Choosing an Amp for my Stingray Bass

[porsche]

Can anyone help, I am looking for an amp + Cab or better still a combo that will be suited to my stingray bass (my sound influences are Eagles & Queen) I love that big fat full sound.
I will only be using the amp for home / garage practice and very very small pub gigs so it only need to be a small and portable set up.

Please let me know your suggestions as this will be my first Bass amp.

Thanks

PS if you would like you can check out my 1979 rosewod Stingray on:

http://www.shelbourne-stud.com/lp.htm

 

[japhy4529]

If you like the "big fat full sound", I would recommend looking at Ampeg. They have some nice, inexpensive combo amps. I was playing a stingray through an Ampeg combo with a 15" (don't know the model, but it has a 1" driver and you can tilt it back for use as a monitor wedge) and it sounded quite good.

Also, SWR makes some great Bass cabinets. Their workingman series sounds quite goo, but a little pricey if you ask me.

Hey, in my opinion the stingray will sound great through anything. Heck, right now I'm playing through a Trace Elliott Preamp into a Peavey PA speaker system!

Good luck!

- Tom

 

[seandorian]

amp for sting ray

Get a Musicman AudioPhile bass head. They don't make them anymore, so they'll be hard to find. They were made for Music Man basses. Nothing sound better than those two combined.

 

[bassmaniac]

Re: amp for sting ray

Get a Musicman AudioPhile bass head. They don't make them anymore, so they'll be hard to find. They were made for Music Man basses. Nothing sound better than those two combined.

Yeah, it's too bad they stopped production of those, I thought they sounded pretty good!

 

[bovinehost]

You can still pick up one of the 2-12 cabinets at a great price (350 bucks) from MM on ebay - here's the link:

EB Cabs

The Sunn 1200S, if you can find one, is a FABULOUS head and can sometimes be found relatively cheap on eBay as well. 1200 watts of power. Great tone. Marry one to a couple of those 2-12 cabs and rule the earth.

 

[mike jewels]

It looks as though most of us don't have many posts. This is my first at this site.

Anyway Porsche, I give another vote for Ampeg. I have a B100R rocket combo: 100 watts through 1x15. This amp has a very old school type tone. VERY FULL, and it goes pretty loud for a small combo. All my basses sound great through it. I've played through a few other Ampeg models, but, I prefer this one best.

It does have one slight drawback: it has no option to add another cabinet.

Although it's only about 20 inches high, it weighs 65 lbs, which is more than most other combos its size. On the brighter side, I believe its extra weight is what makes it sound so good; solid construction.

I also own a Fender Bassman 60, but, it just died one day and this is how I wound up with the Ampeg. The Fender sounded good too, but, between the two, I'll take the Ampeg.

Good luck.

Mike

 

[SWR_n_EB]

Personally, I love SWR. The prices aren't too bad, but the sound is sweet. You can allot of low end, and the possibilities in my opinion are endless.... Although, i am playing out of a Sterling. I have the Workingman's 15. It can easilly fill a rather large gig. It filled my school's gym rather easily, with plenty to go.

 

[bassmaniac]

Personally, I love SWR.

I also play through an SWR amp.
I run my basses though a Tech 21 NYC Bass Compactor ----> Tech 21 Sansamp BDDI -----> SWR SM-400 ------> Goliath II 4 x 10 and Goliath Junior II 2 x 10 = killer tone !

 

[gmoyniha]

good amp for MM bass

I borrowed a 1970 Ampeg SVT this week, and it ruled. I heard from a reliable bass tone geek that the older '70s SVTs are loads better than recent ones.

I play an SWR (MoBass + 2 goliath III cabs) which I like a lot, but darn it all if that SVT didn't sound a bit better. The SWR has the SVT beat on freaky effects, and (knock on wood) reliability.

--Greg

 

[thumper]

I play through a eden WT 800 a goliath III jr 2x10 and an ampeg 4x10 BXT cab. I get a monster tone out of it.

Thumper

 

[Masamax]

I play through an Ampeg Porta-amp 250. Great tone, and lots of volume.

 

[basscat]

With my SR5 I've used a Trace Elliot SMX Dual Compressor -> EBS Octabass -> EBS BassIQ -> E-H Bassballs -> Ashdown ABM EVO 300 with two minicabs, a four 8" and a 15", with excellent results. Killer tone and amazing volume, especially considering the small size. The Ashdown amps have enormous headroom and, a great blendable pre-amp tube and very nice sounding sub-octave effect.

Basscat

 

[Acepiloto]

For a big, full, fat sound, try Aguilar. A bit pricey, but well worth it. My big rig is nice with my SR5, Ampeg SVP-Pro Pre, Carvin DCM 1500, Eden D410T and D410XLT. Small rig '66 Ampeg B-18, the 'Ray is a bit too agressive in my POV for that amp. I just use my P for that.

 

[Masamax]

If you like the "big fat full sound", I would recommend looking at Ampeg. They have some nice, inexpensive combo amps. I was playing a stingray through an Ampeg combo with a 15" (don't know the model, but it has a 1" driver and you can tilt it back for use as a monitor wedge) and it sounded quite good.

I forgot to mention that this was probably the smaller Porta-bass combo from Ampeg. Mine is 2x12.

 

[basscat]

I just bought a new amp, an EBS HD350 which I like alot. I get an amazing sound of it together with the 2*10" and 4*10" cabs I've tried. I'll gig with it tomorrow.

Basscat

 

[Dees]

EBS basses are nice I've also played with the HD350 Head, and the 4 x 10" speaker as cab, really great, unfortunately, i don't have the requiered 1700€

 

[Masamax]

I picked up the cab and head I did because I need to be able to transport it myself to gigs and practices. I could have gotten a Peavy 4x10 and a 350W Head for like $1000, but then I thought "Wait a minute, how the **** am I going to transport 100 lbs!?!?

So I picked up a 2x12 Cab that weighs 30

 

[Kennyhoe]

have any of you guys tried out avatar cabs? if so, how do they sound through your eb/mm? please also list what head you used

 

[SWR_n_EB]

Yah know.. this may sound weird...but i played off my guitarist's dads amp..and it's a Kustom...he suggested i play it, and i have to say i was impresed. It was a 2x15 cab, with a head that said 200 on it...it was moderatly old, but on the lowest volume i flet like the cops would come ne second.

 

[ARES]

I prefer SWR because of the simple design and very warm tone it offers (350x head thru 4x10 Goliath III cab). Sounds awesome with my brand new Sterling.

Ampeg has a loads of low end, sometimes I play my P-bass through one and blow down the walls.

Hartke sucks ass, I don't know why anyone would waste money on them (no offense to any that have though! )

David Eden are very sweet sounding (best mids out there), but my SWR rig was close enough in warmth and a lot cheaper.

Crate are great for beginners because they are cheap, but if I knew then what I knew now, I would have bought an SWR Workingman's combo instead.