So… do I need to upgrade my amp (does it matter?)

B

BearClawProduct

Jan 12, 2023
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#1
So I’ve been peaking around talk bass for a while and usually find the answer to most of my questions, but something I come back to every so often is do I need to upgrade my bass amp for live performances? Not to go into my life story, but I’ve spent the last couple years upgrading my gear from basses to DI pedals for recording purposes.

Now, I’m about to start gigging again and almost always, my bass was run through the amp DI. My current amp isn’t anything special. It’s a Peavey Max 115 300 watt. Loud enough to be heard without any distortion. It sounds fine. Any tone shaping I’ve done recording wise, I ran through my DI pedal and unless a sound guy fights me, I intend on using my DI pedal for sound, not the amp or it’s DI, so at that point isn’t my bass amp just a stage monitor for the band? I’m about to drop a grand on a new bass I don’t need, but want. Should I use that money for a new amp? If I run a DI does it really even matter? Thanks.
 
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#4
Killing Floor said:
Yea. Do your math.

New>Old
Big>Small
Louder=Better
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I Mean, it’s not an old amp, but not new. Like 2016 and it sounds decent enough even when cranked. It’s just an average sounding amp.

I guess I’m just wondering if it’s a worthwhile purchase. I like my DIs for recording and practice. I’m only going to upgrade if it makes a difference to how I sound to others when I play live.
 
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#6
BearClawProduct said:
I Mean, it’s not an old amp, but not new. Like 2016 and it sounds decent enough even when cranked. It’s just an average sounding amp.

I guess I’m just wondering if it’s a worthwhile purchase. I like my DIs for recording and practice. I’m only going to upgrade if it makes a difference to how I sound to others when I play live.
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I'm in the minority here in that I never advocate buying things just to have more things. Is it going to matter? I've been gigging with plain rigs for many years and IMO it's probably not going to matter as much as people will tell you it will.

But the only way to know for sure will be to do a few gigs with it and see how it works out. I bought most of my current rig due to its light weight, but I also did a lot of research to zero in on what sort of sound I wanted to be able to produce (in my case I was looking for a lot of transparency) and I got exactly what I wanted, though none of it was cheap. But I did gig the other stuff for a while.
 
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#7
It depends on what your giging needs are. If you know there will always be a good-enough PA (because you or a bandmate provides it, or because you are playing big enough venues that the venue always provides it) then you don't need an amp at all. But if there is any uncertainty then you will need a good amp (sub gigs, bands with questionable PA, etc). How big an amp you need depends on the type of music, but if there are live drums I always go with at least 350 watts.
 
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#8
BearClawProduct said:
Thats probably the most reasonable take. I just know I’m gonna buy the new bass sooner than later. No impulse control lol
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It kind of seems to me that in this situation, you get more warm and fuzzies out of a bass you don't need than an amp that you don't need...I don't have a good reason for thinking that, but there it is
 
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#10
If you're running through the PA than that's what people are going to hear unless they are close to the stage (assuming you're not totally cranked and the sound guy has to turn your volume down in the mixer). The amp is only a stage monitor like you said since you're using the pedal DI for FOH.
 
#11
Sounds like in your situation your amp will be just a stage monitor. If you are using a DI pedal to send your signal to the sound guy I would definitely still bring an amp to the gig to use as a stage monitor. Most of the sound guys in venues in my area don’t do the best job so it’s nice to have and amp as a extra stage monitor
 
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#14
The amp you got seems perfectly reasonable for stage sound. I used to run combos (several smaller than yours) with that combos DI to PA/FOH. Every gig I ever had where that would not have been sufficient had a backline.
 
#15
gln1955 said:
You can get a more powerful amp that sounds better and weighs less than half what that Peavey does and not break the bank.
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That's the only reason I would say it might be worth spending the $ in your situation. I'm almost always DI'd to FOH, so the amp isn't that consequential, but sometimes I need to bring one if there's no backline. I have a Gk MB112 that's so loud for its size it's silly(compared to amps of yore). I almost never use the ext cab I have for it. Gig with the Peavey for a while, and see. I'll tell ya, there's nothing like walking into a gig in a good-sized venue with nothing but your bass on your back, a sub-30lb amp in one hand, and a bag for your pedals, etc in the other.
 
