Let's see your guitar and bass gear!

In reply to Tony Sestito :

I used to have a Hartke "bass attack" that was really good and versatile. Similar to that behringer. If you can find one to play around with, I'd highly recommend it. 

In reply to Tony Sestito :

I've been thinking the same thing for a few years, I just haven't had a chance to travel up to Sweetwater & spend a day trying a bunch out. 

I just saw that the Boss Katana 210 bass amp is on sale for $450 down from a normal price of $600. This seems to be a holiday price pretty much everywhere.

I just picked up a used Rumble 40 for practice about a month ago. Wife was rolling her eyes at that.

I've started practicing with a band though. And that Katana would be able to properly compete with drums...

Beer Baron 🍺 said:

I just saw that the Boss Katana 210 bass amp is on sale for $450 down from a normal price of $600. This seems to be a holiday price pretty much everywhere.

I just picked up a used Rumble 40 for practice about a month ago. Wife was rolling her eyes at that.

I've started practicing with a band though. And that Katana would be able to properly compete with drums...

Depending how deep you play and how loud your band is 300w may be enough if it's Class D( I'm assuming it is but I know little about the amp)

Deep tones require tons of headroom though and Class D watts aren't the same as old school SS watts or Tube

Oh wait, looks like it's 160w.

That's ....not a lot 

In reply to Antihero :

It's 160w class AB.

I figure that if I need more than that, I'm probably plugging into a PA system anyway.

And I'm currently running 40w class D.

Beer Baron 🍺 said:

In reply to Antihero :

It's 160w class AB.

I figure that if I need more than that, I'm probably plugging into a PA system anyway.

And I'm currently running 40w class D.

Id be comfortable with 160w if it was hooked to some very efficient speakers.

What amp/s do the guitarists use?

Also, what's drawing you to the Katana?

Because there's always the standard Mark vi and cab

of your choice that would be about twice as loud and cheaper

Sorry for the multiple posts in a row but I'm busy and apparently disorganized today lol

I can say though that it has been a huge help to not require a PA for volume before, having enough power to not require the PA is very handy.

In reply to Antihero :

I've yet to find a class D amp where the tone doesn't completely suck ass, and I've owned 3-of them. I spent ~$700 on a Markbass 8-10 years ago & the tone was completely flat/dead regardless of how I set it up.

I'm currently playing through a cheap class D Behringer I picked up a few years ago after my Carvin 1800(which I love) and GK 800RB(which is pretty damn good) each started having issues, and I've still not found anyone local who works on amps. The tone is complete E36 M3 though. 

I agree about wattage. Unless the drummer is playing an electronic kit I'm not sure a 40w could even be heard over them.  

First off - it is 160w class A/B, *not* class D. 

Antihero said:

Also, what's drawing you to the Katana?

 

Because there's always the standard Mark vi and cab

of your choice that would be about twice as loud and cheaper

Of things out now, this seems to be the recent popular hotness. A portion is not having a deep knowledge, but this really looks like it would hit the sweet spot of everything I need in the smallest and simplest package.

It's a class A/B (not class D), 160w, combo amp. So it's putting out more power and has a thicker sound than other combo amps, especially at the price. It will be small enough to fit in my practice space at home. Big enough to handle what is on the horizon for us.

It also has a bunch of onboard pedal monitoring with a couple preset packages and the ability for in depth programming and control via USB or bluetooth connecting to a laptop, tablet, or phone - and/or plugging in an optional stomp box.

Speakers - it's 2x 10" plus a tweeter cone. It has an output to connect an additional external speaker if I want to hook up a 15" or something.

We're looking at mostly just practicing and jamming as a group. We're discussing maybe hitting open mics every month or two and trying to arrange a couple backyard-party level gigs a couple times per year. This should let me handle all of that while hauling around the fewest things possible.

The Mark VI you suggested would cost me $250 on Reverb plus another $200+ for a cabinet. The Katana is that price brand new with a warranty.

Edit: Never Mind. That Mark VI was an old listing that sold 9 years ago. Reverb just has a bunch of Mark III's for sale for ~$300 each. So less power than the Katana.

In reply to Beer Baron 🍺 :

160w should be enough. Headroom is always good but I've gigged with less power and been ok. Sufficient power aside, it may actually be the 2x10 that holds more back. It's all physics, and your goal is to move air. But if you like the setup and the sound, adding that supplemental cab should take care of things. If you get to that point, look into a 15" cabinet vs a 2x10. That'll help with efficiency too. 

In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :

That's another plus in this favor. It has a speaker-out that I can just plug in a 15" if I want.

