Buying a Bass Amp? Here’s the Truth About Buying a Bass Amp in 2021!
Thinking about buying a bass amp? In this video I tell you the truth about buying a bass amp in 2020 and give you my top 3 dos and do-nots when it comes to buying an amp.
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Originally posted by UCKlchGxzkwPM-nG9Awh47tQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIcTmrwnJyc
Too many controls on the majority of heads. Back to simple things!
I have two Gr Bass heads at home. Both with two cabs. Only passive basses. Some pedals that i use just for amusement. I can't understand other complications. I don't question the quality of other solutions.
The best sounding and feeling bass amplification architecture (that also happens to be portable) is a tube-based preamp coupled (yet physically separate) with a Class D power amp, together with a superior 1 x 12 cabinet design. Of course, this architecture includes a high pass filter and a top-quality DI. Higher wattage is advantageous because it provides headroom.
the speaker cab is the last and most important in the chain… same head with a different speaker will sound quite a bit different
Definitely modularity FTW. I love the tall, narrow, light and compact Ampeg SVT210AV 2×10" cabs. I keep one in the studio, one in the rehearsal space. Then I cart just a little Ampeg Micro VR back and forth. For recording, fan noise can be an issue to be aware of. Had to replace the fan in my Ampeg Micro VR with a much quiter higher quality Noctua and voltage adapter. If I want to play in a louder gig, I can bring both cabs. For gigs I like the musicality but with decent power and projection of two 2×10" cabs. And the PA can provide the deep sub support. Plus there's redundancy, if something fails. Might buy another MicroVR, or probably an Ampeg Venture V3 this year. Then it's quite modular and can do everything from studio recording up to moderately large gig. But even bringing two micro heads and two small 2×10" cabs isn't too hard to move since they balance well in both hands. Each cab is not heavy or large. And you can carry two and just chuck the two light heads in a rucksack on my back. Not very bothered about tube, especially for gigging, I get the compression and dirt I want from a Darkglass Hyperluminal and Alpha Omicron. My Mustang bass with flatwounds has that dark warm sound anyway. And if I want it grind and scream, Earthquaker Blumes or Magus Pro in Fat Rat mode both sound ace for those metallic Kim Gordon tones. Though, these SVT210s sound very nice with the 100w tube Ampeg amps too, if I ever go tube in the studio.
Liked and subscribed ???????? great video, so informative
Very good Video Tyler , Also what a lot of people DO NOT Realise is the POWER to LOUDNESS Ratio Like to double the Wattage is not Going to double the Volume or loudness, which might enforce what you say about Listening out if your gear starts distorting it's telling you your hurting it
Excellent information, one thing to consider; class D amps, almost all class D amplifiers on the market use the exact same power section to power the amplifier. All made in China. If I’m not mistaken, Darkglass is one of the only ones producing their own class D power section.
Regarding amp types, you mention 3 types Class D (which is actually solid state) modelling like the Line 6 Stomp, which is not an amplifier it's a pedal/pre-amp. Then then mention solid state a tube as another type, they are totally different. One of the most popular types now are hybrid amps, usually a valve/tube preamp with a Class D solid state power amp.
I think you're incorrect about a low powered amp and higher rated speaker cabinet, you are MORE likely to blow a speaker with a smaller amp that's clipping, than a high powered amp, as distortion is what kills speakers. A higher powered amp will generally have a cleaner signal at higher volumes. You're right about wattage though, almost a meaningless figure as it depends what speaker/s you're using, but you don't need an Ampeg SVT for pub gigs, unless you have the ego of a lead guitarist!
I had a 2-18 2 -10 Cabinet we called it the pig! vibrated the whole neighborhood!
for me it's the quality of the speaker / cabinets that i'm hung up on. I know nothing about bass amps so I've been stressing out over the different comparisons. I went with ampeg portaflex line but was comparing prices of cabinets between portaflex and mesa subway. the mesa subway cabinets were almost twice as expensive as the portaflex fliptops, so i started to think that they were cheaply built and low quality. But I kept reading up on forums from talkbass and reddit and people seem to be really happy with the cheaper portaflex cabinets so I was like, screw it. worse case scenario i go through the return hassle. I'll update this post once it arrives with whether or not i think it sounds good or if it sounds cheap.
