Hello friendly people I’d like to pick your brains for a new amp for home practice, something that sounds “fat” enough but controlled at lower volume levels. I had a small GK MB110 amp (that broke and no repair service here, really liked it though) and a Boss Katana 210 that was sold - did not like the app at all, did not use any effects besides a bit of drive and compression.
I’m thinking of getting a small head - something like
Warwick Gnome regular or Pro
tc electronic BQ500 (on sale right now at Thomann)
Joyo Bantamp (heard good things)
or if I could stretch the budget a Darkglass Microtubes 200 maybe, listened to some demos and thought it sounded really good but it would be a cheaper cabinet then.
All have headphones out, line in and DI but I can’t tell if that’s post EQ or not. Not sure if there’s anything else I need to worry about.
The reasons I’m thinking head + cabinet is that I’ve only ever had combos and that I could try a speaker configuration that I might not find in a combo. If said cabinet for bonus points could do guitar head amp duty as well that would be a plus (meaning it should be 8 Ohm). The latter is not a must, just a bonus.
As for cabinets I’ve been looking at
Warwick (has basically anything - single 8, 10, 12 or 15, then 2x10 or 4x8) at very reasonable seeming prices, especially the singles
Phil Jones has a 4x7 that looks intriguing, would mean a cheaper head though since this is on the higher end of my budget)
Thomann also has their own Harley Benton brand and another brand named EBS that seems to be in the price range in 2x10.
So quite a lot of options and combinations, no way to try out combinations for myself (barely any music shops locally and they stock basically Fender, Ampeg and Boss combos). I like the Fender Rumble 100 combo and I’ve considered it, but I want to try something else which I think is entirely valid as a reason . A compressor pedal and a drive and I’d probably have everything I need. Thanks in advance for weighing in!
I don’t think in a small form factor the head+cab variations will give you a tremendous amount of meaninful differentiated options., but you never know.
I have the Phil Jones Bass Cub Pro and it is outstanding, and can take an external cabinet as well as the onboard speakers (I added a Phil Jones 4x5 cab just for screaming volume fun. Note this is a very clean setup, and I use preamp pedals to color sound.
I also like very much the mini ampeg setups (have tried them in stores, and if not for the PJB purchase, I would have bought this (also able to swap speaker cabs…
Thank you! I’m looking at the Phil Jones cabs indeed. The C2 (2x5) and C4 (4x5) would work better for my room than the CAB 2x7 or 4x7 designs I think (bass reflex so where it sits matters). Clean is good, there are preamps and pedals for taste and style. In more traditional designs I’d lean towards a 2x10 over a 1x12 or 1x15 I think.
The amps I was looking at look reasonably similar; depends a bit on how much the cab ends up at to see what room there is. PJ + Darkglass could be a nice combination but it is more than I’d like to spend for now.
I cycle between the Darkglass Bk7, the OE BassRig black (fender), the Ampeg SGT-DI and a very boutique-y Beatles pedal that simulates a full Vox amp…It is a lot of fun finding cool tones.
I’ve not owned or heard a real life Darkglass yet but I did like the sound demos a lot. I think I’ll decide first on the cabinet (leaning towards a Phil Jones over the Ampeg SVT-210). The price difference between the 4 models (compact C2/C4 and CAB27/47) is not large, but I can’t demo them anywhere. Need to look into the amp part further; from brief research the tc electronics models are supposedly somewhat neutral so that would probably pair well enough then with a preamp of choice. Not finding much on the Bantamp bass.
Having many options is simultaneously good and decision paralysis inducing
Thanks Paul, I don’t doubt it! I also saw the Ampeg 210 is Thomann’s most popular 2x10, seems like many agree with you The head has a fan that I’ve read that can be quite noisy and noticeable in practice settings though, as do some class D heads like the Warwick Gnome.
I’ve added the Phil Jones C2 to my shopping basket (in red no less) also based on @John_E s positive remark on the Bass Cub Pro as being very clean. Not entirely sure on the amp yet but leaning towards a simple tc electronics BQ500 + preamp.
Thank you! There´s such a wealth of knowledge here and I’ve come across a few posts here and there that lead me to think that the PJ C2 or C4 + the tc electronics BQ250 or BQ500 would pair well (e.g. this post by Paul: TC Electronics - #61 by Paul ). Clear and transparent (probably painfully so, from a bass playing technique point ). I foresee more gear related issues descending into preamp territory to add some colour.
Since those, minus the Behringer BDI21, are usually not cheap, and I can’t actually try out any, maybe some simulator would be a way to cut expenses in trying out new stuff. Something like the Valeton GP5 or ToneX pedal maybe? I only have a tuner and an (inexpensive) compressor pedal now. I am trying to get away from apps and software though.
Not sure why you wouldn’t just get a PJB head that basically has the C2 built in, has an effects loop, and can connect to other cabs. Whats the drive for the TC electronics?
Thank you for the suggestion! It would open more possibilities as opposed to running the tc electronic as flat as possible and having the preamp as a pedal, correct?
Looking at what Thomann has up to 400ish EUR I’m seeing
Quilter Interbass 45 – United States - had sort of discarded this because of no line in, but that could be on a pedal perhaps then. A friend that I consider knowledgeable really likes Quilter things but on guitar, so I don’t know if that carries over.
Warwick Gnome/TE Elf (those seem very very similar but the consensus seems that the cooling fan is loud and not temperature controlled)
the Little Mark and Nano Mark heads
So that sort of expands the selection if that is a criterium this is hard! Especially since I can’t try out in person and can’t even easily send back stuff (due to high shipping costs and reclaiming import duties paid on returned goods).
Fair question John! Something like the Phil Jones BG-120 Bass Combo – United States ? I’ve only had combo amps so far and wanted to try a cab + head setup to try different amps. The C2 seems a cab that fits my need (practice amp, living room-ish space) and I’m sort of curious to hear how 5in cones manage to work for bass.
So I was looking for a not too expensive head that would pair well with it and the tc electronics was one that surfaced often. It’s entirely forum/youtube based research, if it’s not Fender or Boss I can’t go and hear it in a shop where I live.
I wouldn’t consider the Quilter Interbass 45. That is not enough power to drive your C2 properly. That Bugera does look interesting, 2000w holy moly
The little mark is a good choice and I heard the Warwick Gnome Pros are quite good too. You got so many possibilities! You might wanna check out the used market for “cheap” amps.
and took that to mean a PJB combo. I did look at the PJB heads but budget runs higher that I’d like to with the D-400; the BP-200 would work-ish (bit of the upper range of what I was thinking of spending).
As for wattage, bedroom volumes means I could probably get by with lower power? So even the 45W of the Quilter or the 50W of the Joyo Badass should be enough. The Bugera would be used at 1% and I’d rather not blow up the cab (but maybe I shouldn’t worry too much about that).
What is it you like about the Joyo? It look a bit funny but it ticks a lot of feature boxes. A few positive comments on thomann from C2/C4 pairings too.
The Gnomes and Elves have a bit noisy, always on fans. Not a problem for many but I found a recording on YT of the Elf and I think I would find it annoying.
No used market here, I find only tiny Rumble 15 and 25s and some truly ancient combos that would mean instant divorce if one takes up residence in the living room.
Something like the tce BQ250/500 (40 EUR difference) leaves budget for a preamp if it’s too neutral, leaving (seemingly) more avenues open; that’s a problem that the Darkglass wouldn’t have and I sort of like how it sounds - but no fx loop on that one either and it might not be as flexible as the tce when it comes to preamps? I’m probably overthinkplanning this.
I’ll order the cab tomorrow but I’m really not sure about the amp. Really appreciate all the input and feedback!
My advice: don’t get too hung up on the FX loop and go watch some YT vids and decide what you like. Darkglass without drive is really clean too (still my favorite of the list)
Thanks again Paul. (I had a hard time finding a tube.. or an amp… in that YouTube short but it was very funny and all very familiar if you have dogs )
I spent more time on YT and thomann than I did practising this weekend… but trying to make an informed as possible decision since returning something is so hard. Appreciate all the advice!
Ordered the C2 (in red!). The most likely candidate for an amp is your recommendation for the Darkglass Microtubes 200.
The Microtubes 500 looks great too; it’s twice the price, am considering raising the budget but that’s likely money not well spent paired with a cab as small as a C2. But if I would it would open other options as well, like the D-400.
The tc electronics eliminated themselves from the equation by going out of stock for weeks to months which was helpful of them; the Joyo by virtue of being green, so with a red cab it’s like permanent Christmas.
Nice! The C2 in red looks amazing. I can totally picture the green Joyo on top though, that must be a bit much
I think the Microtubes is a really solid choice. You’re basically getting a great drive built in, which saves you from buying a separate DG pedal that would almost cost as much as the amp itself.
With the C2 at 8 ohms the Microtubes will give you around 100 to 120 watts. If you want to squeeze out the full 200 you can always add a second C2 and link them. The 200 is perfectly safe to use with just one cab, while the 500 has more power than the C2 can handle so you’d need to show a little restraint.
Honestly I’d just go for this setup for now. Your upgrade path will change over time anyway. I started with a TC Bam 200 and ended up cycling through almost every amp out there.
I’d like to pick your brains for a new amp for home practice, something that sounds “fat” enough but controlled at lower volume levels. I had a small GK MB110 amp (that broke and no repair service here, really liked it though) and a Boss Katana 210 that was sold - did not like the app at all, did not use any effects besides a bit of drive and compression.
). I foresee more gear related issues descending into preamp territory to add some colour.
this is hard! Especially since I can’t try out in person and can’t even easily send back stuff (due to high shipping costs and reclaiming import duties paid on returned goods).
and I’d rather not blow up the cab (but maybe I shouldn’t worry too much about that).
but it was very funny and all very familiar if you have dogs 