£150 to spend, what amp should I buy?

[odmid]

Currently only have a practice amp, been playing for a few years and had enough of borrowing amps for gigs!

I have £150, I need something big enough for small shows (I'm guessing 80w minimum?), a good clean sound, don't need any fancy features.

Also need portability! 20kg is too heavy really.

Any recommendations?

Cheers

[discreet]

Your problem is that for £150 you'll have difficulty finding something that weighs less than 20kg that is good enough to do gigs.

[stingrayPete1977]

I use a Trace Elliot commando combo sometimes it sounds great, if you see one grab it, any good old peavey tnt would be good but heavy, portability but within budget is going to be your main issue here imo rather than volume or a good sound, I sold a proper uk built Ashdown evo300 combo for £125 on ebay as it had a minor fault, that was a £750 combo new for example but again heavy!

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1413234814' post='2576285']
Your problem is that for £150 you'll have difficulty finding something that weighs less than 20kg that is good enough to do gigs.
[/quote]
beat me to it, im a slow typer

[odmid]

Yeah, browsing around I thought that might be the case...

Any heavier amps I should consider on that price range? Or anything light you reccomend that I'd need to spend a bit more on?

Thanks

[6v6]

Hartke Kickback - they're unpopular used thus cheap, but IME are good. I bought (then recently sold for roughly what I paid for it) a kickback 12 for about £80 and it was sufficient at 120w for small pub gigs (with a bit of PA support unless the venue was tiny generally)

I can't think of anything else which combines cheap, portable and giggable - you can get better but it costs much more.

[discreet]

Gear 4 Music have got an Ampeg BA115 combo on offer at £199 (down from £374) which is 100W and would just about do you for small venues. But it's 62lb (28kg). I think you may have to compromise, somewhere.

[url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Ampeg-BA115-Bass-Combo-Amp/9H5?origin=product-ads&gclid=CjwKEAjw8O2hBRDKur2lseLW6C8SJAC-r1J3GOtT5M91mdsN2o7J9Ef27t6qzR3mofL-aYKDPCioERoCqeXw_wcB"]http://www.gear4musi...CioERoCqeXw_wcB[/url]

Also I've never used this combo so don't know if it's any good or not!

It's got a DI out though, so you could go to PA for bigger gigs and use it as a stage monitor.

Edited October 13, 2014 by discreet

[odmid]

Thanks guys, I'll check out the options!

Anyone used a Red Sub BP80? Seems to fit my bill.

Or a Laney RB3, would that be big enough?

[3below]

Peavey bass combo - the choice version is the 300 Watter. I sold mine for £140, but seeing as how a mate bought one for £90 a few months ago I may have been lucky. Plus sides - indestructible, reasonable tone, highly repairable. Downsides - weight, weight, weight and image (in some people's view). At about 25 years old my BW seaker gave up - the glue holding cone to frame packed up.

If it was me, I would get a Hartke LH500 / MB 200 / Mark Bass Black line 250 (choices based on s/h price and perceived quality). when funds permit get a suitable cab later (or build one).

Edited October 13, 2014 by 3below

[lonestar]

Hartke ? S/h?

[lonestar]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1413235294' post='2576291']
Gear 4 Music have got an Ampeg BA115 combo on offer at £199 (down from £374) which is 100W and would just about do you for small venues. But it's 62lb (28kg). I think you may have to compromise, somewhere.

[url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Ampeg-BA115-Bass-Combo-Amp/9H5?origin=product-ads&gclid=CjwKEAjw8O2hBRDKur2lseLW6C8SJAC-r1J3GOtT5M91mdsN2o7J9Ef27t6qzR3mofL-aYKDPCioERoCqeXw_wcB"]http://www.gear4musi...CioERoCqeXw_wcB[/url]

Also I've never used this combo so don't know if it's any good or not!

It's got a DI out though, so you could go to PA for bigger gigs and use it as a stage monitor.
[/quote]
Ive used one of these in a rehearsal studio nice sound and good for small gigs and with pa backup bigger ones.

[yorks5stringer]

It would be helpful to know what/who else is in your band....but 80 watts would not cut it with twin guitars, a miked up drummer and screamy vocals. However if its Folksy you might get away with it. The other option, rather than ragging an 80watt combo at full volume is to DI it through the PA. I guess the disadvantage of a small combo can be twofold: it is down at your ankles and you hear less from it there and from off stage looks a bit naff if the rest of the band have massive stacks!
Rereading the post above mentions DI..!

Edited October 13, 2014 by yorks5stringer

[Phil Starr]

I use a Hartke kickback to gig with from time to time. Pubs round here can be quite small and having something tiny on stage helps. They'll just keep up with a drummer if they aren't going flat out and you roll the bass back a tiny bit. It's a little limiting but not impossible. If the drummers miked you'll be going through the PA anyway. Other similar amps may well do the job but I haven't tried them.

