Hi Gordon!
I'd be happy to help with cabinet advice.
First of all, it should be mentioned that generally bigger cabinets sound bigger and fuller, have more bottom end and more headroom. So to some extent there is always a battle between portability and big sound. That said, the solution I generally recommend is to choose two 8 ohm cabinets (instead of, for example, one large 4 ohm cab). That way, it's more portable, and you get the full power from the head at 4 ohms.
Regarding the head, I'm not going to go into detail about the sound difference, which is quite subjective. But I will throw out the idea that you may not need the power of the SD800. Most players find they get better tone pushing a 500W head slightly than using only the low range of the volume knob on a more powerful head. I've done a gazillion gigs with MB 500W heads, including some pretty loud ones... and unless you're in a metal band and/or playing stadiums, it would probably do you fine. They are loud heads and cut nicely due to their clarity.
Another idea to mention, which can also be cost-effective, is to get a combo and an extension cabinet. My favourite rig, for example, is the Mini CMD 121P combo (our top-seller) and the New York 121 cabinet. 2x12, 500W, 2x 29 lbs. Crazy portable, plenty of volume. The head in the combo is the Little Mark III. If I rave about the sound I'll get called out for it here, so IM me if you want more candid comments!
The NY604 and NY804 tend to pair really well with the digital power amp heads. Two of either of these and an F1 or F500 would work great.
In terms of character, I generally tell people that the 10s are more agressive and punchy in the mids, but also have lots of low end when you gang them up... the 15s have a warm low-mid emphasis, kind of old-school, and the 12s have a nicely rounded, full tone that probably makes them the most "hi fi" choice. The 6s and 8s--to me--sound somewhere between the 10s and 12s...
Let me know if you have more questions, here or offline.
Cheers,
Peter
Quote:
Originally Posted by GSNOLA  Hey guys,
So, this is one of those complicated "dunno" posts.
I have two GK rigs, which I am thinking of offloading in their entirety and starting again - and I REALLY like MarkBass stuff. I play both small and larger gigs, across a variety of genres. I currently have:
GK 1001RB, and a GK 400RB, paired with a GK NEO 212 and a GK 210 RBX (sometimes double cabbed).
I made the fatal mistake of trying some MB stuff, and literally fell in love with their tone. I want a rig that enables me to cover small and larger gigs, and I was thinking about centering it on either an LMIII or an SD800 - anyone got advice on either of these heads, and what cabs would work? I HATE heavy cabs, so that's a pre-requisite! I have tried the NY604 (awesome) and a couple of 210s and 115s.
I am just confused! Hope someone can offer me some clarity.
Cheers!
Gordon |
