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View Full Version : What Next??



jpati
05-27-2011, 07:39 AM
I'm new to bass and have been playing now for about 6 months. I am using a Squire BP-15. What should be my next step up in Amps?

Elmeaux
05-27-2011, 08:15 AM
I like the Fender Rumble. They come in combo amps or separate heads and cabs, small practice models, monster stage versions and everything in between...and they sound really good.

SilverFlame46
05-27-2011, 01:07 PM
I don't think you can go wrong with a Fender. But, everyone has their personal preference!!!

Bassix
05-27-2011, 01:24 PM
I like the Acoustic B100 combo amp. It has separate passive and active inputs, four tone controls (low, lo-mid, hi-mid & high), a variable frequency notch (to reduce a selected peak frequency and balance out your sound), a 15" speaker and sounds great. Not sure what you're looking to spend but it costs around $250. I've been able to get some very nice tones with the B100 that I find comparable to those of my (much more expensive :mad:) Mesa Boogie Walkabout.

jpati
05-27-2011, 02:59 PM
Thanks for the input!

Bruce Alan
05-29-2011, 07:20 PM
I'm pretty fond of my Markbass. Several different models, light weight, great tone. I use the CMD 151P for smaller and upright gigs. Something like that may be good to look at.

BillG
06-22-2011, 04:32 PM
Like so many things in life, it depends....

If you are serious and are looking for something to play gigs you should have at least 75-100W for smaller venues. One possibility is to start with an amp head and pick up a separate speaker cabinet. It can be done in pieces so the $$$ outlay is doable.
The nice thing about having a..sayyy... 200-??? watt head is you can put it on any size speaker cab. You aren't going to be able to push the head to max unless the speakers can handle it but it offers an all in one solution. For a small gig use a smaller cab..etc. As your needs grow the head stays with you.

JustJazz
06-22-2011, 06:50 PM
I play a Carvin BX500 thru BRX10.2-8 (2x10 Neodymiums) and I love it!

Like almost anything that is a musical instrument, you need to check it out for yourself. Any of the amps/combos mentioned by other posters are good, it really comes down to what sound you prefer and how much $$ you want to put into it. If you are just looking for a good practice rig, you might want to consider a Roland Cube. Most of the vendors have something similar; if you plan to play small coffee shop semi acoustic gigs you will want a different rig than if you want to do speed metal and head banger bands. But I suspect you may be looking for something in the middle somewhere that is flexible.

If you plan to go try a lot of amps/rigs at say Guitar Center or Sam Ash, be sure to take your Bass with you so that you hear how it sounds with your instrument.

If you know what you want then check out Craigslist or EBay and see if you can find some gear used at a decent price. Obviously you need to be careful buying from a private party, and for that matter I wouldn't trust GC or SA either.

Again, if you know what genre of music you want to pursue, start checking into reviews online. Just Google what the amp rig is and you should find something out there.

Good luck and have fun!

PS - When checking amps or instruments I turn all the controls to FLAT and volume to something reasonable like a 3 or 4 so that I get a fair comparison of sound. You will also be able to better gauge how much sound pressure level you are getting from each +/-

TobiasMan
06-23-2011, 10:16 AM
Try to A/B amps with the same volume level. Our ears deceive us into believing that the loudest sounds better.

That's why the salespersons always have the volume cranked on the boom boxes at the store. Also ran into that ploy from salespersons years ago when I was Hi Fi equipment shopping. Abandoned that and just built my own kit stuff. It is still working great, some, um, 39 years later!!!!