Getting a new bass amp!

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Hey guys!

I got my recto recently, as most of you know. My bassist, barely being able to keep up and lacking greatly in the actually bass frequency department (my recto has more bass than his fender rumble.....he almost killed himself ) has decided to purchase a new amp.

So, as I know barely anything about bass amps, I come to you guys for help!

He's looking into Mesas.......he has seen the V12, impulses, and bass 400.....which would you recommend for him? Maybe other brands? He is going a little wattage crazy IMO, but he wants to do it.

Would a bass tube amp react similarly to a guitar one? Would it really only sound "good" when pushed?

For cabs, he is considering avatar. I got my 4x12 from them and can't believe the quality for the price. He is considering a 4x10, a 2x12 and 1x15, and a 2x10 and 1x15. What would you guys recommend?

One more question....the bass 400 runs at 2 ohms, and the only way we could get a two ohm setup is with two 4 ohm cabs.....can a 4 ohm cabinet alone run safely with a head that is 2 ohms? I have heard that the cab can be at a larger ohm rating than the head and still be ok!

Thanks alot for all the help. It's really appreciated!

 

[screamingdaisy]

Would a bass tube amp react similarly to a guitar one? Would it really only sound "good" when pushed?

No, they sound fine at lower volumes. For tube you want a low enough wattage to get a very mild grind going on, but not too little or the low notes will compress to **** as the amp runs out of headroom.

If you guys are gigging in places that'll actually let you open a Dual Recto up, tell him not to get anything with less than 600w....preferably more. The thing about solid state and hybrid bass amps is that you can never have too much wattage, because you can always turn it down; but, if you choose an amp that doesn't have enough wattage and you run out of headroom....well, you can't turn it up.

Most bassists seem to prefer solid state or hybrid amps.....they're lighter, and the non-tube power amp means their sound stays consistent from gig to gig.

The Big Block series has alot of gain on tap. They're focused on the Rock/Metal thing and have alot of midrange tube grind on tap via the preamp, but lots of headroom for a tight, modern bass sound.

The M-Pulse series is designed to be cleaner sounding, and are capable of a wider variety of sounds.

For cabs, he is considering avatar. I got my 4x12 from them and can't believe the quality for the price. He is considering a 4x10, a 2x12 and 1x15, and a 2x10 and 1x15. What would you guys recommend?

Lots of 10s. Very punchy speakers with lots of low end to them.

One more question....the bass 400 runs at 2 ohms, and the only way we could get a two ohm setup is with two 4 ohm cabs.....can a 4 ohm cabinet alone run safely with a head that is 2 ohms? I have heard that the cab can be at a larger ohm rating than the head and still be ok!

It'll be fine.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Sounds good! It looks like it's going to be the v series or the bass 400....how would you guys say the two compare?

So just tens will be fine? That's actually what I was suggesting him also, but I didn't want to lead him astray as bass isn't my specialty.

Thanks alot! Any one else?

 

[djahngo]

The Bass 400 will run at 2, 4, or 8 ohms. It has different speaker jacks for each load level. Tube amps will usually produce the full power rating regardless of the speaker load. Mesa advertises the 400+ as 500 watts, but thst must be a peak rating, I think it is closer to 300 watts RMS. That being said, I always hear that tube amps put out more than solid state amps with the same rating, but I have never owned a solid state amp other than my practice amp.

 

[ironreverend]

10's all the way. The Mesa 610 is a fantastic cab, and would be a great compliment to a Big Block 750

 

[dylan7620]

The Bass 400 will run at 2, 4, or 8 ohms. It has different speaker jacks for each load level. Tube amps will usually produce the full power rating regardless of the speaker load. Mesa advertises the 400+ as 500 watts, but thst must be a peak rating, I think it is closer to 300 watts RMS. That being said, I always hear that tube amps put out more than solid state amps with the same rating, but I have never owned a solid state amp other than my practice amp.

uhg... lets not go into a ss vs tube wattage thing now.

what i can tell you is that the bass 400/400+ with a powerhouse will be enough to anchor a recto or two. we can talk 1200 SS watts all we want all i know is that that rig has got BALLS!