Cab suggestions for Ampeg B2RE

[westy1970]

Hey all, I am just starting out professionally doing some gigs and got a smoking deal on an ampeg head. I asked a buddy who gigs around town and he said if he were to get shot in the ass with diamonds he would have an 8x10. My other other buddy uses a 4x10 and 1x15 combined. I would rather not spend $1000, but I only want to make this purchase one time. I am playing small stuff right now and don't imagine I will get much bigger than nightclubs or small outdoor venues (which would probably have their own PA's negating the need for a giant cab.) I have looked at and played though ampegs and fender and like them but don't know which is better. 1 giant cab or 2 smaller ones. I also see SWR, Acoustic and a few other brands that are lower priced but again, I don't want price to dictate good sound. Help? Also, I am playing blues and classic rock, if that helps.

[Plays_For_Dog]

In the end, it's your call so you're going to have to try them out and go with your gut.

I will say this, a 4x10 and 1x15 can be split into a smaller cab/head for smaller gigs where as the 8x10 cannot. The 4x10 and the 1x15 are easier to transport since the space they take up can be divided as well as the weight, an 8x10 cannot.

Keep in mind, even though 4x10 and a 1x15 looks and seems to be an ideal combination of cabs, not all mesh as well as expected. Some of the more tech-savy cabinet guys explain this pretty well in other threads (lots of amp info out there. Search and read up and you can probably answer a lot of your own questions and ones you didn't know you had).

If it were me.... I'd go 4x10 and 1x15 or 1x18. Be prepared, cabinets of good sound and quality are expensive. This is definintely an industry where you get what you pay for. Buying used can offset this to some extent, but then you gamble on the gear. You never know what has been done to it before you got it. There may be bandaid fixes that will reveal themselves at the most inopertune time.

[westy1970]

Thanks for the advise. I was leaning towards the split option for the reasons you listed. As I said, I would RATHER not spend a grand but I will spend some money for quality. I learned that with guitars last years and don't want to repeat the mistake of buying crap and having to dump it on CL for less. I would just as soon spend the money once and be done.

[sapienerabass]

Hi there,
I have a similar ampeg head the B2R which is max. 350 watts whereas yours is 450w AT 4 OHMS.
I would certainly encourage you to get a cabinet rated at 4ohms, be it an 810, 2x12 or 410.

There will some that recommend the convenience of two cabs so you can split the rig as necessary but just remember you will also be dropping your output and speaker surface and hence overall perceived volume.

If you run it with an 8 ohm load you won't be seeing your maximum output and may find yourself very disappointed. Mine is a back up amp to my main ampeg SVT2 Pro (300 watts-full tube amp). My B2R sounds fine at 4 ohms played with an ampeg 810e. It isn't an all valve SVT but it does get the ampeg sound at a fraction of the cost.

[theduke1]

I havethat amp and it sounds good with my sonic1x15 with a horn, but today a got a Hartke 4x10 XL series cab abd that same amp at the same 8 ohm load sounds great. I have played through pretty much the gamit in my playing days (Started in 1966) a dbl botton Kustom, Vox Beatle, Several Peaveys of varing configs, a Carvin R1000 w/ a Peavey 1810 and I would put this Ampeg BR2E and Hartke up against them all for sound and punch!

[shoot-r]

Check out avatar bass cabinets.
Great cabinets at a great price.
I have two Avatar Neo 210 cabinets that I gig as a vertical 410.
Absolutely love em'.
www.avatarspeakers.com

[theduke1]

The other thing you will find is, at one time or another we have all said "I'm only going to buy this once so........ect" and 42years later I'm still buying stuff one's taste always changes. It's not a bad thing, we're just bassplayers!

[theduke1]

if fact I bought that Hartke yesterday!

[westy1970]

What is the general impression of SWR? Good for the money? Total crap, keep walking? Hidden gem?