A guide to buying bass amps - By: Mike Short

When you are looking to find a new bass amp, there are a number of factors to take into account. There are many brands and types of amps on the market and the choice can sometimes be overwhelming. And recommendations can often be very subjective, so it important to work out what you like and what you will need the amp for.

It is probably prudent to consider first and foremost, what power you will need the bass amp to be. Will you be just playing in a small bedroom or home studio, or will you be performing in larger size venues with a band? If you will be more of a home or garage band bass player then you will probably be best with what we call a combo amp – where the speaker and amplifier are the same piece of equipment. For more professional performance amps you will be needing to consider a another type of amp called the head. Here you will be relying on the venue's sound system to provide the speaker element and you just provide a more powerful amp.

You could then choose between the more retro tube powered systems or the a more modern solid state. Of course, many prefer the tonal quality and warmth of the tube amps. But solid state amps are good enough for beginners and you will tend to get more power in the amp for your pounds. Many new amps on offer today include many preset tones and effects within the unit so you can manipulate and emulate many different tones with the one bass guitar. So here you could find a tube amp sound setting on a solid state rig. Of course, these are often to personal and musical taste, so be sure to try them out and play away before you buy. Some players prefer to add separate bass pedal as they go along as opposed to having lots of circuitry and novelty items within their amp.

Finally speaker size and the number of speakers in one amp is another point of choice. Many bass players tend to prefer to use a 4x10 cab, which they consider to be deliver a tighter bass sound, especially suitable for smaller venues. The type of bass sound you are after – tight or less so – can determine which is the best speaker configuration for you. Sometimes 15 inch speakers are more suitable. A tried and tested recommended model may be the Ampeg SVT-410HLF is a single, compact cabinet combo amplifier with four 10 inch speakers working together to move a tremendous amount of air, able to reach down to a rumbling 28 Hertz. These 10 inch speakers are said to be able to move more air than the larger 15 inch alternative.

About the Author

Precise Audio are a sound system rental company and now also stock a range of bass amps including the Ampeg SVT-410HLF combo cabinet.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Mike-Short/233686

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