Bass gear heads..Please help with choosing an amp.

[maddnotez]

My bassist is looking to drop some cash on a new amp. Maybe $800 usd or so.
Prefer to go used and a cab included would be nice, but you know how prices go.

So anyway we are looking for the best tone for that kind of money.

He was looking at a GK of some sort, and SVT pro's

Ive been reading lots of negative feedback on here about the SVT's, just looking for some suggestions. We play death metal pretty groove orientated so its heavy, but there are still alot of the faster riffs with trem picking etc.

I use a VHT Pitbull for gutiar if that makes any difference and some production sounds we like range anywhere from Blach Dahlia (newer), Nile, Chimira, Dimmu etc

 

[Clockwork]

Egan will probably have the best recommendations for this. But I can say that GK stuff has never steered me wrong, currently using a MB500 Fusion with the tube preamp. I think GK gives pretty good bang for the buck but isn't anything too unique in sound.

Haven't used SVTs so can't comment on those.

 

[maddnotez]

Egan will probably have the best recommendations for this. But I can say that GK stuff has never steered me wrong, currently using a MB500 Fusion with the tube preamp. I think GK gives pretty good bang for the buck but isn't anything too unique in sound.

Haven't used SVTs so can't comment on those.

What about the 700 RB II? thats the one he was looking at I beleive

 

[egan.]

If you can find an old SVT3pro (one made in ST Louis) I had one of those for years and it was great. As a bonus, I sold it for more than I paid for it after touring it for 7 years.
The non-biamp GK stuff is cool and has very much it's own tone (think clean Tool if your bass has a MM).
Then you have the hifi stuff like swr, eden and GB. I personally play (and love) Aguilar stuff now but I don't have any experience with the cheaper options.

I would actually recommend messing with a pod to hear the basic tone differences between heads as it will at least give you a good ballpark idea.

Also, everybody is coming out with their own version of the 5lb 500w head based on the same Bang and olufsen Icepower 250asx2 so basically only the preamp and implementation varies. They're all priced cheaply and well reviewed but I'm afraid I have no personal experience. I am intrigued though b/c my current head (in a shock rack) is 100lbs!

 

[colonel_claypoo]

Egan will probably have the best recommendations for this. But I can say that GK stuff has never steered me wrong, currently using a MB500 Fusion with the tube preamp. I think GK gives pretty good bang for the buck but isn't anything too unique in sound.

Haven't used SVTs so can't comment on those.

I recommend the mb fusion. love those mini amps. swr headlite is also good from what I could listen to.

 

[Clockwork]

What about the 700 RB II? thats the one he was looking at I beleive

Have not played one so I can't say for sure. I've only played the mb series and the backline series stuff. I've seen the 700 RB II in guitar center before though, if he can he should go down there and give it a try.

 

[egan.]

If you decide to try the GK MB series I would suggest also looking at the other manufacturers doing stuff with the same poweramp transformer. All cards on the table, I'm an Aguilar endorser so consider that, but the TH500 is made in NYC instead of China which carries some weight with me.

My only hesitation on the 700RB is that they do the weird biamp (50w tweeter amp) thing that GK does so often. I don't know if that just goes to waste in a full range situation or not but it's worth looking into.

 

[greyskull]

curverball here....

Orange terror bass..
BEST sub 1000 pound bass amp I've ever heard.

 

[AEL89]

curverball here....

Orange terror bass..
BEST sub 1000 pound bass amp I've ever heard.

I use a thunderverb 200 and its tres tres brutal and I love the way the EQ works for bass. I'd have thought the bass terror is really cool too.

 

[greyskull]

I use a thunderverb 200 and its tres tres brutal and I love the way the EQ works for bass. I'd have thought the bass terror is really cool too.

It's AWESOME

 

[egan.]

I notice that the BT100 is a class D as well so it may be using the same transformers everyone else is. If it is it's certainly the coolest looking of any of them (though a fair amount larger). I definitely want to try one!

 

[maddnotez]

I notice that the BT100 is a class D as well so it may be using the same transformers everyone else is. If it is it's certainly the coolest looking of any of them (though a fair amount larger). I definitely want to try one!

The Crate BT100???

Orange is awesome for guitar, Wasnt sure on bass thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Does dual terror or Holy terror work with bass as well or only the "Terror"??

 

[greyskull]

haha think he means the orange bass terror 1000

 

[JonWormwood]

svt4 here.

 

[maddnotez]

haha think he means the orange bass terror 1000

lol good news... But the 500w is more in the budget range, unless you know any good used deals anywhere.

svt4 here.

Alot of people saying SVT's arent that great. Not trying to start a debate. As a guitarist I thought SVT's were the no brainer way to go?

I hope he gets the orange though I know they make great products.

 

[egan.]

haha think he means the orange bass terror 1000

Yeah. I was getting lazy.
Regarding the SVT thing, I think it was more automatic when they were building them stateside. Maybe I'm putting too much value in country of origin though. There are also a lot more quality options these days.

 

[greyskull]

okay... not a great video/playing, but a good idea of the bass terror ish...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-rN4glWmTs&feature=related[/ame]

 

[maddnotez]

sweet thanks ^^

 

[JonWormwood]

lol good news... But the 500w is more in the budget range, unless you know any good used deals anywhere.



Alot of people saying SVT's arent that great. Not trying to start a debate. As a guitarist I thought SVT's were the no brainer way to go?

I hope he gets the orange though I know they make great products.

you def need a bddi to make it slammin

 

[maddnotez]

BDDI?