Bruno Maia

Just to clarify a bit more about power, both TC BAM200 and Warkick Gnome are not so accurate in their specs. They lure consumers saying the power is 200W. To start , they are class C amps which waste about 30% of the power to heat. Then comes the total power consumption which is about 80W. It is impossible to create power like magic. The output is about 50-60W RMS just like the Micromark. 200W refers to peak power from capacitors which buffer some power for the sake of puch atack like a flashlight from a camera. It lasts miliseconds. The continuous power is about 30% less than the input power for Class C transistors. Class D digital amps however lose only 10% of the power. My GK 210ii class D for example has an input power of 600W max which makes 500W sound about right. I am not sure if BAM or Gnome woud sound louder than a Micromark with an external cabinet. I found a video of me playing a Fender with the Micromark, as captured by a GoPro (plus u2b upload audio compression which is a shame), also was using a Zoom B1xOn.

I own a GK MB210ii a combo with 2x10" + tweeter. It has a wonderful GK sound, class D digital combo yielding 340W, more than twice the power you will ever need for a double bass on stage, with possibility to add an extra 8Ohms speaker to unleash 500W. Besides that you can add powered MBP cabinets to stack up to 2000W, if you are going to share the stage with Vinnie Colayuta or Dennis Chambers... Power apart, I also own a Markbass Micromark 8" 50W with 8Ohms extra cabinet outlet, likely an unique feature for its size. That is my work combo for pub gigs. My major concern lately is the headroom/weight ratio + NOT made in China + nice sound. (Yes, I do boycot China as much as possible for many reasons, including slavery, tyrany, etc.) For me as a Jazz double bassist power is not about volume. The fact is that power for double bassists is about clarity from having more headroom. Larger venues will have a PA that is suitable for the bass as well. Combos become mere stage monitors in that case. My GK combo weighs about 16KG and "assembled in the USA" under their QA specs. (Still it's made in China, which sucks to me.) The GK sound is happy days. The Markbass (made in Indonesia) CMD 121P weighs about 12KG, which would be an advantage IMO. It sounds great. In France I played in a basement on a Jeff Berlin Black Line Series 15" which also sounded great. The gain knob was at 10% and master at 50% and I was asked to turn it down... Same usually happens to my GK. My little Micromark (also made in Indonesia) is my choice for pub gigs because it weights about 7KG and does the job for Jazz double bass gigs in pubs. Be in no misatake that little box can get really loud and amazingly fat for its size, in detriment to the sound clarity. That analog amp starts to kick in a compressor which ruins any £30k double bass timber when playing above 70% power. Unless you are a rockabilly player going loud on a small 8" box is not a good idea. Recently, I have also spotted the GR . They build in Italy a new carbon fiber box, a 12" GR Bass SLC800 combo that weights just 9KG, currently priced at £1.4k. More specs can be found here https://www.thomann.de/gb/gr_bass_slc800_superlight_series.htm I have never heard its sound live but I bet I would not regret it. My lightweight MB210 combo feels heavier by the day as I grow older. That headroom/weight ratio is unbeatable. The GR may be my posh suggestion (again, not heard it live yet) I would strongly suggest anyone who plays the double bass to think about a HPF which can cut under 40Hz to eliminate the sub-harmonics feedback buzz typically bugging bassists when the drummer starts to hit it harder just like Vinnie Colayuta and Dennis Chambers and you must turn around and go up a notch on your amp to even hear yourself. High Pass Filters (Low Cut if you want) are present on some amp heads, but hard to buy separetely. Rafferty, an Irish pedal maker makes some. He can be found somewhere in FB. Also placing the amp to my right side to avoid resonating the bass chamber as much as possible works for me ( plus because the drummer is usually to my left if he/she/it wants to hear me the hands will not be so ruthlessly heavy on the drums like VC/DC... ) Good groovers, all the best.

Hora has a u2b video about their slim DB. I guess that is the same one sold by Thomann.

I thought any double bass would fit upside down on passenger seat of most cars. If the neck does not detach, it is the same hasttle for flights. Less weight to carry to/fro the car is the only positive factor I see here, which would be much appreciated by my sore back. Although I use Bass wheels, sometimes it is necessary tro lift, daily climb up stairs to my home studio, stages, etc.