bass amps

[soundtest]

so the band i'm in has been playing an increasing number of shows, and i'm getting tired of asking people i don't know if i can borrow their bass amp at shows because i don't have my own. the thing is, i've never really had one and don't know a goddamned thing about bass amps. any bass players here with some suggestions as to what i should be looking for? i want cheap but with enough balls to play small to medium sized venues (or that is suitable to be mic'd to a PA). it doesn't have to be super high quality or anything, because the type of stuff we play is pretty welfare sounding.

ps: dear chojin, i know fartin mowler plays bass... could you unban him from this thread only?

[Chojin]

You can e-mail fartin at harrysnotter@hotmail.com or catch him on Jixby's board.

[Bobo Adobo]

I would suggest a Fender Bassman 150 or 250. New there about $400-600. You can find an old one for anywere between $150-$300. The vintage bassmans are saught after. A lot of bass players and some guitarists stand by these things religiously.

I use to have a bassman 200, which is a model they don't make anymore, but i sold it a while back. Vox, Ampeg and SWR make some pretty good combo amps too.

[noob3]

i play bass hardcore man plop down 300 on any ampeg 15 inch combo. i got a 2x10 ampeg combo it rocks for practicing with a drummer and a gay guitarist (omg check out my 2x12 combo powering a 4x12) but mine was like $600 new.

or u could be hardcore and just buy a cheap power amp off ebay (a good one like crown) a sansamp & a 2x15 or 410 whichever you'd like. you can run the sansamp straight to a poweramp but you have to modify it.

this would be like $600-700 if you shopped around, and you could get a fucking loud ass amp this way. plus it'd be really ligh as it would just be a pedal+pa+cab ;P it'd sound rockin' if i had to do it all over again i'd do this.. but probably with a ts-50b or like an old ampeg head but you wouldn't need a pa (you'd need alot of money)

or if u really like running thru pa's like a pussy just use the sansamp as a standalone preamp anywhere with a pa. it's only like $160 and would give you a really good (it's a tube emulator slash di) tone thru a pa. sansamp also has a rackmount for like $200 if you don't wanna mod a pedal for your own pa stack

or... u could buy a peavey and a peavey cab if u really want power but it'll sound like shit. itll last forever and be cheap as fuck though

(u could run a sansamp infront of it omg if u cannot see sansamp bass driver rules)

[Anonymous]

I wanted to reply to this a while back but couldn't...but I think Bobo hit it on the nail. I llook for an amp that suits what your going to be doing...nice Roland 30 for practice and a 100 watt fender tube head for doing shows.

[soundtest]

Yea, I still need a bass amp but I have no idea where my money goes.

[Alliumphobia]

You should go and take a look at steve's. Look for some Fender amps.
Still, take a look here:
http://www.stevesmusic.com

[soundtest]

I'm really just in the market for a used amp but besides guitar picks, I wouldn't buy anything from Steve's. Their prices are high and their staff are jaded 'coulda-been' musicians. At least in Toronto that is, I've never been to the Montreal store but I've heard it's the same.

Instead I go to Moog Audio on St-Laurent on Saturdays after eating an amazing $4 breakfast and play the Moog Voyager. This synth DESTROYS anything else I've ever touched. It seriously sounds like it's alive.





Alliumphobia I see that you live in Montreal too, unless you're fucking with me - what's a good used music store here? Is there anything like Songbird in Ottawa or Toronto?

[iron mitchell]

i want a moog voyager...

[FartinMowler]

http://www.songbirdmusic.com/default.asp

I got my amp from here...they have an Ottawa store you could visit.

[soundtest]

Originally Posted by soundtest

what's a good used music store here? Is there anything like Songbird in Ottawa or Toronto?

Thanks Fartin! :/

[Alliumphobia]

I dont know for sure. But i know there's plenty of them on St-Denis. I got my guitar from steve's, and the prices aren't that bad (About 259$) and well i know that on the south shore there's also many of them.

[FartinMowler]

sorry, I didn't see that you mentioned songbird :/ come to Toronto with some money and we can go shopping and see a band

[soundtest]

I dont know for sure. But i know there's plenty of them on St-Denis. I got my guitar from steve's, and the prices aren't that bad (About 259$) and well i know that on the south shore there's also many of them.

For instruments Steve's is alright, but their amp prices are obscene. Amps are pretty damn expensive regardless though, which is why if I buy one, it's gonna be used. I've been to Technopolis (around St-Denis and Clark I think?) and it's a pretty cool place for used MIDI gear, but I don't think they sell bass amps...

sorry, I didn't see that you mentioned songbird come to Toronto with some money and we can go shopping and see a band

We may be playing a show in Toronto in January. If we do, I'll let you know and you can come see me get drunk and fuck up songs that are so simple to play, a shaved monkey on acid could do better. Just kidding, I'm amazing.

[Dixie]

Peavey Megabass=Awesome.