What kind of amp?

[bariman]

Well, I have finally made the plunge and bought a bass guitar the other day. I was looking on ebay (spent too much on the guitar, gotta even out the universe) for an affordable amp for the thing, and came to a question: Do I need an amplifier specifically for bass guitar, or will any regular guitar amp do? I don't want to buy the wrong thing out of ignorance. Also, do I need to buy a "brand name" amp, or will any brand do? Thanks for the advice!

Bariman

[saxcurious]

Congratulations!
What you want is a combo (amplifier and speaker in one)
Typically you want a bass-amp, specially if you are looking for a practice (low watt rating, usually with earphone option) amp since they will typically have a bigger speaker than the equivalent guitar amps (reproduces low frequencies better), besides, most electric guitar amps are designed to distort and you usually don't want that in a bass.
No-names can be good but, as always, you run the risk. This might be in your price range http://www.wwbw.com/Crate-BX15-Bass-Amp-i56210.music and you can also check in here http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=bass/s=amps/search?so=asc&sc=price&c=4541&so=asc&sc=price

Good luck.

P.S. What bass did you end up buying?

[bariman]

Saxcurious: Thanks for the reply, and the info. I bought a Fender (go figure) bass form an ex-band member who was getting out of bass guitar. He gave me this little practice amp with the deal, but I was looking for something that I can really crank on the stage with. I like the idea of no distortion, BTW. Can you prescribe a combo amp that has a really powerfull sound (high amperage), no distortion, and under or around $100? Thanks much,

John

[saxcurious]

It is not an easy answer, but here it goes...

I'd be surprised if you find anything other than a practice combo amp at that price range; something around $400 is more realistic for a good quality gigging combo.

It is not clear if you really need such an amp right now; it seems you just got the bass and (assuming you are starting from scratch) you can use the practice amp for the first 2 or 3 moths to learn at home. This would give you some time to save money for something better, as well as provide you with an idea of what to look for in an amp (going to music shops and trying the available options); besides, it might be better to get an amp you are happy with and will use for a long time rather than settle for the best you can afford right now (unless there is pressing need and you have to hold your nose and go for it).

Regarding what would be a good amp, it depends on where and how you are gigging:
Do you have a car/ride to and from the gig/practice? This things can get mighty heavy/bulky.
What kind of music do you play? A practice combo might be all you need for jazz or intimate settings.
Where would you be gigging? If the place has a PA system you can get away with a smaller amp and use it as a monitor, if it is outdoors you will need a lot more power than a closed space of the same footprint, if there is no set venue a mid-sized moderately powerfull amp might be best.

Power (Watt) rating can be misleading. You need a powerfull enough amplifier to be able to drive the speaker, then the speaker becomes the bottleneck. I would personally pay attention to the speaker first (I like 12"), then the power rating to be able to run a second speaker of the same size if needed. If you would need more than that you have to start looking into separate amplifier and cab configurations

This has loads of information if you are looking for a specific model
http://www.harmony-central.com/Bass/Data/#man

I hope this helps

[bariman]

Regarding what would be a good amp, it depends on where and how you are gigging:

What kind of music do you play? A practice combo might be all you need for jazz or intimate settings.

Bingo, that's exactly what I need. I was just concerned about having enough sound for even playing in a jazz band with some friends. I think i'll go with the amp you prescribed from WWBW. I do have experience with a bass, upright that is 8-) Played double bass in a jazz band back in High School, and finally decided to get an electric. So theoratically, I can already play, but I'm sure it will be different.

Thanks,
Bariman

[bariman]

Saxcurious: I was looking around on WWBW, and found this ( http://www.wwbw.com/Behringer-Ultrabass-BX600-i20763.music ) amp that looked great, like an expansion of the one you prescribed. I think I am willing to spend the extra money to get a bigger amp. What do you think?

Thanks,
John

[DougR]

I'd like to second the idea of using the practice-amp you already have, while saving for something that better fits the bill, and working out exactly what the bill is.

no distortion
Big mistake, this is not a Lab/Hi-Fi application, the Amp and speaker(s) are the other half of the musical instrument, and very often distortion is an integral part of the sound of that instrument.

It pays big dividends to select the speakers with care. Most 12" guitar drive units are unhappy when fed on a diet of neat bass at high levels. I admire the aluminium coned Hartke units but its down to personal preference.

Most solid state guitar amps will take bass reasonably well but most valve/tube based output stages will not (the output transformers are not usually up to the job).

A cheaper and more portable alternative is either a DI box or (even more fun) something like a POD or V-AMP fed into the PA desk.

[saxcurious]

DougR:

I agree bass amplifiers are not accoustically transparent the way a PA should, but they don't distort the same way a guitar amp does (I believe they alter the sound by filtering, not clipping, but I might be wrong). In any case, we are talking bass amps, if you use guitar amps for bass you usually encounter volume limitations and a "nasal" tone (there should be exceptions).
Simulators are a good idea too, but you are dependent on the in-house PA system, still... I use one frequently at church

Bariman:

I must admit, the idea of "prescribing" something makes me uneasy, but I like to help (as long as you understand that those are suggestions, and they were initially based on the assumption that you had no way to hear yourself)

Assuming your practice amp is in working order, I would give it a go in a few rehearsals and (if it passes) a gig. This will let you get a feel for what is lacking and organize your priorities for when you buy a new one.
Then I would ponder wether you might be in a situation where you frequently need to amplify something else (keyboard, guitar, microphone) to see if a bass-only amp will not make you spend more in the long run (we are talking within a, say, 5 year time frame)

I would then decide what kind of amp you want, for example:
Here are some things I would like to have in a situation like yours:
-a 12" or 15" speaker minimum.
-tiltable is nice (everybody hears it better)
-compressor and/or noise gate
-relatively manoeuvreable
(these are greately influenced by personal taste, so you might want something different)
and shop around for something that fits your needs (you've been saving money all this time, so you can afford it easier)

I hope that helps with your decision making (I've told you basically all I know about it)

[bariman]

Thanks for all your input, Saxcurious. You've really helped me out, and I will always be grateful for that. I think i'll give the practice amp a go for a coupla months, and talk to some friends about what amps they use. I think the only thing I would use the amp for is bass, so I can keep that simple. I guess I'll take the plunge on a nice 12" amp sometime next year. If I absolutely need one, I can always borrow one from the guy who sold the guitar to me, but then again I don't know how many gigs i'll get between now and then.

Once again, thanks for all the help,

John