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So I'm getting this beaut: https://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/bui ... 2514730526 -- but I don't really know anything about bass amps!

I've been playing a bit of bass on and off for quite a while. Lately I got a bit more serious due to playing bass on an album I'm recording, which has forced me to actually learn to play properly. So now I want to play bass in this slowcore band I'm starting up. The band I'm playing bass in now will probably remain only a studio band, but this new one will play live. So… I'll need an amp! But I have no idea about bass amps, whatsoever. Any suggestions?

My bass style/preference is a "warm"/"soft"/"deep" (I know, I know) and very *clean* low-end, typically playing really slow and deep notes, like breves (that's double whole notes to you yanks). I'm sure there are bands that have this sound, though nothing really comes to mind. Maybe that sound The Cure get by combining synth and bass on Disintegration, except without synth? Example:



As a side/additional note: when recording I like to split the signal and have a low-passed unprocessed low-end track, and a high-passed track with distortion, chorus, and flanger. Do you have any suggestions for achieving this in a live setting with an amp? Maybe use a high-pass filtered FX loop?

I dont think there is a bass guitar that plays low notes on that song. Simon always has that scooped bright tone.

Any idea on how big an amp you need? What can you get used? Usually you can get some nice old transistor rig like a trace or a gk. You could probably get some ampeg stuff but im always suspicious of ampegs that arent real ampegs. You could also look at a 100w guitar rig with some proper speakers. It makes for a great bass rig. I have a 70s v4 i play thru beyma libertys and it rips. Make sure that you get real high power speakers tho.

For the biamping thing: I like just running a DI before pedals to mix in lows. This requires a tech that lets the bass have some stage volume or mics the bass cab... tho getting like an LS-2 and blending in cleans is pretty common practice and there are lots of pedals with built in blend. Some are even good blackenedsoul on here has a proper bi-amping rig which you could look at for inspo.

Without knowing size or budget I’m going to suggest getting a ampeg svtcl or heritage or an orange ab200 or if you can find a good used one a mesa 400+

qersty wrote:I dont think there is a bass guitar that plays low notes on that song. Simon always has that scooped bright tone.

Any idea on how big an amp you need? What can you get used? Usually you can get some nice old transistor rig like a trace or a gk. You could probably get some ampeg stuff but im always suspicious of ampegs that arent real ampegs. You could also look at a 100w guitar rig with some proper speakers. It makes for a great bass rig. I have a 70s v4 i play thru beyma libertys and it rips. Make sure that you get real high power speakers tho.

For the biamping thing: I like just running a DI before pedals to mix in lows. This requires a tech that lets the bass have some stage volume or mics the bass cab... tho getting like an LS-2 and blending in cleans is pretty common practice and there are lots of pedals with built in blend. Some are even good blackenedsoul on here has a proper bi-amping rig which you could look at for inspo.

I know the low end isn't a bass on that song. That was actually the point I was trying to make: I want that low synth tone *plus* the scooped bass tone.

I dunno how big I "need". I play a JC-120 for my guitar, so something comparable is probably nice. No idea about the used market, but probably a bit of everything. I don't need it very quickly, so I can just wait around for something to show up used.

Using an LS-2 is probably a simple enough way of doing it, with one high-passed and one low-passed signal.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Blackened Soul wrote:Without knowing size or budget I’m going to suggest getting a ampeg svtcl or heritage or an orange ab200 or if you can find a good used one a mesa 400+

Size and budget is super flexible. Thanks for the suggostions! I'll check them out.

I always recommend a Peavey Mark IV. They are cheap, reliable and very flexible with two pretty advanced channels that can be used in parallel. They sound good and are loud enough for almost every band and if hell freezes over and it breaks down on you, you'll have a replacement in no time. And simply get the biggest cab you can find.

KVLT is harder to find and weirdly expensive outside of the US, which is annoying.

For warm soft deep clean low-end, though, there's probably a class D amp that can get you what you want. I wouldn't go for tubes unless I wanted a particular preamp or the melting powertube vibes.

Zork wrote:I always recommend a Peavey Mark IV. They are cheap, reliable and very flexible with two pretty advanced channels that can be used in parallel. They sound good and are loud enough for almost every band and if hell freezes over and it breaks down on you, you'll have a replacement in no time. And simply get the biggest cab you can find.

100% backed. Durable, reliable, clean, versatile and they look fucking cool as hell.

Like I know aesthetics “shouldn’t” matter but they do and the PEAV is the coolest looking bass amp head out there.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci43ucpOhgV ... MyMTA2M2Y=

Tell me that doesn’t look absolutely hella fun to riff through….

D.o.S. wrote:KVLT is harder to find and weirdly expensive outside of the US, which is annoying.

For warm soft deep clean low-end, though, there's probably a class D amp that can get you what you want. I wouldn't go for tubes unless I wanted a particular preamp or the melting powertube vibes.

i see peavey stuff fairly often

youre right about the price most of the time tho. everything is like "the dewmest death machine" and is just above uncomfortably high without considering caps and stuff probably has gone to shit

retinal orbita wrote:https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci43ucpOhgV ... MyMTA2M2Y=

Tell me that doesn’t look absolutely hella fun to riff through….

I still have one of those 2x15s underneath a mark. The heads are great but the cabs are kinda shit - way, way, way, better for guitar than bass.

D.o.S. wrote:

retinal orbita wrote:https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci43ucpOhgV ... MyMTA2M2Y=

Tell me that doesn’t look absolutely hella fun to riff through….

I still have one of those 2x15s underneath a mark. The heads are great but the cabs are kinda shit - way, way, way, better for guitar than bass.

i think the speakers in those cabs are jbl "clones", at least they have the super huge voice coil. I know some people recone the 12" version with e120 kits with successful results.

Or the speakers just need a better cab are they ported properly and stuff?

I just got a Hartke LH500 - those and the LH1000s are relatively cheap and plentiful for the amount of amp and tone you get

My friend has an Orange OB-1 head, and it sounds great. Apparently there's an Orange "Four Stroke" amp (which is discontinued?) with similar specs but some different features (compressor). The OB1 is a rack unit, solid state ("all analog" they say). He plays passive basses but for some reason the OB-1 sounds nicer in 'active bass' setting. There's a OB1-500 and a OB1-300... more watts is better for bass, in a band situation.