Thinking Of Upgrading

[BassMunkee]

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Edited December 23, 2008 by BassMunkee

[Stan_da_man]

Before everyone says it, Hartke LH500.

[bass_ferret]

Same as for all the others that have asked this question this week. Try and demo everything you can in your price range. Go to local gigs and listen to the bass. Buy what sounds best.

[Al Heeley]

OK, you all know I'm in the same dilemna. Best advice is identify a great bass tone that really moves you and check out the gear used to obtain it.
Sadly for me my all time hero is Geddy Lee, he has sublime tone, I have a jazz bass but that means my back line is going to have to be three bloody Hotpoint washing machines.
that's me buggered. Off to Comet at the weekend.
[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AuMLIHatC9E&feature=related"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AuMLIHatC9E&...feature=related[/url]

[Al Heeley]

Whoa! out of order, Munkee, chill out and read this thread:
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34586"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34586[/url]
I'm nearly at the point of choosing Hartke LH500 and a Hartke 4 x 10 VX head, but I've not heard them yet, they just seem to have a reasonbly good rep, have the right spec and price range. there's a lot of choice, which I found out, in this price bracket but don't get frustrated when people post back stuff you don't want to hear.

Edited December 22, 2008 by Al Heeley

[Mr. Foxen]

Has it got to be new? All sorts of nice toys in for sale section. Especially my peavey Firebass and 15" cab, with free second blown 15" cab if you feel the urge.

[stingrayfan]

+1 on getting something secondhand from here. Stick to well known brands and you won't go far wrong.

[lemmywinks]

Obligtory plug for my cabs:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25107"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25107[/url]


Btw i didn't really like the VX 4x10 cabs. I've had 2 VX cabs (this 2x15" and the 1x15" + 2x8" + horn, the vx1508), the 4x10s didn't really jump out at me. For me they sounded less defined than the others in the range. I used the 1508 with the HA3000 head and the 215 with the ha3000 and ha5500 heads, both cabs were very good full range cabs. I did quite a few gigs with both and was always happy with the results, not to mention the power handling of the vx215 at 4ohms

Although bass_ferret is right in saying you should get out there and listen to what sounds best, everyone has to go through the process of finding this out for themselves. I've seen players using gear which makes them sound great but has made me sound sh1t! It's down to what suits you. God knows i've been through a few rigs, some i've liked more than others.

Another point i'd like to add is that the big Hartke rigs don't sound the same as the combos. I have the A70 (cracking little amp) and could never get the same sound out of the stack and half stacks i've owned, esp the ones involving cabs with the paper cones. The 500w XL stack i had was pretty much there

As said previously, there's loads to choose from in the for sale section, everything is at rock bottom prices at the moment so take advantage of our poverty! I wish i'd been a member of this site for a lot longer, would have saved myself a fortune!

Ta
Steve

[Jase]

Decent, value for money, simple to use, loud and punchy....an LH-500 with a VX cab is a tidy little set up, I've been gigging the LH-500 with my VX and it's going just dandy! A big, fat, full tone which warms up with the paper cones of a VX. The HA3500 is also good value, seems to have a little more bite to my ears. A Transporter 410 might be worth having a look at if you're looking to keep the cost down. The HA4000 can sound good if you're into frequnecy things and eq's!

A Trace GP7 SM are really good, so are the 410 Trace combos. Hope this helps

[steve-soar]

[quote name='BassMunkee' post='361532' date='Dec 22 2008, 11:05 PM']Oh, seriously man, that's so unhelpful.
I'm not stupid ok? I don't need you to patronise me with some asinine comment about "ooh, just try try everything you can". I need some advice with regards to best buys for my requirements, what sort of wattage comparisons, that kind of thing.
Really, could you BE any less helpful.
But thanks for that yeah.[/quote]Bass Ferret speaks the truth on this one.
Think about it for a minute, do you want to go into a shop and buy the gear with the highest specs, or do you want to find something that sounds good to your ears?
You only have £400 to spend.
I'd be trying everything out.




Good luck.

[Al Heeley]

Here's the summary of choices I thought most viable in the budget for my upgrade:
[b]Amps[/b]
1) Hartke 3500A head or LH500 head
2) Ashdown Mag 300 Evo II head
3) Gallien Krueger Backline 600 head
4) Warwick ProFet 3.2 head
5) Marshall 4210 450W 2 x 10 combo
6) Peavey Toiur 450 head

[b]cabs[/b]
1) Hartke VX210/VX115 or Hartke VX410
2) Hartke 210XL, 115XL
3) Ashdown 210/115/410 cabs
4) GK 210/115/410 cabs
5) Marshall 115 extension cab to go with the 4210 combo
6) Warwick cab: 210 and / or 115 - a bit expensive for my budget
7) Peavey 410 cab - a bit expensive and very heavy to lug about

This is the stuff i will be trying to demo in the holiday period to see if I can narrow the choices down.

[Delberthot]

I've had my differences with Bass Ferret in the past but he was right on the money there.

I can't get a Rick to sound like Rick, a Stingray to sound like a Stingray. If I'd actually tried them out before buying I wouldn't have bought them.

FWIW The GK Backline 600 is GKs biggest selling amp and is literally a 400RB made in China. As confirmed by Bob Gallien.

[bass_ferret]

Thanks guys.

It all comes down to this: You might not like the sound we like. OK. So whats the point in recommending something we like the sound of ? I for one will not, and never have, tell anyone in your position what to buy. You have to put in some effort.

When I said go to gigs, I meant your local pub gigs not guys using washing machines for backline Geddy is just taking the piss out of everyone else that uses backline for props, like most big gigs where the bass is DI and the monitoring is in-ear !

And sounds on record are no help either.

Another good idea is to go to a bash and if there is not one local try and organise one - you might even be lucky and get somebody to take over like I did with the SE bash. You can try lots of gear then.

[Merton]

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='361719' date='Dec 23 2008, 09:34 AM']It all comes down to this: [b]You might not like the sound we like[/b]. OK. So whats the point in recommending something we like the sound of ? I for one will not, and never have, tell anyone in your position what to buy. You have to put in some effort.[/quote]
Nail -> head, esp the bit in bold.

I could sing the praises of Trace Elliot all day, or the new Hartke LH500; I could tell you the Hartke VX cabs are sh*t (which, IMO and IME they are), I could say "steer clear of Ashdown MAG stuff coz I don't like it". It's all my opinion though. It doesn't actually help you in choosing the right rig for you.

Al Heeley's list is a very good [b]starting point[/b], but you do have to go and try this stuff out and use your ears to decide.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on

[johnnylager]

Buy Mertons Trace. There you go.

Edited December 23, 2008 by johnnylager

[Merton]

[quote name='johnnylager' post='361728' date='Dec 23 2008, 09:43 AM']Buy Mertons Trace. There you go.[/quote]
Cheque's in the post with the valve