Choosing an amp

[PVTele]

As a lead guitarist returning to bass after many years, I'm faced with deciding how to spend my very limited funds on an outfit suitable for blues, modern worship and contemporary Christian. I've pretty nearly decided on a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass - but am much less sure about the amp end of things.

I don't need vast power, just enough to keep up with an intelligent (!) drummer, keyboards and a guitarist with a Peavey Vintage 30 (v loud for the wattage 30W 1x12 tube amp) in the blues band. The worship band is not as loud, normally. A combo would be handy, but I've nothing against a half-stack per se. I actually positively like solid-state for bass, which is good, since I need to keep under £600 absolute max for the whole kit!

Any brilliant ideas what I should try?

[Sean.Robinson]

[quote name='PVTele' post='315200' date='Oct 26 2008, 05:06 PM']As a lead guitarist returning to bass after many years, I'm faced with deciding how to spend my very limited funds on an outfit suitable for blues, modern worship and contemporary Christian. I've pretty nearly decided on a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass - but am much less sure about the amp end of things.

I don't need vast power, just enough to keep up with an intelligent (!) drummer, keyboards and a guitarist with a Peavey Vintage 30 (v loud for the wattage 30W 1x12 tube amp) in the blues band. The worship band is not as loud, normally. A combo would be handy, but I've nothing against a half-stack per se. I actually positively like solid-state for bass, which is good, since I need to keep under £600 absolute max for the whole kit!

Any brilliant ideas what I should try?[/quote]

Hi, personally if it was me i dont think you can get much better value for your money than a second hand trace elliot from the flea bay. If your especially not looking for lots of power you could probably get something for close to the 100 mark, id go for somethig with a gp7, gp11 or gp12 head depending on how much control you want from the EQ mainly and then youd be left with around £500 for a bass.

Even something like this:

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-130-watt-Bass-Amplifier_W0QQitemZ290268998372QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item290268998372&_trkparms=72%3A1298|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-GP7SM-1...id=p3286.c0.m14[/url]

i say even as its one ugly piece of kit in my opinion but aside from that one blight of aesthetics trace stuff is usually quite pleasing to the eye.

Hope this helps.

[markytbass]

I had one of those BLX130 but without the horn and built my own extension cab to get the extra output. I was very pleased with it. I am also in a blues band and find the SWR Workingmans 15 I am currently using, a bit hi-fi and toppy and have to boost the lows and low mids to get that bluesy sound but it's doing the job at the mo. I have also used Ashdowns in live situations and found them ok with a good sound, a bit more bassey but that could have been the way the EQ was set. I would suggest going aroung the music shops and try a few then trying to find a 2nd hand one, thats what I have done in the past.

[PVTele]

Ye cats that GP7's a heejus thing . Still, if it sounds as good as you say...

Like Markytbass says, it's really down to just trying as many as possible. I shall just have to go and pester the local music shops. Fortunately, we're well placed for music shops hereabouts...

[ardi100]

[quote name='PVTele' post='315330' date='Oct 26 2008, 08:17 PM']Ye cats that GP7's a heejus thing . Still, if it sounds as good as you say...

Like Markytbass says, it's really down to just trying as many as possible. I shall just have to go and pester the local music shops. Fortunately, we're well placed for music shops hereabouts...[/quote]

For those sounds I can recommend a Warwick ProFet 3.2.
300W, £170 odd delivered from Thomann. It sounded great with a 15" EBS cab. Quite heavy, though. Sorted me out for a cheap rig.

Or, my new (secondhand) Roland DB500 combo. If you can find one secondhand I thoroughly recommend one. 2 programmable sounds and feels much louder than its 150W.

[tombboy]

I don't think you can do much wrong with [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30318&hl="]this....![/url]
I owned this very amp over a year ago and I know the current owner has looked after it.
PLENTY loud enough to do what you want and it will leave enough in your budget to buy another bass!

[wrinkleygit]

Hello,try my trace elliot BLX combo,1x10 with horn,7 band graphic,DI & more,if your man enough it can be carried with one hand,massively loud for its 80watt nominal,160w peak rating,in excellent order & a snip at £150.00,not a million miles from Dorset,mike b.

[chris_b]

[quote name='PVTele' post='315200' date='Oct 26 2008, 05:06 PM']I don't need vast power, just enough to keep up with an intelligent (!) drummer, keyboards and a guitarist with a Peavey Vintage 30 (v loud for the wattage 30W 1x12 tube amp) in the blues band. The worship band is not as loud, normally. A combo would be handy, but I've nothing against a half-stack per se. I actually positively like solid-state for bass, which is good, since I need to keep under £600 absolute max for the whole kit![/quote]
There are some great used bargains out there if you don't have to hurry (check the BC For Sale section). I think you need a 300 watt 2x10 or 1x15 combo, which should give you about 200 watts at 8 ohm. The idea is not to run a quiet amp hard but to keep the volume down in order to give yourself the "headroom" to get a better quality of tone, then, when funds allow, get an extension cab. You don't have to get louder but more speakers will improve your sound. Or you can jump straight in with separates which would allow you a better upgrade path for each piece if you want to do that.

There are Eden Nemesis, Ashdown combos and SWR, Hartke, Trace and Carlsbro separates currently for sale on BC, and that's just the first page!

Good luck.

Edited November 11, 2008 by chris_b