New Amp on Way....

[HereIGoAgain]

I hope I haven't really ticked anyone off during my first few posts here, especially in the PF350/PF500 threads with my repeated questions.

I ordered an amp today from Guitar Center. Took advantage of their promotion. Decision is made. Amp bought and paid for. Decision committed to.

I'll let you know how it does once it comes.

Sorry, JimmyM, I decided not to go with the Ampeg. I went with an Acoustic B200H/B115 half stack. The GC person I spoke with threw in a Monster speaker cable and cut me a deal on some strings too.

The Musicial Instrument Triangle:
Great Tone->Gig Reliability-> Budget Price
Pick your choice of two.

From the detailed discussion I had with the GC guy who personally gigged with Acoustic amps, the reliability issue is related to the power amp section and usually it happens well within the 3-year warranty period. He assured me the tone is there.

I decided to revist budget-priced gear after several discussions with my wife. In the big picture, gear acquisition isn't important enough to make other priorities less important.

If anyone is interested, I'll post some "no-bunk/no-bull" reviews after it gets here.

Thanks all.

[5port]

Please dont tell me you came on Talkbass and asked for advice...then went by what a CG salesman said.

FWIW I bought an Acoustic B115 over a year ago. In its stock form it sounded fine a low volume and farted out with the band. After extensive mods (changing the speaker,etc) its only OK but still not good enough to use with the band and way too heavy to carry. It stays home and I consider it a loss except for low volume practice at home.

[Joe Louvar]

I would have taken JimmyM’s advice - but hey, congratulations and enjoy your new bass rig.

[HereIGoAgain]

Originally Posted by 5port

Please dont tell me you came on Talkbass and asked for advice...then went by what a CG salesman said.

FWIW I bought an Acoustic B115 over a year ago. In its stock form it sounded fine a low volume and farted out with the band. After extensive mods (changing the speaker,etc) its only OK but still not good enough to use with the band and way too heavy to carry. It stays home and I consider it a loss except for low volume practice at home.

I've been playing guitar since '97. I know when salesman are blowing smoke and when they are not. I'm just new to bass. I also know how to manage a bank account. I also know what the gear scene where I live is like.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with yours. My detailed discussion with the GC manager (I left that detail out earlier) included reliability issues.

If you want to know what the my amp's like, I'll let you know once it gets here. If not, you know how to ignore threads.

[sevenorchids]

You may want to grab another 115 with that. I used the B200H with a single 115 and was having some trouble with keeping up with a guitarist and drummer. Threw another 115 in there and haven't had any problems since. It's the rig that I left at the practice space and it works well. Dirt cheap and sounds perfectly fine. I think the whole thing cost me less than $600 brand new.

It isn't the easiest to move though and the tolex can be quite fragile. Not sure if they've fixed that.

Plus, the warranty is great. IF it fails, just bring it in to GC and they swap it out, I believe.

Enjoy your new amp!

[B-string]

Originally Posted by HereIGoAgain

I've been playing guitar since '97. I know when salesman are blowing smoke and when they are not. I'm just new to bass. I also know how to manage a bank account. I also know what the gear scene where I live is like.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with yours. My detailed discussion with the GC manager (I left that detail out earlier) included reliability issues.

If you want to know what the my amp's like, I'll let you know once it gets here. If not, you know how to ignore threads.

Not trying to upset you here. Just pointing out that you came here to ask bassist's advice. Then you take the word of anybody GC about their highest profit margin China house brand equipment?
Sincerely hope you enjoy your choice but don't be afraid to use that no fault return policy if you find it lacking in a live band setting.
One 15" and 200 watts will not get you very far beyond quiet practices BTW. But GC knows better than any gigging Bassist

[SurferJoe46]

Then you take the word of anybody GC about their highest profit margin China house brand equipment?

And that means? It sounds inflammatory and perjorative to me.

Hey - but don't roast the guy because he didn't want to schnozz-out for an Ampeg. Neither did I, and I'm happy.

I like the sound of the Acoustic gear as it's old school thumpy and mellow, but can still honk and slap if you bring in the horn.

I would've gone for the B-450 or a B-600H and built with B-410s from there - but it's all good if he likes the sound.

I'm happy.
He's happy.
Why can't you be happy for him too?

[B-string]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

And that means? It sounds inflammatory and perjorative to me.

Hey - but don't roast the guy because he didn't want to schnozz-out for an Ampeg. Neither did I, and I'm happy.

I like the sound of the Acoustic gear as it's old school thumpy and mellow, but can still honk and slap if you bring in the horn.

I would've gone for the B-450 or a B-600H and built with B-410s from there - but it's all good if he likes the sound.

I'm happy.
He's happy.
Why can't you be happy for him too?

