Your Bass Journey - going nowhere without an amplifier!

[Gasman]

While listing my basses on the 'Journey' topic, I started thinking about alll the amps I'd flayed over the years since '69 - here's my list, what's yours?

 

Linear 30w 

Marshall 50w and Selmer 1 x 18 Goliath

Marshall 100 + 4x12 slopefront

Marshall 50 + JBL 1x15 custom

Fender Bassman 100 + Bassman 4x12

Fender 1 x 12 Bass combo

Roland Cube 1 x 12 100w combo *

Aguilar Tonehammer 350 + Fender Rumble 4 x 10 *

Aguilar AG700 + Darkglass 212 1000w *

 

* = still with me

 

So not that many, really... how about you?

 

 

[dclaassen]

Kasino combo amp my parents bought me in 1972

Yamaha 115- c. 1976

Music Man head with Bullfrog 18" Cabinet-c.1980

Traynor old practice amp somebody gave me also c. 1980

Hartke Kickback 12-still have c. 2001

Fender Dual Showman w/ 4x12 cab-Main gigging amp acquired this year....

[cetera]

Vox Venue 100

Trace Elliott AH350SMX & 410 cab

Ampeg SVT II Pro Head & 810 cab

Ampeg SVT III Pro head & Mesa Boogie 215EV & 1516BEV cabs

Hartke XL410 & XL4.5 cabs

TC Electronics BH550 Head

Fender Rumble 800 head

Fender Rumble V3 25 combo (still have)

Fender Rumble V3 100 combo

Fender Rumble V3 200 combo (still have)

Tech 21 VT500 Head (still have)

Gallien Krueger 800RB x 4 (still have 2)

Gallien Krueger 400RB x 3 (still have 2)

Gallien Krueger Legacy800 (still have)

Genz Benz Neox 212 Cab (still have)

Edited March 11, 2023 by cetera

[msb]

First amp was a Teisco re-badged for Sears or Eaton’s as a Northland (sold)

100 watt Marshall (sold) 

Traynor Mono Block (sold)

several blackface Fender Bassmans (sold)

GK MB150 (blew it up , liked it so much I had it repaired , still in use)

GK RB 400 second version (sold) that RB was in use for so many years , it was indestructible , amazing workhorse

GK RB 400 IV (sold)

GenzBenz Streamliner 900 … later serviced by agedhorse , it’s like a brand new amp

Bergantino Forte

Fender Rumble 15 (sold) (garbage)

GK MB 200 (developed the pink ring of doom , liked it enough to have it repaired , still in use)

Hotone ThunderBass (used as a headphone amp, gets a lot of use)

SWR HeadLite

Darkglass e500

Monique by Jule 

 

I might pick up something like a Demeter Minnie as a dedicated back end for Monique , but the Forte does that job well. I’ve caught myself looking at Aguilar TH 500 amps but that would just be for home use. I do think their SL 112 cabs are fine looking pieces of furniture. 
I have a nice lightweight modular gigging rig , and two practice rigs set up. So much of what I have gets regular use.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by msb

[neepheid]

Laney HCM30B 30W practice amp (first bass amp, still got it - it's the office amp now)

Hartke HA3500 head into Ashdown ABM 4x10, subsequently replaced with a Zoot 4x10

RedSub BT5110 combo with removable head into a BFM Omni 10 when extra cab needed

 

That's all folks!  Just don't care that much about amps, good enough is good enough, all I've done over time is reduce weight and bulk.

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by neepheid

[msb]

Thank god for modern lightweight cabs and heads.

[MacDaddy]

HH combo. Weighed as much as a small tank. College amp, not mine, but I used it and gigged with it.

 

Marshall 100w Bass and Guitar amp. Probably the worst amp ever made. Much transistor nastiness.

 

15" Peavey Black Widow cab. Painted black. Indestructible.

 

Peavey 15" Combo. Green carpeted, probably one of GP7's? Never let me down. Loud enough for any gig. And I mean any gig!

 

Fender Bassman 500 (IIRC). Valve loveliness vintage tone and then some.

 

Traynor 60w valve bass combo. Hands down the best bass sound I've ever had. Just not loud enough for the gigs I was doing at the time.

 

Ampeg PF-250 & matching 2*12. Never seen another Portoflex 2*12 since. Great head, undeniable Ampeg tone, but again not loud enough.

 

PJB Dalek. M-500 head, T-8 & B-16 cabs. Looked great, but the head (heavy) sounded better with other brand speakers.

 

TechSoundSystem 500w 2*10 combo. Folded speakers so smaller than a normal 2*10. Difficult - but achievable - to get a good sound.

 

2*12 TechSoundSystem cab. Folded speakers. Still got. Mainly used with:

 

TecAmp Puma 500. Not the most versatile of amps but sounds great.

 

Peavey Vampyr VIP III. Guitar and Bass modelling amp and fx. Ridiculously good value. Loud enough to gig with bass.

 

Ashdown miBass 500. Lies lies lies! It is not 8.3x2.6x6.3 inches as per the Ashdown website, it's a lot bigger! 

 

Will edit if there's something I've forgotten.

