Smallest combo thread?

[Ivan.Lt]

Hi! Is there a thread devoted to the choice and comparison of the smallest and lightest combos which are actually usable in a club (i.e. not practice toys)? For those who (like me) want to bring to a gig as little weight as possible. Thanks and sorry if I've overlooked the thread.

[Jeff Scott]

Not a comparison, but I have gigged with my Markbass Minimark with excellent results.

[LeonD]

For smallest and lightest, I'd recommend the Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0-8t.

It works very well for small gigs plus the amp can separate from the cabinet and power bigger cabinets for larger gigs.

[BigOldHarry]

smallest thread or combo?

[ilovenofrets]

Tried out a Mini CMD 121P. Very impressive, and an extension cab can be added for a mighty mini-stack.

[Tecate]

I have a shuttle 6.0 and a 1x12 cab. not a combo, but I can load in/ out in one go. And its got plenty of power!

[butchblack]

At 33 lbs and 350W the GK MB 210 is great.

[pbasswil]

Unfortunately ...

Originally Posted by Ivan.Lt

...the smallest and lightest combos which are actually usable in a club ...

... is pretty subjective. You've got Talkbassers of every ilk, from acoustic bass guitars players who play with folk guitarists, all the way up to stadium rockers.

And "clubs" can be everything from glorified coffee-bars where those folk duos play, up to full show bars and heavy metal hangouts.

So far the suggested combos start with a 2 x 6", a single 8", and top out at a fairly loud 2 x 10.

The appropriate suggestion depends on what music you're playing, whether there's a PA, and how big and loud the club is.

Is there a thread devoted to the choice and comparison of the smallest and lightest combos...

Yeah, this doesn't have everything, but it's a good place to start:

Portable amps, cabs and combos

[Ivan.Lt]

Hey, thanks for the replies! Unwillingly, I've started a discussion. Not trying to rival the thread Pbasswil suggested but if anybody wants to share their experiences with 6" or 8" driver combos or maybe a single 10" feel free to reply here. Thanks again for the link.

[pbasswil]

Originally Posted by Ivan.Lt

Hey, thanks for the replies! :) Unwillingly, I've started a discussion.

Er, I guess that was me, pointing out how vague the parameters were.

if anybody wants to share their experiences with 6" or 8" driver combos or maybe a single 10" feel free to reply here. Thanks again for the link.

Well that narrows it down a bit. But what type of music? Drums or no drums? For monitoring your own sound behind a PA, or stand alone?


My own experience: I played a little "supposedly cocktail" gig with a guitarist friend, in the entrance hall outside a reception room of a hotel. It was trio with a light jazz drummer on a little Gretsch kit.

I brought a little 10" combo (one you can't buy in N. America, a DB510 made by a little Danish company called CAD -- used by some Euro double bass players.) Perfectly adequate for the job, I thought.

We started playing background music (Girl From Ipanema, etc.) until some of the crowd started listening to us and watching our excellent guitarist intently. This encouraged him, and he started calling more upbeat and louder stuff. The crowd was responding, and clapping.

Well, long story short: before long, people were shouting Smoke On The Water! We didn't play that, but we actually ended up doing a couple of Cream tunes. :^D

Our volume quadrupled over the hour. (We only got away with it because the lady who hired us is a friend, and a musician herself -- she was glad the crowd loved us).

Volume cranked, my little combo could be heard, but I couldn't get enough low end to really keep up with where the music went, even cranked.
Worse: I think I may have permanently damaged the speaker; it's sounds fuzzy at higher volumes now. :^( I should have resigned myself to having a midrangey sound, and left the Lows flat.

Anyway, the lesson I took from that was: Always bring more amp than you expect to need.

[panama]

DI

[WoodyJ]

G-K MB150E (or S)...12" speaker, 100W (150W w/ matching extension cab).

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by pbasswil

Yeah, this doesn't have everything, but it's a good place to start:

Portable amps, cabs and combos

Thanks for the reference to a thread I created awhile ago.

Here are a few more links you may want to check out:
1 Buying a combo
2
Opinions/experiences-great small combo amps
The ultimate custom built combo?
1x10's that do the job
Micro-rigs of doom
TB micro-amp tone reviews

And a few more links on some items that may help you get the most out of your combo:
Benefits of compression
Compressor FAQ's and reviews
1 Benefits of a rumble filter
2

[brekfustuvluzer]

I owned a Phil Jones Briefcase that had INCREDIBLE tone! It is giggable in certain situations. If you need bigger, you could try the suit case.

[pbasswil]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

...links on some items that may help you get the most out of your combo:
Benefits of compression
Compressor FAQ's and reviews
1 Benefits of a rumble filter
2

Thanks for these. Ironically, my little CAD 10" combo actually has a high pass filter built in, but I didn't like the tonal effects of it with electric bass, so I left it off and forgot about it. But it would have saved my speaker on that cocktail gig.

[Ivan.Lt]

Originally Posted by pbasswil

Er, I guess that was me, pointing out how vague the parameters were

You were 7 posts late to the party! (No offence, just kidding.) My volume requirement is acoustic jazz for up to 100 people. Anything louder will involve bass through PA.

Thanks to everyone for all the input. It will take some time to read all those topics!

And the first prize for the smallest/lightest rig suggestion goes to...

Originally Posted by panama

DI

[texasgreg]

I think my micromark practice amp puts out more juice than my old GK MB150E ever did.

[pbasswil]

Originally Posted by Ivan.Lt

You were 7 posts late to the party! (No offence, just kidding.)

Those posts weren't "discussion", they were mostly amp suggestions.

My volume requirement is acoustic jazz for up to 100 people.

Well then, it sounds like those really small driver amps might be sufficient, then -- the Phil Jones with various numbers of 6"s, etc. If you're talking single driver amps, I'd personally go for at least a 10", just to keep you covered for whatever comes up. There are several in the 20 lb region.

One that doesn't get mentioned much is Markbass's acoustic series, under the MarkAcoustic label. There's a 10" MA101, and a 6" MA601.
These have 2 inputs, in case you want to blend a piezo pickup and a mic. I've heard they sound good, but can't vouch.
Then there's the Acoustic Image stuff -- also with 2 ins for blending.

Good luck getting the zillion possibilities sorted out in your head. Try with your bass before you buy, if at all possible.

[wateroftyne]

Ibanez Promethean.

Small, light, loud... DEFINITELY not a toy!