Old Peaveys sound great, tend to be reliable and the ones with Black Widow speakers in are worth looking out for. Great speakers for very little money. They are heavy though.

[planer]

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1413235221' post='2576290']
Hartke Kickback - they're unpopular used thus cheap, but IME are good. I bought (then recently sold for roughly what I paid for it) a kickback 12 for about £80 and it was sufficient at 120w for small pub gigs (with a bit of PA support unless the venue was tiny generally)[/quote]

I bought this very amp from this very chap (hello mate *waving*), it sounds great and is louder than it has any right to be. A whole lot of amp for next to nothing. I'm suffering from amp gas at the moment but without spending squillions I honestly can't find much I prefer the sound of.

Edited October 13, 2014 by planer

[Kirky]

Its not light but someone is selling a GK 700 2x10 combo on here that is a lot of amp for the money and only a little bit above your budget.

[gary mac]

If you are still able to borrow an amp for gigs, then maybe put up with doing that for a while longer, whilst saving a little more dosh.

Might be some more bargains around just after Christmas, when people are strapped for cash and less competition with the bidding on Ebay.

[6v6]

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1413242022' post='2576368']
I bought this very amp from this very chap (hello mate *waving*), it sounds great and is louder than it has any right to be. A whole lot of amp for next to nothing. I'm suffering from amp gas at the moment but without spending squillions I honestly can't find much I prefer the sound of.
[/quote]

*waves back* glad it's working out for you - they are great little amps. [size=4] [/size]

[JTUK]

If just an amp, then I'd look out for a TE and you might be lucky at around £150.
If you need a a combo for that money, then.... good luck.

I think you need something like 150 old skool watts ...so again TE or Ashdown, as long as it hasn't had too hard a life.
Will mostly be heavy tho...that is why they will be cheap.

I'd agree with borrowing the amp for a while longer whilst getting more money together.
Talk to a few music shops as a lot can only do commision sales, as they don't have a license to do second
hand sales. Not entirely sure what that is all about ..but a mates shops needed one.

[Count Bassy]

The weight thing is the problem. Light weight tends to mean relatively new and expensive.

If it weren't for that I'd suggest a Marshall B150 combo (150 watts, 15" speaker). A heavy and big beast, but a monster sound as well, with a valve pre-amp, & lots of tone possibilities.
You should get a S/H one of those for around £150.

And if you just want an amp then an older Marshall might also do. Again, it will be heavy, but Marshall are rather frowned upon in bass circles (for no good reason in my opinion), and so may be picked up well within your budget.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Count Bassy

[jezzaboy]

The morning after my BG250 went up in a puff of smoke, I got a Ashdown Mag 300, 2x10 on gumtree for £100. Not the lightest of combos and slightly tatty but does the job. Unless you have pa support or quiet band mates, I can`t see a 80watt amp doing the biz. But you know the type of gigs you do better than me.

Why not stick a wanted advert on your local Gumtree and see what pops up?

[odmid]

Thanks for all the help guys!!

I think I'm gonna have to compromise on weight, seems to be the main problem.

I need something asap, so £150 is my max really.

I'll put a wanted ad up though, good idea!

---

Oh and I play with two guitars and a kit, only small venues though, never more than 100 people!

Edited October 14, 2014 by odmid

[itsmedunc]

Hi, try this - http://nwb.co/blog/post/73052/tonyb/gallien-krueger-mb200-bass-amp-head----170-now--150 £150

Edited October 14, 2014 by itsmedunc

[odmid]

[quote name='itsmedunc' timestamp='1413323153' post='2577247']
Hi, try this - http://nwb.co/blog/post/73052/tonyb/gallien-krueger-mb200-bass-amp-head----170-now--150 £150
[/quote]

Probably should have mentioned I'm after a combo! Unless I can find a cheap cab.

[Mcgiver69]

Dude go Peavey and you'll never see it die!

[url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Peavey-MAX112-MKII-Bass-Combo-Amplifier/U6R"]http://www.gear4musi...o-Amplifier/U6R[/url]

In your price bracket, weights less than 20kg and is 200W.

What more to ask!!!

And for £159 you can get this one

http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Peavey-MAX115-MKII-Bass-Combo-Amplifier/U6S

Weights 22kg and 300W of pure Peavey power!!!!

Edited October 15, 2014 by Mcgiver69

[MOSCOWBASS]

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/242925-peavey-100w-tko-115/

But the deals above at gear4music look much better!

Edited October 15, 2014 by MOSCOWBASS