I'm up for being talked out of this if there really is a better option. But this is a really versatile unit at a nice price.

I may reach a point where I need more, but I'm not there yet. I don't know what the right answer would be when I get there. Even if I do, I don't think this would outgrow its usefuleness and would still make a great amp for home practice and band rehearsal.

Then the Rumble 40 becomes a backup for if someone else comes over, or if I want something ultra-portable if I'm going to an acoustic jam session or something.

In reply to Beer Baron 🍺 :

A single 15" has more surface area than 2 10"s. And the speakers are usually 10-15% more efficient. Just make sure you don't under-impede the amp or things get smokey. 

In reply to Beer Baron 🍺 :

I'm sorry, I meant a Mark IV but apparently autocorrect didnt like it.They are ridiculously good at what they are, louder than fvck and usually stunningly cheap. The last 2 I've bought have been $79 and $99 and I've got a variety of old Peavey cabs that I've plugged them into. Old Peavey is kind of the gold standard for " I need a bass amp and I don't want to spend a ton" and while you may need to look a bit , those sorts of prices are still out there.

Combos are cool in the fact that they are a singular unit but they come with some downsides. A head and cab is usually a much better "serious" setup because you can use many different cabs for whatever usage you need. There is also the " everything in the amp is being shaken to death" thing but I'm not sure it's an issue with only 160w.

I guess it depends on the tone you want too. I'm used to accounting for a bass tone that is a lot more felt than heard, and I have literally had to re nail down my siding on the bass side of the house. 160w at that tone , especially with 2-10s is about as loud as a cell phone turned all the way up streaming Spotify.

If you heard the Interstellar Sledgehammer stuff I posted it's a Mark IV thru a Peavey 215D 2x15, it has about half the bass you hear in the room but it's an idea of that tone.

barefootcyborg5000 said:

In reply to Beer Baron 🍺 :

A single 15" has more surface area than 2 10"s. And the speakers are usually 10-15% more efficient. Just make sure you don't under-impede the amp or things get smokey. 

Admittedly I'm not a fan of 10s in less than 4 in a cab either 

In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :

The Ampeg SVT7-PRO is probably the only class d I've liked, it has a tube preamp too though which helps.

Every Mark Bass I've played sounds like......sound it that makes sense? It's a bass, it's making sound but I can't describe it as anything but.....sound, no defining characteristics.

Also what kind of music? And scaling your amp to what the guitarists play is a good idea, especially if new amps add to the eyerolling you mentioned, you probably don't want to upgrade again in a month or 3.

For example I've gigged with everything from a 15w Marshall ( which is moderately loud) to a Peavey XXX 120wtube amp ( which I've got 130+db out of).

Antihero said:

Also what kind of music? And scaling your amp to what the guitarists play is a good idea, especially if new amps add to the eyerolling you mentioned, you probably don't want to upgrade again in a month or 3.

I've only played with the drummer so far. I recruited a friend from dance who will be keyboard and lead vocals, her boyfriend will be lead guitar. We'll all be getting together for the first time this coming Monday.

I'll see then what he's playing. Or I can message my friend and ask her.

Music will be a pretty broad variety. We seem to be leaning strongly towards new wave/post punk and 90's alternative/grunge/post grunge; Bowie, Pixies, Nirvana, Cure, Talking Heads, Veruca Salt, The Hollies... Would like to play more funk as my skills improve.

Beer Baron 🍺 said:

Antihero said:

Also what kind of music? And scaling your amp to what the guitarists play is a good idea, especially if new amps add to the eyerolling you mentioned, you probably don't want to upgrade again in a month or 3.

I've only played with the drummer so far. I recruited a friend from dance who will be keyboard and lead vocals, her boyfriend will be lead guitar. We'll all be getting together for the first time this coming Monday.

I'll see then what he's playing. Or I can message my friend and ask her.

Music will be a pretty broad variety. We seem to be leaning strongly towards new wave/post punk and 90's alternative/grunge/post grunge; Bowie, Pixies, Nirvana, Cure, Talking Heads, Veruca Salt, The Hollies... Would like to play more funk as my skills improve.

Very cool, that will definitely give you an idea of what you need for power. See what the keyboard player has too.

How did the 40w hold up against the drummer?

Congrats on the new band forming, it's a fun time.  I know it seems like we are raining on your parade on the amp but if everyone is like me, I've played some E36 M3ty venues and I've seen good bands fall flat because the bass player was trying to go for "small and compact" rather than " I can be heard".

I'm not saying you are like that as well but essentially priority #1 is being heard, even if it sucks to carry a bit more. But remember, it's not like you play the gig with it strapped to your back, it's just moving it twice a day.

