Which would you upgrade first? An amp or a bass?

Which would you buy first? An amp or a bass?

  • Amp

    Votes: 1,197 48.2%

  • Bass

    Votes: 986 39.7%

  • Carrots

    Votes: 302 12.2%
  • Total voters
    2,485
#641
If getting better is the priority (and presumably if the question is being asked, the OP is in the process of improving), then the bass, pretty much always. It's the thing you're touching.
Amps are interchangeable/disposable, whatever, as long as they do the job, and often it's not even the most important sound reinforcement device (eg if you're playing a gig with a PA)
 
#642
When starting out get a decent preamp rack or pedal with a headphone out and/ or use a computer interface with some decent studio monitors then put the money into a good playing comfortable bass and after that you can worry about a good enough amp for your current volume needs. practice amps usually sound pretty awful and often feel like a big waste of money when you can get a decent interface and monitors for just Abit more
 
#643
JoeRules00 said:
The next day, my Crate BX-100 arrives. I still play it with my Squier P-Bass.
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I had a BX-100 for a short while, bought used at GC for $99, fantastic amp for the money. I intended to use at work and mostly for the headphone out and the equalizer. Unfortunately the headphone out was not functioning correctly and I returned it. Curious if you bought yours new and what you paid for it?
 
#644
I'd say it depends on the use. I used to study jazz and play through a lot of different kinds of amps at school. Some crappy amps, some high end Eden stuff. The bass was more important to me, I needed a good one to be able to play at my best without being held back by bad build quality. And I could plug it into a mixing board in the studio and get a great sound without hassle.

When I started gigging I got an amp that had a relative clean tone and lots of power. I don't depend on the amp for tone. But some gigs like jazz jams already had an amp in place and then I was glad I had a high quality bass.

Currently my amp and bass are both about equal in value. But the bass came first. I needed a good sound when plugging into my interface and record stuff on the pc. If gigging had become my life then I probably would have invested in a good 1000W modular amp system. But my 500 watt amp has shown to be enough, with PA for very large venues.
 
#646
It helps a lot to have a bass that you love, which is comfortable to play and sounds good. Upgrading your amp before you find “your” bass is IMO a potential waste of time, because some amps might “play nice” with some basses more than others. I would compare this to spending a lot of time on a fancy pedal setup, before you find “your” bass. Many pedals sound better with a specific instrument (example: active pickups vs. passive pickups) and until you settle on a bass, you may be chasing your tail.

Note that finding “your” bass might mean upgrading the pickups, trying different strings, etc. It doesn’t have to mean totally replacing the instrument, if you like the way it feels.

If your bass doesn’t sound good, you probably cannot fix the problem with a different amp, different pedals, etc.
 
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#647
10 years later... :)

Short answer: bass... unless you absolutely have to upgrade your amp right now.

I have only ever upgraded amps and cabs when needed. Deciding when it's needed is a judgement call, but the amp purchase drivers for me have been that I am underpowered and can't hear myself or the equipment is too heavy to keep carrying around or in one case I was stuck in a terrible sounding room and hoped a new cab would help (it didn't). My amp choices have always been aimed at solving specific problems.

I buy a new bass when I feel like I want to try something other people have used that I've heard, or when I want to alter my sound without knowing necessarily how to do it, so I'm just exploring sounds on my own. I have also switched basses because one was too heavy (Peavey T40). My bass purchase drivers have been about changing sounds and improving ergonomics and comfort.

Broadly, to me the only reason you would change amps is because you must and the reason you would change basses is because you can.
 
#649
If you are an idiot who aims to have too much gear, like me, then you will be upgrade both, first one then the other, just by a little bit, until you spend tons of money and have tons of crappy gear, when you could have just got one good bass and one good amp lol


And I refuse to change. This is how I roll. I just got back into bass, starting with a cheap bass and cheap amp, and now I'm gonna upgrade my bass a little. Then collect pedals

But if I have to pick one, upgrade bass. Upgrading amps is way less exciting than having 100 mid range basses to play through a dusty old 80s amp
 
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#650
For me, it depends on several factors, in this order:

- Is the bass comfortable to play or capable of being properly set up. Above all you need an instrument that fits your body, hands and can be properly set up. The electrics of a musical instrument are fairly basic and simply provide a signal to the amp. As long as it isn't buzzing, humming or cutting in and out, there is no need to upgrade just yet.

- What purpose is the amp being used for? The biggest limiting factor in the sound of an amplified instrument is the speaker. A practice combo amp (low power, small speaker) usually has a headphone output and some even have aux input so you can play along to outside music. The headphone will sound tons better than the dinky speaker. If the amp is solely for practice, I wouldn't bother upgrading just yet....if you are in the student phase.

- If your combo amp is filling multiple roles (practice, rehearsal, performance) you will definitely want an amp with tone shaping options but, most of all, you'll need something will good speakers. The best bass with the best electrics with the best amp possible will sound like garbage when played through a garbage quality speaker.

Of course this is only my humble opinion. Good luck!
 
#652
StrudelBass said:
Well basically lets say you already have both, but they're not exceptionally good, and you could only choose one. Would you opt for a new bass or go for a new amp? Opinions needed. Replies welcomed.
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Most modern amps are very good,but you can play a 100 of the same model of bass to find one that feel good and have that mojo sound to you. Now some of the older amps have a mojo sound.
 
#653
hello everyone
in my current situation the bass will change I have a GK MBF500 with a GK MBE212 and a Markbass 115 the bass is a Cort Artisan C4plus, I like it but I think the amp is now above the bass. But this is the first thing I've done after resuming the base after 30 years, so I don't have much experience either.

Sorry about my english,I've used Google traslator :cool:

:bassist:
 
#655
Yes, I'm sure I'll keep the Cort and my old Yamaha RBX200 (this one out of nostalgia, I bought it back in 1988 when I was 16/17 years old), but the GAS and my battered back force me to save money to go for a Sandberg Superlight. I also guess I'll have to have another backup amp, so I have a lot to save!!! hahaha

:bassist:
 
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#658
To me it depends entirely on whether I'm playing for myself or playing for others.

If I'm playing solely for my own enjoyment and no one else is listening, then my top priority is the instrument.

I want it to sound and feel and play as good as possible right from the source. I can ignore a substandard amplifier for awhile, epecially considering that most cheap, beginner amps will sound better when played quietly in the bedroom than when forced to turn up for a gig.

However, If gigs are more important than playing at home, then I'd upgrade my amp first. That's where the differences between a good amp and a poor amp are most noticeable.
 
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