JMT3781 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Hi there everybody.. I've decided to tap into the basschat community for some advice.. I work in the family owned music shop, and the bass section is becoming more and more my responsibility. At the moment we are stocking... Cruiser - beginner combos Marshall - Upmarket beginner combos Ashton - Beginner combos and giant (cheap) all valve stuff Gallien Krueger - Backline combos and MB series stuff Markbass - combos and the head/cabs Basically we are struggling to find a mid range combo to complement the current stock situation. We are in dire need of a combo (or range of combos) to fill the 200 - 400 pound void we have at the moment. We used to have Laney, but fell out with the distribution.... what would you guys suggest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Have you considered Hartke, Peavey or Fender? They all make combos that fall in your price range... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Roland as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVTele Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Ashdown Electric Blue EVO II 180W in 112 and 115 sizes; MAG 300 EVO II (307W RMS) in 115, 210 and 410 sizes. Quality kit - sound good, look good, not unreasonably heavy or expensive. Or for cheaper but surprisingly good, Behringer BX1800 (180W, 115 + horn) which has a lovely old-skool sound quite unlike the brittle imitation Hartke aluminium-cone Behringers. Reliable, too, if my experience is anything to go by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) hartke - we used to have it until soundtech lost it we cant have peavey because the shop over the road is a peavey main dealer fender.. we have had the bassman and rumble stuff in the past, and although its been good gear, customers in our neck of the woods aren't so crazy about the prices (we cant really move on fender stuff, as we are a medium sized shop, we don't get the best deal from fender). saying that, we have ordered one of the new lightweight rigs, but are waiting for them to arrive on this side of the pond i will be checking out where hartke is coming from though.. Edited January 4, 2011 by JMT3781 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 hartke comes from korg now, we have a lot of vox stuff from korg, so maybe the hartke stuff may be an option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 aha ashdown there are two problems with ashdown.. first off, PMT is pretty much the Ashdown centre round here, and secondly, my old man has a deep distrust of ashdown gear after the first lot he had (some years ago) went spectacularly wrong in all sorts of ways.. so even though i protest that ashdown reliability is now great, he wont budge lol! we have a lot of behringer stuff in the shop, i remember the 180 watt combo, was quite a good seller back in the day, may have to get another 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 EBS Session 60? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 [quote name='Roland Rock' post='1077668' date='Jan 4 2011, 06:53 PM']EBS Session 60?[/quote] yes, we had one before christmas! very nice little thing... but round these parts, we were lucky to sell it. I'm afraid for the 299 they are listed at, our towns folk would expect something to play wembley with! ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) [quote name='JMT3781' post='1077649' date='Jan 4 2011, 06:40 PM']hartke - we used to have it until soundtech lost it we cant have peavey because the shop over the road is a peavey main dealer fender.. we have had the bassman and rumble stuff in the past, and although its been good gear, customers in our neck of the woods aren't so crazy about the prices (we cant really move on fender stuff, as we are a medium sized shop, we don't get the best deal from fender). saying that, we have ordered one of the new lightweight rigs, but are waiting for them to arrive on this side of the pond i will be checking out where hartke is coming from though..[/quote] Carlsboro, Warwick, Line6 and HiWatt? Some of the low priced Ampeg stuff also falls within your price range I think? Hartke UK distribution is through Samson I believe. Edited January 4, 2011 by icastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I love the valve stuff obviously but the cheaper HiWatt stuff is absolute rubbish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I'd say Line 6 could be a good optiion to go for, or the Orange Combos arent too bad either. Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Wow...I am really out of touch here. I thought all the stuff in the intial post was beginner/middle range, bar the Markbass stuff. Maybe the price band defines the range more than the name..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatbass787 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 The Ashdown Electric Blues and MAG's pretty much rule those pricepoints as far as i'm aware, great gigging amps for the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 [quote name='JTUK' post='1077689' date='Jan 4 2011, 07:08 PM']Wow...I am really out of touch here. I thought all the stuff in the intial post was beginner/middle range, bar the Markbass stuff. Maybe the price band defines the range more than the name..??