Best amp head (500W to 1000W) you've ever owned? (Or should definitely avoid!)

[mrtcat]

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1506524436' post='3379338']

Snap exactly the same here.
Hartke Kilo = the worst pos I have ever had the misfortune to own.
For me Hartke don't exist & Larry Hartke along with them.
[/quote]

+1,000,000

[Al Krow]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1506808016' post='3381312']
I knew I wouldn't be alone in this. Absolutely atrocious service and a flawed product. I'll happily let the world know just how poor hartke really are.
[/quote]

Ok looks like Hartke amps need to be handled with care / avoided (although the Hartke VXL as Cuzzie says below is a mighty fine piece of kit!)

So here's my thing. I've effectively got a Markbass LM3 in my MB combo. Yup I should at some point think about upgrading the Markbass 1x12 speaker with a better (separate) cab, for another 1x12 or possibly a 2x10 and I think that will make a big difference to the overall sound. The LM3 is a great little workhorse head. If I want to get something that is a [i]noticeable step up from it[/i] (and there's no real point just replacing it for the sake of it, is there, other than to experience something different?). I kinda sense that a number of the really good amp heads e.g. GM 800, Mesa D800 or Aguilar AG700 / TH500 would be a bit better but not noticeably so?

If I was looking to get a step up from the LM3 perhaps the Trickfish Bullhead 1K is one option (see really positive review below from attackbass on his .5K), but getting to try one of these out is pretty difficult (unless Dood the dude wants to hold a BC party in Amsterdam?!). Other than Trickfish (and possibly Glockenlang - which I can try out at Bass Direct) is there anything else I should be considering in terms of a noticeable "step up" from the Markbass LM3 and which hopefully will then be my goto gigging amp rig head for the next 4 or 5 years?

[quote name='attackbass' timestamp='1497003472' post='3315193']
After months of deliberating which light-weight amp to go for, looking at EBS, Aguilar, Genzler and Eich I went with the Trickfish Bullhead .5K and 210v cab this morning, putting the order in with Paul at Bass Matters in Nijemegan. Obviously, I have done this with some risk... I have never played the amp but through speaking with Paul and the guys of Trickfish, along with their very useful online demonstrations and great reviews I felt it was the right amp for me. It was also the case of having used Ampeg, Orange, EBS, Aguilar, EA all of which are great amps, the tone was never quite what I was after which helped me choose Trickfish! The simplicity of the the amp really appeals to me. I can't wait for it to arrive - I have been wanting to down size to a lighter cab and class D head for a while from my heavy eden 410xlt and wtp600 and I'm looking forward to the easier solo load in to venues!!
[/quote]

Edited October 8, 2017 by Al Krow

[Lozz196]

It`s funny, amps, and how to find the ones that work best for us. I happened on mine by accident. I`d been through many Class D mini-amps, all great, but there was always something that just wasn`t quite there, tho couldn`t put my finger on what it was. And then, after using many provided rigs I suddenly realised that the ones I liked best were Ashdowns, be said Ashdowns combos, head & cab, whatever. So made sense to go down that route and am more happy with my sound now than I have been in a long time. Admittedly I use a Sansamp Para Driver for my eq & gain, but I find that the Ashdowns on their bypassed eq section really flatter the sound and after a long time, I get exactly what I want. And, sorry about this, but what I`d been looking for was the "H" word. The smaller amps in comparison just didn`t have it - though the Ashdown RM-500-EVO was the nearest (and very near too, only really notice the difference on bigger stages, in pubs it had plenty).

[Cuzzie]

I had an LH1000 no issues, cheap as chips bought for about £140 in a flight case, bloody heavy and noisy but fine, I quite like the EQ shape, and it lead me to get a Hartke VXL pedal which is the best thing ever.

Had a Darkglass M900, good but not for me.

Now got a Form Factor Audio Bi1000. Nice clean power, it’s not bee tested properly in anger yet, but by all accounts it handles everything with ease.

As most people have said here, each to his or her own. Lozz is very well respected and is big on Ashdown and sounds great, I would probably not use the same set up (and sound worse than him) but mine works for me

[dannybuoy]

Al, if you're playing oldies you should definitely check out the TH500 and D800. The overdrive on the Tonehammer sounds a lot like the dirty bass sounds on the old Motown records. You could of course keep your Markbass and get the same result from a pedal!

[Al Krow]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1507464984' post='3385594']
Al, if you're playing oldies you should definitely check out the TH500 and D800. The overdrive on the Tonehammer sounds a lot like the dirty bass sounds on the old Motown records. You could of course keep your Markbass and get the same result from a pedal!
[/quote]

Hey buddy - I'm playing both oldies (the Retros) and more modern stuff (JBC). Links to both in my footer, so you can get a pretty good idea of the material we're doing. Thanks to you, Cuzzie and Cameron (and despite the best efforts of Osiris who would have me just use a Zoom B3n and nothing else!) I've now got a pretty good effects board, which I'm having a lot of fun getting to grips with.

