The Chicken or The Egg???

CTC564 · #1 11-08-2011, 08:12 AM

I'm considering purchasing a new rig in the near future and have done the YouTube review/Internet research route...now I'm starting the phase of trying things out

Question is...what would TB'ers recommend purchasing first???

Do I buy an amp that I love or the cabinet?

Jim Carr · #2 11-08-2011, 08:17 AM

What do you have now?

Joe Louvar · #3 11-08-2011, 08:19 AM

The speakers - but you may want to consider renting a bass rig until you learn more and know what you want.

HolmeBass · #4 11-08-2011, 08:22 AM

I find it difficult to not match them together- but I usually only buy one at a time, so the other part is "fixed" while I am shopping.

Jim Carr · #5 11-08-2011, 09:53 AM

If you currently have a "combo" amp, you will likely get a bigger increase in performance by adding your new cabinet as an extension cabinet.

If you currently have a modular rig, adding a cabinet instead of a head will provide the same benefit and also will protect your old cabinet from a damage that a more powerful amp might do.

Old cabs and amps are nice to keep around if they are serviceable for a number of reasons, left to the reader to identify, LOL!

lowfreq33 · #6 11-08-2011, 10:21 AM

Cab first. Look at it this way, a great cab can make a mediocre head sound better, but a great head still sounds like crap through a bad cab.

Vakmere · #7 11-08-2011, 10:31 AM

Stay away from Berhinger. A great cab could come first better yet get a combo. SWR Redhead comes to mind.

Jim Carr · #8 11-08-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vakmere

Stay away from Berhinger. A great cab could come first better yet get a combo. SWR Redhead comes to mind.

I find combos to be a trap unless you have an assortment of other gear. Then again, if you have a good light cab and a micro amp, you don't need a combo.

suraci · #9 11-08-2011, 10:38 AM

Really tricky, I didn't realize how tricky till this past year.
Amps all have a tonal stamp on them, regardless of the eq
cabs, same deal

If you have the luxury of time, I would postpone buying anything that you cannot return.
But you need BOTH to make a judgement. AND you need both in the presence of the band.
You can try, but best to judge the composite sound, the net sonic result, WITH the band.
Each element affects the other.

A thin cab and a thicker amp
or vice versa and that formula is the crudest way of describing the too numerous variations.
I have a "thick" ( thick meaning deep ) cab, I find that a thick amp is too much thick for me.
Ppl have complained about a certain "thin" ( the converse of deep ) amp on TB
yet that thin amp sounds well with a thick cab.

You just have to spend a lot of time in music stores.. and playing peoples rigs to even begin to get a handle. And other peoples opinions will not correspond with your own opinion. There is no quick fix solution. So enjoy the hunt!!

Alex1984 · #10 11-08-2011, 11:33 AM

With a decent budget, I'd say buy the head first personally. A good cab can make a bad head sound decent, but the head, IMO, has more characteristic. So I pick my favourite head and pair my cab to the head accordingly.

Vakmere · #11 11-08-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

I find combos to be a trap unless you have an assortment of other gear. Then again, if you have a good light cab and a micro amp, you don't need a combo.

Cant argue with that however I keep it simple with a Shuttle 6.0 and an Avatar 2x12 4 ohm.

CTC564 · #12 11-08-2011, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

If you currently have a "combo" amp, you will likely get a bigger increase in performance by adding your new cabinet as an extension cabinet.

If you currently have a modular rig, adding a cabinet instead of a head will provide the same benefit and also will protect your old cabinet from a damage that a more powerful amp might do.

Old cabs and amps are nice to keep around if they are serviceable for a number of reasons, left to the reader to identify, LOL!

I'm currently using a Eden Metro 2x10 combo that I run through an SWR Goliath II as an extension when needed...

I'm looking to go smaller...like these new fancy micro heads and tiny cabs

Jim Carr · #13 11-08-2011, 04:45 PM

Get a micro head to go with your Goliath II. Is the Goliath II 4 ohms or 8 ohms?

s_mcsleazy · #14 11-08-2011, 04:53 PM

i say got for a set of avatars and a nice 100 watt head till you get your feet dug in

CTC564 · #15 11-08-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Get a micro head to go with your Goliath II. Is the Goliath II 4 ohms or 8 ohms?

8 ohms...

I considered that...and that just may be where I'll start, but that's a HEAVY cab for an old man like me...two 8 ohm 2x10's is catching my eye...or maybe 2x12's

Jim Carr · #16 11-08-2011, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTC564

8 ohms...

I considered that...and that just may be where I'll start, but that's a HEAVY cab for an old man like me...two 8 ohm 2x10's is catching my eye...or maybe 2x12's

It IS heavy, like 92 Lbs heavy. I know as I schlepped one around Northern California, and later Kentucky and Texas for 7 years. I finally sold it for $250 (originally paid $220 in 2002).

I think you can find a used Shuttle 6.0 or something similar for around $400, maybe a lot less. Get a head, and then put the Combo up for sale. Once it goes get another light 8 ohm cab, and put the Goliath up for sale. Once it goes, buy a second light 8 ohm cab.

Meanwhile, borrow a handtruck for the big black cube, and bend your knees for the deadlift.