new bass player, looking for good combo

Kickstand · #1 10-05-2010, 10:40 PM

Hi, I'm Ian, and I'm new to these forums. Since I switched from guitar to bass about 3 months ago, I've been looking through these forums for information all over the board and have found it very useful.

I joined my first 'real' gigging band about 3 months ago when I met our lead singer and they needed a bass player. However, since I was a guitarist before, I don't really have any rig of my own. Right now I'm playing an 80's Peavey Foundation (not a bad little bass, but I'm gonna replace him with a Warwick Rockbass Corvette pretty soon) through a POS Peavey MX-4 mixer amp and a (uggh...) JBL PA cabinet.

I hate that cabinet like cancer. I can't get any bottom end without it farting on me. It doesn't really give me much reponse or articulation, feels like my playing is being filtered through the cold heart of a robot. Not to mention this mixer amp has only high and low controls, with a broken reverb, so toneshaping is pretty much impossible at the moment.

I'm in the market for a decent bass combo for around $600, maybe a little lower or higher. All I've had a chance to try are a few Hartke combos (I live in West Virginia, not much of a chance to try everything out that I want to) and an Ampeg (trying not to go tube, I don't trust the little buggers. stuff gets banged up in the back of a van, you know). Anyone have any reccommendations?

xjeremiahx · #2 10-05-2010, 10:44 PM

the GK MB stuff is real nice. Might be able to pick up a Markbass 1x12 for a little over 600, might be able to find one used as well.

zachoff · #3 10-06-2010, 12:20 AM

Keep an eye on craigslist and don't be jumpy. Wait around for the good stuff. You'll find a lot of good rigs for under $600 on there. tons. Peavey Marks for under $200, 410s for $200... Patience is a virtue.

pnut166 · #4 10-06-2010, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachoff

Keep an eye on craigslist and don't be jumpy. Wait around for the good stuff. You'll find a lot of good rigs for under $600 on there. tons. Peavey Marks for under $200, 410s for $200... Patience is a virtue.

+1 to this. The best deals are when you have cash in hand, ready to jump on that new CL post; I`ve gotten a whole rig for far less than $600. As far as combos, I have a Line 6 LD150 and love it. Some purists say they`re gimmicky, due to the modeling and control layout. I cannot evaluate it the same way others can - I have no idea if the models truly sound like their real-life counterparts. But I do know that it sounds great regardless, has tons of versatility, relatively light, gets loud, and doesn`t cost a mint; picked mine up off the bay for $250 shipped.

nasr20de · #5 10-06-2010, 08:19 AM

+1 on the used gear until you know what sound your looking for and what gear will help you get there.

But if you want new the Acoustic B200H gets great reviews and is in the price range. Check out the mega thread ( The Acoustic Club: Acid Reflux-It's Always Better The Second Time Around! )

There are a lot of choices and many many more if you go used.

Btw Go try stuff out I had a friend order something just because of what he read and he absolutely hated the way it sounded to him. I learned my lesson and so did he.

Jimmy Blue · #6 10-06-2010, 10:38 AM

Consider a used Eden Metro DC210xlt. Great combo, powerfull with excellent EQ. You can dail in HiFi to old school Motown tone. 200W at 8 Ohm, put a second cab under it and you get 400W @ 4ohms. It'll knock nails out of drywall !!

Kickstand · #7 10-07-2010, 06:06 PM

I'm gonna look into that Eden combo or maybe a GK MB 210. Out of curiosity, do the majority of combos have a speaker out?