So really it's about the quality of amp head "in the round" which will sport both a decent EQ and DI out but the key thing for me is something that will be a step up from my trusty MB LM3, without straying into Aggie DB751 size, weight and cost territory (unless that really is the only option).

Suggestions very welcome!

[gsgbass]

I'm doing really well with my Fender Bassman 500 head. It's putting out 500 Watts @ 4 ohms, going through a 4 ohms, 600 watts Ampeg SVT-212AV cab. This is a good half stack for my playing.

Edited October 14, 2017 by gsgbass

[Daniel Piper]

I've owned: 700RBII, 1001RBII, mbfusion, traynor yba200, TC classic 450, peavey max450, Ashdown ctm100, ashdown originAL 300.

My favourite without doubt is the mbfusion.

[Al Krow]

[quote name='Daniel Piper' timestamp='1507535290' post='3386042']
I've owned: 700RBII, 1001RBII, mbfusion, traynor yba200, TC classic 450, peavey max450, Ashdown ctm100, ashdown originAL 300. My favourite without doubt is the mbfusion.
[/quote]

Cheers Daniel - what is it about the MB Fusion that made it your stand out amp compared to the rest and which of the ones you had would you definitely not get again?

[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1507490182' post='3385859']
I'm doing really well with my Fender Bassman 500 head. It's putting out 350 Watts @ 8 ohms, going through an 8 ohms Bassman 115 Neo cab. This is a good Fender half stack for my playing.
[/quote]

Great looking rig, thanks for posting! This seems to be a "true hybrid" in that you have valves & class D in the power amp as well as 2 x 12Ax7s in the pre-amp (and a number of folk have said on the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/303863-hybrid-ampsthe-best-of-all-worlds/"]hybrid thread[/url] that valves in just the preamp are a bit pointless - I'm not entirely sure that's entirely correct, but they are obviously making the point for a reason). What is the valve set up in the Fender Bassman 500 power amp?

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1507490182' post='3385859']
I'm doing really well with my Fender Bassman 500 head. It's putting out 350 Watts @ 8 ohms, going through an 8 ohms Bassman 115 Neo cab. This is a good Fender half stack for my playing.


[/quote]

I've been hearing good things about the amp heads in this range. Haven't heard much about the cabs tho.
Would kinda quite like a Fender rig to match my Fender basses but that's just being a bit too "look at me with my full Fender set up"
Better not.

Dave

[Japhet]

My 'go to' amp for the past 3 years or so has been my Tecamp Black Jag (which is basically a Puma 500 with some extra whistles and bells). Its in a big enclosure but weighs next to nothing. A punter at a gig recently observed that you simply couldn't get 'that sound' without valves - the Black Jag has none. It keeps my all valve head out of the loop but, in all honesty, mainly because valve amps always seem a bit fragile to me. It does everything from super clean and fat to gnarly and in your face. I have a GB Steamliner as a back as well which I like a lot (but it gets mixed reviews on here).

[bassmayhem]

Within the "Best amp head (500W to 1000W) you've ever owned? (Or should definitely avoid!)" headline, I'd say:

- Genz Benz Streamliner 900
- Quilter Bassblock 800

If I expand to "Best amp head regardless of wattage" I'd add following amps:

- Eden WT400 Traveler
- Eden WT800B World Tour
- Vanderkley Spartan

Eden was my first big love, but the two I use now are the lighter two: Quilter Bassblock 800 and Vanderkley Spartan. Li'l Quilter is an "all tricks pony" usable for every situation I can think about, with ANY type of bass. The Spartan is the choice for electric bass only, but then some...

Edited December 5, 2017 by bassmayhem

[Radchenko]

Hello,

I like Tecamp puma 500 and Mesa boogie subway d800. Mesa more classic rock vintage but versatile. Tecamp more clean and punchier.

Tecamp Very easy to transport.

[mrn1989]

EBS Reidmar for me, all day long!

[machinehead]

[quote name='mrn1989' timestamp='1507710221' post='3387331']
EBS Reidmar for me, all day long!
[/quote]

I really like mine too. (Reidmar 750)

These are strangely overlooked amps that rarely get a mention here, yet the performance and features are excellent. The price is also competitive, so why aren't these more popular?

Frank.

[mrn1989]

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1507717326' post='3387388']
I really like mine too. (Reidmar 750)

These are strangely overlooked amps that rarely get a mention here, yet the performance and features are excellent. The price is also competitive, so why aren't these more popular?

Frank.
[/quote]

Honestly Ive never had a clue, they are great amps and extremely versatile.

I didn't go for the 750, I have the 1st gen 475w version and I haven't had that above 3 on the master, serious powerhouse!

[Mike RNB]

Mesa Boogie Titan V12

[Osiris]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1507470321' post='3385643']
Thanks to you, Cuzzie and Cameron (and despite the best efforts of Osiris who would have me just use a Zoom B3n and nothing else!) I've now got a pretty good effects board, which I'm having a lot of fun getting to grips with.

