What amp?

[Traitor King]

I'm looking at buying my first bass amp. (currently using a small old guitar practise amp at hope until I get a bass amp )

Unfortunatly, I know very little about amps...

I'm looking for something I can use at home/band practise as well as small gigs (local band night etc).
My budget is around £200, although I can stretch to £250 (or above, it just means it'll be longer before I can buy).

So, what advice/recomentations can you give me?

[lushuk]

I reckon you need to make it clear if you want.........

Power amp
Head unit
Combo

To assist helpers

If its a combo then something like this..............

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-715-GP7-Bass-Combo_W0QQitemZ280285415769QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL?hash=item280285415769&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1298%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trace-Elliot-715-GP7...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url]

Great value for money normally fetch £120-£150 and would suffice your needs.
Eddy

[Traitor King]

Sorry, forgot about that.
I'm propably looking for a combo, as thats the most affordable option (and best for a beginner) as far as I've heard.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

If you're looking to gig, then I would suggest something
that is fairly powerful(250 watts).
For the price range ,you're probably looking at used stuff.

Whether you want to use a head amp and cabinet or combo, that's up to you.
Trace Elliot, Warwick are good in this price range.

I think that someone on this forum may still be selling an Eden combo .
I have one of those ,and they are good...

[bassmansky]

go secondhand and you will get more wattage for your money.might as well get a 300w combo to start with,more than loud enough.my choice as usual would be ashdown abm 2x10 combo or trace elliot.but if you want new go for a ashdown electric blue combo great value for £200.

[phatbass787]

I'd second the Ashdown Electric Blue range great amp for the money and enough power for when jamming.

[url="http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/shop/flypage/product_id/37170"]http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/shop/flypage/product_id/37170[/url]

[clauster]

+1 for the Ashdown Electric Blue or MAG ranges depending on budget and new/secondhand.

My EB180 is fine for home practise and bend rehearsals. I doubt it would work as a gigging amp, but I take a DI from mine and run through the band's PA system.

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='clauster' post='330030' date='Nov 16 2008, 11:31 AM']My EB180 is fine for home practise and[b][size=3] bend [/size][/b]rehearsals.[/quote]

Dare we ask what a [b]bend[/b] rehearsal is??

[clauster]

Honestly, it's where you change the pitch of the note by pushing it across the neck with your fretting finger - haven't you heard that Ashdowns are particularly good for rehearsing this technique?

[Stylon Pilson]

As the owner of an Ashdown Electric Blue, I'll agree with the above - it would be ideal for your needs.

Unless you are dead set on buying new, go second hand. You'll come in well under your budget, and if you change your mind, you'll be able to sell it on for basically the same amount that you paid for it.

S.P.

[Traitor King]

Cheers for all the help guys.

Theres a big guitar shop not too far from me, and I know they stock alot of ashdowns, so i'll probably go and try out what they've got.
I think I would rather go for a new, I dunno, thats just me.

Talking to a guitarist friend, thats definatly powerful enough. he knows the place where I would play (local band night) and he recons 120watts is around powerful enough (as it can just be mic'ed up). But, I'd rather have too much power and turn it down as opposed to the other way round!

[umph]

[quote name='Traitor King' post='330146' date='Nov 16 2008, 04:38 PM']Cheers for all the help guys.

Theres a big guitar shop not too far from me, and I know they stock alot of ashdowns, so i'll probably go and try out what they've got.
I think I would rather go for a new, I dunno, thats just me.

Talking to a guitarist friend, thats definatly powerful enough. he knows the place where I would play (local band night) and he recons 120watts is around powerful enough (as it can just be mic'ed up). But, I'd rather have too much power and turn it down as opposed to the other way round![/quote]
for solid state you'd be looking at around 300watts to have enough clean head room to get those lows out properly at gig volume.

[peted]

Be careful about taking Wattage advice from guitarists! They can fill a stadium with a 100 Watt guitar amp, but you'll need at least a 300 Watt bass amp to be heard against them.

My rule of thumb for bass is that you should add up the wattage of your guitarist's rigs, then double it to get the figure for your own amp. E.g. If you've got 2 guitarists in your band, each with a 100 Watt amps, you'll need 2x(100W + 100W) = 400 Watts to keep up at a minimum.

[The Funk]

Advice noone gives a beginner: your first amp will probably not be your last.

[Protium]

Also bear in mind speaker configuration. Look for something with at least 2x10", 2x12" or a good 1x15".

[Douglas]

I'd recommend a Ashdown MAG300, maybe the 1x15 combo, however its major downfall is that its only around 180 watts out the box. I found mine which was an ex-demo for £250 in PMT (I think?) in Northhampton.