Which amp for learning

[timmo]

Currently i am using a Marshall MG30dfx amp.As it is a guitar amp, i would really like to get a bass amp.I would like a small one, up to about 30w, but 15w would probably be ok, as it is just for my living room. Has anyone got any recommendations please.Maybe around £120-£150. I was thinking of a Marshall MB30, as they are only £115 new, but any advice would be gratefully received

[tonyquipment]

Get one of them Roland bass cube amps. They have built in effects and are quite punchy so I've heard

[timmo]

Just looked.They are quite pricey at £200.Bit more than i really wanted to spend, but i will consider it.Thanks for the suggestion, as it has made me think of other amps instead of like most noobs, look for Marshall or Fender etc

[chrismuzz]

I scored a Marshall B25 MkII off a mate for £20 about 7 years ago. Sounds quite nice, simple 3 band EQ, 2 inputs, and a headphone out so you can silently practice along to drum loops, music or whatever I don't know how available they are but if you find one snap it up!

I still use mine today for bedroom practice, and as a monitor when Im recording

Edited April 6, 2013 by chrismuzz

[Dandelion]

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/195643-roland-bass-cube-20xl-combo-immaculate-price-dropped/

[stingrayPete1977]

I'd try and bag something secondhand, even an old Peavey tnt combo or something? My mate has a Trace Elliot commando that sounds quite good too, not massive but could do a gig or loud practice if needed.

[Lozz196]

If you like traditional old-school warm rich tones, Ampeg BA108, Fender Rumble 25, or the Marshall MB30 will all be good. The Marshall probably a bit more versatile, due to its 2 channels.

[timmo]

wonder if many of these have been sold? the postage is a bit steep

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marshall-MB30-Bass-Combo-Amp-/190708077979?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item2c6716559b"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marshall-MB30-Bass-Combo-Amp-/190708077979?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item2c6716559b[/url]

[tonyquipment]

Not sure about the Marshall stuff but trace Elliot gear is built like brickshit house and will live for donkeys years. The Roland amps are good though. I got a little cube amp and they punch well above their weight.

The second hand market is definitely your friend! Try gumtree and the marketplace here. Bargains to be had!

[timmo]

Is a 200w amp good for a beginner.In other words, would they sound ok at low volume as i wouldn`t want to disturb the neighbours as i can`t play yet.I found a Trace Elliot in the classifieds on this forum for £150

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/203166-trace-elliot-7210h-for-sale-l150/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/203166-trace-elliot-7210h-for-sale-l150/[/url]

Edited April 6, 2013 by timmo

[stingrayPete1977]

You can always turn down and still have enough power for a band practice or for when the neighbours are out

[BassTractor]

I bought this Harley Benton one due to its sound after comparing with a 30W Roland Cube:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbw35.htm
It's only £72, but the shop had told me it was the same price as the Roland.

Based on this positive experience, I later bought a "larger" Harley Benton model to lend out to a friend. Reportedly it's very good:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_cb110x.htm
It's £104, and for roughly another £10 you get a double foot switch for the built-in effects.
Thomann also have a B-stock at £97:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_cb_110x_b_stock_3.htm

BUT:
Harley Benton [b]may[/b] have quality issues. I am satisfied, but some threads here seem to indicate they may have more issues than other brands.


For the same price as the 110W HB you could also get a Fender Rumble 15. Have no experience with them, but they come recommended:
http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_rumble_15.htm


best,
bert

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1365284622' post='2037745']
Is a 200w amp good for a beginner.In other words, would they sound ok at low volume as i wouldn`t want to disturb the neighbours as i can`t play yet.I found a Trace Elliot in the classifieds on this forum for £150

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/203166-trace-elliot-7210h-for-sale-l150/"]http://basschat.co.u...-for-sale-l150/[/url]
[/quote]

I used to use a similar amp for home practice all the time. Best thing with that particular one is that if you whack an extension cabinet underneath it you'll get 300w out of it and it should be easily loud enough to gig with!

[Phil Starr]

No specific recommendations from me but his is the advice I'd have given myself 6 years ago.

Buy a practice amp of 15-30W for its size and convenience or go for a decent second hand combo of 100W+ which you can just stretch to at your budget. So long as you buy a decent brand and check there are no nasty sounds before you buy used bass gear is pretty reliable. There is no point buying a bigger practice amp in the 50-75W range they never sound as good as a 'proper' combo and they won't be loud enough to play along with a drummer. You can turn any amp down to practice levels IMO there is no place for something far too loud for a bedroom and nowhere near enough for proper rehearsal if you are playing with a drummer. The only exception is if you only intend on playing with acoustic acts.

