Best advice when buying a new bass amp?

[dreamadream99]

The game is changing. The move is away from person sized stage rigs to in-ear-monitors. Yes, the big stack looks cool, but today’s expensive stack is tomorrow’s fire sale when you can no longer bend over and pick them up.

If you are relying upon your amp to provide sufficient bass for the audience, you are fighting above your weight. Your stage rig was only ever designed to be your personal monitor— not your band’s— not your audienc’s.

My advice? Save your money and invest it in IEM’s.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I'm looking to upgrade to a more stage like stack and amp. I use to rock a "Mark Bass" however I sold it when I found out I was having a kid. Looking to get back into a big rig behind me. What advice can you give? 1x15 and 4x10 what style amp? I've been put of the game for a while. What sounds the best?

I'd suggest getting an 800-watt class D amp. I have a DNA-800 amp that weighs just 4.8-lbs and is also dead quiet if you do any recording, because it has no fan. Great amp, but DNA is closing up shop. I got mine in May 2021 when I ordered it through the DNA Artist Rep. Got a call back that there were none in the factory because they didn't have the necessary parts to complete them, but that David Nordschow had enough parts on hand to build one for me if I could wait a couple of weeks. So I waited and got that. You should be able to find a used one on Reverb or E-bay, but a new one would be a trick. Going price for most good quality 800-watt class D amps is right around $799. Mesa has a number of models and most major manufactures have at least one in that power range.

Then I'd get a good 210 cab. Again, I'm using a DNS-210 by DNA for almost all my gigs. I use them on all indoor gigs because it's a very loud cab and it handles 700-watts rms. It's also super clear, clean, articulate and LOUD. DNA came out with these in 2010 so there's a number of them out there. Original street price was around $869. Used prices are all over the place. If you get a quality 210, you will be able to play small and medium venues with just that 210. When you need to play a large venue or an outdoor venue or music festival, get a second 210 and you'll have a de facto 800-watt 410 which should pretty well handle anything you need.

I went straight to the DNS-410 back in 2015 because I figured it could do everything. The one thing it can't do is small venues. Not because it's not able to, but rolling in a 410 in a small brewpub usually gets a response like, "that's way to much for here. Use my 112 combo instead". I ended up buying an Eden EX-112 cab and like it so much I bought a second one to cover my medium-size venues. The two 112's would handle most large venues too, but I like the sound of my DNS-410 better. I used those 112's for about a year before I got my DNA endorsement in 2019. Then I bought my DNS-210 and it was loud enough for all my indoor venues from small to large.

Really would recommend either buying 1 and then another 210 or 1 and then another 112. Advantages are the modularity of it that allows you to only bring one cab where you only need one and still add a second one when needed. If you take this tack, make sure they are both 8Ω cabs unless you have an amp that will handle a 2Ω minimum load.

Of course since I bought my 410 first and my 210 second, I can stack them together to make a massive looking stack like you are referring too. I've only stacked them up once when I first got my DNS-210 because I wasn't sure it was going to be loud enough. I only had the 210 plugged in because I was using my big Eden amp and it bridges at 800-watts into 8Ω. Would take a second or two to unplug the 210 and plug in the 410, which I knew was more than enough if I needed it. That DNS-210 was more than loud enough on its own so my 410 ended up being an $1100 amp-stand for the evening...looks good stacked though!

 

[Levent]

View attachment 4929553

It depends on howmuch weight you can deadlift and squat. That should be the decisive info choosing cabin and amp.

 

[Marko 1]

It depends on howmuch weight you can deadlift and squat. That should be the decisive info choosing cabin and amp.

The OP sounded like he was up to the task.

I'm looking to upgrade to a more stage like stack and amp. I use to rock a "Mark Bass" however I sold it when I found out I was having a kid. Looking to get back into a big rig behind me. What advice can you give? 1x15 and 4x10 what style amp? I've been put of the game for a while. What sounds the best?

 

[57pbass]

I’m using a Bergantino 1200 watt Forte and two REF 210 cabs. I use one cab or both depending on the venue. We’re still using traditional amps on stage. For me it’s all about power and tone. 1200 watts allows me to really dial in great tones at any volume.
On the bigger stages the FOH and stage monitors help tremendously but I need to have my amp pumping along with the drummer.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I'm looking to upgrade to a more stage like stack and amp. I use to rock a "Mark Bass" however I sold it when I found out I was having a kid. Looking to get back into a big rig behind me. What advice can you give? 1x15 and 4x10 what style amp? I've been put of the game for a while. What sounds the best?

Don't go 1x15-4x10. Do 2 1x15 or 2 4x10.

Get an amp head bigger than you think you need. If you think 100 watts is enough, get a 300-watt head. If you think 500 watts is enough, get an 800-watt head.

