Help me buy a bass rig!

remo · 16th January 2005

I have to buy a bass rig for some live shows I'm gonna be doing soon and it turns out I have NFI about whats good

What I do know is I want a head and cab setup (a 4/10 cab) and a 400watt or higher head. It will need to have enough balls to run in small to medium clubs.

As for sound (I guess) I want good definition and solid bottom end. No wool, quack or mud. Its a rock/pop band so something that would suit. Not after a jazz or a funk sound. (or a Chris Squire sound lol)...

$'s wise I can spend about USD $1700 for both.

The Hartke stuff is in my price range but I have had no experiences with them. Of cousre Ampeg would be nice but I can't afford a full Ampeg rig..

Anyone got any suggestions? Thanks

Dave Martin · 16th January 2005

As a 'general use' bass amp, and one that I can move around by myself, I've been pretty happy with an SWR Super Redhead. It is a 2x10 combo app and it's not an SVT, but it handles a wide variety of gigs. Make sure you turn the tweeter off, though.

dntknowsht · 16th January 2005

GK 800RB head, Ampeg SVT 8x10 cab (go big).

It's a little oldschool but, I've used this rig playing all types of clubs, from very large to very small, it's an affordable, dependable and great sounding combo for rock/pop.
Indestructable too, which is a huge plus if you're moving your gear all the time...

Back in the 90's this setup was the sh*t!

muziqfreek · 16th January 2005

check these lot out - i've been playing them for 5 years or so and they rock...

http://www.ashdownamps.com/bass/index.asp

awesome sound... sub harmonic generator.... gr8 eq section..

Nerve Nickels · 16th January 2005

a bass player friend of mine, who is also a great tech, uses ashdown...he's tried many different setup's over the last month and went with an ashdown stack.... good price point/features/ specks...sounds good too...

lhaile · 16th January 2005

I've heard a lot of great sounds come from Eden bass amps and I've seen some great players using them. Don't know much about them personally, but might be worth a listen.

pdxbass · 16th January 2005

GK800rb gets my vote. Add a sonic maximizer in the loop. Pop it on top of a SWR Goliath II, two if you don't mind the weight. If you get a road case for the cab, it makes a great stand for the stage and gets your sound up to your ears! All less than 1700 bones used in excellent cond.

kudzu · 17th January 2005

$1,800?.....go AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....

Gregg Sartiano · 17th January 2005

SWR is cool...I had a Henry 8x8 before and miss it...awesome for $$$...hook up just about anything to it and you're smmmmokin'!

chetatkinsdiet · 17th January 2005

$1700? You should be able to get a killer rig for that price. For rock and that sort, nothing is going to beat a real, vintage tube amp. I know you can find a real SVT for under a grand if you look around for a bit. Some of the newer, reissue CL series are in that range. Then you should be able to pick up a 4x10 or 8x10 cab fairly easy for the balance.

If you want more choices for heads, look into the following:

Sunn Model T
Sunn 2000
Sunn 1200
Sunn 200
Sunn 300

Ampeg V4B
Fender 1200 (same as sun, just re-labeled)
Fender 300T (see above)

Marshall JCM800 bass head

As for cabs, there are a ton of nice ones out there. Just remember with bass cabs, you need a lot of wattage/power and the cabs need to push a lot of air. To get a really nice, full low sound you need a proper sized cabinet. A supersmall cab just won't cut it.

later,
m

C/G · 17th January 2005

AS for the head I would also find a used Ampeg V4B. They are only 200 watts but kick it out pretty good. Sunn model T as well in your price range. Find a used cabinet. The new Ampeg cabinets fall apart and are not as good as they used to be IMO. Anything that costs that much should not disintigrate. Lousy particle board! They do sound good though, but I think you pay more just for that metal Ampeg logo. A peavy cabinet would probably sound just as good and be way cheaper. Old Traynor ones are good solid plywood and are cheap, kind of ugly, but cheap. The speakers in the new Ampeg gear are really cheap looking Radio Shack things with tiny magnets and thin stamped metal basketts. My friends cabinet that fell apart, had speaker issues too. The magnets fell off the speaker basketts! I have an Orange AD200 bass head that I think sounds really good, but they are expensive. Look for really great used gear. BTW I am not tying to keep you from buying Ampeg, I just saw a friends 8x10 completely fall apart after only 4 years of use, and I was not impressed. For the same price as a new one you can get Jeff at www.swansoncabinets.com to make you a new one out of Baltic Birch plywood that won't fall apart. The Ampeg heads sound great.

chetatkinsdiet · 17th January 2005

haha...I had a whole 'nuther paragraph on crappy new cabs with flimsy speakers in them, but I erased it as I figured that would just open a whole can of worms....
later,
m

Bodoc · 17th January 2005

Couple of major considerations from this 56 year-old:

1. Do you have "roadies"? IF not, weight/bulk is a factor.

2, At a larger venue, aren't you planning to run the bass through the "PA"? Hence, using your bass rig as a stage monitor/direct box?

