BillFitzmaurice.info

Several threads have discussed e-bass amp power needs recently. I thought we could have a simple poll to see what the bass players on this forum bring to stage. If you use multiple rigs just vote your average rig, the one that's enough for most gigs. Not that mother of all rigs that you don't actually need more than once every five years. If you don't play bass but know what the bass player in your band uses then do feel free to add.

I have two amps, 200W and 400W. Both provide enough juice for me. So my vote is 200W-400W.

Since I have just started playing bass, what I'll use is more the question. 250 WRMS @ 8 Ohms. Now, I just need a decent pre-amp.

Oops. I voted 400-1000W because I'm so used to hearing my Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 talked about in terms its 600W capability. But, in reality, it puts 375W into 8ohms, so I guess I should have voted 200-400W. Either way, I don't think more than 400W are NEEDED even though my amp can do more.

My PLX-3002 weighs the same as the 1202, so I take the 3002...

250 W at 4ohm RMS, (Real McCoy Sounds) from an old Trace Elliot. I'd need a full arena sized gig to need any more I'm sure, like that's ever going to happen.

I only run 1x 8 ohm cab and that's plenty loud.

David Carter wrote:... But, in reality, it puts 375W into 8ohms, so I guess I should have voted 200-400W. ....

...well Bill gave me a five horser for not reading the plans...this is a far more serious offence!

350@8ohms for small gigs and 2000+ for everything else.

175@8ohms in my 12" combo. Loud enough to overwhelm the drummer, and enough to play smaller venues without PAs.

Harley, I do believe that is the first time I've seen you give away a Six Pack.


When I do FOH, the kiddie bands bring in the monster amps and 810 cabs.
The pros bring an Ampeg B15 cube, or something equally as small.

I bring the PLX-3002 because it is in the rack, and paid for.
Back in the Bad Ol' Days when I played sub-synth down to 23 Hz, I needed that much power, and lots of speakers.

650w x 2, but the amp's barely on.

My personal tube amp has been measured at ~75 watts/8 ohm, but I'm "borrowing"/sharing a 150w S.S. Yorkville PA amp for now (2-O10.5's).

TomS

Well, I used to use a 1600w setup with an 810. I always felt it didn't quite give the amount of power you'd expect from such a large rig.

Then I got an O10, and dropped the 810. Obviously volume/low-end isn't comparable, but it cut through well enough and was waaaay more articulate.

Then I got a tube head. It looks like it's about 100W total... and volume-wise, it decimates the 1600w rig. Just tears it up. Not to mention that the sound was also much more articulate. So I voted 100-200w, which is counter-intuitive considering how freaking loud the rig actually can go. I've never run the amp past volume 3 in fear that I'll blow the speakers.

I have a Crown XTi 1000 and an Ashdown preamp with an Omni 10 and an Omni 10.5. So I can be 250 watts into 8 ohms, 500 into 4 ohms or run them both and be 750 into 8 and 4 on two sides of the amp. Next summer I am scrapping the Omni's and replacing them with 4 Jack 110's. Then I can do all of the above and also do 500 watts into 4 ohms times two.

It will be loud, articulate, ear level and still not compete with the PA.

A couple weeks ago we played a show with one of the bigger sound companies in town. He commented after the show how great my tone was and now nice it was to mix our band since he didn't have to fight my stage sound. He took cell phone pics of my bass rig and I directed him to this site.

Is that because it's missing sub freq or because you have it pointed at your ears so it just isn't turned up as loud as your average bass rig?

400-1000 w Latin music is full of percussion also i like to have power to spare