seeking advice from seasoned vets

Welcome Mike

This is the best bass community on the net.

If that's a Hartke kickback, that's not a bad small amp.

However, if you want to move up

here's some guidelines for a gigging amp (rig):

in an amp head, you'll want at least 300 watts in a solid state amp

a hybrid or mosfet amp has a tube preamp which gives you a more traditional bass tone

and a solid state amplifier section which is very quiet and very efficient

an all tube head gets a lot more sound out of it's watts

I'm told that a 200 watt tube head gets as much sound output as a 500 watts solid state head

but a tube head uses huge transformers that weigh a ton

most of us use mosfet heads

as far as cabinets go

most use a combination of large speakers, say a 15in

and another cabinet with 10in speakers

I use a 2 x 12in cab and I like the sound a 12in speaker delivers

the best advice is for you to go to the best stocke dealers around like a Guitar Center or a Sam ASh

and try everything they have in stock

be sure to bring your own bass when you try out amps

that will give you a better idea what you'll sound like through another rig.

What kind of bass do you own?

Hi MIke,

welcome to the funny farm

I won't repeat what OFC has already said, his sage words of wisdom are rarely off the mark. Rarely.

I will however suggest that you stay away from Behringer, they may sound o.k. in the store and the low price may temp you....just stay away.

Also - based on my own recent amp buying expereince...I'd suggest that if you are considering used gear, be sure to buy local where you can play the piece before you buy it. used gear mail order for amps or other electronics can be more hassle than its worth.

Thanks OFC and Jeff, I appreciate the information. I will take your advice to heart as much as the lower online/used prices might tempt me. OFC, I own an Ibanez soundgear 5 string, solid bass which has gotten me through many a practice, I've just never had the thump behind me to really enjoy it.

I've been looking at the Hartke LH500 amp head, a fairly good price for that much power (500w). My main concern would be, if I got that would I need to get a stack that was at least if not more than 500w? I've heard that you want more power out of the cab than the head so that you don't blow the speakers.

welcome to UBP.

i would be open to both new and used gear. you'll get more power for your $ with used gear, and that's what a bass back line needs. craigslist and ebay are your friend.

as far as cabs, i really like Avatar. www.avatarspeakers.com i have a 2x12 and a 4x10.

i will attest, my all tube bass head weighs as much or more than my 1x15 GK cab.

carvin has some great bass heads going on (i would look at ones with tubes myself)..... although their customer service is hit or miss.

small lightweight heads are all the rage, and for good reason. ~500W under 10 lbs usually. kinda pricey though if you buy new.

there is also the separate poweramp/preamp route too.

so many options, so little time.

Thanks for asking that question. I have been considering upgrading my rig and you asked the right questions here. And thanks guys for giving great answers. You are way more help than anybody I have talked to in any store. I love bein here soaking up all the knowledge yous guys have to offer.

~DjP~

AMPEG!!!

the closer the power rating for the head and cab the better

also, most cabs can handle an amp rated twice what the cab is

power ratings between manufacturers vary a lot so you'll want to hook everything up and see how it sounds before you buy it

you'll also want to pay attention to the ohm ratings to be sure that your amp is operating at a safe range

a safe range will be when the cab (or cabs) impedence are rated equally or higher than the amp's minimum impedence

an amp that has a minimum rating of 4 ohms will do just fine with two 8 ohm cabs

impedence can be figured between two cabs by dividing the product of their impedence by the sum

in the case of two 8 0hm cabs

8 x 8 = 64
8 + 8 = 16
64/16 = 4

and yes used gear is indeed a bargain if you get a good sound piece

AMPEG!!!!

SVT410hlf!!!!

'nuff said....

TRAYNOR YBA200!!!! 200 tube watts, mmmmm.....tubes.

or

Any 4-500 hybrid watt head.

The SVT cab is the loudest 4-10 I've heard and with the tube head its sahweet.

All done.

LDD

What's your budget? We're all great at spending someone else's money... but how much do YOU have to put towards your rig?

Also... how portable would you like it to be? Do you see yourself moving it a lot?

Sounds like you are headed the direction I am at now. What SDGR model do you have? Here's my gear rundown.

Ibby SDGR 405 QM

Hartke LH500

Hartke VX215 (bought new at GC for $200 no sale. Last one of this model in stock)

LOVE this setup. Is it the best? No. Is it the best bang for the buck? Possibly. I love the tones I'm able to get. Fit's my style perfectly. You've got the bass. If you get that Hartke setup I think you'll enjoy. I would say go Ampeg or some others but I don't know your budget. This setup just happened to fit mine beautifully...especially since the head was a Christmas gift.

Hope this helps.

