Amps

[mark77bass]

looks very cool, will see if ican find one local to me to try out on

cheers mate

[charic]

If you can make it down to warwick then [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/TC_combo_250.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/TC_combo_250.html[/url]

They'll apparently back in stock in august (ring first)

Ask to compare it to what they would consider a low cost full on "gigging" rig

[Lozz196]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1346415888' post='1788960']
The BA115 operates at 100W where as the BA112 is only 50W. 100W is a bit short for live if you're talking about a loud drummer. Rule of thumb is "generally" around 300W
[/quote]

Good advice, I`ve found 300 is about right. I`ve had 500 watt rigs, and never used them anywhere near full power, so 300 is fine for me.

[paulbass]

[quote name='mark77bass' timestamp='1346168573' post='1786030']
Hi Guys,

New to playing bass again after a 16 year break! Looking for reccomendations on amps and what i should invest my couple of hundred quid in? Should I go Ebay, rather than new?

Cheers
[/quote] if its a separate head and speaker your after in your budget i would go for an early Hartke model. I had one for 15 years done over a 1000 gigs and it never let me down. Infact i've still got it as my back up amp.A great little work horse that create a decent sound that is powerful. The model i have is a Hartke 2000ha.

[Jack]

I know you said you lack patience but I'd certainly wait for a second hand bargain. I just sold a Hartke 4x10" on here for £70. The would leave loads for a decent head.

If you insist on small combos for house practice (and fair play, most of us have at some point), get one with an extension speaker socket. Use the combo for now in the house and if you do it right you can just buy a second hand cab when it comes time to gig and plug it in.

[Bassnut62]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1346420772' post='1789044']
Good advice, I`ve found 300 is about right. I`ve had 500 watt rigs, and never used them anywhere near full power, so 300 is fine for me.
[/quote]


300w does sound about right for the sort of gigs most of us do (50-200 people) and you would go through PA for bigger gigs anyway; so your 300w would still be fine for on-stage sound.

Only thing I would say is be careful what kind of 300w you have.
I have found that 300w of one rig can be very different from 300w of another rig and the number of watts does not necessarily correspond to how loud your rig can go.
I do know that speaker impedance will affect loudness, as will speaker cab design and where you position your speaker and whether you are playing indoors or outdoors.
Also 300w of all-valve amplification is juggernaut levels of power compared to 300w of solid-state amplification.

I hope this helps and that someone more knowledgeable than me can explain some of this better.

[Bassnut62]

[quote name='paulbass' timestamp='1346626621' post='1791433']
if its a separate head and speaker your after in your budget i would go for an early Hartke model. I had one for 15 years done over a 1000 gigs and it never let me down. Infact i've still got it as my back up amp.A great little work horse that create a decent sound that is powerful. The model i have is a Hartke 2000ha.
[/quote]

I couldn't agree more. I use an old Hartke 3500 as back up head; it produces some very nice sounds and has plenty of power for any situation. Amazing value for money these days and they are bomb-proof.
The 3500 is probably way more powerful than most people need though.
You would probably get better sounds at low volume out of a Hartke 2000 as well