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by MacDaddy
Remembered one more.

[police squad]

great thread lol

 

I started in 1981 and my brother lent me a musicman combo. I used that at home and eventuallu bought

Carlsbro Stngray 150. The big ported combo.

next up, when I started gigging properly

Trace Elliot AH150 Mk 5 through Marshall 4x12 bass cab

Then came a Marshall Jubilee 300 head ( a black one) through the 4x12

A Marshall superbass 100 at the same time

Then a Peavey Alpha bass preamp, through the Jubilee

Then a Laney 1X15 and 4x10 to replace the 4x12

 

trace elliot AH350 Mk5 into 

1x15 and 4x10 Trace cabs

 

Then an old Peavey head through 1x15 TE cab

 

then Hartke HA3500 into Transporter 4x10

 

Ampeg PF500 into mark bass 1x15 and 2x10 (still have all 3 of these)

 

Now Ashdown RM500 evo II into RM410

 

There's a TE BLX80 in the rehearsal space too

Edited March 4, 2023 by police squad

[Lozz196]

Up until Basschat:

 

Vox 15 watt practice amp

Fender Bassman amp & 410

Laney Linebacker 150 watt combo

Trace Elliot GP7 300 & Peavey 115 Black Widow

Hartke HA4000 amp & XL210 & 115

Marshall MB450 amp & 410

Marshall DBS4500 amp & VBC412

 

After joining Basschat:

 

Your guess is as good as mine, far too many to remember but includes Ampeg, Aguilar, GK, Markbass, TC Electronic, Barefaced, Eden.

 

Currently:

 

Ashdown RM500 & ABM600 amps, 2 x ABM PRO NEO 210 cabs

 

It’s funny that I have better recall for the pre-Basschat gear, possibly because I had it longer and didn’t spend a great percentage of my days online reading up about my inevitable next purchases.

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by Lozz196

[Lfalex v1.1]

ProAmplifiers Demon 80w 1x12

Trace Elliot 1110 4x10 combo (?Series4)

Trace Elliot 122HSMX and 1048h

Ampeg SVP-Pro

QSC PLX 1202

 

Now? Just the ProAmps Demon.

The Ampeg is in a case in the loft.

 

Until I can find a band (easier days than done, it seems), I've no use for a "big" amp

[steantval]

Peavey TNT 150

Peavey Combo 300 115BW

 

Trace Elliot Rig

 

 

Mark Bass Rig

 

 

Current Mark Bass Rig

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by steantval

[Leonard Smalls]

I'm not really The Gasman at all!

All I've had are:

Marshall Lead/Bass 100w and Yamaha 1x15 cab (still got the cab!)

Marshall Jubilee 300 (still got) into Yam cab and Laney 4x12 guitar cab 

BBE Pre and DBX rack compressor into Crown 2x500w stereo power amp, plus Markbass 2x10 and 4x10 (current main rig)

[Lfalex v1.1]

I'm not the GAS man either.

Well, not for amps; they're just a tool for a job!

 

Basses are where it's at for me!

[KingBollock]

I can’t remember what my first amp was called. It was a Star something, I think. Just a little 15w combo.

 

Laney Klipp

Carlsboro Stingray 100

Peavey T-Max 500

Behringer V-Amp Pro

H|H Bass Baby (combo)

Hartke HD15 (combo)

Marshall 1960B 4x12

Vox 2x18

Peavey 410TX

And a couple of no name 15”s

 

I don’t own the Laney (boohoo!) or the Carlsboro (yay!) anymore. I basically let the magic blue smoke escape from the Laney because no one told 13 year old me even the basics of looking after a tube amp.
And I swapped the Marshall 4x12 for a crappy 1x15 because 14 year old me couldn’t carry it. It was fine while I was rehearsing in the youth club 100 yards up the road. I had nicked a low trolley from the warehouse section of the local Co Op and only had to lift the cab six inches onto it (I managed to sneak it out under their security gate one night). The damned trolley would squeal every inch of the way there and back.

It’s a shame. That Klipp and the Marshall was a cracking rig together.

Edited March 4, 2023 by KingBollock
I can’t believe I forgot the Vox!

[Wilson_51_]

Here is my list:

 

Peavey Microbass (20 watt?) practice amp

Laney RB7 (2x10 combo) with matching 1x15 cab

Ashdown ABM 500 Evo III with matching 4x10

TC Electronic BQ500 with 2x Barefaced Super Compacts

Ampeg SVT CL with Barefaced Two10 (did have six10 for a bit but was overkill)

Ashdown CTM-15

 

I still have the Ampeg SVT and the Ashdown CTM-15  (the Ashdowb i have been meaning to move on but it needs looking over by a tech before i do and i have never got around to it.)

 

 

[RussFM]

In 23 years of gigging I've had:

 

Trace Elliot AH300 SMC + Peavey 410 +115

Ampeg B2R + 410HLF

Gallien Krueger 1001RB-II + Neo212

Musicman Audiophile + SWR Triad

Tecamp Puma & S212 (since 2009 and still going strong!)

