Well folks, it's been a year.
I started out ampless, having sold my 150+lb Hartke rig from the eighties when moving into a third-floor walk-up.
I then picked up a Hydrive 112 that I got for a steal while on vacation. Then, before going on tour, I picked up a GK MB500. Bands were sharing cabinets on the tour so I didn't bring the Hydrive.
The first time I cranked up the Hydrive with the MB500 attached, I got a burning smell. Fortunately, I turned it off before any harm was done, and after getting it checked out by a pro I sold it to a TBer.
I then bought a GK Neo 410, which paired pretty well with the MB500, but I could never get "my sound" out of the MB500. I found a 1979 Peavey Centurion MkIII at a local shop, plugged in, immediately got "my sound," and sold the MB500.
The Neo 410 paired with the Centurion... I just don't like it. I didn't much like it with the MB500 either but I really don't like it with the Centurion. Especially with a 5-string, and even with a high pass filter at 30Hz, the low end sounds very "wooly" and "boomy." Not quite "muddy," but only because I dial my tone in so brightly. A few old posts on here seem to indicate that a lot of folks haven't enjoyed the tone the got from the Neo 410 unless it was paired with a GK head, specifically from the RB series, and found it very boomy in other contexts. I've also heard that it's very directional, and if that I were in the crowd in front of it it wouldn't sound nearly as boomy as it does at rehearsal, but I haven't been able to test that out yet. If that ends up being the case then I'll keep it.
But, if not, I'm thinking of trying some more cabs out. What I like about the Neo 410 is that even with the Peavey at 130W RMS, it is efficient enough to keep up with both of my guitarists' 5150's as well as our drummer. I can hear myself at practice with the gain pretty low. I like that. That's good.
So, I need an efficient cabinet. Preferably something small and lightweight as I have a small hatchback that I drive to gigs, and preferably something reasonably affordable that I can buy used because I'm a cheap-ass. My favorite cabinet that I've tried, ever, was a Bergantino NXT212, but I'm not sure how it's going to handle the tiny 130W from the Peavey and it's also very expensive at just shy of $1750. I'm trying to keep the price at something below a comma. I want something tight, bright, and punchy with a lot of grind.
Please do not recommend anything currently in the classifieds as this is not an impending purchase due to me having blown my budget on Christmas gifts.
When those criteria - small/light-ish, will keep up with a loud five-piece metal band, affordable, bright, and punchy - come to mind, what should I be looking at? I'm tempted to just grab another Hartke since I always like how those sound, maybe a Hydrive 410. But if there's anything else I should be looking at in my quest, let me know!
Cheers!
I started out ampless, having sold my 150+lb Hartke rig from the eighties when moving into a third-floor walk-up.
I then picked up a Hydrive 112 that I got for a steal while on vacation. Then, before going on tour, I picked up a GK MB500. Bands were sharing cabinets on the tour so I didn't bring the Hydrive.
The first time I cranked up the Hydrive with the MB500 attached, I got a burning smell. Fortunately, I turned it off before any harm was done, and after getting it checked out by a pro I sold it to a TBer.
I then bought a GK Neo 410, which paired pretty well with the MB500, but I could never get "my sound" out of the MB500. I found a 1979 Peavey Centurion MkIII at a local shop, plugged in, immediately got "my sound," and sold the MB500.
The Neo 410 paired with the Centurion... I just don't like it. I didn't much like it with the MB500 either but I really don't like it with the Centurion. Especially with a 5-string, and even with a high pass filter at 30Hz, the low end sounds very "wooly" and "boomy." Not quite "muddy," but only because I dial my tone in so brightly. A few old posts on here seem to indicate that a lot of folks haven't enjoyed the tone the got from the Neo 410 unless it was paired with a GK head, specifically from the RB series, and found it very boomy in other contexts. I've also heard that it's very directional, and if that I were in the crowd in front of it it wouldn't sound nearly as boomy as it does at rehearsal, but I haven't been able to test that out yet. If that ends up being the case then I'll keep it.
But, if not, I'm thinking of trying some more cabs out. What I like about the Neo 410 is that even with the Peavey at 130W RMS, it is efficient enough to keep up with both of my guitarists' 5150's as well as our drummer. I can hear myself at practice with the gain pretty low. I like that. That's good.
So, I need an efficient cabinet. Preferably something small and lightweight as I have a small hatchback that I drive to gigs, and preferably something reasonably affordable that I can buy used because I'm a cheap-ass. My favorite cabinet that I've tried, ever, was a Bergantino NXT212, but I'm not sure how it's going to handle the tiny 130W from the Peavey and it's also very expensive at just shy of $1750. I'm trying to keep the price at something below a comma. I want something tight, bright, and punchy with a lot of grind.
Please do not recommend anything currently in the classifieds as this is not an impending purchase due to me having blown my budget on Christmas gifts.
When those criteria - small/light-ish, will keep up with a loud five-piece metal band, affordable, bright, and punchy - come to mind, what should I be looking at? I'm tempted to just grab another Hartke since I always like how those sound, maybe a Hydrive 410. But if there's anything else I should be looking at in my quest, let me know!
Cheers!