Used Trace sounds good and look for used Peavey, reliable and cheap usually. I picked up a Hartke kickback for £125 in mint condition a couple of years back, there are bargains out there.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Phil Starr

[timmo]

Hmmmm, decisions.It is so hard to make with all the suggestions.I am liking the thought of the 200w Trace Elliot, plus it will make another forum user happy if i bought it.However, it is unlikely i will ever gig, as i am 44 now, so am unlikely to get any chance of joining a band, and working shifts, it is going to be difficult to get much chance to get a regular spot.But i guess there is always chance of getting a slot to fill in for someones illness etc, assuming i will be any good.(think positive).So my heart says Trace Elliot, but the head says be sensible as it is probably a big unit.
There is currently a Roland Cube bass 100w currently at £99,plus £12.99 postage.So i would think that would go up quite a bit. There is a Marshall b25 at £5.50 at the moment, but the 300 mile roundtrip puts me off, so one for £35 plus £18.80 postage, The link Dandelion gave, nice amp, but again, as usual all the nice amps require hours of driving, so pushing up the price.I would travel if i found a bargain though. No second hand Ampeg BA108, so puts it in the same price range as a new Fender Rumble or Marshall MB 30. A few Peaveys around, but an amp i looked at had basic in the model name which always puts me off, but maybe a good amp.But i am also liking the look of the Harley Benton for the money, although probably not much resale value if i ever wanted to get rid of it. Up too 30 w sounds probably good for a practice amp, but i guess anything inbetween 50-200 w, would be useless, as too loud for home use, but not enough for a band, which i think Phil Starr is suggesting.
So i will see what happens with the roland cube 100, which finishes tomorrow, then go from there,which seems a bit strange after saying it would be in the useless range, but it does seem to have some nice features.
Thanks for the great suggestions all.
By the way, the classified would be so much easier if it could be divided into either up to £99, !00-199 etc, or up to 100 watts, 200 watss etc.It takes ages looking through them and so easy to miss a bargain

Edited April 7, 2013 by timmo

[xgsjx]

I'm 42, work shifts & just starting an acid jazz band. There's folk on here that's in their 50s & 60s that was new to bass & then joined a band without expecting it.
It might just be you & a guitar playing friend & a singer, it might be a full band that just meet up for fun.
I practice at home with a 500w combo (good fun when the neebs are away on holiday) & i've gigged with a 30w combo.

My advice is try some combos out & pick the one that you like.

[ern500evo]

Get yourself an iRig for about £20, download an amp app like amplitube or ampkit to a smart phone, purchase the Ashdown or Trace Elliot set up in the app for £3.99 and away you go. You can play along to any music you have on your phone or tablet through headphones. I'm only suggesting this as you said you're unlikely to be jamming with other people. Me personally, I'd probably ignore everything I've just said and buy that Trace Elliot combo!

[Paul S]

I was 46 when I bought my first bass and, after a few stutters, 50 when I had my first gig - don't be negative! The Trace Elliot combo will suit *all* your needs - home practice, jamming, rehearsals, gigs - unless you have a bad back.

[Lozz196]

If you think you will want to join a band at some point, get the Trace. They`re good amps, and plenty loud. The other bassist in my band - yes we have 2 - uses a 130 watt 1x15 Trace combo, and in an 8-piece band it has no problems.

For other reference, he`s 51, and I`m 47, so don`t be concerned about age. There are always plenty of bands of similar ages looking for bassists.

[Dad3353]

It's not quite correct to think only in terms of 'loudness', when discussing amps, especially for bass. The power quoted (15w, 30w, 200w...) is not really relevant. For bass, one is better considering 'headroom', which can be described as the degree to which the amp is working before giving 'bad' sounds (distortion, 'farting out' and such. As a general 'rule of thumb', the higher the power, the less chance of it distorting (OK, I know, it's not quite a ssimple as that, but one has to begin somewhere...).
Applied to the choices listed above, I would say that the best amp, by a long chalk, would be the Trace. The downside would be it's weight (for gigging...), but as that's not your intention (for now..!) that won't bother you in a bedroom scenario. A 15w amp, such as the Harley, will be fine at very low levels, but will not sound good if the volume rises. It won't bring down the ceiling, but could disappoint musically. The Roland Cubes are very good, reliable and versatile, but the Trace has far more 'headroom'.
Hope this helps...

Edited April 7, 2013 by Dad3353

[timmo]

The weight? Won`t i have a roadie to worry about that I have PM`d the owner of the Trace, so assuming he still has it, i will wait for the reply.
Thanks all for the help everyone

[Grangur]

Hi Timmo, I see you were looing at the Roland 100W bass cube. I have one of these. I upgraded to this after having a Marshall MB30.

The MB30 was ok but was no good for slap n pop... not a big deal if you're not bothered about that, but I still dont regret moving up.

The Roland cube has good punch, verious effects and you can connect a pedal to turn the effects on/off. You can also connect an extension cab too; which it good for the future. For now I have the gain and volume at about 30% and it's loud enough for my lounge.

I'm a learner too though, and what I do miss, (that the MB30 had) is a 2nd input. This is useful for conecting in an MP3 player, metronome, drum-machine etc.

I hope this helps, and thanks too to all the other guys on here for their insights.
Cheers

Rich

[timmo]

NIce, thanks very much for the info Grangur.The Roland is still my prefered option,only because of the size,but i will see how much it goes for as it is on ebay, and finishes tomorrow.Not really sure what it is worth, but it is worth more than the current £99 bid i imagine

Edited April 7, 2013 by timmo

[Grangur]

Another Roland 100w went recently for about £150.

The answer I've found for the 2nd input problem is to have another, real cheap amp and use that. (I've nicked my son's small guitar amp while he's at uni)

Oh, err and BTW I'm 54 and still haven't yet totaly given up on playing a pub one day.

[timmo]

Well, i just had a PM back and it has just been sold.Oh well, maybe done me a favour, as i would have bought it, and had the wife moaning about it taking up too much room