Soungears are great sticks. I had 6 or 7 last year! Jackie and I have owned alot of the same gear (literally) and his comments on the avatar cabs are true. Nice bang for the buck. Although I haven't gotten to try one of the LH500 heads yet I anticipate a great usable amp. It has the frontend modeled after the old fender heads. 3 simple dials and you are up and running. 300w is a good # but let your ears be the judge. I regularly run a 200w Trace Elliot head with no PA support and can't run it above 3. I do have a VERY hot pre-amp in my bass though. If you are looking for cheap and loud, used peavey is your friend. You can't beat it for the price and it is built like a tank. I've had several peavey pieces and my main cabinet now is a 34 year old peavy 215. Good luck, this part is fun!

H

http://www.axemusic.com/Pictures/ibanez_sr905cnf.jpg

That's my Ibanez, and this is what I have been looking at:

http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/brand,zzounds/76464-1ae08803...

I have definitely been looking at the LH500 as a possibility, 500w for like $350, and this combination is looking pretty solid. I like the 2x15 thought though...worth looking into. I would love an Ampeg but looking at the prices it's just stupid. My budget is $600-$800 or thereabouts.

If you're looking for bang vs. buck in that range I'd say you have the set up you need. I love my Ibby 405, LH500, and 215. Great combo. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Behringer amps and Rogue basses all the way man. Thats that sweet tinfoil being chewed up sound that all the engineers are trying to emulate.

rock.

DDD

^^^ My second suggestion.

Hiya BB. Welcome to the dark side. Come on in and grab a seat. I won't try to add to the advice already given. It's all sound (no pun intended). I've been fortunate in that I found pretty much what I wanted right away. (SWR 750X and Goliath III 410) and haven't really been concerned about looking further at this time.

I will give you one other piece of advice though. Avoid DDD like the plague. We've tried to keep him on his meds but somehow he keeps avoiding them. He's still pretty harmless, kind of like a Rhesus monkey Just don't try to pet him or get too close and you'll be fine.

I got Ibby SR 706 myself great bass.

IF it were me I would go with the new tiny 500 watts for 10lbs GK head ( I forget what its called) but kinda pricey and an avatar 4x10 ( I actually want 2 heads and 2 4x10s but...that shall be discussed another time)

But Just make sure for the bigger venues get at least 300 watts. Anything more than that for a local band is a waste.

Or leaves room to grow. There are controls to limit what comes out ya know. lol

I agree. 300W is plenty. Fortunately though the 500 watts helps in larger venues and outdoor gigs if you get any.

+1 on the ibanez sr...I love the close string spacing...
I've had my 405 for the longest time...and I had a 505 (which I stupidly let go last year..now I wish I hadnt)

and I let go of my GK head..again stupidly.....

but..to the point , I picked up a used Peavey head for 99 bucks...definately does the job....

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Peavey Mark VIII

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Ibanez sr405(painted by me )

The LH500 is definitely one of the best heads at its price point you can get. I'm gonna suppose you get one of those for my following rant on cabs:

Aim for an 8 ohm cab, so if you want more volume, you can get a second one. Don't worry about aiming for lower impedance to get more watts, more speaker area will give you more volume and bottom much more easily that more 'watts'.

Personally, I think that cabs are always the weak point in bass rigs. The fact that people judge them on speaker diameter and power ratings is probably a major contributor to this, because those to numbers tell you literally nothing about how a cab sounds or how loud it goes.

What cab to get is pretty much going to be based entirely on your budget and luck. I just scored an Aguilar GS412 on ebay for £300, pretty rare items over here. Total end game cabinet, very well designed around good speakers in an appropriate sized box. Pretty much any Aguilar cab is an endgame item, spensive though.

For budget good cabs, the Peavey TVX 4x10 is pretty beasty, super cheap and weigh a ton, a pair will do all you need with 500w from the LH500.

Spec to look for is 'sensitivity', although claims are a bit dubious due to there not being a standard on how to measure it, basically, it tells you how loud a cab will go at a given power input, and every 3db more sensitivity you get from a cab is the equivalent of doubling the 'wattage' of you amp. Low end extension is another thing you are after, and often this comes at the cost of sensitivity, so the balance has to be found, the general guide (very general) is the bigger a box is relative to the speaker area, the more bottom you get from it, the classic 8x10 is full of speakers on the front and doesn't go very low. Stick 4 12 speakers in the box and ports and you have some blank space on the front, but epic nad rattling. Probably most observable with the Ashdown cabs, as they have big and little 15 cabs, and the big ones are really bottomy, and the compact ones totally suck.

