• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Advice sought for the combo versus head+cab dilemma..

C

chancletarock

Apr 18, 2008
78
0
Minneapolis St Paul, Minnesota
www.myspace.com
#1
Hello all-

Recently a power surge at a gig killed my main doubling amp - a Roland Cube 100. It's kind of a blessing in disguise, because I needed to get something that did upright justice as well as the slab, BUT it leaves me with some questions:

I'd really like to stay below $900 for my new setup- around 800 would be better (I didn't budget for this kinda stuff!).

I'm looking at checking out the Markbass CMD 12inch combo with the LMII head. But then again, I'm curious about getting just the LMII (GC has the Marco edition for $500...?) head and getting a cab to go with it. However after 1,00000000 searches through the TB forums, it looks like a lot of the cabs that people recommend tend to be upwards of 500 bucks.

So the questions (finally):
-Any advice regarding getting a combo versus head plus cab? I play mainly small clubs, however have heard it's good to have a lot of headroom for DB. Pros and cons of each?

-One 12" versus two 10"s? (perhaps in this case specifically)

-Is spending 5-600 bucks on a nice head (like the LMII) useless if i get a $250 GK 2-10"s? What would be the lowest you'd recommend going pricewise for an accompanying cab for a pretty good head?

Also whatever rig I do get needs to double well - I don't play electric a whole lot, but when I do gig it's Reggae/Hip Hop/Pop and needs to move air.

Thanks everyone,
I really appreciate your help!
 
#3
Head + cab vs combo is a preference. I'm a combo guy with double bass because I just want less stuff to carry. If you think you might want to use this for doubling or reserve the right for uber upscale, make sure you've got a combo with a speaker out option too. But for almost all small venue jazz-type gigs, a small combo will do it.

I don't own a Markbass combo, but they're pretty cool. I demoed one and if I was in the market, I'd look closely at one. A few guys here love theirs.

In your pricerange, you could look for a GK MB150 combo, most likely used for about $450. Check out a Markbass or it's fairly easy to find Acoustic Image heads for sale on the used market and pair them with whatever you like.

I love 2x10 cabs for everything, but I haven't owned one in years. 1x12 is most common, 1x10 can work, as can 2x8 and a number of other things. Depends on how close you park to where you gig for a lot of people.

Power and headroom never hurt, but 200 watts can go a long way in the right rig. Again, depends on what you need.
 
#5
If you really need a combo then I like The Fender Rumble models They are under $500 and are worth it. I do have my first amp I bought last year when I began buying stuff. That was a Fender Rumble 60 combo which sounded great to me at the time but is now dwarfed by the 810E and the SvT heads I now have. Fender stuff is good theRumble100 is also a good combo. You see Fender rumblers being sold used all of the time.....:cool:
 
#6
Just some thoughts here. The Roland combo might be repairable -- maybe the proverbial ten-cent fuse is involved.

As for combo vs separates, I think that a combo is more convenient, but thanks to the new lightweight heads, it's really not a big difference any more. I have a GK MB150 combo, and it holds its own for DB, unless backing up a really loud band. It would probably not be sufficient for the electric bass work.

Something to consider is a 1x12 combo that is capable of feeding an extension speaker. Then you use the combo for DB, and get an extension if and when you decide that you need more oomph for electric.
 
#7
DarkArwen - I didn't mean to sound like a DB snob! I just feel like in most cases the EB is much easier to amplify, etc.

Thanks for the responses - The repairman said "blown amp, blown head" which is strange cause I never played it over 3 o'clock. He says power surge is the most likely cause.

For some reason I never had muchluck with the GK microbass with upright - but that was on a lame bass with a lame pickup, and my setup is a lot better now, so I should look at that, too.

It does sound like it comes down to preference, since biga_s volume isn't really really necessary, so I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Thanks everyone!
 
#8
I personally prefer the flexibility of head plus cab. I can upgrade either, and I can look for the best deals on both. And as stated, with today's lightweight heads, the carry factor is no longer an issue.
 
#9
IME the micro-heads have really changed the game. The LMII is what I call "transport invisible". Slung over my shoulder in a laptop bag, I never feel it there (maybe because I've also got a DB or two BGs over the same shoulder). So I never have to do an extra trip on account of that amp head.

Tempting as it may be to go with the "simplicity" of a combo, in practice I find dealing with the separate head & speaker cord adds about 10 seconds to the setup & strike. I can easily live with that - and I'm neurotic! ;)

So IMO the drawbacks are negligible but the advantages in flexibility are quite significant. With one head I can cover anything from the loudest of bar gigs (with the 4 ohm 2x12) to moderate, space-limited jobs (8 ohm 1x12) to rehearsals & quiet gigs (getting a 1x10). Not to mention the ability to swap out a cab I don't like but keep the amp (or vice versa).

Of course YMMV.
 
#10
I had an LM II and it was a fantastic amp. I play a lot of loud rock, so it was too clean for my needs, but it was at least as loud as my Mesa 400+ and fit in my gear bag with my cables and stuff. Also, I imagine the XLR input would be helpful for URB.

Having owned a lot of combos and head/cab setups, I'm partial to separates because of the flexibility, especially if you are using the amp for both upright and electric. If you like, you could eventually pair it with a "hi fi" 1x12 for URB gigs and a larger, vintage-tuned cab for electric gigs. If you get a lower-cost cab now and don't like it, it is easy to upgrade. This is not as easy if you get a combo and it isn't voiced the way you want.

If you look at used small cabs on the classifieds you can definitely find quality stuff in your range. For new, $250 is pretty low. You might be able to get something usable, though. If you can wait 6 weeks, LDS cabs will build you a great custom unit for really cheap. Avatar might be something to look at too.
 
#11
if i'm putting my upright's sound first (to which you might ask, "then why are you amplifying it?!"), what do you think is a solid range to expect to drop for a cab that will do a head like the LMII justice?

on one hand, i don't to get an awesome head and then have it's awesomeness not shine due to quality of speakers.

then again, if these 2-10'' cabs that i see for 200-300 dollars are pretty cool, then i'd be fine with getting the head/cab combination.

looks like i have some testing to do..
 
#13
chancletarock said:
if i'm putting my upright's sound first (to which you might ask, "then why are you amplifying it?!"), what do you think is a solid range to expect to drop for a cab that will do a head like the LMII justice?
Click to expand...

Well, it's pretty open depending on how much you want to spend.



chancletarock said:
on one hand, i don't to get an awesome head and then have it's awesomeness not shine due to quality of speakers.
Click to expand...

Since it's the end of the signal chain it needs to be cabinet that
has a nice tone and good SPL. Take a look EA and Bergantino Cabinets.
you may want to save your pennies for a while.

chancletarock said:
then again, if these 2-10'' cabs that i see for 200-300 dollars are pretty cool, then i'd be fine with getting the head/cab combination.
Click to expand...

What 210 cabinets cost $200.00 to $300.00 I don't know of anything in that price range that would be a good match.

chancletarock said:
looks like i have some testing to do..
Click to expand...
 
#15
chancletarock said:
Thanks for the responses - The repairman said "blown amp, blown head" which is strange cause I never played it over 3 o'clock. He says power surge is the most likely cause.
Click to expand...

Aha. You've uncovered another advantage of a micro head. If anything goes wrong, you put a stamp on it and mail it back to the maker.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back