 

I'd happily have any of the old ones now, they all sounded great. I should have kept the GK rig but I wasn't in a band and needed some money.

[MichaelDean]

I started off with some really cheap amp, with what was probably an 8" speaker back in what must have been 2001. Horrible thing. Almost surprised I stuck with bass!

 

So later that same year I got a Trace Elliott Commando 12 that did me a good few years. Loved the sound of it, but it wasn't loud enough and didn't have a DI out. Probably sold it in 2011.

 

I got a Markbass CMD102P around what must have been 2009. It was good, but possibly a bit too hifi for me. Had a road trip with a friend to Andertons to get it. Took long time to sell as well once I decided it wasn't for me. 

 

THen I got an Ampeg PF-500 with the matching 210 in 2012. Really liked that at the time, but when I started playing 5 strings it didn't quite do it for me.

 

So in probably 2019, I got a Zilla 212 made up that was so much better than the Ampeg 210. Something was still lacking though and later in 2019 I got my ABM 600, which has stood me in good stead ever since. 

 

I also had an Ampeg BA108 at some point, but it barely got used. 

[greentext]

In chronological order from memory...

 

Hartke HA250* & 410 cab 

SWR Working Pro 400 & Ampeg 410 HLF

Ampeg SVT Pro 3 & Zilla 410 in snake skin tolex

Orange Terror Bass 500 combo 

Teca Amp Bona Fide 

Fender Super Bassman*

Traynor TS120B with matching 1x15 cab (both 1980)*

Mesa Boogie 400+*

GK MB800 & Agulair 2x12*

 

* = still own them 

 

I realised about 3 year back I'd never explored owning amps properly, so I sold a few basses and have really enjoyed collecting and owning some cool amps and still own a handful of really awesome ones. Its just trading GAS for basses for amps, still just as bad haha 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by greentext

[leschirons]

Peavey 300 1x15 combo 

Trace 300 head (the heavy rubber cased one with the fluo tube) two 4x10 trace cabs.

Trace 150w 4x10 combo

Trace GP7 300w head + TE 2x10 and 1x15 cabs

Eden CX 2x12 300w combo 

Eden WT500 and Eden 4x10 

Mark bass 3x10 combo 

EBS session combo

Genz Benz shuttle 310 combo +ext cab 

Genz Benz shuttle 6 combo + ext cab 

Mark bass LM2 + Aguilar GS 4x10

 

just got the Shuttle 6 rig and the little EBS now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Merton]

Not playing this game, the list would take me an hour to write

🤓

[neepheid]

8 minutes ago, Merton said:

Not playing this game, the list would take me an hour to write

🤓

 

That's OK, we'll wait

[greentext]

9 minutes ago, Merton said:

Not playing this game, the list would take me an hour to write

Double dare ya 

[Merton]

Turns out I’ve played this game before, so here’s the full list (I think) with the ones in bold still owned. There are a few recurring themes 🙄

 

Vox Escort Bass combo 

Trace Elliot Commando 15

Trace Elliot Commando 15 mk 2

Trace Elliot AH300-12

Ashdown MAG 4x10

Trace Elliot 1153

Trace Elliot 2103H

Eden Nemesis NA320

Trace Elliot V-Type head

Trace Elliot V-Type 1x15 combo

Trace Elliot V-Type 4x8 combo

Trace Elliot V-Type 4x8 cab

Eden Nemesis NA650

Barefaced Compact

Barefaced Vintage

Barefaced Super 12T

Hartke LH500

Eden WT550

Trace Elliot V-Type preamp and Peavey somethingy power amp 

GK MB200 x2 (first one blew up, bought a second then Ashdown fixed the first)

GK MB500

GK MB Fusion

Barefaced Super Compact x3

Barefaced One10 x3

Ashdown ABM500 EVO II

Ashdown RM800

Ashdown CTM100 x3

Barefaced Four10

Ashdown ABM EVO (currently on semi-permanent loan with @asingardenof)

Ashdown VS212

Ashdown CTM30

Ashdown Little Bastard

Trace Elliot Elf

Ashdown RM500

Ashdown RM210T

Ashdown RM800 evo i

Glockenklang Blue Rock

Trace Elliot TE-1200

Barefaced Two10S x2

[thodrik]

Park by Marshall 35 watt combo (1998 to now)

Trace Elliot SM300 1x15 combo (1999-2017)

EBS Fafner (2009 to now)

Mesa Walkabout 15 combo (2009 to now)

Trace Elliot GP12 300 SMX (2009-2016)

Trace Elliot V6 (2012 to now)

Mesa M6 Carbine (2016-2019)

Mesa Big Block 750 (2019 to now).

 

I don’t really change amps very often. Strange the amp I owned the shortest was a Mesa M6 but it wasn’t really the Mesa I really wanted, so I sold it to get the one I did really want instead.

[Burns-bass]

Peavey TNT130

trace Elliot 2 x 10 combo

Hi watt DR103 and matching cab

2 x Hiwatt DR103s and 2 matching cabs (yes, really)

EBS 360 & 4x10

EA Iamp 350

AER Basic Performer

Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and SL cabs

 

todsy Barefaced and EBS head