Get the best gear you can't afford, buy once cry once.

 

[DJ Bebop]

The game is changing.

My advice? Save your money and invest it in IEM’s.

 

[Akiyama]

The game is changing. The move is away from person sized stage rigs to in-ear-monitors. Yes, the big stack looks cool, but today’s expensive stack is tomorrow’s fire sale when you can no longer bend over and pick them up.

If you are relying upon your amp to provide sufficient bass for the audience, you are fighting above your weight. Your stage rig was only ever designed to be your personal monitor— not your band’s— not your audienc’s.

My advice? Save your money and invest it in IEM’s.

I see your points. I don’t completely buy into the amp only as the player’s monitor. Having an amp on stage gives a, right or wrong, impression that the music is really being played. Milli Vaniili didn’t have amps. No amp = possibly an emotional and for certain a mental disconnect. Having an amp is real. Going with IEMs through pedals is like a Skype meeting. The meeting is happening but there is a little something



Even a concert in-the-round, Metallica uses amps (and IEMs).



Being a audiophile on the cheap, IEMs are quite pricey. Not everyone can wear them comfortably. Except for some large metro areas where you can try out an IEM before buying, you are buying the IEMs without an audition. You can easily lose one or more earpieces. In fact it is likely to lose one. Stacks? Well losing one of them is not so likely. Those are real cons to going the IEM route.[/MEDIA]

 

[Akiyama]

Oops! I monitored the whole Milli Vanilli video. The bass player looks to have an Ampeg stack. So, I was wrong. Even Milli Vanilli use amps on stage!

 

[Bonafide]

The game is changing. The move is away from person sized stage rigs to in-ear-monitors. Yes, the big stack looks cool, but today’s expensive stack is tomorrow’s fire sale when you can no longer bend over and pick them up.

If you are relying upon your amp to provide sufficient bass for the audience, you are fighting above your weight. Your stage rig was only ever designed to be your personal monitor— not your band’s— not your audienc’s.

My advice? Save your money and invest it in IEM’s.

This advice is stage size dependent, gig dependent, back-line dependent as well as genre specific (volume requirements). Small / medium stages benefit greatly from (rely on even) a well placed, efficient amp and cab to manage the fundamentals. With or without DI support. In many cases it is 100% of the bass support for players who gig year round. I can name a variety of scenarios.

I am not sure what 'big stack' means today, but 1x12 (x2) and 500-800w D Class has been sufficient to manage festivals, pubs, wedding venues as well as tonal satisfaction.

There is a rather spectacular choice of modern lightweight, powerful, flexible amp heads/efficient speaker cabs to meet the need, nearly all with a proper DI built in. And plenty of classic to be had on the cheap.

 

[squish]

I'm echoing the crowd here. Go modular. Go 12s.
Me, I have lightweight 112 and a 212 cabs of the same make. So I have three different ways to match the size of a small, medium and large venue/stage. I use lightweight 350 watt and an 800 watt amps (same make as cabs) but could do fine with just the 800. The 350 watt amp is my dedicated rehearsal/backup amp. Stuff today is powerful, lightweight, tone-rich, flexible and convenient. Just be prepared for sticker shock.

 

[bass12]

Almost all of the larger gigs I play are with IEMs. For those gigs there isn’t really an option because we’re playing to a click and sequences (as well as being fed information by the band leader via a talkback). It’s great not having to carry a rig to those gigs and IEMs help keep the sound on stage clean. The effectiveness of IEMs, however, varies according to room acoustics and where you are standing in relation to (in particular) the subs. Some people have the idea that IEMs mean that you’re immune to bad acoustics but what you’re hearing can be just as muddy with IEMs as without. For smaller gigs I’ll take an amp/speaker set-up over IEMs any day.

 

[Standalone]

I'm looking to upgrade to a more stage like stack and amp. I use to rock a "Mark Bass" however I sold it when I found out I was having a kid. Looking to get back into a big rig behind me. What advice can you give? 1x15 and 4x10 what style amp? I've been put of the game for a while. What sounds the best?

A stack of two single fifteens is a great option (or single twelves, but 15 is my preference) -- with one driver, they tend to be lighter than 210's and other cabs. When stacked, the arrangement does get one of the drivers near enough to your ear for good monitoring. The stack also gets more in the direction of the benefits of line array.

Fifteens are said to project a little more than 10's, which I think tends to sound good to an audience even when there is PA support -- as the audience in the front hears clearly based on your stage sound.

I have found 12's to be too short to get this benefit on some stages; and I prefer the fuller midrange feel of the fifteens.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Call this guy and talk with him. His name is David Luke:1-603-651-9800
He will ask you a bunch of questions. He actually talked me out of getting more cab than I really needed. I have one of his 2x10s, powered by a MoMark 800 watt head. Weighs 30 lbs. I've used it in some really tight spaces, and also at an outdoor show with no DI--everybody could hear me at the far end of the field. RevSound.