I've been reading here for months and enjoying the hell out of it. I just got a new '51 re-issue P-Bass (MIJ) and I really love it because of the way it plays. I also like the sound from the retro pickup. I want to get new strings of course and wanted to see if there was anything specifically to stay away from. I'm not gigging and mainly jam with old friends. I also practice a lot by myself listening to all kinds of music. What's a good recommendation from the people experienced with the P-Bass?

Can't go wrong with a p bass. It will take anything, although the 51 issue is the single coil pickup one? Might wanna put some shielding in if there isn't any, the black paint stuff or foil lining, cuts down the hum. Also, as it's through strung, some flatwound strings are troublesome, even though it was born to have flatwound strings, as they don't like the angle. I like the really heavy steel daddario strings, but you gotta pick your own flavour.

welcome default userid

the p is stronger than dirt

string it with anything

start a new thread

introduce yourself to the community

I have to echo what OFC said...he hasn't been wrong yet by me. I also have to echo what The chuck said...AMPEG!!!!! now ampeg is not always an option due to cost..weight...size..etc. I run an svt810 with a are ampeg svt212 cab that just booms with the 4 pro head...but I will be honest I HATE moving all that gear..its obscenely heavy...bit can emulate the voice of God! I think u r on the right track though..a 4x10 or 2x12 will probably give u all the thump u need without breaking the bank. I would absolutely check out avatar cabs..unreal quality..amazing price point..and excellent customer service...can't go wrong with that combo..

Oh...and welcome to uglyville!!!

Just though: Sansamp, give a bit of Ampeg style flavour, fits in a pocket, and you can plug into the effects return of any amp and have a consistent sound, plus sound engineers will have a familiar DI signal, that you can put distortion into without it turning to horrible fizz.

One last question: I've seen different cabs that either include or exclude a horn/tweeter. How important is that aspect of a cab's sound?

imo

tweeters suck for bass

but

some swear that it helps their sound

all I can say is do a side by side at a music store and see how you like it

I agree on the Tweeter... lesson here? Listen to OFC.

IMHO, a tweeter is in a frequency range that the bass really isn't supposed to be in. You start walking over the definition in guitar tone. It's clicky, buzzy, rattly... depending on the style of music, some guys like it, and go for that definition. But I feel it makes a mess during the recording process. I also tend to think some players lean on them to compensate for cheaper instruments that don't have the quality components to produce a good, clean, articulate sound.

In the studio, I often don't use anything above 2k Hz for the bass to get it to sit right, and the horn isn't even kicking in at that point.

It may sound cool when you're sitting alone, but typically you're going to play with a group... so tailor your sound accordingly.

Twangers are notorious for this... they tweak their amps at lower volumes, standing in front of them playing... with the speakers pointed at their knees. They have no real idea what their cab really sounds like turned up playing with a band.

don't have em, don't use em, don't want em. Just my two cents.

Nothing good ever come out of a tweeter... 'cept smoke.

Nah, just kidding. I don't care or have any use for them but you slap and pop guys might. Or some hi-fi Urban Gospel with a real modern active sound.

Everything else has really been said. I just needed to insert my little 2 cents worth.

As you were.

Hey all, I just wanted to thank those of you who gave me some great input on what to buy in a new amp rig. I ended up grabbing a used setup from a guy on CList with a 4x10 ampeg SVT Half and an ampeg br2 200 @ 8 ohms 350 @ 4 ohms. I loved it when I played on it over there, it's got great tone, my only issue is that the cab is 8 ohms so the head is only putting out 200 watts. We'll see how I like it when I finally get around to playing with my band, but so far I'm pretty psyched about it. If anyone has further thoughts or suggestions I'd be happy to hear them.

Thanks again, you guys gave me some great advice on this stuff!

I'll repeat whats been said.. NO TWEETS.. I also have a SR505(LOVE YOU HONEY! MUWAH!)  I use Roto sounds on it.  

Where's that link to 'This thread is useless without pics' ?

Now that you've bought your gear, post pics in the PORN thread or risk the OFC monster comin' to your place and chewin' yer a$$

I leave my cab at the practice space, and whoever keeps borrowing it without asking always turns up the tweeter and leaves it up, so annoying, I use lots of distortion, and that is really bad with a tweeter.

Sounds like you need to have a talk with your bandmates.  Personally, I don't have a problem with someone I know/trust playing a little through my rig, but it really steams me if I find out after the fact.  Especially if they're messing with my settings. Have the common courtesy to ask first.  Ya know.

So after some finagaling, returns and new purchases, finally I can say that I have the setup to show you, and I can say that some of you will be pleased that I took your advice to heart and ended up spending *a bit* more than I thought I would...but hey, you get what you pay for.

http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--AMPSVT410HE

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003552PGO/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF...