Best Bass Amp Rig for $500-$1000

A

Augie50

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Mar 8, 2016
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Rockford, IL
#1
I have been playing bass for about 16 years now but have never owned an amp as I mainly have played drums or guitar in the bands I've been in.

I own a bass but I do not have an amp. The group I currently am in is me on bass, an acoustic guitar and Cajon. We play pop rock material - think Maroon 5, Red Hot Chili Pepper, John Mayer, etc.

I'm looking to get the best sound/value amp for somewhere between $500-$999. Obviously my current lineup doesn't need a lot of power as it is more of an acoustic act but I'd like the amp to have enough power that I can play with a drum set if I ever needed to. I'd like the amp to be versatile for most genres of music as I have been a number of different groups. The biggest venue I would probably playing is like a small bar or outside city market.

Any suggestions? I've heard good things about Fender Rumble and MarkBass - those seem to be on each end of the spectrum for my budget. I've been trying everything from Ampeg, GK, Acoustic, Fender, MarkBass.... Thanks for any advice! Hoping to not spend $1000 but willing if people think it is worth it.



EDIT:

I am the least knowledgeable about amp set ups so I didn't realize how many different opinions there are on this subject.

Here is what I want to reiterate as major criteria for my selection:

1. I do not want to have to upgrade/repair in the future - I want this baby to be with me for the long haul. Quality and dependability are important to me.
2. The largest venue I will ever be playing is either an outdoor city market, or a small/medium sized bar.
3. My current group doesn't use a drum set - just a cajon and an acoustic guitar (that runs through a Fishman Loudbox Artist 120-W Acoustic Amp). However, I'd like the rig to allow for me to keep up with a drum set if I ever needed to down the road.
4. I'm fine with spending up to $1000 as long as people think it is worth it. Optimally, if I could keep it under $800 that would be ideal.
6. I mainly play a mix of pop/rock music (i.e. Third Eye Blind, Maroon 5, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer). I like clean bass sound.
7. I played my first bass amp with a tweeter yesterday and thought it was bitchin' ;)
 
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#2
Easy.

Gallien Krueger MB112 with the seperate powered 112 cabinet. Fully modular lightweight setup that will allow you to use just the combo for most situations, then add the powered cab when you need to shake the roof. GK's combo's have the advantage over most others because the seperate cab has its own amp. Most other cab/combos just share the power of the combo when you connect the extra cab, but the GK setup has dedicated amps for each! All that, plus you get to pocket the extra $300-ish dollars if you were planning on spending $1000.

Heck, get both at Sweetwater right now and they'll give you 3 years to pay for it.
 
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#3
mmbongo said:
Easy.

Gallien Krueger MB112 with the seperate powered 112 cabinet. Fully modular lightweight setup that will allow you to use just the combo for most situations, then add the powered cab when you need to shake the roof. GK's combo's have the advantage over most others because the seperate cab has its own amp. Most other cab/combos just share the power of the combo when you connect the extra cab, but the GK setup has dedicated amps for each! All that, plus you get to pocket the extra $300-ish dollars if you were planning on spending $1000.

Heck, get both at Sweetwater right now and they'll give you 3 years to pay for it.
Click to expand...

See now this is how I get in trouble. I am now sitting here with a instant approval to BUY whatever I want at sweetwater for 0% for 36-48 months. That amp I was looking at that I couldn't justify is now just $10 a month... I think my Fender 25 is going back and I am going to pick up one of those lightweight combo's for my practice amp... now to pick one out!
 
#4
Armsdealer said:
See now this is how I get in trouble. I am now sitting here with a instant approval to BUY whatever I want at sweetwater for 0% for 36-48 months. That amp I was looking at that I couldn't justify is now just $10 a month... I think my Fender 25 is going back and I am going to pick up one of those lightweight combo's for my practice amp... now to pick one out!
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I ended up with 5-6 different amp setups :)

But my GK MB112/MB112 powered cab is by far the most versatile, easiest to transport setup that I have.
 
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#5
There are so many choices out there, but after a gig at a fair outdoors with 250 in the audience and coming up short with a 50 watt 8" Crate Limo, then thinking a Phil Jones Double Four 70 watt would do it (not), I took the advice of 1stnamebassist and ordered a build-to-order Carvin MB15 200 watt combo bass amp with a 15" neo speaker to save weight, and also the matching extension box with neo 15" that brings the amp to 250 watts, all in for $802 on sale last Labor Day.

Carvin rig and me.jpg
 
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#6
I just got a Fender rumble 500 combo. And I whole heartedly recommend it. The GK stuff is great too. But I like the warmer darker sound of the fender. If you want that get the fender and you'll have money to spare. The GK stuff is very clean sounding. Which I also like, but in the end I get a clean enough sound out of the Fender, I couldn't get that kind of old school vibe out of the GK's that I tried.
 
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#8
mmbongo said:
Easy.

Gallien Krueger MB112 with the seperate powered 112 cabinet. Fully modular lightweight setup that will allow you to use just the combo for most situations, then add the powered cab when you need to shake the roof. GK's combo's have the advantage over most others because the seperate cab has its own amp. Most other cab/combos just share the power of the combo when you connect the extra cab, but the GK setup has dedicated amps for each! All that, plus you get to pocket the extra $300-ish dollars if you were planning on spending $1000.

Heck, get both at Sweetwater right now and they'll give you 3 years to pay for it.
Click to expand...

this would be the one i'd get. the extension cab is a huge plus, and you can dial in a nice variety of tones with the GK.
 
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#9
Augie50 said:
I'm looking to get the best sound/value amp for somewhere between $500-$999.
Click to expand...
If I were starting from scratch with $1000 for low to moderate volume gigs, I'd get a 300-500 watt micro, new or used in the $300 to 400 range. Ampeg PF500 and Fender Rumble 500 are $399 new, some models of other brands (GK, Markbass, Aguilar) cab be had for under $400 used.

Then I'd get a custom cab from Low Down Sound, a simple 15" cab with a 4 ohm Faital Pro 15Pr400. Add a basic tweeter if you want some high end sizzle.

This setup would work for your current situation and also likely keep up with fairly rowdy drummer if needed.
 
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#10
I have the Carvin mb15 with the 15" Ext cab that kohanmike mentioned earlier except I have the stock speakers. I'm all in for about 600.00. Had it for over three years with no issues. Very light also at about 30 lbs for each amp and extension. You would be able to handle the type of gigs your speaking of without the extension, which would set you back under 400.00 shipped to your door.
 
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#15
I was going to suggest something different than everyone else but you already have 10 different choices lol. Probably almost anything around $750 is going to get done what you need done.

Some combo amps (tcelectronic 2x8 cough cough) also have an additional speaker out or di out and are nice and small/light, perfect for what you need now but can be beefed up later or run through pa if you do clubs/larger venues.
But some don't.

If you get a separate head/cabinet you have a wide variety of choices, just make sure you pair them up correctly (wattage/ohms).
 
#16
So I am looking at this GK combo, the single 12 could do practice amp duty just fine. If I take of the $100 I get for returning the fender this is looking very promising as an option. Add $350 for the second speaker... probably just for looks 90% of its time, but a useful thing to have IMO. I am at $20 a month and I need what, a mic cable to connect the two cabs?

I could always add a nice tube amp for a toy later and I might push my self a little and get myself out there playing.
 
#17
Armsdealer said:
So I am looking at this GK combo, the single 12 could do practice amp duty just fine. If I take of the $100 I get for returning the fender this is looking very promising as an option. Add $350 for the second speaker... probably just for looks 90% of its time, but a useful thing to have IMO. I am at $20 a month and I need what, a mic cable to connect the two cabs?

I could always add a nice tube amp for a toy later and I might push my self a little and get myself out there playing.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call a tube amp a 'toy' as it would be the most expensive part of your rig. Also if you buy a combo then later buy an amp you may/may not be able to override the combo amp or you may need new cab, etc...

You can't (shouldn't) run a tube amp into a combo's amp, you'll probably fry it, maybe even the speaker...

That's the benefit of NOT getting a combo and buying modular pieces, they are easier to replace one thing at a time. But if you buy low watt amp and cab to match then later buy high power amp you really need to then buy high power cab...
 
#18
Murdoc_420 said:
I wouldn't call a tube amp a 'toy' as it would be the most expensive part of your rig. Also if you buy a combo then later buy an amp you may/may not be able to override the combo amp or you may need new cab, etc...

You can't (shouldn't) run a tube amp into a combo's amp, you'll probably fry it, maybe even the speaker...

That's the benefit of NOT getting a combo and buying modular pieces, they are easier to replace one thing at a time. But if you buy low watt amp and cab to match then later buy high power amp you really need to then buy high power cab...
Click to expand...

I am picking up the GK to replace my practice amp. Right now I have a $100 good for one thing amp. With the GK if I decide to play outside of friends and family jamming, then I have something to work with.

If I bought a tube amp, it would be for a toy. For only $200 more than the amp I was looking at, I picked up the 12" combo and 12" powered cab. I admit I am not a fan of combo's, but I will always keep one around.

This isn't about making money for me, or gigging, trying to get jobs. I am just getting back into bass playing, I was OK good in middle school and high school. Good enough to be in the the state level school specialty bands... all of them. Orchestra, Jazz ensemble, Band sans orchestra, and the full Symphony Orchestra and playing multiple instruments. We used what we had... we had access to an old room of old "broken" stuff at LSU, the Highschool associations equipment and any equipment we could find at a high school.

When I learn more about the new technology and new products, and research some of the old workhorses that are still doing their thing today I will make a more informed decision about what a step up system would be, or I might just get an old tube amp and play it in my living room.
 
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