Paul, out of curiosity if I may - did you ever play your guitar through the C2 cabinet?
Short answer: yes, but it won’t sound like a typical guitar cab rig. Just try it out 
1 Like
Hi all, I’m new here, in fact, I’ve just created my account so I could post a reply here!
I’m also looking for a decent bass amp set up with a max budget of 400 EUR and came across this great discussion, thank you maarten for posting!
I love the sound of a P-bass on an Ampeg SVT. However, that would be a waste of money for someone with my current skills, I’m a beginner and I’m not expecting a very rapid learning curve as I’m only starting to learn how to play bass now in my mid-30s (however, it has been a dream of mine for many years so I’m not planning on giving up).
I’m torn between these two options:
Or
The Warwick option is approximately €150 more expensive but is also double the wattage.
Does the single valve in the Joyo compensate for the lack of power?
How different would the sound be between these two options?
Is there a better alternative (for solo practice) within this price range?
I would go ahead and buy that P bass and Ampeg combo amp. I think you’re underselling how much progress, how quickly you’ll make when get going. I’m in my late 40s and was posting covers 3 months after buying my first bass. If you go with less than what you actually want, you’re just going to end up spending even more later to correct that.
3 Likes
I’m gonna agree with @faydout about progression speed - I’m in my early 40s, and I just started back in April. After only 8 weeks I recorded this cover of Lovefool by The Cardigans (the song was actually part of one of the lessons). And now around the 5 month mark, I just posted this cover of The Future is a Foreign Land by Ghost.
Granted I was doing 2 lessons a day for the first 6 weeks. But still, you’ll probably pick up the basics faster than you think.
If you want to really save money, there’s always headphone amps like the Fender Mustang Micro Plus and the Boss Katana Go. It does make it harder to play for others, but you can make it work by connecting the headphone output into a stereo or powered speakers.
3 Likes
Did you have a look at the Ampeg SVT Micro Head Bundle? It’s a bit more expensive but not that much.
2 Likes
Hey and welcome From the research I’ve done and if I remember correctly the B110 cab has some mixed reviews (which doesn’t mean it’s bad, there are some very opinionated folks out there ). Didn’t find much on the Warwick cabs but Thomann and Sweetwater reviews are generally good.
You can also pair the Joyo with a Warwick cab for example in either 4 or 8 Ohm (at reduced power). There is a 1x10 8 Ohm that seems well priced at 194 EUR and may suit you more than a 2x8; but I struggled with making a selection there as well.
50W at 4Ohm will be plenty loud for practicing; at 8 Ohm it will be 30ish W and still loud . The Gnome is rated at 200W at 4 Ohm and a bit over half that at 8 Ohm impedance, also plenty loud.
If you need louder later a second cabinet can be added (mind the impedance though, not all combinations might work depending on the amp). The Warwicks have 2 parallel inputs, all you need is 1 more cable.
I read a lot of good things about the Warwick Gnome and for me the only issue was its cooling fan (a bit loud and some find to too loud in quieter settings). That might not bother you at all or might not be an issue where you will play.
There are some sound demos on the various retailers pages and YouTube of course; I liked both the Joyo and the Gnome (and a lot of other amps too 
it took me ages to decide.
There is the Ampeg Micro CL 100W mini stack (Thomann has it for 449 EUR now) and the SVT Micro stack (well over budget though) that Paul and Paul_9207 suggested.
If that is for sure out of the budget maybe there is a preamp pedal from Joyo, Sonicake or such that can get you closer to that sound without adding too much to the budget, but I’m not certain on this.
I hope I’m not too far off the mark with all this, I’m not that knowledgeable on this; above is what I’ve learned from everyone here and internet research. Let us know what you’re getting!
1 Like
I’m playing guitar now through my PJB Bass Cub Pro and C4 cab. Sounds weird so uber clean so I put a Tonex pedal on the effects loop. It’s magical. And, it’s louder than loud. Stoopid loud. Crazy.
3 Likes
Cool! I look forward to trying it out
@RB12 Thomann is having a sale until the 28th and the Joyo cab is one of the discounted gear, maybe other nice things too. Also, kudos to them - I ordered a B-stock of a (guitar) amp head and it turned out to not be in stock - they honored the order and shipped me a new one at the B-stock price.
2 Likes
For my practice rig I’m very happy with my TC Electronics BH250 head sitting atop a Hartke HD112. The Hartke cab has switchable 4/8 ohms. The TC Electronics amp has the toneprint feature which is fun to play with. I usually keep the Spectracomp on there for a bit of compression, but chorus and other effects are fun to play around with.
2 Likes
Does the TC have a foot switch plug in? That would make the toneprint support even cooler. I run the plethora X5 on my guitar board. It’s a great no BS multi effect. Having the same sort of functionality right in the head would be a really cool perk.
No. Although I believe its big brother, the BH550 does. It has two switchable toneprints that I’m pretty sure can be controlled by a footswitch.
Thank you @faydout and CrayWolf for the encouraging words! And congrats on your rapid progress!
Thank you @maarten for sharing your research. I’m inclined to get the Ampeg SVT Micro Head Bundle rather than buying something cheaper that might get replaced in a few months as you, @Paul and @Paul_9207 suggested but I’m not in a rush, I’ve started learning with a Vox AmPlug 3 Bass (a 45€ mini headphone amp).
To add to your comment about Thomann, my brother is a jazz musician (multi-instrumentalist, can play guitar, bass, drums, trumpet and keys) and has spent probably tens of thousands of EUR/GBP on Thomann and MusicStore over the years and Thomann always stands out as the best customer service.
6 Likes
I used a Vox AmPlug for a long time, took a while before I bought my first amp but not for want of wanting one.
I deeply admire your brother’s many talents, but the spend must be mindboggling indeed
1 Like
Just a short update to thank everyone for the advice and feedback. Very pleased with the PJB C2 and Darkglass combination. Compact, versatile (more than I thought it would be). Love the way it sounds and it’s perfect for my home practice.
2 Likes
Perfect and good to hear!
Time to post in Show us your amps 