Louder Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 So... Where do I start?! I've got a bass, a Yamaha RBX 270, and I'll be needing some kind of amp soon. I'm fairly competent with 6 string stuff, but the sheer number of odd names for gear manufacturers I'm seeing in this forum is just staggering!! I recognise names like Marshall, Orange, Laney, Trace Elliott but Mark Bass, Ashdown, Eden and so on all seem like young pups! I'd like a setup to play rehearsals and small venues, like pubs. I've borrowed an Ampeg head with 4x10 and 1x18 cabs and was a little underwhelmed at the amount of power available, being used to a Sessionette 75 with my guitar. So, lessons I've learned so far is that you need many, many more bass watts to balance with guitar watts. So what do I start looking for? Combo or head and cab? I'm thinking a combo might be easier to live with but then the choice of power, and configuration is confusing - 1x15+hf, 2x10 (do they have hf horns?) and so on. Do the configurations lend themselves to styles of playing or specific basses? Finally, I'm not looking for new stuff, second hand is fine by me. I've a rough budget of £300 but if I don't have to spend it all I won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 There are few hard and fast rules. 10s can sound muddy, 15s can sound bright - it's all in the cab design. The overall sensitivity of the cab can be a better guide to how much sound you're going to get than the number and size of the drivers. I'd get reading some reviews as a starting point, and ask specific questions about particular brands and models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 (edited) Welcome to the low end world! I'd say a rough rule of thumb is 300w should be enough for the sort of gigs you're talking about, there's a lot of combos around second-hand for that sort of money, it depends on what sort of sound you're after, and how important size, weight and portability are to you - the heavier they are, the more likely you'll find a bargain, as a lot of us are looking after our backs these days! From personal experience, the best combo I've used around your budget is the Roland D-Bass stuff. Light for a combo, a very wide range of sounds, very well made and plenty loud enough. They both have tweeters, if bright is what you need. They're just not very fashionable, which makes them a serious bargain. The 2x10 or the 1x15 are both good, and can be expanded with the 115X powered extension speaker for 660W of righteous stackness. Edited January 31, 2012 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 With £300, you should easily be able to get an amp head and 410 cab on here, or a combo. Trace, Laney, Ashdown, Peavey, Marshall, all will do the job more than well. As Muzz said, look for 300 watts minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 £300 is plenty to get a really decent rig for pub and rehearsal work. As previously mentioned, cheap cabs can be got for almost nothing as heavy gear is seriously unfashionable right now! Personally, I'd be looking at the Gallien-Kreuger MB-200. It would be plenty loud enough for pubs and rehearsals and they can be found second hand for around £170-180 (or £210 new!!!). Spend the other £100+ on a decent 1x15 or 2x10 Peavey/Ashdown/Trace Elliot cab. On eBay you regularly see Peavey/Trace 4x10s going for peanuts. Speaker configurations are tricky. I've been playing through head-cab rigs for nearly 10 years and I still havent found a configuration of speaker numbers and sizes that I would call ideal. It really is a case of trial and error, and at least I now know that I don't like/need 4x10s and I dont like Trace Elliot or Ashdown cabs. Personally I dont use combos because I like mixing and matching heads and cabs (its fun!) but that's the only reason. They're practical as they're more compact and you also have the knowledge that the speakers and the amp were built to go together. Good luck! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 All good advice /\ [quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1328009584' post='1520156'] On eBay you regularly see Peavey/Trace 4x10s going for peanuts. [/quote] True, a decent Peavey 4x10 went on ebay last night for ~£102 - I might have had a bid myself had it not been at the wrong end of the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hartke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Combo or Head & Cab, it's up to you. I chose combo because it takes 5 mins less to set up & if you're doing a set where there's other artists on & you need to move your gear quick, then you can. Don't get caught up in "how many watts is it". It's all down to how much air you're able to move & that's done by speakers & good cab design. I've gigged with a head that didn't put out 100 watts & had no trouble being heard (it was into 2 15" cabs). The min 300w can be taken as a "rough" guide, but it's not the law. Markbass & Eden will probably be out of budget, but Ashdown are worth looking at in your budget, as is Hartke & also that GK head that Truckstop mentions. The Roland D-Bass combos are really good & I nearly got one, so well worth checking out. Also worth noting that different sized speaker drivers do not equate to how much bass or top end you'll get. You can get as much bass & top end from either a 15 or 10. More speaker area being covered = more air being moved = more loudness. 2nd hand is a good way to go as you'll get more for your money & won't lose much (if anything) when you decide to change. Welcome to being the drummer's pal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashwood1985 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 (edited) Yeah welcome pal A big hear hear for the d-bass combos! I have a 210 combo with the 115X powered extension. It can move walls and is very clear, punchy and versatile! My only gripe is that the bass EQ frequency on the main amp is a bit high for my tastes when the 115x is not hooked up. My solution is to use some pedal EQ that is more my thing in this event. With the 115x though it's a different story as it can be used in sub-woofer mode!! But yeah - discontinued, unfashionable. Never really understood why really! They even have some voodoo speaker cone synchronisation technology to prevent any distructive interference. I am thinking of trying something new but only because I have never owned another rig and am curious. But while there's no problem with my d-bass set-up its hard to put it down to anything more than GAS! Sorry I'm babbling! :-P good luck with your search anyway! Ash Edited February 2, 2013 by Ashwood1985 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Some random surfing on ebay ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pevey-410-TX-Bass-Cab-/230919821823?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item35c3e4d9ff http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hartke-Systems-Model-HA3500-Bass-Amp-in-Gator-Case-/181069132669?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item2a288fb37d http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-BBT500H-Bass-Amp-500Wrms-Class-D-amp-modelling-and-manual-/230919325576?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item35c3dd4788 -- never heard of that yamaha amp bu tit looks a pretty decent spec. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Behringer-450w-Bass-Amp-/160964595760?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item257a3cd030 Slightly over budget but ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/gutair-bass-amp-stack-/170982977934?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item27cf61318e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I'm hoping he got something last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1359813116' post='1960636'] I'm hoping he got something last year. [/quote] Haha oh yeah, well it wasnt me who resurrected a year old thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1359813116' post='1960636'] I'm hoping he got something last year. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashwood1985 Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Ha! Whoops I resurrected this thread-from-the-dead! came across it in a search and missed the '12' bit [size=4] [/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.