• Registered: 2011-05-30
  • Posts: 85

Topic: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

I dabble in bass and am looking for any suggestions on a small bass amp (bonus for lightweight) with direct out.  I've read good things about the SansAmp DI thing.   Thanks.

2 Reply by Tenement Funster (edited by Tenement Funster 2014-01-01 00:25:11)

  • From: Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Registered: 2013-01-20
  • Posts: 4,083

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

Hi Cork ...

I've also been considering a bass, and have also been trying out various practice amps. I have to say I'm quite impressed with the Fender "Rumble" series. A Rumble 30 (weighs 29 lbs @ 30 watts) and can be bought for under $200, while a Rumble 75 (weighs 46 lbs @ 75 watts) can be bought for under $250. They also make a Rumble 15, but they don't have much punch.

I'm not familiar with the SansAmp DI that you mention, so can't comment.

All the best!

  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,704

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

Hi guys, may I offer; a larger amp (the 75watt) would be more serviceable as you could play it at larger gigs, whereas the smaller might be good at smaller halls, it might just get "lost" at a larger venus. Ergo; size does matter, you can always turn a more powerful amp down....

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • Registered: 2011-05-30
  • Posts: 85

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

Thanks for the input.   My thinking with "going small" is running the amp into the PA system.   (Plus, the less heavy gear the better.)  I know Carvin makes a micro bass amp that's about 30 lbs. as well.

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

If you're going to run the amp into the PA,  just forgo the amp, buy a nice bass effects board, and run it's output directly to the PA.   That gets you your amplification, a ton of tones, and means you're not tossing out gear if you decide to get a real amplifier in the future.    Bass needs amps to push those low frequencies.  I've got a 250W Ampeg and it was big enough for smaller venues and bars, but gets swallowed up in bigger places.

I've got a Zoom B9 stomp box that is fantastic.   Zoom makes good stuff.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website

  • Registered: 2011-05-30
  • Posts: 85

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

I haven't played much bass -- how many different effects are there for bass?

  • From: Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Registered: 2013-01-20
  • Posts: 4,083

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

Don't know how many there are, but a good wahwah sounds awesome for a bass solo, especially when the bridge pickup is used along with an actual pick. Chris Squire (Yes) used to do some bass solo stuff on his old Rickenbacker, with some overdrive + wahwah ... I always thought it sounded great.

8 Reply by e s shaw (edited by e s shaw 2014-01-02 20:22:37)

  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2013-12-18
  • Posts: 33

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

Best bass amp I ever owned was a 200 Watt Randall 4-channel power mixer. It  looked
similar to what turned out to be an extremely popular item, the Mesa Boogie
Head, or any of those two piece amp and speaker setups like the Marshall stack
You've got Peavy, Mackie, Yamaha, and a bunch of others, including Mesa.
Dang,  I donated it to the church when I moved. Regret that.
Naturally you need lines and speakers outs. I wouldn't go overboard
on built in effects, but that's my own tastes.

Classic Gospel and Traditional Hymns
[url]http://yourlisten.com/ed_shaw[/url]

e s shaw's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Bass Amp with Direct Ou

Cork_92 wrote:

I haven't played much bass -- how many different effects are there for bass?

About as many as there are for guitar.  There are 80 preset patches on my pedal board, and that's just from the factory.   You have the same kind of head/cab modeling wizardry you see with guitars, too.

Point being, if you're going to go DI, then you can give yourself a whole lot more flexibility and growth potential by using something to act as a line input into your PA rather than getting a cheaper, smaller amp you aren't going to like.   In fact, if you're going to go directly into your PA you don't need any equipment at all.   Just plug the guitar directly into one of the board's line inputs and be done with it.   If you want the signal treated, you can just use a patch send or aux send to do it, just like you would any other signal on your board.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

jerome.oneil's Website