[/quote]

To be fair, Al, my point has always been you not throwing money away on something that you don't actually need as the B3n already has it covered. For example, at least one of your pedals (that costs more then the B3n new) [i]significantly [/i]under performs in comparison to some of the equivalent models on the B3n. You know the one to which I'm referring .

[Rich]

Best amps I've owned:
GB Shuttle 6.0 -- current gig rig, lovelovelove it
SWR SM-900 -- absolute tone monster but soooooo heavy
Eden WT400 -- smooth hifi, lovely amp
Trace Elliot SMX preamp + Soundtech 800w power amp -- oh the SMX, what a thing of beauty... still my favourite preamp section of any amp
Hartke HA3500 -- current rehearsal-room rig. Yes it's a Hartke, yes I love the sound. Does this make me officially bonkers?

Not so keen:
Euphonic Audio iAmp350 -- ran out of puff far too quickly. Nice sound but gutless
Carlsbro Delta 600 -- should have been brilliant, but really wasn't at all. The cabs were especially crap.


Oh, and will people [i]please[/i] stop saying how good the Genzler Magellan is. You are not helping my GAS one little bit.

[totorbass]

The only one I ever had in this category is my markbass R500. It is meant for rock, quite vintage, not for everyone, not bright or scooped though you can accomplish that using a pedal (such as the scr-di), but it is a very good amp that served me flawlessly for ten years..
having the 3.0 I suspect that the Genz-benz 6.0 is very good too. in a more modern way than the MB.

Edited October 13, 2017 by totorbass

[CamdenRob]

I had a Glockenklang Blue Soul for a bit and it was awesome... crystal clear, deep punchy bass... I only sold it as I couldn't deal with the fact it overhung my One10s. Silly really but there we go 😕

I've an Epifani piccolo at the moment which I also like but it's not a patch on the Glockenklang.

[LITTLEWING]

I've tried quite a few amp heads in my time and I've found it's not always the head that can sound rough. I had a good old workhorse Peavey 4 X 10 that filled most venues with an Ashdown Mag 300 head powering it. Then I saw on here a Hartke 2 X 15 cab going for a good price. Bought it but wasn't exactly filled with butterflies and bullets. Bought an Ashdown 8 X 10. I won't even go into that, just say that I could have farted louder and bassier. Bought a Hartke 350 watt head. Very nice with an Ashdown 1 X 15 and 2 X 10 stack. Took the head to a rehearsal room recently where they had a Peavey 4 X 10. Right then, stand back....half hour of tweaking every knob and slider simply could not stop the cab from sounding like a metal dustbin hurtling down concrete steps in a block of flats. Plugged it into a no name badge 4 x 12 in the same room and THERE was the sound. Stood there with a semi for the rest of the evening. Happy hunting .

[tauzero]

Tecamp Puma 900. No amp GAS since buying it a couple of years ago. I've had assorted Laneys, Trace Elliots, Ashdown Superfly and Superduperfly, and the EA iAMP 800 (that I can remember off the top of my head), and the Tecamp has the beating of them all.

[Al Krow]

[quote name='LITTLEWING' timestamp='1508059178' post='3389468']
I've tried quite a few amp heads in my time and I've found it's not always the head that can sound rough. I had a good old workhorse Peavey 4 X 10 that filled most venues with an Ashdown Mag 300 head powering it. Then I saw on here a Hartke 2 X 15 cab going for a good price. Bought it but wasn't exactly filled with butterflies and bullets. Bought an Ashdown 8 X 10. I won't even go into that, just say that I could have farted louder and bassier. Bought a Hartke 350 watt head. Very nice with an Ashdown 1 X 15 and 2 X 10 stack. Took the head to a rehearsal room recently where they had a Peavey 4 X 10. Right then, stand back....half hour of tweaking every knob and slider simply could not stop the cab from sounding like a metal dustbin hurtling down concrete steps in a block of flats. Plugged it into a no name badge 4 x 12 in the same room and THERE was the sound. Stood there with a semi for the rest of the evening. Happy hunting .
[/quote]

Ouch! Definitely a wise warning to "try before you buy" when it comes to cabs (or any major piece of bass gear, I guess?). Out of interest how many of these cabs did you buy without having had a chance to first try out? Were you able to return any of them and get a refund?

[Dan Dare]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1508089198' post='3389677']


Ouch! Definitely a wise warning to "try before you buy" when it comes to cabs (or any major piece of bass gear, I guess?). Out of interest how many of these cabs did you buy without having had a chance to first try out? Were you able to return any of them and get a refund?
[/quote]

Yep. Littlewing's post illustrates why the marketplace, eBay, etc, etc are full of recent or nearly new, high price/reputation kit being moved on. So many buy on the strength of reviews, or with only a cursory listen, or because someone they admire uses it.