Combo, or not to Combo?

[Neiljames92]

Yo! new to forum so hey!

im looking to upgrade my ampage!
atm im playing gigs for around 400-500 People most of the time and im torn between the decision to go for a Combo Amp or a Head + Cab

atm im using a Behringer Ultrabass BXL900 not the best but it does for what im doing atm seen as im always miced up and the tones i get out of it are decent!

however i did play a larger gig at the O2 academy which i obv had to arrange to use another bands bass equipment.

With my band i play mostly Death metal, Hard Rock and all that scene. but i also really enjoy playing funky stuff like Redhotchillis etc with them really amazing sounding slap&pops!

just wanted to see if any1 had any suggestions. i've been told Peavy and Ampeg are doing Quite well in the Heavy area but not 100%

and the option on if its going to be better going for a combo or Separate

[Strat-Mangler]

Hey! I'm new to the forum myself.

I'm new to bass gear entirely in fact, so take what I say with a grain of salt (possibly the whole salt shaker, actually! lol).

If I were you, I'd stay away from Peavey. I haven't read so far a single positive comment on any of their models. From what I can gather, they're reliable amps, but the tones they deliver leave a lot to be desired.

Ampeg on the other hand seems to be well liked, though some of their models appear to weigh a ton and reliability is mixed. I see some people having issues while other people have absolutely none.

Again, from my extremely limited experience, I see combos being cheaper than head+cab, but more limiting. Plus, if there's a problem with either the amp or speaker, you're screwed. Think of it as being the same thing as those VCR+TV deals that you sometimes see. If one of the 2 items breaks, you need to bring the entire device to get fixed, so you're without *both* of those things. If you have a problem with either a head or cab, you can simply use another one with the still-functioning other piece of equipment.

Remember my disclaimers.

Hopefully, you'll get some solid info from much more experienced and knowledgeable members than I.

[Strat-Mangler]

In the meantime, you might want to check the following thread.

Can Someone Please Help Me? Someone Who Has Played or Plays Metal?

[Neiljames92]

thanks lot man (:

[Phalex]

You are limited by the speakers in a combo amp. I just bought a Carvin that has a 400W amp and a single 15" driver. It's loud enough for my intended use as a stage monitor, but my 410 cab and 250W (stereo) head kicks its butt in the volume dept.

Definitely consider wattage in a combo. If it's driving a 4ohm speaker, make sure it'll go down to 2ohms in case you might want to add an extension cab.

Combo's are great for easy on / easy off. Just plop em down and plug in. They typically tilt back for use as a monitor.

A stack is more labor intensive to set up and tear down, but if you don't have PA support they are the only way to fly IMHO.