My set-up is pointless

[krazy_olie]

First post on here for quite a while, just been very busy with university and such.

So sitting in my room I have a Warwick Pro Fet III 300w amp and an Ashdown MAG 115 cab, which sounds pretty good but it's too big for me to even take to uni so in hindsight was a actually a poor purchase. Which is annoying because I really like the amp (it's one of the older German made models they don't make anymore)

So my question is... I'm looking for a combo for general use, no huge gigs, for which I would just rely on a PA for anyway that I could get by trading/selling this and probably put in up to £100 of an additional cash injection.
For little jams I use my Peavy microbass but I need something in between really.

Any thoughts on this [url="http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/backline-112/13007"]http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/backline-112/13007[/url] ? I remember them being a fair bit pricier than that

Many Thanks, Olie

[Platypus]

Welcome back fella - did notice that you hadn't been posting for a while....

[lemmywinks]

Eden do some very capable combos.
I've done small gigs in the past with a Hartke A70, they also do an A100 and the 120w kickbacks, all go for small money

[ped]

Welcome back mate!

[~tl]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='366715' date='Dec 30 2008, 11:13 PM']I've done small gigs in the past with a Hartke A70, they also do an A100 and the 120w kickbacks, all go for small money[/quote]
I've even done medium sized gigs with a Hartke A35 – albeit DIed into the PA and I was just using the amp as a personal monitor. I didn't have to have it turned up more than half way since it has plenty of punch to cut through a band mix, and you can have it tilted back so it points directly at your head. My Precision is pretty loud too, which helps.

They're excellent amps all round – mine's been solid since I've had it.

Edited December 30, 2008 by ~tl

[krazy_olie]

Thanks guys,

I'm quite liking the look of the Kickback 12, whilst the A100 looks like better value but a bit less portable but I could happily buy it and be in no rush at all to sell my current stuff (though I would eventually have to get round to it).
I think I'll be doing some research and taking a trip in to town to check them out.

Eden Nemesis combos do look viable if I could get a decent deal.

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='krazy_olie' post='366740' date='Dec 30 2008, 11:44 PM']Thanks guys,

I'm quite liking the look of the Kickback 12, whilst the A100 looks like better value but a bit less portable but I could happily buy it and be in no rush at all to sell my current stuff (though I would eventually have to get round to it).
I think I'll be doing some research and taking a trip in to town to check them out.

Eden Nemesis combos do look viable if I could get a decent deal.[/quote]

There was an Eden combo on here not so long ago IIRC? Don't know if it sold....

One thing about the Hartkes is that they're made in China now and the baffle boards are prone to working loose on the cheaper stuff (well mine are anyways!). My VX cab did it and my A70 does it past 12 o'clock on the volume (it's retired now as it's my bedroom amp so doesn't get anywhere near that). Fixed the VX with a pack of screws (took about 40 mins) and will have to do the same on the combo. The VX was fine afterwards btw.

If you were further up north you could have a look at my housemate's kickback 15 he's sellin (it's USA made). He's a lazy sh1t so i've pretty much given up selling his gear for him after he didn't reply to 2 contacts i gave him

The A70 has a 12" speaker too, i used it with a 5 string and it was very clear and didn't flake out

[Boneless]

Loads of choices really... you don't have that small an amount of cash, actually (obviously, selling what you've got and looking at 2nd hand stuff as well)

Ashdown MAG, or even ABM combos (2x10, not that big, come on )
mmmmmmmmaybe even the Markbass combos (very light, small, especially the 1x12" model... of course, used) or if you want to exaggerate, and you are willing to pay more, the Minimark (2x6" speakers, really small: [url="http://www.markbass.it/products.php?lingua=en&cat=3&vedi=86"]http://www.markbass.it/products.php?lingua...t=3&vedi=86[/url] a bit off your budget though, but it sounds really good, full and loud like you WOULDN'T expect... I would never buy it though, since it costs quite a lot, quite understandably, since it is supposed to be kind of pushing the limits of what you can do with a such small combo, and I wouldn't be able to use it, I play too loud )
If you find it, you could try the GK MB150 combo, I heard a MB150 head with its own 2x10" cabinet, and it was BEAUTIFUL, very tight and trebly (which is something I like, but considering you have a 15" speaker, you might prefer a bassier tone), but loads of volume, I remember that it could quite easily put up with a JCM900 + 4x12" cabinet and a loud drummer and still be heard clearly in the mix. Only problem, its EQ is actually thought for double basses, not electric basses, so the center frequencies are a bit off (low mids somewhere around 800Hz ) so maybe you might need to compensate with an EQ pedal.

My personal choice would probably go over the Markbass combos or the MB150 combo (depending on what I'm going to play, the first one for a softer, warmer, more balanced tone, the second one for a more aggressive one). But I don't know how much they cost in the UK in the used market, so I've probably given you crappy advice

Edited December 31, 2008 by Boneless

[Delberthot]

The Gallien Krueger backline stuff is all made in China but unlike other brands which have suffered when they've been moved overseas for whatever reason, Bob Gallien actually oversees a lot of the production so what you get are very good Chinese versions of the American stuff.

eg a Backline 600 is merely a 400RB.

For your budget you're probably going to be looking at the GK backline range, possibly Artist series second hand, Hartke, a Warwick combo?

Markbass, Genz Benz, Schroeder etc do make a lot of high quality, light gear but will be out of your price bracket for now.

There may be others out there that I haven't thought about

[Stylon Pilson]

Like some of the other respondents on this thread, my first thought was to sell your existing gear and buy a Markbass or Genz Benz combo. Then you'll have something that covers you for all eventualities. There's no point in having a heavy rig "back home" that never gets played. I speak from experience.

S.P.

[clauster]

Along with the GK Backline stuff you could also look at the Ashdown Electric Blue combos. For the money they are great amps. The preamp in mine sounds great through the band's PA. The tone isn't so fantastic through the built in speaker for my taste, but is good enough and I get enough volume to keep up with a loud rock kit and two guitarsts at rehearsals.

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='clauster' post='366882' date='Dec 31 2008, 10:03 AM']Along with the GK Backline stuff you could also look at the Ashdown Electric Blue combos. For the money they are great amps. The preamp in mine sounds great through the band's PA. The tone isn't so fantastic through the built in speaker for my taste, but is good enough and I get enough volume to keep up with a loud rock kit and two guitarsts at rehearsals.[/quote]

I'm an EB owner too, but it weighs quite a bit more than a Hartke Kickback 12 (it weighs about the same as his MAG 115 cab), yet won't give him the volume of his Warwick+Ashdown rig, so it might not be the best option for Olie.

S.P.