theitalianrob Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 I'm feeling that it's about time for me to upgrade to a more reliable amp head. (im currently using an old acoustic b320 from the 80s). I need something with good power and a big beefy tone. I play in a 3 piece punk/hardcore band so i need something thatis really full on the low end to make up for the lack of a second guitar. I've had a few amps in mind . some i have played, others i've read about, and some i cant find anywhere. I was wondering what the major tone/volume differences are between tube, solid state, and hybrid bass amps? These are some i've had in my mind: Peavey VB-2 (cant find in any store or find any reviews) Marshall MB450H (cant find in any store or find any reviews) Trace Elliot AH500-7 (a tad on the expensive side) Traynor YBA200 (how loud is 200w tube power?) Markbass R500 Markbass TA501 (a tad on the expensive side) Ampeg SVT450H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theitalianrob Posted June 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borge Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 in general, tube amps are about 3 times louder than a solid state of the same wattage, eg 50watt tube is as loud as 150watt solid state. tone is much harder to explain, especially relative to bass amps (im not a bass player) but people will often say tubes are(with respect to bass amps) "warmer" "less defined" "best thing since sliced bread" "mellower attack" and many other contradicting and confusing things. a good start is to find what amps are used on records with a bass tone you like and go from there, oh and try as many out as possible, preferably with a full band, as some amps sound great by themselves and rubbish with a band and vice versa. good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flon Klar Guitars Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Ampeg SVT4Pro- tube preamp, solid state power amp- the best of both worlds- plenty loud for any application! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 "I play in a 3 piece punk/hardcore band so i need something thatis really full on the low end to make up for the lack of a second guitar."" Probably want solid-state then. "Hardcore", in my mind, pretty much rules out tubes for the bass player. A good cab goes a long way to getting good low end. All that said... go with the amp that sounds best to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idoru Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Ampeg SVT4Pro- tube preamp, solid state power amp- the best of both worlds- plenty loud for any application! You could also sub in a Tech 21 SansAmp RBI or RPM preamp there. Very convincing tube sounds, no tubes to replace. c- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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