JimmyM · #8 10-07-2010, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kickstand

I'm in the market for a decent bass combo for around $600, maybe a little lower or higher. All I've had a chance to try are a few Hartke combos (I live in West Virginia, not much of a chance to try everything out that I want to) and an Ampeg (trying not to go tube, I don't trust the little buggers. stuff gets banged up in the back of a van, you know). Anyone have any reccommendations?

yes...don't be such a tube wuss

there is nothing inherently more fragile about tubes than transistor amps. they will all break if you drop them, and they will all work just fine if you take reasonable care of them. sure a tube will go out now and then...big deal. the tube in my swr sm-500 lasted over 6 years of regular usage and pretty heavy roadwork and is probably still going strong for the person who stol...er...bought it at a shamefully low price. i've got a pair of 37 year old power tubes in my 73 fender super reverb.

however, in a $600 combo, you probably won't see many tubes anyway. the hydrive combos are pretty darn good imho. if i were in the market, they'd be on my short list. the ampeg ba combos are good but not my thing.

zachoff · #9 10-07-2010, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kickstand

I'm gonna look into that Eden combo or maybe a GK MB 210. Out of curiosity, do the majority of combos have a speaker out?

Most higher powered ones do.

JimmyM · #10 10-07-2010, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kickstand

I'm gonna look into that Eden combo or maybe a GK MB 210. Out of curiosity, do the majority of combos have a speaker out?

yes, but be careful...some, like the ba115, don't. and some combos, especially more inexpensive ones like the acoustic combos, have a 4 ohm cab and the head operates at 4 ohms. then you plug an ext cab into it and you lose half the wattage. so make sure it operates at 8 ohms as it sits so you can plug a 4 ohm cab into it and get 4 ohms out of your head.

Kickstand · #11 10-08-2010, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

yes, but be careful...some, like the ba115, don't. and some combos, especially more inexpensive ones like the acoustic combos, have a 4 ohm cab and the head operates at 4 ohms. then you plug an ext cab into it and you lose half the wattage. so make sure it operates at 8 ohms as it sits so you can plug a 4 ohm cab into it and get 4 ohms out of your head.

Thanks for that bit of advice. I know I should be looking in the stickies (which would have told me about the ohmage issue) but I appreciate you pointing that out to me. I wasn't aware that you lose half your wattage. I'm definitely gonna have to get an 8 ohm cab, we have a VERY heavy-handed drummer, and it feels like I'm always competing with his kick for sonic space. Definitely need all the power I can get...

bassplayerbob · #12 10-08-2010, 09:25 AM

If you go new, don't rule out the new Peavey Tour series combo. I just got the TNT model and it really holds it own well.
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend....LAID=335406069
I know alot of people frown on Peavey, but this does sound nice. It also has a ext speaker jack, graphic eq and a compressor to play with.

capnsandwich · #13 10-08-2010, 09:26 AM

If you don't want to add another cab to the GK MB210, might I suggest the MB212? It's the same head as the MB210 but the cabinet is a 212 and is a 4 ohm cabinet so you don't have to add another 8 ohm cabinet to get all 500 watts. They run around $700 and are only 37 lbs. They're great for quick, out the door, set up and play, break down and go home type of gigs. Plenty of headroom and great tone.

pudgychef · #14 10-08-2010, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayerbob

If you go new, don't rule out the new Peavey Tour series combo. I just got the TNT model and it really holds it own well.
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend....LAID=335406069
I know alot of people frown on Peavey, but this does sound nice. It also has a ext speaker jack, graphic eq and a compressor to play with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnsandwich

If you don't want to add another cab to the GK MB210, might I suggest the MB212? It's the same head as the MB210 but the cabinet is a 212 and is a 4 ohm cabinet so you don't have to add another 8 ohm cabinet to get all 500 watts. They run around $700 and are only 37 lbs. They're great for quick, out the door, set up and play, break down and go home type of gigs. Plenty of headroom and great tone.

both good options if you end up going new!

I will also add in the new Fender Rumble 350

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend....Amp?sku=584203

I know I know!! But just try one of the new (2010) ones...or the 150...

Kickstand · #15 10-08-2010, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayerbob

If you go new, don't rule out the new Peavey Tour series combo. I just got the TNT model and it really holds it own well.
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend....LAID=335406069
I know alot of people frown on Peavey, but this does sound nice. It also has a ext speaker jack, graphic eq and a compressor to play with.

oooh...graphic EQ is very, very tempting. I'm tempted to stay away from 1x15s but that's enticing. I'm gonna take a trip to the music store and see if they have any of these I can test out