Cabs aren’t really needed anymore tbh. But I will say my SVT610 is most of the time easier to load than many other cabs due to the built in dolly. It’s only a pain when there’s a ton of stairs or a small basement show, in which case I got smaller cabs I can use instead.
Why is "modularity" such a big deal for bassists. Keyboardists, guitarists, drummer aren't afraid to take an extra trip. It's like we're handicapped or something. 😀
Virtually everything he says in this video is wrong
I agree with you about the heaviness of it all I still have a Peavey T-Maxx paired with an ampeg 4 x 10 cabinet. That's when I don't pay it with my 2x 15 Kustom roll and tuck.
There's no way your pedal board is going to totally accurately going to recreate the sounds of other amplifiers!
Probably a great video, yet the British accent makes me want to tear off my ears.
I’ve been playing with a MultiFX floor unit and active PA cabs since the 90’s. These days I have the latest version of my preferred MFX box and a couple ABS 15” PA Cabs with Class D internal amps. My whole rig is functionally 1000 watts RMS to two 15s (the horn-loaded CD’s contribute a bit, but not like we think of with a traditional stack). The whole thing weighs 70 lbs.
Whats a head?
Excellent video!! Great sage advice. If you had to pick between a Fender Rumble combo, a GK MB combo, or a TC BG250 which would you choose? If none, is there a better option in this relative range? Thanks ????
Good advice…i have a few amps & cabs of different power ratings & speaker sizes…i like using 2 x 15" Ashdown cabs with a Class A Warwick WA300 bass head but have an Eden Terra Nova 226 at 225w ?!?! & an 300w Eden 1 x 15" cab or 1 x 12" Ashdown cab which are both good for smaller venues or even my EBS Magni 500 1 x 15" combo is very good quality & goes very very loud,plus cuts through a mix better with a single speaker …even my old Ashdown Electric Blue 150 fitted with a 1 x 15" 4ohm speaker to get the full 150w into 1 combo will do a small pub/club….. sometimes less is more if you can get the sound you want in a smaller lighter amp,cab/combo….& saves my back some pain…
Can anyone tell me if you record a bass amp with a mic, will the recording sound better/richer the bigger the amp is? Or will it not matter as much since the mic is mere inches away from the cone? Also, do people use room mics when recording bass amps to capture more of the sound-like they often do when recordings guitar amps? Is that a thing?
Great video, and very good advice.
Excellent video.
The Stomp never sounds rite to me it sounds digital.
I’m buying my first bass amp and I want to have enough power to play with a band in a small basement setting. Would the fender rumble 100 be good for this? And are there any better options for a similar price point ($330)?
While I do agree with you in some respect on the speaker size and not needing as much headroom as people might think you immediately contradict yourself the next segment talking about speaker quality. Yes 8×10 might be obtuse and overkill but speakers matter at the end of the day and although you might not want or need an 8×10 they definitely still play a huge role in tone shaping and if your going for the arena rock sound kinda hard without the big 8×10 and you might not need it in terms of tone and monitoring but it definitely helps
Very insightful. Been gigging for a few years and I will say this. Mostly sound engineers will DI the PA input from the amp or a pedal. So it makes the speakers/cabs on stage utterly redundant in terms of bass sound. They end up being your monitor. If the gig is v small, and the crowd can hear the bass cabs on stage then that is a factor. In that situation, only the singer may go through the PA and the band rely on their amps for audience sound- which is probably the most true representation of the sound of a band as this is the 'rehearsal' setup. If the bass amp is miked and what is very common for a touring band that hire an Ampeg 8×10, the mic is pointed at one speaker- one plinky 10" speaker… all that rig and yet a 1×10" dictates the stadium sound. The bass player should save the hire cost and use a 1×10" practice amp instead in these situations. Though the sight of an 8×10 fridge on stage is hard to beat!!!!
Just getting into bass and I have picked up a Traynor 500w at 4ohm and a 2×10 Cabinet at 8ohms and from what I can see I would only get half the wattage being pushed into that speaker cabinet and should be safe to run it at higher volumes? I was also thinking if I felt like adding another 2×10 or 2×12 Cabinet that I could get another 8ohm and then my total impedance would be 4ohms? Which should be safe to run? I have googled these questions but there seems to be a few different answers our there and I would love to hear those more seasoned bass players chime in on the subject! My Goal is to be able to compete with a drum set + Marshall JCM800 in a small jam space and potentially larger venues if the opportunity arises… hence why I was looking to at least have 250w of power pushing that cab… oh I also have a 750w PA that I can XLR to in order to increase the monitoring or volume if needed but the sound does seem kind of colored sound wise vs the speaker cab since they are smaller drivers not sure how reliable that will be.
