KG for the cab.

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Maybe an amp isn't the best solution for practising, and there are other options worthy of consideration.

IMHO the humble PC is probably the most valuable practising asset for todays musicians, but it only really comes into its own when you can effectively use your instrument with it - I would suggest that the Zoom B3 might be a better option than a practice amp, as it combines tuner, effects, usb audio interface, built in drum patterns etc, and can be hooked up to a hifi amp if you want with an appropriate lead, also it will not become redundant at the point you step up to using a proper amp and playing in a band if that's what you want to do.

[BassTractor]

I agree that [s]Märklin[/s] MarkBass or [s]Fleischmann[/s] Fender/Ashdown will serve you well.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1405006877' post='2497870']
They're great guys in the Bristol PMT. The prices on display are usually competitive with Internet prices and there's room for haggling. That's a good deal you got there though, quite the bargain!

With regards portability of gear and combos vs. separate head and cab then I'd say it's more about the size and weight than whether it's a combo or not. I've got a MarkBass CMD 121P that weighs 12.5KG and isn't much larger than my Laney 15w RB1 practice amp. I know someone with an Ashdown 300w head and 1x15 cab and each of them weighs more than my combo. It depends on the combo or head/cab. Saying that, as someone above mentioned, I'm stuck with the cab that's in my combo but it's the one I'd use anyway so it's good for me.

PMT say they're getting some MarkBass gear in soon but their supplier hasn't followed up on it so last time I was in (a few weeks ago) they didn't have any. However as you're local to Bristol you're more than welcome to have a look and a play on mine. I'm down in Southville if that's close to you. I've also got an Ashdown Touring 220 rig (1x12 combo with an extra 1x12 cab) that you can try too. They're discontinued now though but I'm thinking of selling mine if you ever did like it It's big and heavy though, 27KG for the combo and around 17-18KG for the cab.
[/quote]
I like the option of taking just my head to practice if its a hired room with gear, a small class D will go in the gig bag hook up to the cab in the room, job done and you know there will be an OK amp if the cabs are half decent even if the heads are rubbish/trashed.

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1405008602' post='2497893']
Maybe an amp isn't the best solution for practising, and there are other options worthy of consideration.

IMHO the humble PC is probably the most valuable practising asset for todays musicians, but it only really comes into its own when you can effectively use your instrument with it - I would suggest that the Zoom B3 might be a better option than a practice amp, as it combines tuner, effects, usb audio interface, built in drum patterns etc, and can be hooked up to a hifi amp if you want with an appropriate lead, also it will not become redundant at the point you step up to using a proper amp and playing in a band if that's what you want to do.
[/quote]
Again a little class D head can sit on the table with headphones out, Di out, you can loop into a PC if you want, hook up a small speaker for home use, hook up into a 2x10 for a jam session with a few mates, pop it into a 4x10 or 2x12 for a pub gig, Di into a PA system and use the 4x10 as your monitor along with the stage monitors for a massive gig, Di into an in ear monitoring system and leave the cab at home to play Knebworth....you cant lose

Edited July 10, 2014 by stingrayPete1977

[Monckyman]

Don't buy an amp.
Buy an iPad, an audio input device, and jamup xt.
All the amps and pedals at your fingertips, jam along to tracks,plug it into someone else's amp if you need to.
Seriously, you wanted something to practice with, and these maniacs all turned that into a 1000watt markbass rig you don't need.
Just sayin'
; )

[stingrayPete1977]

Lol

[Mornats]

Never thought to mention the Zoom B3 option. I've got a Zoom B9 (rarely used, I should sell it...) that does indeed work well as an audio interface. You don't even need a PC, just plug headphones in.

[David Taylor]

Thanks a lot for all the advice guys, i went ahead and picked up [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/hartke_2500_bass_head_bundle_3.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...ad_bundle_3.htm[/url] since it was so damn cheap, and the reviews i found online were pretty much all glowing.

I did swap out the cable for a better quality one, went for a Planet Waves one, which is what i use for my bass.http://www.thomann.de/gb/planet_waves_pws05.htm More expensive, but it really only bumped the cost a few quid so i came out all right in the end. Now just gotta wait for postie to bring me my new babies and then my neighbours will regret me moving in

Edited July 12, 2014 by David Taylor

[Ed_S]

That's one hell of a prac amp! I used to have an HA2000 in storage at our rehearsal space and keep an HA5500 at home to take out for gigs. They're absolutely great gigging amps; tonnes of power, versatile and built like tanks. However, unless they've changed significantly in the last few years they're in no way light for getting round on public transport, and the fans on every one I've used were too loud for me to enjoy playing quietly at home. Hopefully all that was covered in the online reviews and you've factored it in.