Decent bass practice amp

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    It's not cheap and almost certainly not what you're looking for, but a friend of mine brought round one of the Phil Jones 'Double Four' practice combos the other day...

    Quite an odd thing - it's very clean-sounding and the controls need to all be wound up a long way to get what sounds like much out of it, and it's supposedly rated at 70W, which sounds ludicrous at first because it's really not loud at all, even given the tiny speakers, which can't be very efficient - you can easily talk over it even when it's up full. But in fact, it has a curious characteristic in that it's actually louder than it seems in terms of filling a space - especially if you put it on the floor, which really adds a lot of deep low-end. It has a passive radiator on the back too, and it seems very undirectional. You might even be able to get away with it for a quiet coffee-bar type gig, although I'm not sure.

    It's very much a 'jazz' bass sound and not a 'rock' one though - it's almost impossible to make it do anything other than a very clean controlled tone, there's no real punch or attack to it. Very specific, and probably the opposite of what you want!

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • RockerRocker Frets: 4947
    p90fool said:
    I have a Blackstar Fly3 bass amp, with the extension cab. It may be too small for what you want, but it sounds ridiculously good for jamming with YouTube stuff or just general practising without pissing the neighbours off. (Bass frequencies really travel through walls.)

    We even use it for band rehearsals, along with an e-drum kit. 
    Absolutely spot on @p90fool, I have one, minus the extension cab, next to my computer for the same reason you mention.  It is 'not too bad' as a guitar amp when trying YouTube stuff.  Plugging the bass into a MarkBass or any gigging type bass amp is an entirely different experience but the Fly3 does all you might need at sensible volume.
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23955
    ICBM said:
    It's not cheap and almost certainly not what you're looking for, but a friend of mine brought round one of the Phil Jones 'Double Four' practice combos the other day...

    Quite an odd thing - it's very clean-sounding and the controls need to all be wound up a long way to get what sounds like much out of it, and it's supposedly rated at 70W, which sounds ludicrous at first because it's really not loud at all, even given the tiny speakers, which can't be very efficient - you can easily talk over it even when it's up full. But in fact, it has a curious characteristic in that it's actually louder than it seems in terms of filling a space - especially if you put it on the floor, which really adds a lot of deep low-end. It has a passive radiator on the back too, and it seems very undirectional. You might even be able to get away with it for a quiet coffee-bar type gig, although I'm not sure.

    It's very much a 'jazz' bass sound and not a 'rock' one though - it's almost impossible to make it do anything other than a very clean controlled tone, there's no real punch or attack to it. Very specific, and probably the opposite of what you want!
    They are odd things.

    One of my favourite recorded tones uses PJB stuff - Kyle Eastwood's "Metropolitain" album.

    It's a lovely plumy thick but articulate tone that just seems to be there rather than punchy.




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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    fretmeister said:

    They are odd things.

    One of my favourite recorded tones uses PJB stuff - Kyle Eastwood's "Metropolitain" album.

    It's a lovely plumy thick but articulate tone that just seems to be there rather than punchy.
    Yes, exactly. It doesn't sound 'loud' at all, but when you stop playing you realise just how much you were *feeling* it all around you.

    Probably exactly what you *don't* want if you're trying not to annoy other people in the house.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23955
    I can get a good version of that tone, and I have to say I am liking it more and more.
    It's just far more versatile than I expected.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Rumble 40 in da house here. 

    It’s just so light, blows my mind. It has been used in a couple of band contexts as well and kept up better than you’d think. 

    Okay for clean guitar if you mess with the EQ knobs a lot. I’m not sure it would be ideal as an only guitar amp unless you only play 80s jazz funk. But as a make louder device if you have nothing else it works. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • joetelejoetele Frets: 947
    Another vote for the Rumble 40 - I was going to go smaller but needed the XLR out for recording. Blown away by the quality, price and weight. 
    MUSIC: Pale Blurs
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  • BorkBork Frets: 252
    edited June 2021
    The EBS Session 60 combo is outstanding in almost every way.  It's a rare thing, in my experience, when there are almost no compromises .   Clean, warm without being boomy and well built for the price.  The cabinet is a tiltback design so you can play standing  up and they're relatively affordable on the second hand market.  I've owned two in the past because I kept coming back to them after trying other things.

    [This space for rent]

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  • SnapSnap Frets: 6256
    I have a Fly with the extension cab. It's OK but tbh you can't expect much from a couple of tiny speakers. It struggles with any real volume and even more so with an active circuit going into it. Having said that, I have it sitting on my desk and use it a fair bit, but it's not a true practice amp really: you hear a lot more through what I'd call a proper amp.

    the fly is IMO a step up from playing with no amp, but that's as far as it goes. good for what it is, but limited.
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    I’d like a practice amp for my short scale, trying to decide between a Fender Rumble 15, Harte HD15, and EBS Classic Session 30 - the EBS is tiny and has a DI out which would very useful for recording so that’s winning the head at the moment. Anyone compared any of these?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Out of those I would get the EBS - it's a step up from all the 15W ones I've heard and not that much more expensive. (Although I haven't played the Hartke.)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    ICBM said:
    Out of those I would get the EBS - it's a step up from all the 15W ones I've heard and not that much more expensive. (Although I haven't played the Hartke.)
    I think you’re right, and I live about a mile away from Bass Direct it turns out so I can keep it local too! 
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  • Born2BMildBorn2BMild Frets: 18
    I play bass and acoustic and electric guitars. I recommend a Fishman Loudbox mini charge.

    It covers everything and performed admirially on my last pub gig using a 78 Fender Precision 
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  • mbembe Frets: 1840
    I use an EBS Classic 30 and I think they are worth every penny. I use the DI out to our PA and my little Mustang bass sounds gorgeous.
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