SWR Super Redhead has wonderful sound but is heavy. Fortunately, it has casters. Also, easy to add another cabinet if you need it. Does not have onboard compression (if you use it). Does have slot to add it, though.

All the alternatives mentioned by others are woth pursuing---just consider the medical bills/lifting factor.

Hell, if I always had a roadie, I'd go for a classic Ampeg SVT!!! Gorgeous sound--but a veritable hernia/blown vertebral disc factory.

C/G · 17th January 2005

Lifting is what the guitar players are for. The drummer has his own problems with all that gear. Get those muscles pumping! Our bass player has an SVT with an 18" cab and a 4x10". The guitar players always seem to disappear when it is time to move the gear. Go figure.

brownmouse · 17th January 2005

i'd avoid the hartke scenario if at all possible. you may be able to swing an ampeg rig if you buy used.
god luck,
joshua
oh, btw.. flatwounds on the bass, it makes a huge difference!!!

eberrong · 17th January 2005

I have an Ampeg SVT-410HLF cab and it is great! Has a lot of low end, 4 ohms. It is very heavy, but comes with wheels. I highly recommend it!

I also have an Ampeg SVT-3PRO bass amp. The sound of this amp is great! You can get lots of different tones from it. It may be a little underpowered in a large club with no P.A. support. I believe the Ampeg SVT-4PRO is the same sound just more power.

I also considered the Ampeg SVT-CL (the SVT reissue). The sound was great. A couple factors steered my away...

- Too heavy (like 80 lbs. IIRC and no wheels)
- Too expensive to maintain (power tube replacement was around $300)
- Sort of a one-trick pony for sound (don't get me wrong...the one sound it has is fantastic...but not much variety)

All that said...the SVT-CL is probably the best bass amp you can buy for rock music. If you have the means...get it!

SoundChances · 17th January 2005

I am a BIG fan of Eden gear.
I've been playing bass professionaly for over 15 years now. Used to be a big Ampeg fan, and their gear is still fine but I find Eden amps to be more versatile.

I am currently using a WT330 going into a 2X10 cabinent and it's sufficiant for small to mid sized club gigs.
Their Metro 2X10 combo amp is great, it's comparable to the SWR Redhead that was mentioned, but I feel the Eden combo get's a much better low end than the SWR.
The Metro can be had for around $1200 street price.

16th January 2005	#1
remo Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2004 Location: Melbourne Posts: 548 Thread Starter	Help me buy a bass rig! I have to buy a bass rig for some live shows I'm gonna be doing soon and it turns out I have NFI about whats good What I do know is I want a head and cab setup (a 4/10 cab) and a 400watt or higher head. It will need to have enough balls to run in small to medium clubs. As for sound (I guess) I want good definition and solid bottom end. No wool, quack or mud. Its a rock/pop band so something that would suit. Not after a jazz or a funk sound. (or a Chris Squire sound lol)... $'s wise I can spend about USD $1700 for both. The Hartke stuff is in my price range but I have had no experiences with them. Of cousre Ampeg would be nice but I can't afford a full Ampeg rig.. Anyone got any suggestions? Thanks

16th January 2005	#2
Dave Martin Moderator emeritus Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 3,152	As a 'general use' bass amp, and one that I can move around by myself, I've been pretty happy with an SWR Super Redhead. It is a 2x10 combo app and it's not an SVT, but it handles a wide variety of gigs. Make sure you turn the tweeter off, though. __________________ Dave Martin Java Jive Studio www.javajivestudio.com Nashville, TN

17th January 2005	#16
eberrong Gear nut Joined: Mar 2004 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 145	I have an Ampeg SVT-410HLF cab and it is great! Has a lot of low end, 4 ohms. It is very heavy, but comes with wheels. I highly recommend it! I also have an Ampeg SVT-3PRO bass amp. The sound of this amp is great! You can get lots of different tones from it. It may be a little underpowered in a large club with no P.A. support. I believe the Ampeg SVT-4PRO is the same sound just more power. I also considered the Ampeg SVT-CL (the SVT reissue). The sound was great. A couple factors steered my away... - Too heavy (like 80 lbs. IIRC and no wheels) - Too expensive to maintain (power tube replacement was around $300) - Sort of a one-trick pony for sound (don't get me wrong...the one sound it has is fantastic...but not much variety) All that said...the SVT-CL is probably the best bass amp you can buy for rock music. If you have the means...get it! __________________ E.B. Music Recording Studio http://home.cfl.rr.com/ericberrong

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16th January 2005	#3
dntknowsht Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2004 Location: H.B. Ca. Posts: 1,341	GK 800RB head, Ampeg SVT 8x10 cab (go big). It's a little oldschool but, I've used this rig playing all types of clubs, from very large to very small, it's an affordable, dependable and great sounding combo for rock/pop. Indestructable too, which is a huge plus if you're moving your gear all the time... Back in the 90's this setup was the sh*t!

16th January 2005	#4
muziqfreek Gear addict Joined: Jan 2004 Location: UK Posts: 374 7 Reviews written	check these lot out - i've been playing them for 5 years or so and they rock... http://www.ashdownamps.com/bass/index.asp awesome sound... sub harmonic generator.... gr8 eq section..

