Newbie Amp/Cab Shopping - could I get some pointers?

[neutrino]

Howdy,

I'm starting to shop for a new rig i guess. I want to go the modular route simply because like with most things i like to upgrade later on and by having everything as separates it makes it easy to upgrade. So either a head and cabinet or a pre / power and cabinet and necessary cables are what I'm looking for.

I pretty much live in a wasteland of Gibson, Fender, and Peavey so being able to try out boutique gear and other gear that is outside of the mass marketed products is very difficult.


I currently own a Laney 15" 75watt amp and it just sounds blah... it just doesn't do it for me - it sounds lifeless with no body.

I would like to find something that is very dynamic - meaning that it sounds good at low volume levels and get's moderately loud. I live in an apartment complex and I will practice there, but take my stuff to our guitar players house.

Weight is not a huge consideration. My budget is probably going to be around the $1200 - 1500 US range.


Music I like to play right now is: Live, Tool, A perfect Circle, Dave Matthews, Metallica.

We don't gig or anything, we just like to get together and jam so I don't need anything too massive.


Sorry for the long post.

 

[shamus63]

If you're not gigging (or planning on gigging), all you really need is a better combo amp.

Most likely, you won't have to spend more than $600 (give or take $100) shipped for a great combo with a 300w min. rating (Ashdown, GK, SWR...etc.).

Check the user reviews whenever available for your potential amp choices.

Good Luck!

 

[MCBTunes]

get an eden wt400, and some sort of 2x10.... gives ya 200 watts there, which should be plenty for jamming, & always have room to add another 2x10 to get 400 watts or take it down to 2 ohms with 2 4x10's for massive wattage if you ever decide to gig.

Endless possibilities for playing around with an an amp that goes to 2 homs, and eden sounds niiiiice

 

[neutrino]

Did you mean Eden WT405?

 

[Psychicpet]

Cost effectiveness and boom, a GK 700RB and a Neo212 would absolutely thunder and be light weight(even though that isn't an issue) and still leave enough cash to start saving for your Bongo...........

 

[shamus63]

Cost effectiveness and boom, a GK 700RB and a Neo212 would absolutely thunder and be light weight(even though that isn't an issue) and still leave enough cash to start saving for your Bongo...........

Yeah...what he said!

 

[skabassist13]

Ampeg V4BH and a SVT-210, or maybe the SVT-115, depending on what you like. That way when you need to expand you can get the other of the two cabs and bam, more sound.

 

[phatduckk]

id vote for the ampeg svt3 pro is pretty cheap and decent. its about $900 new then you could swing the remainder of your budget to a good 2x10 or 15.

that'll give you a ring thats not hard to carry around, sounds cool and is easy to upgrade (just add another cab)

 

[Motojunkie]

Cost effectiveness and boom, a GK 700RB and a Neo212 would absolutely thunder and be light weight(even though that isn't an issue) and still leave enough cash to start saving for your Bongo...........

Agreed, but would like to add that since the 1001RBII is only a little bit more $$$, you should choose that over the 700. It will have the same great tone, and you shouldn't ever need to upgrade for more power. I bought my 1001RBII and Neo 2x12 for $1200 new OTD......

With that said, I think that you need to figure out what you want first. Do you want something that is high fidelity, or do you want an old school type tone? For old school, it's hard to beat Ampeg, for hi-fi, you may want to look at Eden or maybe one of the other boutique amp builders. For a mix of both, I like the GK stuff - you can dial in just about anything with it.

Also, I have to say that I got to hear the Music Man Audiophile bass stuff for the first time at the Open House, and it rocked! I'm going to be looking for it as soon as I can.

Good luck! Please update us on your findings, it's gonna be interesting to share the journey with you.

 

[Mobay45]

OK, here's my $.02 worth.

Preamp = BBE BMax $300

Amp = QSC RMX1450 $400

Cabinet = Schroeder 1210 or 1212 $780

$1480 total for a killer rig that you can play just about anywhere. You can find the info on the cabs at www.schroedercabinets.com and there is a mega thread about them on talkbass.

Of course I would suggest adding a rack case and a power conditioner to this. Each piece would be totally upgradeable.

 

[neutrino]

I already have my bongo

 

[neutrino]

With that said, I think that you need to figure out what you want first. Do you want something that is high fidelity, or do you want an old school type tone? For old school, it's hard to beat Ampeg, for hi-fi, you may want to look at Eden or maybe one of the other boutique amp builders. For a mix of both, I like the GK stuff - you can dial in just about anything with it.

I don't know what I want - thats the problem. There just isn't an opportunity to really A/B stuff to compare. I know several bands that I like the sound of the bassist, but you don't really know how the bass was recorded so that won't be much help.

I guess if I could describe it - I'd like that transparent crystalness that clean amps can deliver and if I want just a wee bit of grittyness I can dial that in. Ideally - I absolutely love Live's bassist - Patrick Dahlheimer's tone. (it's my understanding that he uses Lakland P and Jazz Basses through old Trace elliot amps). His tone just rocks - Have any of you guys heard some of thier stuff?

As for the musicman cabs - I saw used ones at basscentral, but how come ernie ball's website makes no mention of them? Are they still available to purchase new or do you have to cruise the used market?

 

[Motojunkie]

As for the musicman cabs - I saw used ones at basscentral, but how come ernie ball's website makes no mention of them? Are they still available to purchase new or do you have to cruise the used market?

I'm no expert, but I beleive that they have been discontinued.....

 

[neutrino]

I found an old Trace Elliot Amp that would get me close to Patrick Dahlheimer's tone of Live - but he mainly played Lakland Glaubs and Osbourn's - so I don't know what that would mean for me and the Bongo

 

[Motojunkie]

Glaubs and Osbornes are variations of the p and j type basses.

I'm not sure what amp would be best to replicate Patrick's tone, but your Bongo will sound great through any nice amp that you run it through. Based on what I know about Patrick's tone (which is very little), I recall that he has a nice deep tone that retains it's definition. If that's what you're after, I'd recommend the GK stuff, and maybe the Hartke HA5500.

I use GK, as do many others on this board.....there may be a reason for it.

 

[neutrino]

I was quoted $600 for the 1001RB and $570 for the NEO 2 12 (although I am completely open about cabinet choices).

 

[Motojunkie]

Bro, those are good prices on a great rig. I run that same set-up - although I recently added a 115RBH. The only reason that I added the 1x15 is because I got it in near mint condition for ony $250 OTD.


You're spending a lot of cash, so go to your local "Guitar Depot" and try it out before you buy it - just to make sure.

 

[Aussie Mark]

What Mobay said. You'll get more bang for bucks from a rack mounted preamp and poweramp rather than a "head". I've heard good things about the BBE preamp, but other options to consider are a used Alembic F1-X, F2-B or a used Demeter VTB-201S, which are owned by lots and lots of people.

 

[neutrino]

You're spending a lot of cash, so go to your local "Guitar Depot" and try it out before you buy it - just to make sure.

Like i said earlier - I pretty much only have Fender, Gibson, and peavey around here - so the choices are skewed AND limited

 

[tkarter]

IMHO you need to play those limited choices or you will never know what the choices you have made amount to.

Sure we all know the Bongo and the GK head works. We none of us know truly what will work for you.

There is nothing wrong with a Peavey amp IMHO. Equals not a limited choice in my opinion.

Now if you have tried all of the previous mentioned equipment and it still seems like nothing you want.

A road trip is order and much cheaper than spending money on something that isn't you because you heard it here.

Still you are safer here than other places.

tk