Need help with buying first amp!

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1418311163' post='2629048']
Yeh, i think as a beginner to bass, i wouldnt get too concerned with the intricacies of what frequencies you'll hear etc.
Get a small amp and speaker like the ones you've suggested, and just play.
Play along to songs, play anything at all, just experiment and see if you feel the bass is something you'll enjoy.
If you do get hooked, thats when you can start concerning yourself about the quality of your sound.
For now, IMO, just get something cheap, that allows you to hear yourself. And enjoy
[/quote]

This is by far the best advice in this thread... Ignore me and do this instead.

[chris_b]

If you want to play at home, to records, for £49 there's this in the BC classifieds http://basschat.co.uk/topic/249519-laney-rb1-combo-l49-incl/

[chris_b]

An occasional jam? What about this for £100? http://basschat.co.uk/topic/249960-for-sale-fender-rumble-75-reduced/

[chris_b]

Or you could go for this for £275 and add a 210 cab when you get to the gigging stage. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/249840-tc-bg500-210-combo/"]http://basschat.co.u...g500-210-combo/[/url]

Edited December 11, 2014 by chris_b

[Twincam]

That 30w laney from cash generator is probably your best bet its 30w and has a 10 inch speaker. So it should be a bit better than the others. It also has a speaker out so if you find that the bass is lacking you could attach another separate bass cab for more low end.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1418310843' post='2629042']
The issue isn't with the model of practice amp your looking at, I would imagine that all the models you've put links up for are of a similar quality. The issue is that practice amps are on the whole pretty rubbish. They will have no low end whatsoever and are therefore rather pointless as a means of amplicifation...

They will of course enable you to hear yourself playing though and if that is your sole aim just get the cheapest one you've found
[/quote]

I slightly disagree here because many practice amps do have decent bottom end and tone (maybe not so much at his price point but), and yeah its not going to be mind blowing loud and it wont rival bigger cabs and amp heads for sound quality, there practice amps and on the whole are not rubbish and a 25w amp is perfectly serviceable for bed room practice or a jam session with people who have similar low powered amps. There are many high end companies that make small practice amps if they were that rubbish they would not bother. And people would have huge cabs in there bedrooms for practice.

[zero9]

I had a little Hartke 30W bass combo once and it was great. Plenty of poke for practice or small rehearsals. I would normally recommend a small bass combo, but find them a bit limited on features. I could recommend a Roland CM 30, which is excellent for £160 new. It's not a bass combo, but a monitor, with 3 channels and has various inouts for aux's etc. I mainly use it for keyboard, however, I've run a bass guitar through it and it's great. More versatile than a bass combo, with plenty of bottom and volume

Edited December 11, 2014 by zero9

[Musky]

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1418309744' post='2629025']
You don't actually specify a budget, as far as I can see. As others advise, you can't generally get decent sound out of small, cheap bass amps (you need to move air and cleanly for low frequencies and that takes a bit of power/quality). If you can stretch to it, the smaller EBS combos are nice and the advantage of buying something better is that you can recoup part of the cost when you upgrade. The amps you suggest will get you virtually nothing back on resale, I'm afraid. I'd steer clear of pawnshops, too. They don't give stuff away. eBay a better bet. Good luck.
[/quote]

Budget seems to be about £40 judging by the amps the OP is eyeing up, and probably wants something near Bolton or that can be delivered very cheaply.

[Guest BeardyBob]

I just got this beast for home practice, has headphone out too, sounds clear, not too honky & fun "overdrive".

maybe a bit pricey for you, gumtree'll maybe serve better for practicing with drummer, though does go quite loud & cuts through, not terribly low freq bassy but ideal for bedroom, probably hold value ok & always serve its purpose.

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_amps_detail.asp?stock=11051814192517

I do agree with matey earlier - get whatever, don't stress it too much, use it, abuse it, enjoy it!

[Pinball]

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1418224525' post='2628133']
Zoom B1on is very affordable and includes chromatic tuner, basic drum machine and looping functionality as well as the effects, can be used with headphones or in front of an amp, available as cheap as £39 from some retailers.
[/quote]
The B10n is a fun practise option and is something you could use once you get better kit

After a similar request that is the route I have gone and I did a quick summery here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/250575-zoom-b1on-as-a-travel-companion/page__p__2621084__hl__b1%20on__fromsearch__1#entry2621084"]http://basschat.co.u..._1#entry2621084[/url]

I would agree with others that a cheap practise amp is a waste of money. Hold out and get yourself a small combo like an Orange or Roland that you can use to play with others musicians. Even better get an Ashdown Evo11 and cab. That way you can upgrade gradually, Good luck and enjoy your new bass!

Edited December 11, 2014 by Pinball

[cakepop29]

Hey guys!

Decided to wait and shop around a bit first. I am going away for xmas and new year so I doubt I'll be doing much serious playing from now until then. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up a bargain in the sales or folk on ebay might sell off their unwanted presents.

My budget is around £50, until I get super serious about playing. But even then, I doubt I will be gigging. The bass is for me to unwind and take on a new challenge.

Keep those suggestions coming!