16th January 2005	#5
Nerve Nickels Gear maniac Joined: Sep 2004 Location: New York, New York Posts: 275	a bass player friend of mine, who is also a great tech, uses ashdown...he's tried many different setup's over the last month and went with an ashdown stack.... good price point/features/ specks...sounds good too...

16th January 2005	#6
lhaile Gear Head Joined: Dec 2002 Location: Dallas, Tejas Posts: 69	I've heard a lot of great sounds come from Eden bass amps and I've seen some great players using them. Don't know much about them personally, but might be worth a listen.

16th January 2005	#7
pdxbass Gear nut Joined: Mar 2004 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 84	GK800rb gets my vote. Add a sonic maximizer in the loop. Pop it on top of a SWR Goliath II, two if you don't mind the weight. If you get a road case for the cab, it makes a great stand for the stage and gets your sound up to your ears! All less than 1700 bones used in excellent cond.

17th January 2005	#8
kudzu Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Scotland UK Posts: 709	$1,800?.....go AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....AMPEG....

17th January 2005	#9
Gregg Sartiano Lives for gear Joined: May 2004 Location: Lost Angeles Posts: 1,804	SWR is cool...I had a Henry 8x8 before and miss it...awesome for $$$...hook up just about anything to it and you're smmmmokin'!

17th January 2005	#10
chetatkinsdiet Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,493	$1700? You should be able to get a killer rig for that price. For rock and that sort, nothing is going to beat a real, vintage tube amp. I know you can find a real SVT for under a grand if you look around for a bit. Some of the newer, reissue CL series are in that range. Then you should be able to pick up a 4x10 or 8x10 cab fairly easy for the balance. If you want more choices for heads, look into the following: Sunn Model T Sunn 2000 Sunn 1200 Sunn 200 Sunn 300 Ampeg V4B Fender 1200 (same as sun, just re-labeled) Fender 300T (see above) Marshall JCM800 bass head As for cabs, there are a ton of nice ones out there. Just remember with bass cabs, you need a lot of wattage/power and the cabs need to push a lot of air. To get a really nice, full low sound you need a proper sized cabinet. A supersmall cab just won't cut it. later, m

17th January 2005	#11
C/G Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 2,829	AS for the head I would also find a used Ampeg V4B. They are only 200 watts but kick it out pretty good. Sunn model T as well in your price range. Find a used cabinet. The new Ampeg cabinets fall apart and are not as good as they used to be IMO. Anything that costs that much should not disintigrate. Lousy particle board! They do sound good though, but I think you pay more just for that metal Ampeg logo. A peavy cabinet would probably sound just as good and be way cheaper. Old Traynor ones are good solid plywood and are cheap, kind of ugly, but cheap. The speakers in the new Ampeg gear are really cheap looking Radio Shack things with tiny magnets and thin stamped metal basketts. My friends cabinet that fell apart, had speaker issues too. The magnets fell off the speaker basketts! I have an Orange AD200 bass head that I think sounds really good, but they are expensive. Look for really great used gear. BTW I am not tying to keep you from buying Ampeg, I just saw a friends 8x10 completely fall apart after only 4 years of use, and I was not impressed. For the same price as a new one you can get Jeff at www.swansoncabinets.com to make you a new one out of Baltic Birch plywood that won't fall apart. The Ampeg heads sound great.

17th January 2005	#13
Bodoc Gear addict Joined: Apr 2004 Location: Montauk, NY Posts: 350	Couple of major considerations from this 56 year-old: 1. Do you have "roadies"? IF not, weight/bulk is a factor. 2, At a larger venue, aren't you planning to run the bass through the "PA"? Hence, using your bass rig as a stage monitor/direct box? SWR Super Redhead has wonderful sound but is heavy. Fortunately, it has casters. Also, easy to add another cabinet if you need it. Does not have onboard compression (if you use it). Does have slot to add it, though. All the alternatives mentioned by others are woth pursuing---just consider the medical bills/lifting factor. Hell, if I always had a roadie, I'd go for a classic Ampeg SVT!!! Gorgeous sound--but a veritable hernia/blown vertebral disc factory.

17th January 2005	#15
brownmouse Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2003 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,399	i'd avoid the hartke scenario if at all possible. you may be able to swing an ampeg rig if you buy used. god luck, joshua oh, btw.. flatwounds on the bass, it makes a huge difference!!!

17th January 2005	#17
SoundChances Gear nut Joined: Sep 2004 Location: DFW Posts: 97	I am a BIG fan of Eden gear. I've been playing bass professionaly for over 15 years now. Used to be a big Ampeg fan, and their gear is still fine but I find Eden amps to be more versatile. I am currently using a WT330 going into a 2X10 cabinent and it's sufficiant for small to mid sized club gigs. Their Metro 2X10 combo amp is great, it's comparable to the SWR Redhead that was mentioned, but I feel the Eden combo get's a much better low end than the SWR. The Metro can be had for around $1200 street price.