Using an 810 is amazing. If you're on a tight stage, the footprint is close to the size of many other amps, but when you've got an amp close behind you, having those speakers up about shoulder level is incredibly helpful. That being said, it's not for everyone. They're very heavy, although easy to move around, and they can be tough to get into cars. I don't have any desire to use anything else, but my Mesa subway stuff is also incredible sounding, super easy to carry, and will look better and better the older I get
Blue amp? Red sounds? I’m so confused about that part
Great advice the only thing I don’t agree with is you said all you need is 100-200 watts for your amp. I would say 300-500 is more realistic. a 200 watt amp will never cut it for an outdoor gig even with PA support. Outside you will not hear yourself over the drums and guitar.
Class D sucks big time
this man told me that if don't have a tweeter horn in your cabinet you are not going to acheive all your tones
I got the summary: Buy Aguilar Tone Hammer 350 or 500 with 1 or 2 SL112s
Great video man. Keep it up.
Not long ago I got an Ampeg BA 115 v2 combo and I gotta say I’m in love with it.
Reason being; I’ve been using an 8×10 for many years and although it’s an amazing amp and a tank, lugging one around can be a pain after awhile. So I decided to go with something more practical but still deliver that classic Ampeg sound. With the option to DI on the amp I still have that awesome Ampeg power/tone without needing a massive amp to do so. One example, I was playing with a band that had two guitar players, both had Mesa cabs, a Peavey 6505+ head, and a Peavey 5150 head, and I had my BA 115 with my rack unit (also has an effects loop to hook up stuff like when I was using my stack) and the tone was incredible. Went DI and actually had to lower my volume once it was going through the PA speakers (also had the -15DB patch on because the bass I was using had a higher output and an active pre amp)
After the show I had some guys coming up to me asking me how I was getting that tone, loving the sound and power of it, and when I showed them what I was using the expressions on their faces were priceless because they weren’t expecting that power and tone to come from a combo with a rack set up. They thought I was using an 8×10 or a 6×10.
Just goes to show you don’t need a massive amp to deliver a massive sound/have massive tone.
Totally agree with modularity thing. I am chasing a bass power amp, nopreamp in, as I do my corrections from the pedalboard. Two chain signal, one with the Cali76 compact bass compressor, wich I see you use also, and the other with a Microtubes X from Darkglass. I might throw in a GEB 7 bass eq if I feel the need, in the clean chain. I found a Markbass Little Mark Vintage Amp 1000, I might get it. What do you think? I use a Hartke HD210 bass cabinet, and I might get another one to stack them or use them on both sides of the stage, with a guitar cab on top for each one.
Great breakdown ????????
Nice video. Bottom line I think would be the SVT 50th anniversary. Two channels, the direct out has the option of pre/post tubes. All amps are designed with the SVT in mind…
Great info, thanks. I think a very linear (least “colored”) preamp through an equalizer just before the power amp would be the most flexible option. I am currently using a Rumble 100 with a Boss EQ in the fx loop, but however hard I try, I can’t dial a satisfactory growling sound (I have a stock 2021 Squier Jazz). What do you think should be upgraded (apart from my brain 😉 ?
Spot on advice of anyone playing weddings and functions.
I enjoy your channel, Tyler. Thank you for this information.
i use a svt 7 pro and a 4×10 neo cab (on wheels) at 4 ohms that handles 1,200 watts continuous. (carry nothing) you can remove the casters. ,and a boss eq 200 ,separate eq for each bass switching mid frequency for each bass. !!!
These are some really good points, and I feel like they're still very applicable a year later. The amp I take to most of my gigs is a Fender Rumble 100. The only time I need anything bigger is if my bass signal isn't going direct to the mixing board. The reality is that in this era your amp onstage is only for you to hear in most cases.
What is your take on IEM and its processing? See, I'm 67 and a bit of the old school sound and ways. I like the darker and more deeper Ampeg type sounds and I'm not getting any younger. I like idea of IEM but I don't trust it just yet. If you do use that type of system, what would be your choice and why.