New Bassist looking for Amp advice

[Dazzlebrush]

Hi All,

I have owned a bass for a long while but have only ever used it very occasionaly to add some rough bass to my recordings.
Now that my last band has come to an end I have some extra time lto learn somthing new and want to start taking the bass seriously.

Amp wise I have a Marshal solid state B30, Which I dont think is very pleasant on the ear and want to upgrade to somthing that I could gig with when the time comes.

What are the benifits of having the seperate head units and Cab rather than a combo?

Im not able to break the bank on this so if anyone can suggest something modestly priced that will get me going i would appreciate it.


Thanks in advance.

D.

[chris_b]

What's your budget?

Sounds like you're not looking to gig this, so a small combo should be fine. In the classifieds there's an Eden 50 watt 110 combo and a Phil Jones Briefcase.

[Dazzlebrush]

Hi Chris,
I am looking to get somthing that I can gig with in a while.
I won't be playing anything loud and heavy so doesn't need to be a very powerful amp bit needs a bit of grunt just in case.

Budget is low. Can't say for sure but will probably pick something up used.

[Horizontalste]

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/261882-genz-benz-contour-500-2-10-fsft/page__pid__2787920#entry2787920

Shameless plug :-)

A good combo will cover most bases and cost less but if you want modular a nice class d head & lightweight cab or two work wonders.

[chris_b]

I'd always suggest separates because upgrading is easier and you'll probably want to change things when you've been gigging for awhile.

We're flying blind here, but depending on your volume, genre and band. . . . . a 300 - 500 watt amp and a 112 is a good place to start. Then you could add another 112.

[Conan]

[quote name='Dazzlebrush' timestamp='1433158046' post='2788303']
Budget is low.
[/quote]
[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1433158202' post='2788306']if you want modular a nice class d head & lightweight cab or two work wonders.
[/quote]Difficult on a small budget though... Lightweight cabs usually mean heavyweight prices.

As long as the OP is relatively fit and healthy, weight shouldn't be too much of a problem - which opens up much cheaper options like Peavey, Trace Elliot, Hartke and such. Much more bang for buck. For example - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/261386-hartke-410-xl-l130-collected/"]http://basschat.co.u...l130-collected/[/url] and http://basschat.co.uk/topic/262734-trace-elliot-ah150-7/

And used/second-hand is definitely the way to go if budget is tight.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Conan

[geoham]

Not all lightweight cabs are overly expensive. I managed to get two TC Electronic BC210 cabs (weighing in at 19kg each) and a BH500 head, along with Roqsolid covers for £400 used. I moved the head on for £175, so two 2x10 cabs for £225, or £112.50 each!

I use the much smaller BH550 head now and take it everywhere. Ideal at a rehearsal room to use my own head through their cab. Likewise at the dreaded 'shared backline' gigs. (In fairness, this head isn't the cheapest, about £380 I think - though a light cab is where the main benefit is)

I previously used Ashdown gear - a 2x10 cab weighing 31kg and a bulky head. I'm in my mid-30s and quite strong - but moving that cab up two flights of stairs was hellish! It didn't cost me a whole lot less than the TC gear either.

[Dazzlebrush]

Thanks for the advice, I must say this is the best and most instant service i have ever had on a forum.

Sorry should have stated Genre,
It will be mostly Alt Country / Folk styles so nothing loud really, the last band I was in our base player (upright Bass) only used a very small Eden amp no matter what size gig (some times lined throught the PA but not always) although this was a bluegrass band so no loud drums to get over.

[Conan]

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1433161232' post='2788360']
Not all lightweight cabs are overly expensive.
[/quote]

True. But there is lightweight and lightweight! The very lightest cabs can be very expensive... but if weight is not an issue for the OP then there is a lot more available at more "sensible" prices

However, we still don't know what the OP's budget actually is! His idea of a "low" budget may not be the same as other people on here. Anything less than £250 and it will be difficult to get much unless it is pretty old and a bit on the rubbish side... Still, there are bargains to be had if you know what to look for.

