BovvieBoi Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Hi guys, I'm looking to upgrade my bass rig. At the moment, my amp is an old Roland KC-350, but I don't need all the stereo ins and outs, and frankly could do with something a bit more tailored towards bass. I've been looking at the Roland Cube 120XL, and the Laney SLS 112 for combos, and should I go down the halfstack route, a Warwick LWA 500 (probably with a 208 or 210) My budget is around £600, I mainly play jazz and jazz funk but also have a psychedelic rock group simmering away. Any advice would be greatly appreciated Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 No harm to the Roland Cube or the Laney, but there are no end to your options for that sort of budget. But basic questions - what are your transport options? Will you have to carry up stairs? Does the one rig have to cover all your gigs? Do you usually DI into PA or use backline? For £600 you could have a 500w head and 8x10" cab, but that won't necessarily be the best for you! For that money I'd probably buy the Markbass AC combo in the classifieds here - would cover so many bases... Best flexible gigging rig I've owned at that sort of budget was a Tecamp Puma 2x12 combo, which I greatly regret selling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BovvieBoi Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 1 minute ago, Bigwan said: But basic questions - what are your transport options? Will you have to carry up stairs? Does the one rig have to cover all your gigs? Do you usually DI into PA or use backline? A small/medium car, so smaller really would be better. My home is up stairs so definitely! At the moment, having just one rig would be easiest I think. If there is a PA I do, however a lot of the stuff we do doesn't warrant one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) I'd be tempted to go for a combo, or head and single cab. There are advantages/disadvantages either way. My personal preference when I was gigging a lot was a combo, and I certainly think you get more for your money with combos than you do with separates, but you don't have an upgrade path with a combo like you do with separates. But if you buy a good quality combo, you don't necessarily need one! Another thing to bear in mind is the flexibility to add another cab to your combo for bigger gigs if required. My personal wish list for a combo would be: Ideally 500w total output (you don't need to use it all, but it's best to have it on tap), 1x12 (bare minimum!)/1x15/vertical 2x10/vertical 2x12 internal speakers, option to add external cab if required, light weight. The Puma I had ticked all the boxes and fit in the boot of a Skoda Fabia with acres to spare. You won't find THAT many that do within budget though. Buying nowadays I'd be looking at the Fender Rumble 500 V3 2x10 combo, Eich/Tecamp 2x12 (expensive though!), Markbass have a few combos that fit the bill and I'm sure there are plenty of other options I've not thought of... Edited October 19, 2018 by Bigwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 The Markbass AC lite is s great amp but constrained by not allowing you to add a cabinet. If you can stretch to £680, i would go for the 121h combo as you can add another 8ohm cab at some time and have a rig that'll cover just about any gig situation. . The 121 cabinet itself packs one hell of a punch easily as loud as their 410 and the little mark amps are incredibly versatile - I have the LM 800 and traveller 121H and use it for rock band stuff aswell as double bass backup. perfect for most needs. It was at one time the go to amp for jazzers like hadrien feraud. oh - forgot to mention - it's very light - one handed carry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmartin Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 A Markbass 802 is within your budget and has a switchable speaker output. Light too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BovvieBoi Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, bobmartin said: A Markbass 802 is within your budget and has a switchable speaker output. Light too. Lack of EQ on it though... Would a decent EQ pedal make up for that? Or maybe one of the Richard Bona signature combos - does anyone have experience with those? Edited October 20, 2018 by BovvieBoi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmartin Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 1 hour ago, BovvieBoi said: Lack of EQ on it though... Would a decent EQ pedal make up for that? I you want to make a deep full sound without a specifically sounding mid frequency then 2 tone controls is fine IMO. I can go straight to the sound I want with no messing, and that's with a bass that only has a treble cut. The Quilter Bass Block has similar controls, and my departed GK had 6 tone controls of which I only ever used one, the contour. (The horn unit isn't hissy by the way.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 The TC Electronic BG series will do the job, and you'll still have spare money, even if bought new. I would go for the 2x10 as it would be more versatile. If you can find a second hand AER Amp One or Three, it would be the best choice for the kind of music you play with plenty of power. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BovvieBoi Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018 2 hours ago, bobmartin said: The Quilter Bass Block has similar controls What cab did you use with it? I could probably stretch up to £1000 for some serious gear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmartin Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 57 minutes ago, BovvieBoi said: What cab did you use with it? I could probably stretch up to £1000 for some serious gear I haven't used one (Quilter), just seen video reviews, but it only has 2 tone controls and seems able to make a range of sounds. there's a few users on this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 How can someone recommend something he didn't try ? 🤔 As you can afford it brand new, go for this MarkBass 121 Lite Alain Caron combo : light (16,3 kilos), powerful (800 Watts), complete and terrific sounding. You can get it there or check the Internet for a better price tag : https://www.musicstore.de/en_GB/GBP/Markbass-Combo-121-Lite-AC-Alain-Caron-Signature/art-BAS0008056-000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 8 hours ago, bobmartin said: A Markbass 802 is within your budget and has a switchable speaker output. Light too. I have one and its loud and 250 watts at 4 ohms with an extension speaker but only 150 watts on its own and has reduced EQ as others have said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 The Quilter BB800 is a massive bargain at the Thomann price. (£467) I have one and highly recommend them as a simple gigging amp. All I ever do is cut the bass slightly in some rooms. I would buy one (BB800) new and look for a used Barefaced cab like a Super Compact, BB2 or even one of the older 15" Compacts which seem to have dropped below £300 now. And that rig would do 99% of my gigs without PA. For bigger gigs PA is always available. Plus, you'd find it difficult to find a lighter weight rig which is good too. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmartin Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Hellzero said: How can someone recommend something he didn't try ? 🤔 If you're referring to my comment, I'm referring to the fact that my MB 802 works well with 2 eq's and that others have spoken in favour of the 2 eq's on the Quilter. Check my earlier posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BovvieBoi Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 On 20/10/2018 at 19:30, machinehead said: I would buy one (BB800) new and look for a used Barefaced cab like a Super Compact, BB2 or even one of the older 15" Compacts which seem to have dropped below £300 now. I'll lurk the forums until one comes up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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