so i'm indecisive........

robotbraineater · #1 05-28-2010, 06:38 PM

im in the process of searching for a new bass amp. my band is going to be gigging around the area, and i need something to go into our PA. btw, we have a peavey PA, pretty large, 2 sp5, 2 sp4, 2 PV118 subs, and 3 monitors, along with powered amps and a board.

should i go with a combo that has decent wattage?

or should i break down and spend the cash on a beast like this?

and if you think i should get a head/cab set up, what head/cab do you recommend

Rick Auricchio · #2 05-28-2010, 08:36 PM

Get a DI and put the bass into the monitors?

deekay911 · #3 05-28-2010, 08:50 PM

I'd get a micro head with decent DI (GB Shuttle) to give FOH and monitors, and a cab big enough to give stage backline volume for the size of stages you will be playing. A 410 and 115 would be perfect, cos you can use either or both as needed for varying circumstances..

robotbraineater · #4 05-29-2010, 05:07 PM

Would you recommend a brand like Acoustic? I know that they're not as high quality as something like ampeg but they are a lot cheaper, and money is definitely a factor in this.

rhopper · #5 05-29-2010, 06:05 PM

What type of music are you playing?

robotbraineater · #6 05-29-2010, 06:50 PM

Like pop punk type music. (think all time low)

robotbraineater · #7 05-29-2010, 07:13 PM

Deekay were you referring to the shuttle 6.0?

rhopper · #8 05-29-2010, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robotbraineater

Would you recommend a brand like Acoustic? I know that they're not as high quality as something like ampeg but they are a lot cheaper, and money is definitely a factor in this.

Acoustic is not a bad amp at all. I know a guy that uses a small 15" Acoustic combo for classic rock and it does just fine live.

rhopper · #9 05-29-2010, 07:37 PM

If your strapped for cash... try to find a used Fender Bassman 210/250.

Hollywars · #10 05-29-2010, 07:45 PM

You can find Ampeg 810's for 500$ used.

robotbraineater · #11 05-29-2010, 07:58 PM

I was thinking about getting an acoustic 410 and a 115, but I'm not sure. I'm not entirely sure how to pair cabs with heads, (like the ohms) cuz this is my first head/cab rig.

robotbraineater · #12 05-29-2010, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollywars

You can find Ampeg 810's for 500$ used.

That'd be incredible. I'll have to look into that for sure.

rodl2005 · #13 05-29-2010, 08:37 PM

The Fender Combo is OK, but as decribed above- Look for the better quality Fender Bassman(rather than the 'Rumble') 400, or 250/210, 250/115 (if thats an option)
A 1x15 & a 410 cab WILL get DAMN loud for ya- with almost ANY amp, & an Ampeg 810 is good, but HUGE for you to take to EVERY gig- unless U don't mind this- A more modular rig that U can take ONE CAB to some gigs MAY be the better option for U.
One of the Fender Combo's, TO WHICH U could have the option of adding an ext. cab, might be a good option. So as an eg. The Fender 210 combo & grab either a 410 or 1x15 cab to add to it....... maybe

robotbraineater · #14 05-29-2010, 09:25 PM

So can someone explain how to match cabs with a head to me? Because I know for example the acoustic 410 paired with the 115 are 650 total watts and 8 ohms each. So what kind of head would I use with that?

gus1894 · #15 05-29-2010, 09:42 PM

Somebody else is bound to say it, but do a search in the Amps section, there's a ton of info here on TB! But, as long as your ohms jive from head to cab(s), it's better to have more wattage available than your head can push.

And as awesome as those beasts are and sound, you will never actually need it live, and more importantly your back won't need it live! I gigged for a long time with a Fender Rumble 100 (100 watts and 2-10" speakers) both indoors and outdoors. I never had a problem with power, and at the time I was playing with a pair of distorted guitarists and a heavy, heavy-handed drummer. Recently I finally upgraded to a small (but not micro) rig with a class D head and a 3-way cab (15", 8", and a horn). While I love having a rig capable of pushing 450 watts, I don't think I've had it over 3 or 4 in the 7 or 8 shows I've played with it (one of them being outdoors) - and anywhere you'll need to push over 200 or 300 watts, you'll most likely be going into FOH.

Also - the first pick in the first post - that Rumble 350 will be more than you ever need for a great price (probably pick up a Rumble aftermarket easily for a good deal. And those Rumble amps have great sound, they have a nice tonal range, and they take a beating.

Just my two cents. Good luck!

gus1894 · #16 05-29-2010, 09:44 PM

Somebody upstairs from me in the thread mentioned Acoustic, the new stuff is pretty good.

And you can never go wrong with GK - they have great combos too.

robotbraineater · #17 05-29-2010, 11:58 PM

i'm really feeling the acoustic, at least for my current situation. i'm thinking that im gonna go with an acoustic 410 paired with the acoustic 115, and also go acoustic for the head, with the B200H. i still dont really get how the ohms get paired up. lol. like i know that those 2 cabs work with this head, but i would kinda like to know how that sorta thing works for future reference. thanks for all the help guys.

Never_grew_up · #18 05-30-2010, 11:48 AM

There's a sticky in the top of the amps forum about ohms/amps/cab matching, but in a nutshell amp speaker outputs are wired in parallel so if you have 2 8 ohm cabs (like a 1-15 and a 4-10) when you plug them both into the head you have a 4 ohm load.
If you daisychain the cabinets the speaker in & speaker out jacks are also paralleled so if you go from amp to cab1 to cab2 you still have a paralleled load so you still have a 4 ohm load (if each cab is 8 ohms).

JimmyM · #19 05-30-2010, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robotbraineater

i'm really feeling the acoustic, at least for my current situation. i'm thinking that im gonna go with an acoustic 410 paired with the acoustic 115, and also go acoustic for the head, with the B200H. i still dont really get how the ohms get paired up. lol. like i know that those 2 cabs work with this head, but i would kinda like to know how that sorta thing works for future reference. thanks for all the help guys.

don't do that. there's no reason to get a 115 with a 410. the idea that a 115 complements a 410 is entirely based on looks. a 410 will go as low or lower as any 115 and bury it volume-wise. however, some 115's sound great so they're not always the wrong choice. but get two 115's or two 410's, not both.

honestjohnny · #20 05-30-2010, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deekay911

I'd get a micro head with decent DI (GB Shuttle) to give FOH and monitors, and a cab big enough to give stage backline volume for the size of stages you will be playing. A 410 and 115 would be perfect, cos you can use either or both as needed for varying circumstances..

I agree with this, partly. With those nice PA subs you're going to have all the lows you need, because they're omnidirectional. It's the mids and highs that you're going to need on stage and you may not get enough of those from the existing monitors. Why not get a Sansamp BDDI or Para DI and run to the mixer and out to a powered PA monitor that can be dedicated to your bass? Maybe even get a filter like the sfx Thumpinator, to keep the sub frequencies out of the monitor. Cheers!