What's your main amp rig?

[andrew]

Though I'm a lover of old SVT's, mine has been idle since I got an Aguilar DB750. The 750 sounds huge and I really like the way it balances tube-like and solid state qualities in it's tone.

What's your go-to rig these days?

[Lefty007]

Two Ampeg Portabass 2x10 cab (400W, 32 lb each), Acoustic Image Focus SA power amp (900W, 4 lb) and a SansAmp Para Driver.

Sounds okay, very tight and balanced. . . no super sub lows, and no crystal clear highs, but it makes all the difference when breaking down and going home at 4 in the morning after the gig. I gig 3 times a week, and having this light rig makes my life a lot easier.

But if money and weight was not an issue, I would have an all-tube SVT rig, no doubt.

[Rodent]

when I was last playing live I rotated between two main rigs depending on the gig

a) Eden WT-800, Avatar 210, Avatar SB112

b) SWR Super Redhead 210

In both amp scenarios I fed a number of basses into a Raven Labs MBD-1 to even the volume sent to my amp. Some nights the volume difference between basses was miniscule. Other nights the required list may have had me utilizing some kind of 4/5/6 string electric solidbody, an Azola BugbassII (arco and/or pizz), and an Epiphone El Capitan 5-string EAB. If I was going to be doing a lot of arco/pizz switching on the Alola I would also utilize an active volume pedal between the Azola and the MBD-1

For recording, I also have a 1967 Ampeg 15" flip-top with a reconditioned speaker. It's ugly - but it sounds totally killer, especially with a homebrew P-bass strung up with flats


Since I am mostly building these days, I look to add a GK800 to my amp reference library. When (if) funds permit, I'd also like to add an old SVT and something more high-end to round out the reference spectrum

all the best,

R

[SubsonicAssault]

I WAS using a POS Behringer (just to see if I liked playing bass as opposed to guitar-7 years) but now I upgraded to an Ampeg BA115HP...220w of solid state power driving a 15" speaker...not bad for a beginner 5 string fingerplucking boy.

[MysticBoo]

My main rig is a Gallien-Krueger 2001RB, powering a GK Neo 212. In my current band (which plays progressive-tinged metal), it's worked beautifully against two guitarists and a drummer. Sounds great live, too.

I love GK.

[pjmuck]

I use an Eden Navigator Preamp through an Eden 410XLT cabinet, powered by my old Gallien Krueger 400RB head. I'd love some suggestions for a better amp to power everything though, as the GK is only temporary.

[andrew]

I use an Eden Navigator Preamp through an Eden 410XLT cabinet, powered by my old Gallien Krueger 400RB head. I'd love some suggestions for a better amp to power everything though, as the GK is only temporary.

I'm sure there are some crazy lightweight/zillion watt amps that'd do a great job, but since you already have the Eden cab and pre, the Eden WT1205 poweramp might be worth checking out. I've always been intrigued by this poweramp because it has a tube "preamp" already in it, so if you have a bass or pedal with enough eq sculpting capabilities you could run the poweramp without a pre at all. That simplicity really appeals to me.

[Matt R.]

[southpaw]

I've used this rig on the last 350 gigs. Carvin B1500 (mono block very similar to the Aguilar 750B) through a Schroeder 1212R. 1200 watts into a 4 ohm cabinet. Very powerful, very loud, and very durable. I also own a Carvin B800 (little brother to the B1500) and a second 1212R as a back up rig.

I used the cabinets together twice on an outside car show gig (1900 watts into 2ohms), however, a single cab was plenty loud enough for the venue. In my humble opinion, this rig kicks total ass. We've done over 15 outside concerts with a sound guy and my rig cut through so well that the sound guy took me out of the mix. And that was with one (1) only 1212 cabinet through the B1500.

I use this rig always. Sadowsky Standard Four (jazz bass), Carvin B1500, Schroeder 1212R cabinet. After years of buying/selling/shuffling through different basses and rigs, I believe I have found the "holy grail".

[LefThanDed]

SWR Redhead (Older Series 1)

[Basshappi]

Most gigs:

Peavey MkIV + Peavey 410TX (+Genz-Benz 1x15 if playing outdoors)

Ampeg BA115HP rehearsal and small gigs.

[lefty68]

My last rig was an Ashdown one : an Abm500 head + 2 cabinet of 2*10



Now sold
I would like to buy an Eden rig with the new head WTX260 and a D210 Xst cab
But there are no Eden dealer arround here ,i think i'd better buy the head from the States
Cheers
André

[danomite64]

My main rig is the one I use every week at church. It's an Ampeg Portabass 250 with the 2-10 cab.



My other rig has yet to be gigged with. I sold my Mesa 400, because I was doing a lot of outdoor gigs with my band and running that thing off a generator made me worry too much. So, I bought a Crown XLS 402 power amp to go with my Yamaha PB-1. The Harke cab is something I found in a pawn shop for $120; I keep it here at the apartment, though I might try it out live next time if I feel like carrying it up and down my stairs.



I'm still thinking about getting this rig for the band:

[Psycho Ward]

I have way too many bass amps but the one I take out the most (lately anyway) is a MarkBass Club 450 and a couple of Bergantino HT112’s. Sometimes when I’m really lazy I take the MarkBass LMII, 5 pounds and 500 watts.

At home I play thru the old B-18-N and smile every time.

[AustinLeftyBass]

Roland DB700 dressed as a Vox. 250watts, 1-15+horn, programmable preamp.

[NickD]

Cool makeover on your amp Austin!

For larger gigs, I have a Warwick Tubepath 10.1 head with Warwick WCA411pro cabinets. It seems that Warwick amps are not widely established here in The States but I hope that changes someday, I really like that rig.
For smaller venues, I have an SVT3pro head and an SVT210HE cab.

[0vid]

Roland DB700 dressed as a Vox. 250watts, 1-15+horn, programmable preamp.

NIce. Your drummer needs to get some proper Black Oysters, not those clubdate models! If he wants a proper 60s Ludwig BO Jazz festival snare I have one, I still have it leftover wen I sold my BO kit.

I like the VOX dressup though, was wondering myself which VOX it was!
Tres Cool.

[kosmicwizard]

Small venues: Mesa Bass 400 (non plus) through a 2000 Ampeg 2x15

Larger venues: Ampeg SVT II (non pro) through a 2006 Ampeg 8x10E

Stadiums: The SVT @ 2 Ohms through both the 2x15 and the 8x10E.

[Agent00Soul]

TC Electronic RH450 and matching 2X12 cabinet for all live and some recording. Quite often though, I record direct through a Roland multi-effects pedal straight into the board. You can get some really interesting and often surprisingly warm sounds from that hunk of plastic and silicon chips.

My favorite bass amp of all time is the SWR Basic Black which has a totally organic sound, although only 125 watts or so. Unfortunately they seem to have a shelf life of less than a decade of hard use before they are in the repair shop all the time. I went through 2 of them and would love to keep one for recording if I had the room. But they were discontinued ages ago. Its replacement, the SWR Black Beauty, is built like a square tank and is 350 watts but sounds awful to me. So I wasn't just ready to adopt Class-D when it came along, I wanted to put it in a cute outfit and wheel it around in a baby carriage! Which, thanks to its size, I can I suppose….

[PunkRockBassist]

my rig at practice is a ampeg ba-115
my rig for gigs a ampeg portabass 212 400 watt cab and a peavey mark bass viii 350 watt head