Basses or amps?

[Lfalex v1.1]

Potentially controversial, I know, but I just don't have any empathy towards amplification at all.

I have a lovely collection of instruments.
And I have some things I plug them into.
They're made by people who know what they're doing (Trace/Hartke/Ampeg/QSC/Peavey) but the things fill me with no joy at all, to the extent that I'd consider amp buying a chore and would be more likely to buy another bass whilst trying amps out.

Do I need help?
What type of GAS do you specialise in? Basses or Amps?
Or are you one of those well-rounded individuals who likes BOTH?!

Please relate your experiences!

[hogman]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='100152' date='Dec 6 2007, 12:48 PM']Potentially controversial, I know, but I just don't have any empathy towards amplification at all.

I have a lovely collection of instruments.
And I have some things I plug them into.
They're made by people who know what they're doing (Trace/Hartke/Ampeg/QSC/Peavey) but the things fill me with no joy at all, to the extent that I'd consider amp buying a chore and would be more likely to buy another bass whilst trying amps out.

Do I need help?
What type of GAS do you specialise in? Basses or Amps?
Or are you one of those well-rounded individuals who likes BOTH?!

Please relate your experiences![/quote]

Both I am as sad with all things bass n that. Had a Marshall jcm 800 bass amp that did me for about 1500 gigs then got nicked I am now the proud owner of an Ampeg svt 3 pro and very nice it is.

[cheddatom]

I don't lust after basses or amps, but effects!

[Merton]

Both. I have to be very careful with here and ebay or my flat would be full of amps on the floor and basses on all spare wallspace, leaving no room for me.

[thumbo]

For me there's two sides to amps- vintage and modern. I've got my modern amp which serves me very well and one day I'll buy an old Ampeg. However with basses it's totally different, the more the merrier!

[Kiwi]

I have a weakness for finding a bass I really like and then getting an amp that makes it sound at its best. So far having the GK RB700 combo has helped me resist most of the temptation to have a flat full of basses matched to amps matched to cabs! I still have a weakness for unusual valve amps though.

[Machines]

Just basses for me too.. I got excited when I was getting my ABM but that's over now.

I never hear much of a difference when trying out different amps, it's either I like it or I don't, I can't tell you why...

[nick]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='100152' date='Dec 6 2007, 12:48 PM']Potentially controversial, I know, but I just don't have any empathy towards amplification at all.

I have a lovely collection of instruments.
And I have some things I plug them into.
They're made by people who know what they're doing (Trace/Hartke/Ampeg/QSC/Peavey) but the things fill me with no joy at all, to the extent that I'd consider amp buying a chore and would be more likely to buy another bass whilst trying amps out.

Do I need help?
What type of GAS do you specialise in? Basses or Amps?
Or are you one of those well-rounded individuals who likes BOTH?!

Please relate your experiences![/quote]

Both!
Though at the moment, I'm veering more towards amps. The older, wierder & more obscure the better.

[The Burpster]

Having a nice bass but average electrics is like having a Porsche and putting Kwik Fit economy tyres on it....

Wonderful but limited by its most important factors....

If you have the best that you can get or want and youre happy with it..... Stick with it.....

I like playing with basses, but having the Mesa negates having to play with amps.....

[alexclaber]

I don't think I do GAS like normal people anymore, though I used to suffer when I was an effects junkie. It helps that my '87 Warwick is such a great bass that I have never played anything that I like better. I take so long to decide what I want that it's taken me over eight years to get a second bass built and I've been using the same rig for a similar length of time, only recently getting a new preamp. I have spent countless hours working on new bass cab designs over the past 18 months but am finally getting close to my ultimate cab, in the shape of an ultra lightweight biamped DSP managed ported 2x15"+6". But then I have to build it and first I need to get my new house in order!

Alex

[Mr. Foxen]

I don't get as excited by amp, but effects and basses, damn. Poorness and tightfistedness are pretty major influences though. I know I can do a lot to a cheap bass myself to bend it to my will. Electrickery is beyond me, so a good amp would cost me many pennies, but I'd be playing my hot rodded Johnson pbass through it. Cabs however are a problem, I getting the set, so far 2x12, 1x15 and 4x10.

[urb]

As someone who has been very well behaved in the GAS stakes I've always sworn by a decent amp and a decent bass - and now I have my Epifani 502 I'm a very happy bunny indeed as this amp has stupid amounts of power and extols the tones I love - which are 'punchy' and 'warm'.

If anything I lean towards the importance a good bass first and amp second - for a personal set up, yes I want the amp and bass of my choosing.

In the last month at various rehearsals and gigs I've plugged my vintage Thumb bass in a Masrshall 800 something, a Trace 1x12 Combo, a Warwick Wamp combo, my SWR Baby Baby Blue and my Epifani - while the overall quality of each of these varied a lot - yes the Epi was the sweetest but the Wamp was/is lovely, the SWR is great and even the Marshall provided a really decent tone - it was my playing and the bass's tone that helped me get a good sound every time.

I'm happy with my amps right now - I'm certainly open to trying new stuff but all I'm interested in now is portability - hence my only GAS is for an Epi UL112 - anyone with one to sell for a good price I might be tempted...

Get a decent bass first - save up for a good amp second - if you can afford both, have both.

M

[Tee]

I love cool little valve amps and boutique FX. I picked up guitar first in my teens, so i still GAS over them. I'm having serious valve bass head GAS at the moment, as i see a new rig on the horizon. I'll often get bass GAS, naturally. I do like gear.

