VeeshanVault

Anybody play bass? I play guitar usually, but am playing bass in a band now. I don't know a lot about bass gear so I was wondering if anybody does, if they could give me some ideas on gear.

I don't have a lot of money to spend, maybe $1400 tops for a head and a cab. Currently I'm playing out of a Eden Electronics 2x10 Combo, but is definately not loud enough. I was thinking of maybe going with an Ampeg SVT-350h with a 4x10 cab.

Question #1 - Is this going to be loud enough to play a show with if my amp is not mic'd?

Quesion #2 - Any other suggestions on gear in this price range, that you prefer and why?

Question #3 - With a 4x10 cab, would it be viable to run my EC as the power amp, until I could afford the new head? (I might have to buy the head and cab separately)

p.s - I'm looking for something punchy, but warm. I don't like the whole nu-metal super punchy bass with no mids. I prefer more of the 60's sound.

Thanks!

Sunn Beta-Bass cabinet.

Serious. Awesome vintage sound on those things if you can find one in good shape. Tend to be loud enough for most clubs. A bit heavy, though.

Barring that - an old Fender Bassman or an old Ampeg.

If you need overdrive, pick up a tubeworks Blue Tube pedal. They're all over in Texas, because a few years ago, every blues guitarist in Texas had to have one. They sound better on bass, though...fuzzy and nice, but not metal in any way.

edit - really sounds like the Sunn is what you're looking for, though.

Cool thanks for the advice. I was thinking a Sunn or Bassman as well. I'm gonna go try a beta lead this weekend. Some guy on craigslist is selling a Sunn 300t with a 2x15 bad for $850. What do you think of those?

The 300T is a new one, isn't it? Haven't heard one of those. I had always heard that Sunn went bankrupt at some point in the early-mid 1980's, but whatever the cause, they vanished and then resurfaced in...I think the late 1990's. The only Sunns that I've had direct experience with are the '70's models.

I've heard good things about the new Sunn products, though a lot of people are still partial to the old vintage Sunns. I guess just play on it and see how it sounds. They look like monsters.

I just read a few reviews and it sound's like it's a very bright amp. Not at all what I am looking for. One last question, is the beta lead a guitar head that just sounds good with a bass? Thanks again for the advice

It's a looooong time since I played but I always regretted having a 4x10 cab instead of bigger cones. And Ampegs were pure earporn.

Yeah, the Beta Lead is a guitar amp. Sunn made a bass amp, though, called the Beta Bass. It was available as a head, or a combo with a cabinet. The cabinets I usually see it in the combo with only have one cone, but it's a monster. 24 inch, I think.

We used one of those combos in my old band, and I don't think we ever had an occasion to mic it in smaller clubs. I guess it would depend on the size of the club you're playing though. The ones we played at were the size of shoeboxes.


edit>> if you want to hear a Beta Bass in action, with a bit of overdrive on it, check out a band called Unwound... not sure if they still use them, but I know when they were recording the albums "Fake Train" and "Future of What", they used all Sunn amps. The bass is running through a Beta Bass.