well iv just moved to the uk and had to leave my bass amp back home. i now need to buy a new one and am seriously considering a trace elliot. a few q's, i dont know much about bass amps, iv only owned 2 in my life. what is best quality, a valve bass head with seperate cabinet or the more modest combo approach? and is trace elliot actually worth the money? is there better value for money out there? i found on the trace elliot site, a V* 1000watt bass head and the seperate BFC cabinet 1000watt. i presume they were made to go together?? there arent actually any prices there but does anyone know what your're looking at for that sort of kit? if its too much, can anyone suggest a more cost effective set up, 1000watts isn't even needed, that's quite a big sound. i'd be willing to settle for at least half that wattage, i just like the thought of having a V8 head at my whim pumping out 1000watts for me to play with! sorry for the ingnorant undertone of this thread, but as i say, i have no clue really and need some good advice before i go out and buy the wrong thing.
Trace amps are indeed pricey, but I have always liked their sound.
As to head versus combo, that is your decision. With separate parts you have more flexibility. For example you could use a 4x10 cab for smaller gigs and add a 1x15 or 2x15 for larger gigs. You can even use more than one head. So you can mix and match for best effects.
COmbo offers convenience buy locks you into power level adn cab arrangement. So think about the size of the halls you play and the power you want and how much range there is on all those.
I would also suggest loking into some current Peavey gear. You get a lot more amplifier for your dollar than with Trace. Peavey makes some great sounding stuff. Like most makers, they too have a great sounding 4x10 cab.
Hartke makes some nice heads and cabs too. SWR makes some nice units and now that they are a part of Fender I expect them to become more reliable and easier to find service.
In fairness I wil state that my service shop is an authorized repair station for all those brands.
I think the advantages of tubes are less obvious on bass rigs, and carrying around a head that weighs 100 pounds just to get a mere 400 watts is a pain in the butt as far as I am concerned. FInding the right preamp adn then getting a power amp of enough wattage for your needs is anothre way to go.
Ultimately, it is not whether it is tube or solid state, but how it sounds to your ear is the most important thing. If you like it, you needn't care what it runs on.
As to head versus combo, that is your decision. With separate parts you have more flexibility. For example you could use a 4x10 cab for smaller gigs and add a 1x15 or 2x15 for larger gigs. You can even use more than one head. So you can mix and match for best effects.
COmbo offers convenience buy locks you into power level adn cab arrangement. So think about the size of the halls you play and the power you want and how much range there is on all those.
I would also suggest loking into some current Peavey gear. You get a lot more amplifier for your dollar than with Trace. Peavey makes some great sounding stuff. Like most makers, they too have a great sounding 4x10 cab.
Hartke makes some nice heads and cabs too. SWR makes some nice units and now that they are a part of Fender I expect them to become more reliable and easier to find service.
In fairness I wil state that my service shop is an authorized repair station for all those brands.
I think the advantages of tubes are less obvious on bass rigs, and carrying around a head that weighs 100 pounds just to get a mere 400 watts is a pain in the butt as far as I am concerned. FInding the right preamp adn then getting a power amp of enough wattage for your needs is anothre way to go.
Ultimately, it is not whether it is tube or solid state, but how it sounds to your ear is the most important thing. If you like it, you needn't care what it runs on.
I'm pleased with my current rig. Yorkville Bassmaster 400 head on top of a Traynor YBX1510 cabinet. Amp puts out 400 RMS into 4 ohms. Cabinet is 4 ohms nominal, rated for 400 W. Eminence 15", 2 X Eminence 10" plus a horn tweeter with L-pad. Sounds real nice with four string bass. Not sure about availabilty in the UK though.
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Enzo is pretty spot on,
- find a great pre, and use a poweramp. My rig is based around a 2x500W PA amp with a custom pre
- combos are too limiting unless you play small venues or at lowish volume
- go modular with the cabs, makes for a much more flexible approach so you're able to fit into the acoustics of the room better, and you're not humping around tons of stuff unneccessarily.
- tube heads are nice (and I love tubes!), but too heavy and don't make enough difference tonally, most of the time to be worth the effort of carting one around. I'll buy/build another one when I have my own roadies and want to make some digital amps soon the lighten the weight I carry now
You're at diyaudio. Think about building something, unless you need a gigging rig now! And/or buy something pre-loved, but not pre-thrashed.
Take your bass to every shop you can find near you and play everything, even stuff above and below your expected price range. Never know when you might find a gem cheap, and playing the expensive gear will give you a better idea if it's worth it for the extra $. Try not to pay too much attention to the brand; eg Enzo's mention of Peaveys as value. And of course, haggle and shop around. England is a small place, so there'll be lots of stores to buy from within a couple of hours drive.
- find a great pre, and use a poweramp. My rig is based around a 2x500W PA amp with a custom pre
- combos are too limiting unless you play small venues or at lowish volume
- go modular with the cabs, makes for a much more flexible approach so you're able to fit into the acoustics of the room better, and you're not humping around tons of stuff unneccessarily.
- tube heads are nice (and I love tubes!), but too heavy and don't make enough difference tonally, most of the time to be worth the effort of carting one around. I'll buy/build another one when I have my own roadies and want to make some digital amps soon the lighten the weight I carry now
You're at diyaudio. Think about building something, unless you need a gigging rig now! And/or buy something pre-loved, but not pre-thrashed.
Take your bass to every shop you can find near you and play everything, even stuff above and below your expected price range. Never know when you might find a gem cheap, and playing the expensive gear will give you a better idea if it's worth it for the extra $. Try not to pay too much attention to the brand; eg Enzo's mention of Peaveys as value. And of course, haggle and shop around. England is a small place, so there'll be lots of stores to buy from within a couple of hours drive.
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