Let's talk about bass amps, baby.

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The amplifier I've been using for yonks is now out of my life, as its owner has moved to San Francisco to study and master some type of Indian drumming. I don't really know why he needs a bass amp to do this, but it belongs to him, so it's his prerogative. I need a new one.

I have used the same amplififer for a long time and have never bought one. My initial thing was just "ok, I will just get the kind Peter Hook uses," but then I realized we play really differently and it wouldn't necessarily work for me. Plus my bandmate was all "are you going to get one of those Addicted shirts, too, because Peter has one?" Fair point. Really, I just don't know much about amps and want to get the thing over with without having to learn anything. There, I said it.

Money is something of an object right now, but I can throw a little coin. I am somewhat interested in Hartke amps. I definitely do not want a bloody combo. I use a lot a of high end but want a versatile amp.

Your advice, please.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Get one with a compressor.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:29 (twenty-one years ago)

You are not the boss of me.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:31 (twenty-one years ago)

and then get an addicted shirt

xpost

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:32 (twenty-one years ago)

(haha, I kind of want one.)

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:32 (twenty-one years ago)

it really has to be done.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:33 (twenty-one years ago)

People I know seem to be really against the Fender Bassman, which I was initially attracted to after hearing my friend play a guit through it and trying it out. Can anyone tell me why they are so bad and hated?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Just get a Sunn O)))

― You're jumping to conclusions my friend!!!! (ex machina), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i had a big fender, but i can't remember which model it was (very helpful, i know). my only other experience was using my housemate's crate, so the fender was like manna from heaven.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:42 (twenty-one years ago)

the only problem with fenders as far as i can see is that if you park it on a bender Suggs from madness might dent it.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:47 (twenty-one years ago)

mesa/boogie, baby!

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Bass_Cabs/PowerhouseCABS/Images-PHfronts/NEW-Dec2004/6x10PH-fnt-LG.jpg

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

AMPEG AMPEG AMPEG AMPEG I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH

― nickalicious has owned the same bass amp since 1997 and hasn't turned back since, Monday, 23 May 2005 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I have a couple basses I use, one is a Fender Musicmaster, one is a Danelectro longhorn (use this one almost 100% of the time), and one (that I almost never use or even touch) is this awful Hamer. I also use a chorus pedal.

xpost haha ken

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, you need an AMP. go BIGBLOCK!
http://www.proaudio.com.au/imports/photos/40982527ee743.jpg

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)

or yeah, what nickalicious said...

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:53 (twenty-one years ago)

i used a fender musicmaster, too, so i think that's why i got a fender amp. most likely the type of amp i used didn't matter as i played with an overdrive pedal the whole time.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost roxy you mean "hahaha" i think!

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Haw, Nicka -- Ampeg is what I had before and played through forever. I am not interested in having another one right now. It sounded not-so-good on the high end stuff. I am sorry to insult something you are obviously very into.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:57 (twenty-one years ago)

(i need an amp and a cab, btw)

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:58 (twenty-one years ago)

helmholtz resonator (this is not a base amp or even a base cabinet but a style of pa bass speaker cabinet but the words sound cool)

― Ed (dali), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:22 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, something I've noticed in people talking about gear is that they are like "BRAND NAME. BRAND NAME BRAND NAME." and no reasons behind it. It's a very "brand loyalty" subject.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I will end up with a Hiwatt Lead 100 Head and a vox foundation cab.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously, is there any point in having a pre and poweramp unless you simply need muscle because you are playing arenas and shit?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Does anyone make bass cabs with folded horns or helmholtz resonatorsor indeed anything more exotic than a ported box?

― Ed (dali), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I kind of wish there were ones with horns like this:
http://www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com/media/image/general/victrola.gif

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I use SWR gear that for about 6 straight years I knocked the complete shit out of on a weekly basis at gigs or in rehearsal.
I used masses of reverb, distortion, delays and pitching, making often very abraisive noises that bassamps/cabs generally shouldn't have to contend with and it never, ever gave me any trouble.

Always clear as a bell, always throwing back at me what I put into it with no complaints. Can't recommend them highly enough really.

― mzui (mzui), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh! I like teh AMPEG for it's BOOTAY SHAKIN LOWZ like some DRE shit. I used to have a Hartke in high school though, it had a nice big ol' range of sounds, especially good for them plucky badunkadunk stuffs, so maybe that would be good.

― nickalicious doesn't quite feel THAT passionately about it, Monday, 23 May 2005 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Thats's a nice recommendation mzui, I will check something out.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

My old housemate' PA has 6 4 foot horns with compression drivers as a top end sometmes, They look amazing and sound great although they are little overly diretional for some spaces so don't always come out.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:46 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, something I've noticed in people talking about gear is that they are like "BRAND NAME. BRAND NAME BRAND NAME." and no reasons behind it. It's a very "brand loyalty" subject.

Yeah. I think this is a hard question to actually get a decent objective answer out of.

Since amps last for a fairly long time and thus a lot of people (unless very rich or works at a guitar shop) would only have played on a handful of them for a decent length of time (that's as in having owned it, loved it, and more than the 10 minutes or so of trying some of them out at a shop), and so it's easy for people to just stick to a brand they're happy with and recommend that over anything else.

And also secondly of course sounds out of an amplifier is a very subjective thing, and it depends on the bass/guitar you use and how it's played.

hey maybe ilxors should record some samples of their bass amp output onto mp3s and then post them here!!!!

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I used Hartke stuff for years and liked it a lot (a 3500 head and 4 x 10"), but it doesn't have a good reputation among gearheads. I got rid of it because of portability issues, not sound. I switched to Ashdown, which was a mistake, not recommended. My current rig is very good (SWR preamp, QSC PLX series poweramp, Acme cabs). I look to my rig to get a good, clean, hi-fi sound that I can dirty up with effects if I want grittier rock tones. I haven't gigged without being DIed into a PA for many years though, so I'm basically only interested in the onstage sound - I trust the PA guys to get it right out front.

Ampegs are great for rock but tend to be expensive and heavy. It doesn't sound like that's the sound you want anyway, but even if you did I'd go for a more hi-fi setup and put a Sansamp BDDI in the chain for grit when required. The BDDI also does a good simulation of the Fender Bassman sound.

― frankiemachine, Monday, 23 May 2005 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks for the info, frankie!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 23 May 2005 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I know that you don't want a combo or an Ampeg but, should you change your mind, try one of these. It's an Ampeg B100R, I have one, it's beautiful and I love it to bits. It's plenty powerful (more than enough for gigs with only a vocal PA), massive projection, great high-end and really "warm" sounding as they modelled it on their '60's valve amps.

iwww.stevesmusiccenter.com/AmpegB100RBig.jpg

― Ben Dot (1977), Monday, 23 May 2005 22:43 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.stevesmusiccenter.com/AmpegB100RBig.jpg

― Ben Dot (1977), Monday, 23 May 2005 22:44 (twenty-one years ago)

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