# How much amp do I need?



## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

Been doing the guitar thing for a little while, but new to this whole "bass" concept.

I'm in the market for an amp. Having never gigged a bass amp before, how many watts should I be looking at? Can I rely on the Direct Out to drive the sound, and only use the amp speaker as a monitor (if that)? How about to hear over a moderately loud drummer at practice?

These Gallien Krueger MB200 and Ampeg SVTMH "micro" amps are catching my eye, and very reasonably priced, pushing out about 200W.


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## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

I used to gig small pubs and clubs with a 100W set up with no problem.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

IMO, if you're going to be gigging, you'll need flexibility. That translates into a head that's around 300 watts @ 8ohms which will boost up to about 500 watts @ 4ohms. This will pretty much run any single and/or 2 cab combinations with as much volume as you'll need. If you're going DI at your gigs, I guess it won't much natter. I don't do it too often myself so I prefer to have the horsepower. However, the heads you mentioned may not keep up at practices with a loud band.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

I agree with Fajah on trying to find something that offers flexibility. I have been on the quest for something that can be used as a practice amp, used in small acoustic style groups and step up to the plate when needed on a loud stage. After going through a number of different combos and head/cab combinations I think I may have finally found what works for me.










Eden CXC110 combo pumps out 200 watts into a single 10" that sounds nice and solid and 330 watts at 4 ohms (by adding an 8 ohm extension cab). The amp slides out of the combo if you want to take it to a gig and connect to the house cab. It has a great feature set (nice eq, compressor, lots of routing, 39 lbs.) and sounds like a pro rig. 

These are discontinued now, but there are other models and brands out there that are similar.


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## RichNick (Oct 7, 2009)

Fajah said:


> IMO, if you're going to be gigging, you'll need flexibility. That translates into a head that's around 300 watts @ 8ohms which will boost up to about 500 watts @ 4ohms.


I agree with Fajah, but I'd say a 300 watts amp is pretty good for a starter.

If the OP has enough $$$, 500 watts will give him headroom.

Look into micro-heads, like Markbass Little Mark (II or III), Gallien-Kruger MB-500, or Hartke LH500. Great bang for the buck.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

You bass guys are funny.

The discrepancy between what one needs for normal gigging purposes for a guitar, and for bass, is substantial. A great many guitar players will do just fine, thank you very much, with a pair of 6V6s or EL84s, and the 18-22W those will produce, going into a pair of 10's or a single 12".

And it's not that bass players are intent on hogging the limelight and overpowering everyone else. Rather:

a) bass can be harder for people to hear, given the properties of human hearing, so more juice is needed to make it audible;
b) there is more onus on bass to be clean, clean, auto-claved laboratory-clean, on both transients and sustain, so the added wattage is a requisite for assuring the sort of headroom that requires.


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

Thanks for the input folks! Now off to find a good used gear sale


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

Hmmm. All the _basses_ have been covered here so to speak. Flexibility is indeed the key. 300 to 500W is what you need, now you just have to wade through the multitudes of offerings out there.


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## bleedingfingers (Sep 25, 2007)

It's already been covered but I'll chime in anyway 
Markbass little mark 2 or now 3 .
500 watts at 4 ohms weight 6 lbs 
IT runs my 210 cab at small gigs and my 410 cab at larger gigs I have also run an 810 svt cab with it .
I've had it for around 3 years now and never had a single problem and I play for a living so it gets used a lot .
I also use it for a jam amp our band hosts every Tuesday .

cheers B.


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

Just as an update, I came across one of those Markbass LM2s used for what seemed to me to be a reasonable price. Now to get a cab!!


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

marauder said:


> Just as an update, I came across one of those Markbass LM2s used for what seemed to me to be a reasonable price. Now to get a cab!!


Been loving my LMII for a couple of years now.


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

Not to argue here, but I've been running my Traynor YBA-200 for years now with no issues. 200 watts, all tube with a 2x10, 1x15 cab. Plenty of headroom in my eyes... or ears


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

Morkolo said:


> Not to argue here, but I've been running my Traynor YBA-200 for years now with no issues. 200 watts, all tube with a 2x10, 1x15 cab. Plenty of headroom in my eyes... or ears


It's the "tube vs. SS" thing. The blues guitar players I usually play with can get quite loud with 22 watt Fender tube amps.


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

Fajah said:


> It's the "tube vs. SS" thing. The blues guitar players I usually play with can get quite loud with 22 watt Fender tube amps.


Just to make it clear, I didn't want to turn it into that... I know those kind tube vs solid state discussions can turn nasty quick. I'm a big fan of solid state amps, I just don't plug into what I have anymore to justify buying another.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

Morkolo said:


> Just to make it clear, I didn't want to turn it into that... I know those kind tube vs solid state discussions can turn nasty quick. I'm a big fan of solid state amps, I just don't plug into what I have anymore to justify buying another.


I'm a fan of both as well although I prefer solid state.


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## woodnoize (Jun 18, 2009)

in reference to the original question.... how much can u carry/lug around? = thats how much amp you need.


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

Actually got to use the LMII in a full-on practice last night. I'm currently running it into an 8 ohm cab, thus am getting 300W. It was fine (and I really like the tone - not something I'm used to in guitar land!), but I think I'd prefer a 4 ohm cab and having the extra watts on hand.


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

marauder said:


> Actually got to use the LMII in a full-on practice last night. I'm currently running it into an 8 ohm cab, thus am getting 300W. It was fine (and I really like the tone - not something I'm used to in guitar land!), but I think I'd prefer a 4 ohm cab and having the extra watts on hand.


Just pick up another 8ohm cab for when you need more headroom.


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## jefelex (Sep 26, 2011)

I use an old Traynor Bass Master with approx 50 watts into a 15" cabinet - all the power I'll ever need for the gigs I play!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Having lots of power is less important than having a good line out (hopefully XLR).

Bass is often the biggest problem for a soundman in that it's omnidirectional and doesn't open up on stage. It always sounds much louder to the crowd than to the bassist and this leads to difficulties.

It's wise to think of your amp as a stage monitor. Let the PA do the heavy lifting.

With that in mind 200 watts is plenty. 100 watts will do.


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## punt (Jul 9, 2011)

Everything has been covered, but a rule of thumb I follow Is to ATLEAST double what the guitars are using.In my band, both guitars are running 120-130 watts tube, so I'm running 300w solid state.

I was taught this when I was learning to play and its kinda always stuck with me, not to mention, being a kid and having an old guy whose been playing longer than I had been alive teaching me, I took most of what he said to heart.

Just my two pennies.


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## Frenchy (Mar 23, 2011)

If your pants aint flapping, you aint got enough juice....:smilie_flagge17:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

There is an interesting interview with studio bass legend Leland Sklar in the current _Vintage Guitar _(actually, the entire issue has a nice emphasis on bass). Sklar notes that he often comes on with a cab sporting a pair of 8's, and can talk over the amps during performance. He notes: "I keep my stage level as low as I can and let the person mixing sound pump it up out there."

As an aside, Sklar is a big fan of Dingwall basses, owns several, and has lots of nice things to say about Sheldon and his basses.


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