Which brings me to the next upside of a head and cab over a combo: you can have a cab at home and a cab at the rehearsal space. You don't need to move them unless you gig or want to, then you use whichever works best for your gig. Also a cab and a head will be usually smaller and lighter individually than a combo.

I have a 200lb plus 4x15 that was nicknamed The Mother by the people that built it, you bet I never move it but dear god is it glorious sounding at home. You have not lived as a musician til you have that level of power at least once lol

Obligatory pic of the 4x15 with a guitar for scale. Has a Mark IV on top even right now lol

Will that Katana power the 2x10's AND a 15" extension cab? That seems like that's asking a lot of it. That said, they are cool amps and great for practice. Remember, you are holding up the lower end of the mix, so bigger speakers will help pump out those lower frequencies. 

I've got pretty much the opposite: a Peavey Combo 115 with 200w going to the built-in 15" that can go up to 300w at 2 ohm with the optional 2x10 extension cab. I just have the amp and not the extension cab. Great for band practice or home use with the option for more power when gigging. The downside is it weighs as much as a Buick, so lugging it around is not easy. 

If I had to do it again, and I was gigging, I'd probably go with a high wattage small Class D, a decent DI to help with tone, and a couple different cabs: one for practice and one for gigging. 

Thanks. I'm hoping this all works and everything jells well. The drummer and I seem to be in synch, and that's important. I know my friend and I from dance get along

Antihero said:

How did the 40w hold up against the drummer?

Meh. I had it up to 3/4 and I could hear what I was playing when I stood next to it. Next session I was going to crank it up to full and probably still patch it into the PA that we used for our accompanying track.

Congrats on the new band forming, it's a fun time.  I know it seems like we are raining on your parade on the amp but if everyone is like me, I've played some E36 M3ty venues and I've seen good bands fall flat because the bass player was trying to go for "small and compact" rather than " I can be heard".

Nah. If it's going to be something I regret getting, I'd rather be steered away from it. This deal is available through every major retailer (at least GC, Sweetwater, and Amazon) and will be through the new year. So I'm not in a rush, but don't want to miss this if it's the right choice.

The goal is to eventually get the right setup. But I think that will evolve over time and am not worried in advance. If that's a head and a cab, then cool.

Just quickly looking, I don't see any Mark IV's for sale locally. On Reverb, they're going for $350 - $400.

Having a head and leaving cabs at different locations may or may not work. The rehearsal space is shared and we just rent time there. But, I know there's equipment that lives there and I could probably get away with leaving something used and functional.

It's kinda silly, but aesthetics are also a factor. My practice space is in our basement, which is also a nice lounge space to listen to records and sip alcoholic beverages. Having bulky, older, kinda grimy used equipment is not going to make my wife happy.

In reply to Tony Sestito :

There are a bunch of things with specs that I don't fully understand. Like I really don't get the deal with class A/B vs D, but in reviews comparing the Boss Katana to comparable Fender amps, the Katana has a *much* thicker tone.

This one is 160w continuous rms, but 300w peak. I don't know how to compare that to other other "300w" amps.

The options on separate heads and cabs seem to be going for a lot more than $450. Especially since in has a built in Comp and Chorus, and lots of other pedal modeling options.

In reply to Beer Baron 🍺 :

having long been the guy who used budget as the first second and third criteria, I'm not one to steer anybody away from gear if I can help it. 
That said, the long, short, and middle roads all usually point to a sturdy 4x10 (WITH WHEELS!!!!) and a decent 2-400w amp. There are 100w tube heads I'd use (Marshall 800 or similar) but $$$$$. 
 

Use what you want, what you can afford, what you can find... but if the mindset is "this is ok for now and I'll upgrade later..." buy a larger rumble off reverb and hopefully sell later it for very little overall cost to own. And save/research for a long term solution. 
 

I also cannot recommend enough to buy used gear. The depreciation on music stuff (especially bass equipment) makes a Range Rover look like a good investment. 
You'll have a few good secondhand shops around and deals are as easy as asking. Ask around the local scene, and you'll find a good getting-place. 
 

And since you're not already getting blasted with info (!), I'll toss in a bit more. 
If I was starting, when I was starting, wanted to max my budget on the instrument and the amp was an afterthought. Realistically, a good stringed instrument can be had around $400, pretty much whatever your flavor. A decent amp setup for a gigging musician, even a casual one, is going to be likely ¡starting! in the $5-600 range. And that is usually if you already know what you're looking for. Unless you can find a good old peavey answer, and you don't mind the lbs.