[/quote] im afraid its all about the price buddy. People buy a 99 quid amp from us, then when they come back to upgrade all we have is markbass or gallien krueger at 600 quid up, need something so they can be heard with a drummer, for not much cash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rOB Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 (edited) [quote]Ashdown Electric Blue EVO II 180W in 112 and 115 sizes; MAG 300 EVO II (307W RMS) in 115, 210 and 410 sizes. Quality kit - sound good, look good, not unreasonably heavy or expensive.[/quote] [quote name='phatbass787' post='1077752' date='Jan 4 2011, 07:45 PM']The Ashdown Electric Blues and MAG's pretty much rule those pricepoints as far as i'm aware, great gigging amps for the money[/quote] +1 on that. I have used an Ashdown EB12-180 for years- small gigs, rehearsals and home practice all covered. Larger gigs just required an extension cab. I've only just upgraded to I know you've got problems with your competition but if I was looking for an amp in that price range, that's what I'd look at first. Edited January 4, 2011 by rOB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Another +1 for Hartke, they've always been keenly priced and are great bang-for-buck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Out of the ones in your initial post, I'd go with GK. Simply because everywhere and their mother stocks Markbass (so more competition both for sales and prices) and no one's heard of Ashton. If you're looking for more starter gear, then obviously the cruiser or mashall gear is better suited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1078012' date='Jan 4 2011, 10:24 PM']Out of the ones in your initial post, I'd go with GK. Simply because everywhere and their mother stocks Markbass (so more competition both for sales and prices) and no one's heard of Ashton. If you're looking for more starter gear, then obviously the cruiser or mashall gear is better suited.[/quote] cheers for that.. the list in the op was what we already have, we were one of the first stockists of markbass in the UK, so have a pretty good relationship with them (they have done me and the other bass player great deals) hence the big markbass rig in my bedroom lol! and yeah you are right about the cruiser and marshall stuff, great for the packages we make up for people, either with a squier bass or encore bass.. i think its either gonna be hartke or maybe reopening channels with headstock to get laney. theres just too much competition for orange and ashdown in the north birmingham area, whereas we are the only GK/MB dealer that has it in stock all the time. And ashton.. were owned by peavey, there 15" and 12" combos were our best sellers, but since we cant get them anymore, need to find something to fill the void Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Ah sorry, that'll teach me not to read properly! If you mean you're having problems getting Ashtons, aren't they available through Korg's distribution? I'm sure the shop I help out at can get them in. Hartke I think can be got through JHS, though I'm just working off (poor) memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Behringer? It's okay. I'll get my coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil-osopher10 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Hey, as a consumer and I walked into a shop that had Mb/gk with maybe the cheaper ampegs? I would be impressed. I have heard that the gk and Mb are rather clean amps and the ampeg has a little more dirt, then you would be able to have variety. The BA series seems to be in that price range. Though I'm only a consumer not a retailer and thus have no experience in the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 [quote name='JMT3781' post='1077625' date='Jan 4 2011, 06:26 PM']Ashton - Beginner combos and giant (cheap) all valve stuff[/quote] Do you have the 300w all valve job? I really want to hear about those from someone who has actually plugged into one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1078164' date='Jan 5 2011, 03:04 AM']Do you have the 300w all valve job? I really want to hear about those from someone who has actually plugged into one.[/quote] Yeah we have two actually, one ex demo and one seconhand.. A lot of amp for 299 and 199 respectively! Im not one for valve amps, but the sound you get from these beasts is pretty cool, nice and warm, and can get all Grundy when it wants too.. I think people are put off by there nameand price tag.. Tbh, the kt88's on show looks awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMT3781 Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 [quote name='Phil-osopher10' post='1078139' date='Jan 5 2011, 12:49 AM']Hey, as a consumer and I walked into a shop that had Mb/gk with maybe the cheaper ampegs? I would be impressed. I have heard that the gk and Mb are rather clean amps and the ampeg has a little more dirt, then you would be able to have variety. The BA series seems to be in that price range. Though I'm only a consumer not a retailer and thus have no experience in the field.[/quote] Thanks for that shout on the ampeg stuff, I will be per suing that today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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