Urgent help needed for a bass noob!

[Soloshchenko]

Alright folks, I'm a guitarist but looks like I've landed the bass role in a promising local band who I think have a lot of potential. As I like a challenge I'm gonna give it a go and it will mean I can give my very new looking mexican jazz bass a proper run out.

However I need a cheap rig to get me started. I'm borrowing at the minute but I'm looking for something that won't break the bank and will be loud enough for practice and small gigs.

Was looking at Laney amps as they look decent value.

The style of music is alternative rock, fairly heavy but not metal.

ANY help will be much appreciated. I've always found this forum the home of many a guitar guru, now I need some serious bass advice!

Cheers.
Solo.

 

[jimh]

Solo.

Ashdown could be the way to go.  If you can find one (are you in the states?  Ashdown are a UK brand but they are pretty well known)
Laney stuff is good value for money.  I've had several Laney guitar amps and always been impressed, by the "bang for buck" factor

:icon_thumright:

 

[SkuttleFunk]

BassNW has this Fender rig in their used section http://bassnw.com/usedamps.htm

they're asking $699 (which isn't too bad for an amp + 210T cab + rackmount tuner, but I'm sure you could do a little dealing given the current economy


this isn't the greatest rig ever created, but it sure beats a significant number of other rigs at even higher prices.

all the best,

R

 

[Soloshchenko]

Cheers for the info guys, I'm actually based in the UK which would rule out the S/H option but thanks anyway. I was considering Ashdown as they look cheap and powerful.

What kind of wattage should I be looking at for small venues?

 

[jimh]

I was always taught for bass that, (very) roughly speaking.......

Add up the total wattages of any guitar amps you have on stage, plus any keyboard amps, add another 50W for the drums, and then double it to find the Wattage you need to make the bass heard.

Example
Guitar 1 - 50W
Guitar 2 - 50W
Keys - 100W
Drums - 50W
would give total of 250W,
then double it = Bass amp of 500W

In practice, your guitarists and keyboard players are not likely to be playing at full whack so these numbers become somewhat arbitrary.  I'd say that you wanna be looking at minimum of 250W through a 2x10 or 1x15 cab.

Most basic gigging amps will be around these numbers.  Obviously the numbers can increase massively, but then so do the costs.

If you are in the UK (so am I, where are you,  I'm in London) then keep an eye out for a S/H Trace Elliot.  A friend of mine has 300W 1x15 Trace, which pumps quite nicely.
If you are in or near London the guys have a jazz/funk gig tomorrow night in Kingston-Upon-Thames, and you'd be welcome to come down and have a look / listen to the amp.

Jim

 

[Wyliee]

Two thumbs up for the Ashdown gear.  Also look for used Trace Elliott gear.  Different sound but similar.  Some of the Ashdown folks originally came from Trace.

If you're in London, check out The Gallery Bass Merchants.  I've heard good things about them. (www.thebassgallery.com/)  It looks like they've got a couple used combos in stock.

 

[Soloshchenko]

Cheers guys. I'm based in Preston in Lancashire so London is a bit of a hike. I'll take a look at the Ashdown gear, thanks.

 

[Soloshchenko]

This bad boy has caught my eye:

http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product.asp?id=9002

 

[Volitions Advocate]

The bass player in my band is just starting out, been playing for around 6 months now, a converted Cellist.
He just bought his first rig from Behringer.  Low end stuff, but you can get a good punch for your money, personally i think they get a bit of a bad rap, its good stuff, especially if you're planning on upgrading in the future.

He got this pair for 1000 bucks brand new.  So imagine what you could do on a budget.

http://www.behringer.com/BX4500H/index.cfm?lang=ENG
http://www.behringer.com/BB810/index.cfm?lang=Eng

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

My mate just got a fender rumble. It's kind of portable, it has wheels.

 

[stubhead]

There's a lot of bass players who end up using a preamp, a P.A.-style power amp, and some separate speakers, and it's possible to build a stunning rig at a good price - but you have to do some research about matching speaker ohms and such. Here in the states, you can pick up an old ten-ton 800 watt Peavey CS800 power amp for a couple hundred bucks - with the right speakers, this will disintegrate a drummer.* Marshall used to make a 200-watt guitar amp head that guitar players hated because you had to turn it up way too loud to make it distort, so they're relatively cheap. These make a great bass head (tube amps are always way louder per wattage rating than solid state, in fact watt ratings are really inconsistent - just bring yer drummer to the tryout, and if his head explodes yer in there....) Old Oranges and HiWatts can be great bass heads too. The old stuff is heavy, though - mebbe with the money you save you can hire a personal roadie.... :laughing11:

If you're playing normal rock, you just need some good bass speakers. If you're playing modern slapping and popping stuff (yuk) you need some tweeters or horns to accentuate the treble (double-yuk). POD's  and other modelers can make for a fine preamp, as do some of the DI boxes with some level of tone control:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fishman-Pro-EQ-Platinum-Bass-Preamp-NEW-FREE-Shipping_W0QQitemZ370102429773QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item370102429773&_trkparms=72%3A1417|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

There are certain types of P.A. speakers from JBL, Altec-Lansing, ElectroVoice, Peavey Black Widows and such that work fine as bass speakers - what you're looking for is limiting "speaker excursion", which is how far the cones move. Low bass notes = long sound waves = more excursion; closed-back cabinets limit excursion.... Again, you have to do some research here, but it's knowledge that'll be with you forever and if you're the "dude who knows about P.A.'s and speakers" it may end up being really useful to you some day. Most of the best musicians I know (I'm 50) are working in the field, not still on the road....


When I'm shopping for equipment, I'm usually looking for double-duty stuff - "CAN I use this in a P.A., can it be used for recording or monitoring, etc?"


*(always a good thing! :icon_smile

 

[tfcreative]

I'm personally a fan of Eden gear for bass tone. However, it may be harder to come by in the UK. If you're on a budget, their Nemesis line is very good. Your best bet, though, with what's been mentioned sofar is Ashdown. They are pretty decent amps and are priced right.

 

[Soloshchenko]

Cheers for help guys.

Got meself a second hand trace elliot GP7 head with a cab giving me a gigable 200watt rig for bass. Cost £200 in mint condition and fantastic sound.

I'll make a Warmoth Bass in a few years.

 

[jimh]

Result.  Which cab did you get 2x10 or 1x15.  Either way you've bagged yourself a goodun.  Trace stuff is great.

 

[tfcreative]

Trace GP7 is great. I've had both that and the GP12, and it seems like the GP7 was all the best parts of the 12.

 

[Soloshchenko]

Result.  Which cab did you get 2x10 or 1x15.  Either way you've bagged yourself a goodun.  Trace stuff is great.

1x15. More than enough for my current needs. Loving the versatility of the graphic equaliser on this thing.