BASS through a bass amp??

If you have a mixing board and a DI box, you are set. Just run your head phones off the mixing board.

Update on previous dilemma...

Courtesy eBay and your suggestions, I found a pre-Fender SWR Bass 350 and an Avatar 4x10 cabinet. Sounds righteous and all within budget and on time for GF's birthday.

Thanks everyone!

I've had an SWR Super Redhead (pre-Fender) for a million years, and it's a damn good amplifier that does everything and doesn't break. It doesn't get quite the "barks when you push it" overdriven sound I like these days without help from a pedal, but it always sounds nice and organic and it is very versatile (I keep the goddamn tweeter off at all times, mind you). SWR is the only hybrid gear that I like, but I've never warmed (HA!) to their stuff without pre-amp tubes.

I really like all-tube heads! The thing not to forget is that you are still playing a bass through the amps, and the bass makes a huge difference -- I don't love Fender Precisions through Ampeg or Orange for anything but HEAVY ROCK, MAN, but I like fancy-ass handmade super articulate instruments with passive electronics, and the marriage of fusion chops-monster instrument to psychedelic caveman amp sounds really good to me. There's substance and weight, but not sludge. I was surprised -- but not really -- to discover recently that a lot of players who use the boutique Super J basses use them in passive mode most of the time.

The other thing about Ampegs is that their are maintenance-intensive and that companies calling themselves Ampeg have made some garbage amps over the years. If you have $2,000 to spend on a new head, get something from a small builder.

XP - Sweet, I really abused a Bass 350 for about 7 years straight on a regular basis with it gave me right back what I threw at it.