Cabinet/Amp Question

TinIndian · #1 01-26-2011, 12:22 PM

After a 20+ year layoff, I am getting back into playing Bass in a band. I need to put together a new rig for small to medium sized venues. I just picked up a nearly new Mesa Powerhouse 4x10 cabinet in a pawn shop for 4 bills and I need to get some ideas on how much power I should be looking for to comfortably power it. We will be playing mainly rock/alternative so bear that in mind.

It's been a long time since I looked at this kind of stuff so go easy on me. I have been thinking about the GK MB500 but am open to other opinions or ideas. I realize the 4x10 is probably a bit of overkill but I thought it was too good a deal to pass on.

Peace

TinIndian · #2 01-26-2011, 01:56 PM

Any thought's? The cab is what 600W and 8 ohms. Would a GK MB200 be enough to power this. I know from reading the thread on the MB200 there are quite a few fans here.

GrowlerBox · #3 01-26-2011, 02:03 PM

So many thoughts that it doesn't bear recording them -- I think the deafening silence is due to the completely open-ended nature of the question, which can only result in people posting the same old, "this is my favourite amp" responses.

craig.p · #4 01-26-2011, 02:26 PM

Is that cab four ohms or eight ohms? This will affect your amp selection, not only with respect to this cab but also with respect to future expandability.

GrowlerBox · #5 01-26-2011, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craig.p

Is that cab four ohms or eight ohms? This will affect your amp selection, not only with respect to this cab but also with respect to future expandability.

Looks like 8 Ohms, so opens things up even more!

craig.p · #6 01-26-2011, 02:56 PM

Yup, eight ohms, just like he said. Sheesh, what the hell's wrong with me today.

I would say the MB200 will be insufficient at eight ohms unless you're playing a small club and not very loud. I'd like to see you get something at least in the 200-250 watt range (at eight ohms), again with a view toward a four-ohm future. There are tons of options, from lightweights to sleds. Might be best to spend some time on this board and get a feel for what different amps sound like, reliability, warranty, support stories, etc.

impactwrench · #7 01-26-2011, 03:04 PM

I'd say the MB500 would be great. And if you added a second cab it still wouldnt quite run out of gas. Or there is the new MB800 on the horizon.

Pickebass · #8 01-26-2011, 04:00 PM

This is a real open ended question... we all have our favorites. Ideally, you want to match the amount of power available to the speaker handling. If you have an speaker cab capable of handling 600 watts, you would want an amp putting out between 500-700 watts at 8 ohms. This way you should have enough headroom to accomplish your goals.

Every brand has it's on thing. Don't know what you are looking for so I won't recommend a brand. Good luck with your search

TinIndian · #9 01-26-2011, 08:00 PM

Thanks to all for their input. I knew it was kind of a wide open question, but it was asked to get some general direction and start a dialog. I thought that I should be looking in the 500W range and that was kind of confirmed by you guys. My brother in law is also a bass player. His rig is way more than I would need, M9 Carbine and a 610 Powerhouse cab. Pretty sweet, but out of my price range and perceived needs. I was a Fan of the GK stuff in the old days so I thought I would start looking there.

GrowlerBox · #10 01-26-2011, 08:15 PM

Yep, GK gets a lot of love here, as do Genz Benz, Markbass and Aguilar, Ampeg of course, to name just a very few. All very different animals, hence my point about getting lots of people more or less reporting on what they play. While the obvious, "purist" response would be to go with your desired tone as the bottom line, there seem to be so many ways of achieving it right now, that it almost makes sense to go with a budget and what sort of size/weight you're prepared to cart around as the most straightforward way of narrowing the field.