 

[chadhargis]

I personally would recommend barefaced cabinets. They are so light it is ridiculous and they are so loud it is ridiculouser. I have two 112 barefaced cabs and that's all I need.

I'm an avid supporter of Barefaced cabs too. Their 12" line of cabs offers many FRFR (Full Range Frequency Response) cabinets that are perfect for using a nice class D power amp fed by a modeling right like a Line6 Helix, Kemper, or Quad Cortex.

I mostly run IEMs with no amp or cab on stage, so having the digital rig is nice for going direct to FOH. But when I play with a cab on stage, I can run a FRFR cab and get great tone. I also have an SVT I run with my FRFR cab and it sounds fantastic too. The Barefaced cabs have a tweeter attenuator knob on the back that doesn't just turn down the tweeter, but changes the crossover point to help shape the top end to your liking.

My Barefaced Big Twin 3 (2x12 w/ horn tweeter). This sucker is LOUD if you need it to be...will handle up to 1600 watts but is very lightweight and even has wheels on the back to roll it if you wish...but it's easily picked up with one hand.

 

[alex1fly]

Building on that to help narrow the OP’s search:

I was reading a review on bassgearmagazine and this was said:

“ That said, there are two differing core value systems in the consumer bass amp world that can be paraphrased as such:

1. Be totally flat and transparent, let the instrument do the speaking.

2. Give the player the tone they know and expect from our company, the sound that sets us apart.”

OP, pick your main path then narrow it down as different manufacturers have different approaches. I am path #2, allday every day. Ampeg for me. You may want something else.

This is fantastic advice! Thanks for sharing. All amp-shoppers should read this when shopping to help get your head in the right spot.

My ideal path is #2 but with a company that makes flexible amps. Having 2 mid controls goes a LONG way towards getting tons of sounds. Either high mid/low mid ala Fender Rumble, or Mid EQ/Mid Frequency controls. However you can also get this control with a 10 band EQ pedal.

I've had consistent results with Fender, Ampeg, Hartke, and Crate. They just work for me and are easy to dial in my sounds. Markbass also gets me my sounds but tends to cost a few hundred bucks more. Granted I don't go out and buy amps unless one of mine breaks, and I only have two bass amps at any given time. With precise control over my mids I don't have a need to fill a room with bass amps.

 

[alex1fly]

The game is changing. The move is away from person sized stage rigs to in-ear-monitors. Yes, the big stack looks cool, but today’s expensive stack is tomorrow’s fire sale when you can no longer bend over and pick them up.

If you are relying upon your amp to provide sufficient bass for the audience, you are fighting above your weight. Your stage rig was only ever designed to be your personal monitor— not your band’s— not your audienc’s.

My advice? Save your money and invest it in IEM’s.

I wish I liked IEMs more. I hear the bass but don't feel it. Over-ear headphones might provide a better experience... but look goofy to some.

Near the end of my pre-covid gigging I started using a 1x12 or a 2x12 on stage to provide that feeling of air moving in addition to our IEMs.

However +1000 to big stacks being on the outs. Those things are fine as a backline rig that never moves venues, or at gigs where there's no PA support but you're trying to bring the party. Any other scenario, nah.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Can't offer much advice without knowing budget, types of gigs, and kind of pa.

 

[groove pump]

I'm looking to upgrade to a more stage like stack and amp. I use to rock a "Mark Bass" however I sold it when I found out I was having a kid. Looking to get back into a big rig behind me. What advice can you give? 1x15 and 4x10 what style amp? I've been put of the game for a while. What sounds the best?

Hard to declare whether one particular rig "sounds the best", but that's a good thing. There are dozens of different recipes for potentially cooking up decent sound. The final ruling will probably come down to your own ears along with your wallet.

Agree with post #38 above, though. Let us know what's going on with your budget (a couple suggestions above come with a hefty price tag!), the sort of gigs you're going to play, and also any transportation restrictions that are going to limit your cab sizes.

I'm one more of the minions who has found big success with using a pair of 2x10 cabs. I made the switch when I lost access to a van - the old 4x10 had to go and I honestly haven't missed it. I also use the vertical stack alignment and love it - I can easily hear my rig with the top cab up much closer to ear level on stage and the sound heavies claim that this orientation provides better sound dispersion. Works for me

 

[etoncrow]

For almost 20 years I've been gigging a Euphonic-Audio iAmp500 with two E-A Wizzy 12's. One healthy person with good knees (rules me out) could carry the whole rig in one trip with the iAmp carry bag over the shoulder and a speaker in each hand. Worked from small bars to outside venues. Although the company has retired these components are still available used. There is a E-A iAmp800 presently on eBay.