New Bass Amp

Royale with Cheese

Right so, I'm overhauling my rig. Getting a new bass soon enough but I've already decided what I'm getting so no advice needed there.

I wouldn't mind getting a new amp. Currently using a 125w Laney combo with a 12" speaker. I only use it for practicing, for gigs I either go through the PA or just use the bass amp provided. I have equaliser and enhancer pedals so it's just easier not to bring my amp.

For practice however my current amp is a little underpowered, while it's loud enough to keep up with the guitars and drums, you lose alot of sound quality at the highest volume output which is what I have to use to be heard. Would love something new, with a nice tone at a high volume output.

So I actually don't know a huge amount about amps. I was thinking maybe of getting a 300 watt head and a 2X10" cabinet. Maybe something like this and this. Obviously it doesn't have to be Warwick, just using them as an example. Any other brands that'd be better? Was looking at Ashdown and Hartke too.

Also what's the deal with the 8 ohms power on the head and 4 ohms power on the speakers? I don't get the technical stuff like that.

So I'm looking to spend about €600. Any suggestions? Would I be better off getting a combo at that price?

Am thinking maybe this would be a better option. Selling for €460 on musicstore. Anybody here use any of the Ashdown stuff? I know musicmaker used to sell them, maybe the still do. I've heard they're decent enough.

Ok more searching around has led me to believe this Hartke combo might be my best bet.

singloud

Maybe try looking second hand? I found a great Fender BXR 200W for a few hundred in a second hand shop last year, the thing was ancient and spewed out dust the first few times I played it, still it's built like a tank and has hardly any effects which suits me down to the ground, bass amps are well built and should last a good while.

Hogmeister B

I'd say either of these, i have the 1x15, plenty loud for gigs and has DI for going into PA as well.

http://www.thomann.de/ie/ashdown_magc410t300.htm

http://www.thomann.de/ie/ashdown_magc115300.htm

Parsley

^^ delete that, i was logged in as my brother...

I'd say either of these, i have the 1x15, plenty loud for gigs and has DI for going into PA as well.

http://www.thomann.de/ie/ashdown_magc410t300.htm

http://www.thomann.de/ie/ashdown_magc115300.htm

Royale with Cheese

Definitely won't be going with the 4x10" anyway. Don 't want something that big, would be a pain in the ass to drag around with me.

I'd prefer to get something new than secondhand too. Sure if the secondhand market here is going on Irish prices then it probably wouldn't be a whole lot cheaper than ordering something new from Germany.

What would the difference in sound be between 2x10" speakers and a 15" speaker?

Parsley

The 2x10 will have better high end, but less lows, vice versa for the 1x15. I can still get plenty highs through the 15 with EQing though.

Royale with Cheese

Hmmm, I do like my lows. I'm looking for clarity and a bit of punch though. My current amp sounds quite muddy at a high volume.

I'll head into town and try out a few amps and see what I prefer, and then obviously go home and order one from Germany for half the price.

yevveh

I prefer the low end as well, at the moment I'm using an Ashdown 1x17 EB150 (150watt), works nicely. I use it at practises and have used it (with the PA, thankfully it has DI) at smaller gigs too. Tis 5 EQ, also theres bass, treble and EQ boost on the amps, as well as an option for sub-harmonics. It was roughly €550 about 2-3 years ago in Musicmaker.

Just to let you know I don't use the bass/treble (or "deep" and "bright" as they're called on the amp) or EQ boosts as my Ibanez bass has bass and treble boost in the EQ anyway. The bass boost is only really useful if you're using a passive bass with light strings, in my experience heavy strings more than compensate with extra bass (I don't use medium/heavies anymore as they're tougher to play and unless you detune, not worth it). Hope that helps.

Parsley

My MAG300 115 has plenty punch and clarity too, quality amp.

Royale with Cheese

Yeah I'm pretty much deciding between the Ashdown 300 watt and the Harkte 250 watt. The Ashdown is €170 cheaper but the Hartke has both solid state and tube preamps, better eq too. I have a boss eq pedal so that shouldn't really matter too much.

Hmmm I dunno. Although I've obviously never played either, the Hartke looks the better amp to me. I'd trust their name more than Ashdown's, has a few extra features. I know it doesn't matter but it looks better too. I don't want to buy the Ashdown and then regret not getting the Hartke, but it is a bit of a price difference...

Bass I was hoping to get has been discontinued unfortunately, the alternative was to splash out on a Warwick Corvette Proline but that looks like it's been discontinued too. Still a few floating about on some sites but not with the exact specs I want. Wanted a blue or red stain finish with gold hardware. Can get one with chrome hardware off Thomann but it looks crap with the chrome. I'm not spending €1600 on a bass if I'm not getting exactly what I want.