[Conan]

[quote name='Dazzlebrush' timestamp='1433162890' post='2788396']
It will be mostly Alt Country / Folk styles so nothing loud really, the last band I was in our base player (upright Bass) only used a very small Eden amp no matter what size gig (some times lined throught the PA but not always) although this was a bluegrass band so no loud drums to get over.
[/quote]

That's useful to know. It's still a good idea to have power in reserve though (or "headroom") as it will allow you to keep a clean sound at higher volume levels (like when playing bigger rooms). Bass frequencies need a lot of power to amplify, so a small amp can sound weedy if you like a "bassy" sound.

There are lots of threads on here where people have asked similar questions, so try doing a bit of a search and see what has already been written on the subject

[Dad3353]

Could I suggest filling in your location in your Profile; that way, all can see if there are any decent deals to be had locally..? Just sayin'

[Naetharu]

Hi mate,

I was in the same boat as you; just started playing bass seriously and was looking for a simple rig to get me going. I just picked up an Ashdown MiBass 2.0 head with a pair of the matching Mi 112 cabs. If you check GAK at the moment, the Mi 12 cabs are on sale at a very good price so might be worth a look. I paid around £350 for my set up which seems like a really good deal given what it can do. More than loud enough for practice with other band members and even a small gig.

The nice thing about going for the head/cab stack rather than the combo is that it is far more portable. In the case of the Ashdown MiBass, the head also doubles up as a headphone amp and is small enough to shove in a satchel and take pretty much anywhere. Ampeg and GK and Fender also all have small affordable class D heads that offer this too so well worth a look. A further bonus to a head/cab rig is that you can always pick up another head at some point and use the same cabs which will save you both money and space compared with purchasing multiple combos.

Edit: here is a link to the discounted Mi 12 cab on GAK - http://www.gak.co.uk/en/ashdown-mi-12/62381?gclid=CjwKEAjwhbCrBRCO7-e7vuXqiT4SJAB2B5u7rVGIPzFn6YeYiU5ejECgvAJmKHKe9OuFyqC5O0sXsxoCnJbw_wcB

Edited June 1, 2015 by Naetharu

[fatback]

First question should be, how many flights of stairs in your life? If any at all, choose separates. If lots, and you can stretch the funds, go lightweight-ish cab.

Doesn't matter how young and fit you are. Pain is the same at any age.

[Dazzlebrush]

Thanks for the Advice guys, Seperates would be nice but a Ashdown Electric Blue 180 - 15" combo has come up at £125.
Any good?

[Conan]

[quote name='Dazzlebrush' timestamp='1433169420' post='2788486']
Thanks for the Advice guys, Seperates would be nice but a Ashdown Electric Blue 180 - 15" combo has come up at £125.
Any good?
[/quote]

You can't go far wrong at that price - but it will be very heavy and a pain in the butt to get about. Not a problem if you are just going to leave it in one place though.

Some people don't like the "Ashdown sound", but I quite like their gear.

[Japhet]

Ashdown combo isn't a bad place to start. Don't expect to get your money back any time soon though.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Dazzlebrush' timestamp='1433169420' post='2788486']
Thanks for the Advice guys, Seperates would be nice but a Ashdown Electric Blue 180 - 15" combo has come up at £125.
Any good?
[/quote]

Have a look at it.... And check how heavy it is...
I used one for a while and it was fine... and did well on a band gig
with a 3 piece brass section. One hand lift and easy to throw in the car.

See that the speaker plays loud and you'll be good to go..

[geoham]

[quote name='Dazzlebrush' timestamp='1433169420' post='2788486']
Thanks for the Advice guys, Seperates would be nice but a Ashdown Electric Blue 180 - 15" combo has come up at £125.
Any good?
[/quote]
It's a decent enough amp. I used one with my originals band at a 60ish capacity venue where house backline was provided. Two guitarists using 1x12 Marshalls, violinist DI'd, and loud drummer. No PA support for bass or guitars. I almost went back to my car for my own gear when I seen it, but gave it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised - typical Ashdown sound and loud enough to keep up. You could probably gig this anywhere with PA support. It's probably going to be heavy though!

[Skybone]

If you're going to use it for recording, then why not get some sort of amp modeller instead of an amp? Something like the Vox Stomplab / Zoom B1 / B3 / MS60B or something similar.

You have plenty of sonic options on tap, you can practice quietly and some of them have USB connection for easy recording. You can gig them as well, just plug / DI straight into the PA.