I think we’ve hit at the core of why I struggled to get excited by any of the amp options available to me at a reasonable price. I just find solid state in general, and digital in particular, sterile and dull when compared to valves (at least from a marketing point of view - see below). I know solid state doesn’t have to sound sterile and dull and I’m sure the Rumble 40 won’t but, when you look at the options available to bass players compared to what’s available to guitar players, it’s easy to get a bit jelly.
22 Watts, all valve and it looks the business. I’m not even offended by the built in digital reverb. And it costs less than 300 eurobucks!
Note: Typing this, I realise how silly I sound; it is, after all, the sound that’s important. One of the dangers of buying online I’m afraid, you focus on all kinds of nonsense.
Yes, lots of guitar jealousy. I watched NAMM closely this year and 95% of the guitar related products were not for bass. Then again, there are probably 20x more guitar players…
I know this has been beaten to death, but for some reason, we do not really get our heads around it when we’re browsing for gear online (present company included ).
The sound is in the hands.
A little over three years ago, one of my friends who plays guitar (quite proficiently thank you), had the opportunity of a lifetime. He got Allan Holdsworth to hand him his Carvin, which was connected through Allan’s pedal setup (I think it was a MagicStomp, to Allans amp, which was switched on.
Without changing ANY settings.
My friend sounded NOTHING like Allan. Not even close. He was dumbfounded (and I think also disappointed, haha).
Allan has been playing many, many guitars and amps in his career. A Gibson SG, a Gibson hollowbody, an Ibanez signature model, Steibergers, a few from Bill Delap, and ended up playing a signature model from Carvin. Amps: Marshall, Hartley-Thompson, Yamaha, and the lord knows what else.
He ALWAYS sounded like Allan Holdsworth. I’m convinced that, if he’d be alive today, and you’d hand him a guitar and an amp, within 5 minutes he would sound like Allan, and you’d need a guitar aficionado to recognise the equipment by the sound of him playing it.
Being in similar situation as OP, (mainly headphone practice) I first tried iRig but hated the sound and very hard to differentiate my playing from recording I’m playing along. I bought the Rumble 40 and plug headphones into that and connect iPad to AUX input. I love this setup. When I’ve got the house to myself, unplug headphones and turn it up to 11.
Aren’t they the ones that blow up a lot lol?
A mate of mine has a Tri-Rec Bugera and loves them.
The good folks on here helped him get an endorsment deal with Bugera.
That one you posted looks good value.
Take a listen to the VOX VX50BA, basic but nice sound, only about 10 lbs (4.4 kg). I just pick it up with my bass on my back and walk over to friend’s house to jam. This is real quality of life…
It’s very strange. The sound of the shower, toilet, echo of the bathroom will intensify or trigger it. Metal music does too, but I don’t listen that loud. Will be seeing the ENT this year…
So I took your advice @howard and found myself a Fender Rumble 15 on Craigslist for CAD$50. It’s perfect for my apartment.
My BF also bought a Kustom for me to use at his place. I’m stoked. We brought the Kustom to a cabin we rented last week and it was awesome.
I with my super limited information at the time I went with the original idea here and got myself a Focusrite Scarlet Solo.
It is great for doing the course for sure but if I knew my options better, I would have gone for the VOX AMPLUG BASS. DAI Does not have any tone control and after a while it felt super dull with my passive bass (Cort Action PJ 4).
My new bass should arrive these days and it is active this time around (Cort A4 Plus) so do you guys think it would get me going for some time without buying any tone control pedal?
I am thinking to get the AMPLUG BASS anyway thinking it creates super independency. However I was able to connect the scarlet solo to my phone so I can already use it anywhere.
Any must have cheap solutions to make my life more ‘colorful’ ? That Behringer BDI for example?
I might get something like the Behringer at some point but it makes my setup even more “cabely” and stationary…
Recently I managed to make myself an OTG-Y cable to connect the Focusrite to my Android phone while supplying it from a powerbank which was a bit of work but fun at that as well.
Still nothing would beat just plugging the AmPlug and go…
Edit: Also found this video on how to use Amp Simulations on PC. I have tried only the windows drivers so far and they were super delayed… Can’t wait to go home and try this one.
I use a Pod HD500 from Line 6. Since i also play guitar once in a while it works out great for me. Amp sim, pedal board and audio interface all in one.
On vacation i take my short scale bass with a zoom b1xon and a Vox Amplug for some more Volume .
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