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#17
s0c9 said:
I'd suggest you do a few gigs with current setup BEFORE you decide on needing a new amp!
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LBS-bass said:
I'm in the minority here in that I never advocate buying things just to have more things. Is it going to matter? I've been gigging with plain rigs for many years and IMO it's probably not going to matter as much as people will tell you it will.

But the only way to know for sure will be to do a few gigs with it and see how it works out.
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+1
If you have experience with the amp, and it's loud enough to be heard, and it sounds fine, then what do you really need? Don't worry about it until you find yourself in a situation where the amp is inadequate, and even then, consider how often you'll be in that situation. If it's a one-off situation where the amp isn't loud enough and there's no PA to go direct into, but 95% of the time your amp is 100% satisfactory, is it worth the money for an upgrade?

Run some gigs with it and then make your decision. Otherwise you're trying to solve a problem that hasn't happened yet and might not happen. ;):thumbsup:

That said, if you're just looking for an excuse to buy a new amp, i won't discourage you from spending your money in a way that makes you happy. And i'm sure half of the TB forum will act as enablers, so i don't have to.
 
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#18
@BearClawProduct

It sounds like the amp is meeting your needs just fine. So IMHO no, you don't need a new amp. So the actual question is, Do I want a new amp?

This is a question you should answer for yourself. Perhaps my sad little story will help.

I have around 40 amps in my collection and here is the way it works for me. Every time I rotate an amp into the playing position I think it sounds great. But after a few days I start getting bored with the sound. So I rotate another amp into the playing position...and it sounds great for awhile. Rinse and repeat.

I have more than enough amps to cycle through that I never have to buy another. I definitely don't need to buy another amp. However, that does not mean I won't expand the collection :bag:.

Some amps I am (currently) interested in :rolleyes:: Mesa Buster, Mesa 400, Mesa 400+, Aguilar DB750, Aguilar DB751, Sunn 2000S, Marshall VBA 400, Ashdown BTA 400, Genz Benz Streamliner 900, Genz Benz ShuttleMax 12.2, Mesa D800+, Mesa WD800, Mesa TT800, Fender Bandmaster Reverb, Rivera Venus 6.

These are all fairly common amps and, for the record my interest is not equal for all of them. I have bought most of my amps previously loved, and I am most likely to buy when I come across a deal that represents an unusually good value (condition VS price). I have passed on some pretty sweet deals on some of the amps listed above, but every once in awhile a deal pops up that I simply can't resist :help:;).

I also have some rare/obscure amps that I probably paid too much for :oops:.

If you want a new amp and can afford a new amp....get a new amp. Just beware that it can be a slippery slope for some of us, and you may eventually wind up with a huge collection that is entirely gratuitous :eek:.

Also beware of the opportunity cost. The money you may spend on a new amp can be spent on something else that you will find more useful or more desirable...and it's always a good call to save a little extra for future emergencies or maybe a down payment on something more significant like a house or vehicle.

Back when I was still gigging, I had a GK 700RB and a 1963 Fender Princeton. I still own these two amps and they were, and still are, entirely adequate for all of my actual needs. So I never really needed a new amp.
 
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#19
As long as your amp can carry you as needed (with/without FOH) and you're happy with how it sounds, I don't see a reason to upgrade. May be able to get a more powerful and lighter combo, maybe, but it'll cost a lot. I'd go for the bass purchase you referenced. :-D
 
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#20
since you're getting a new ax = don't change anything else until you have a handle on what your new instrument can do with the rig you've already got...you may never need to change up your rig!

play some gigs (as @s0c9 suggested), with your plan: do your best, have fun, see what happens! good luck! :thumbsup:
 
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