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Since I've decided to keep the SR...

K

Koch Sanchez

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Joined
Mar 2, 2006
Messages
60
...what is a good bass amp for between $250-300? I am currently playing though an old keyboard amp with a blown speaker. I'm willing to buy used - just want a decent sounding amp that is loud enough to play in a small bar if necessary.
 
Around that price range you can find a used SWR Workingman's 12, or possibly even a SWR Workingman's 15. Both sound pretty good for the $, and the 15 will work in small gig settings.

Good luck,
 
In that price range you should be able to pick up a crate combo BX100 or BX160. Either is plenty powerful enuff to handle small to medium size bar gigs.

Rugged lil buggers too! I callum the "lil Thunder Box".
 
For a bit more money, you can get a new Ashdown MAG C115-300.

Fits in the front seat of most vehicles, and a 307w rating.
 
how did you like the sound of the keyboard amp? You could replace the speaker for around $100 probably. I would imagine it just has a 15" in it.
 
Koch Sanchez said:
...what is a good bass amp for between $250-300? I am currently playing though an old keyboard amp with a blown speaker. I'm willing to buy used - just want a decent sounding amp that is loud enough to play in a small bar if necessary.
Click to expand...
If it's a decent KB amp that uses a 12 or 15" speaker, why not get a good high efficiency speaker for it? KB amps and bass amps are essentially the same animal but with different controls. IOW they are clean powerful amps with extended low end.

A bass amp will allow finer controls of mainly the low end EQ where a KB model [of probably the same guts] will spread the EQ controls all up and down the sonic spectrum. Obviously string player features like a tuning mute will be missing from the KB model. An effects loop is often another item missing from KB amps since KBs are effects devices in their own right. But sonically, KB amps make fine bass amps.
 
The amp is pretty much shot - wires hanging out, speaker blown, controls falling off - its over 20 years old and has been banged around a bit. Probably time for a new one.
 
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