I hope anyone that lays down their cash is happy with what they bought!
My gripe is people that come around say they are new to bass and ask seasoned bassists that have gone through equipment choices. When given advice, they believe a salesman? Everyone's choice in sound is different.
If he tried a bunch of different gear and came back and said "I liked the GC Acoustic best for the price I'd say great. BUT: " I went with an Acoustic B200H/B115 half stack. The GC person I spoke with threw in a Monster speaker cable and cut me a deal on some strings too.

The Musicial Instrument Triangle:
Great Tone->Gig Reliability-> Budget Price
Pick your choice of two."
"My detailed discussion with the GC manager (I left that detail out earlier) included reliability issues."

One word Used, best value and sound for your dollar.

As I said before:
"Sincerely hope you enjoy your choice but don't be afraid to use that no fault return policy if you find it lacking in a live band setting."

Monster speaker cable? Really? My son used to work for a large electronics store chain, I bought a $120.00 roll of 14 awg Monster speaker wire at his cost of less than $20.00 out the door (the price per foot wound up cheaper than lamp cord at a hardware store). That alone makes me question how squarely he was treated?

[SurferJoe46]

Granted, it does smack of asking a question after the fact as if he wants affirmation on his purchase perhaps, and I can imagine the chagrin of others when they read the OP stated the way it was.

The Acoustic gear isn't gonna float everybody's boat, nor will an Ampeg/SVG nor the G-K brand name. Niche players are always gonna be staunch advocates of the names they buy - and we all know that.

Let's face it --- we're all tone whores and are never 100% qualified to speak of other gear unless we've owned it ourselves and have been able to pass judgement on it. Yet even that logic's flawed.

The 'Monster' cable? Yeah - it's a red herring by an advocate of GC, but that's a personal failing by the salesperson, not the buyer here.

The same holds true for Orange Caps, brands of strings and tone woods: if they work for you then fine.

Gullibility is one thing, but performance in the case of the amp/combo/cab is another.

To the OP: I won't use Monster cables, since almost every time I've seen them used they cause some connection grief with the jacks in which they are inserted after a while.

Rumor has it that they are larger than industry standard, although I've never measured them, and they supposedly damage the receptacles. Be forewarned that it might be true and can happen to you.

Originally Posted by B-string

I hope anyone that lays down their cash is happy with what they bought!
My gripe is people that come around say they are new to bass and ask seasoned bassists that have gone through equipment choices. When given advice, they believe a salesman? Everyone's choice in sound is different.
If he tried a bunch of different gear and came back and said "I liked the GC Acoustic best for the price I'd say great. BUT: " I went with an Acoustic B200H/B115 half stack. The GC person I spoke with threw in a Monster speaker cable and cut me a deal on some strings too.

The Musicial Instrument Triangle:
Great Tone->Gig Reliability-> Budget Price
Pick your choice of two."
"My detailed discussion with the GC manager (I left that detail out earlier) included reliability issues."

One word Used, best value and sound for your dollar.

As I said before:
"Sincerely hope you enjoy your choice but don't be afraid to use that no fault return policy if you find it lacking in a live band setting."

Monster speaker cable? Really? My son used to work for a large electronics store chain, I bought a $120.00 roll of 14 awg Monster speaker wire at his cost of less than $20.00 out the door (the price per foot wound up cheaper than lamp cord at a hardware store). That alone makes me question how squarely he was treated?

[Joe Louvar]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

The 'Monster' cable? Yeah - it's a red herring by an advocate of GC, but that's a personal failing by the salesperson, not the buyer here.

To the OP: I won't use Monster cables, since almost every time I've seen them used they cause some connection grief with the jacks in which they are inserted after a while.

Rumor has it that they are larger than industry standard, although I've never measured them, and they supposedly damage the receptacles. Be forewarned that it might be true and can happen to you.

Hi Joe, I’m a long time Monster cable user and FWIW the early Monster cables had oversized jacks but not the new cables.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by Joe Louvar

Hi Joe, I’m a long time Monster cable user and FWIW the early Monster cables had oversized jacks but not the new cables.

That's good to know - although I am still hinky on them for price point. Reliability hasn't been an issue with what I currently use (a mixed bag of cables, some from GFS).

Thanks for that info.

[dsanders]

A few things I wanted to comment on.

1. The fact that you spoke to a manager at GC means nothing. I live in Nashville, the GC here is exceptionally good because they hire talented knowledgable musicians. However, I am good friends with a regional manager who worked his way up through the GC ranks and he knows s*** about bass gear THOUGH he would tell you the opposite.

2. The fact that he got advice here then "trusted the word of a salesman" is not inherently a bad thing. I'm a salesman, I know my product better than anyone in my business. I also only suggest things that will fill a clients need. There are those of us in business to help, I've found if I serve the money is never an issue.

[Pilgrim]

My opinion: no problem with the Acoustic gear. If you don't like it, take it back.

The Monster cable? I wouldn't even use it. Just ask them to give you two standard cables (one speaker, one guitar) and you'll get a better value.