I quite like shoes too, if i'm out and about and see a cool pair... ^_^

[Deep Thought]

I have phases of both-depends what I feel I need at the time-since I bought my P-bass I haven't felt the need for a new bass for a while, and I've been eyeing up extension cabs to go with my Trace combo lately, but I keep an eye on both. I plan on moving to a head/cab setup at some stage but it'll have to be done in stages-cab first, head later, and for that reason I've paid a lot of attention to Markbass Little Mark II's. Have been having definite leanings in the direction of a CIJ '70's reissue Precision to back up the Fender, and fancy a fretless, but can't see me getting either for a while, especially as things are looking a bit iffy with the band at the moment. Thing I can really do with the most is a Zoom H4 which is the thing I'm most likely to be getting in the near(ish) future. But you know how it goes, as soon as you think you're happy with what you've got, along comes something else you've got to have. It takes an iron will or a different mindset to a lot of us to stick with what you've got for any length of time-cue a lot of 'I've had my So-and-so since 1957 and never seen the need to change' type replies!

[Cantdosleepy]

I take my bass to practice rooms with other amps, and use it in my bedroom with the amp turned down, and use it at gigs where I share the amp of the headliner or use the house amp. The bass is far more important to me, and the thing I am thinkin of pimping out with new pickups. Haven't bought a new bass since I got this one two years ago, though, and I bought an amp and cabinet this year. My first amp and cab, and I'm not going to be changing soon.

[SJA]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='100152' date='Dec 6 2007, 12:48 PM']Potentially controversial, I know, but I just don't have any empathy towards amplification at all.[/quote]

I think I'm in the same boat as you.
I practice and record at home through DI into a mixer and headphones.
I'm happy with the DI tone of my basses, sometimes with effects and eq as needed.

I've got tired of lugging a 4X10 cab & head around to gigs, and since I'm no longer in a "volume battle" with the guitarists I play with, I don't need the power anymore.
and there've been times in the past when I've hauled my amp onstage, only for the soundman to tell me to turn it down to the point I needn't have brought it.

for original band gigs in central london, an amp's like a ball & chain with scarce parking, the congestion charge etc.

I'm planning to get a Roland Cube 100 to simplify things.

[queenofthedepths]

I have 9 basses (plus a lamp coming soon!), a combo and a mini amp - I have actually promised my fiancée that I'm not gonna go over 10 basses until I have a proper job and my next big purchase should be an extension cab, but I've decided for the sake of the environment that I won't get a car until I finish uni, so what's the point having a rig that I can't move anywhere?! The combo's louder than enough to make the neighbours hate me, should I wish to, and I've played a couple of gigs with it

[Tait]

i hate it when people talk about GASing for amps. I mean, i understand when you need a new amp for whatever reason, but GASing for one? they all seem pretty much the same to me. obviously i realise some are better than others, make clearer sounds, deeper sounds, brighter sounds or whatever, but quite frankly i have never felt GAS for an amp.

[stewblack]

Funny you should ask as I've just got the beginnings of another bout of amp gas. It's always bass gas but amp and cab gas comes and goes. Once you realise it's all gas you just go with it and enjoy the frustration, the lust and the anti climax when it's all over.
It's a lot like sex.

[warwickhunt]

It's even worse when you have a weakness for cabs!

They seriously take up valuable space.

[mr pablo]

Having just got my bass GAS under control with my MIJ fender Precision + various tweaks, I've got some amp GAS well the amp head is sorted so i'm just gassing for a cab or two so I can use the fecker

In general though i find i GAS for basses and effects more than amps, once i find an amp/cab setup that I like then I tend not to change it unless I really have to, in fact come to think of it apart from my lil peavey micro bass I've only ever had my Marshall 3530 head and Marshall VBC 4x12 cab both now sadly departed

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='lwtait' post='100479' date='Dec 6 2007, 07:54 PM']i hate it when people talk about GASing for amps. I mean, i understand when you need a new amp for whatever reason, but GASing for one? they all seem pretty much the same to me. obviously i realise some are better than others, make clearer sounds, deeper sounds, brighter sounds or whatever, but quite frankly i have never felt GAS for an amp.[/quote]

Well, you're pretty lucky, really - I'm kinda like this but I'd say that most GAS is the result of perfectionism

[martthebass]

Basses.
Don't tend to get emotionally attached to amps. Weird really considering it has just as much to do with the sound.

[tombboy]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='100152' date='Dec 6 2007, 12:48 PM']Potentially controversial, I know, but I just don't have any empathy towards amplification at all.[/quote]

One word............ Markbass.

GAS inducer!!

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='SJA' post='100399' date='Dec 6 2007, 05:46 PM']I think I'm in the same boat as you.
I practice and record at home through DI into a mixer and headphones.
I'm happy with the DI tone of my basses, sometimes with effects and eq as needed.

I've got tired of lugging a 4X10 cab & head around to gigs, and since I'm no longer in a "volume battle" with the guitarists I play with, I don't need the power anymore...[/quote]

We do indeed occupy the same boat!

I use headphones from a small desk, with a choice of preamps (!)
The (proper) headphone approach has it all;

Flat frequency response (well, flatter than a cab, anyhow)
No crossovers
Amazing speed and linearity
STEREO
SPLs to die for (if that's what you want)

The only thing they can't do is throw you across the room with a visceral bottom end...

Otherwise, they're tonally perfect, and a revealing window onto how well you play and how good your bass really sounds.

Every time I go back to combos or cabs, I just think about how poor they sound by comparison!

The stack is just a necessary gigging/rehearsing evil!