Amp challenge. Help me pick a winner!

Head:
Ampeg PF350 or 500 - 8lb - 10lbs
GK MB200 or 500 - 2lb - 4 lbs

Cabs:
Ampeg PF210 or 115HE - 45lbs
GK NEO 112 or 115 - 34lb - 40 lbs

Either of these choices will meet all or most of your requirements and be a huge improvement over what you have now.

 

Peavey Tour 450 or 700
Try out different cabs until you find what you like.
A couple of 2x10s or 1x15s will probably fit your needs and allow for some flexibility.

 

I'd add 2 of the Ampeg SVT210AV cabs (26lbs each) to the list. They work really well in a vertical stack.

 

GK also has a great 15" combo that might work well for you.

I don't know if you have a Traynor dealer near you but they also have very well built decent sounding combos. The smallblock series in particular are excellent. They also have a light weight hea, SH500 and the 12" Neo cabs are a dream to move and play. All very competitively priced. Typically cheaper than GK and made in Canada.

 

I honestly don't think you can meet all that criteria for under $700. The suggestions above are great ones, but they won't come in at that price, and you are not likely to be able to try some of them out. GC should carry some Portaflexes and the GK MB 200, but at low wattage you will need more speaker area, driving up the price via multiple small cabs or else putting you into a cab that's too heavy. My favorite setup for the tone flexibility/headroom/weight stuff lines up with some of those suggestions: a GK MB Fusion through two Ampeg 210AVs. You're not likely to find that amp or those cabs to test locally, and it definitely exceeds the price limit.

I personally think the Fender Rumble V3 500w combo comes closest to your list:

1. Fairly neutral voicing and has EQ presets to punch up a variety of tones. The "vintage" button will nail your smooth blues/country stuff. Plus the overdrive circuit is available for some pretty convincing punk crunch if ever needed
2. Total cost to your door is $500
3. 37lbs
4. GC carries the Rumbles in store. Lots of places online.
5. See #4. Even if they don't have the 500w combo, the Rumbles all sound similar at low volumes if you want to get a feel for the tone.
6. Doesn't have an input pad, but I'm not sure you will fry the preamp with a hot bass. You can ask TB'er Linnin in the Rumble mega thread. Input pads need to be remembered to be pushed, so it's kind of the same problem as remembering to turn down your bass volume, I would think.
7. Has XLR out.
8. Beautiful vintage aesthetics
9. So far so good on reliability reports compared to a couple of other brands. The V3s are pretty new, but it still helps that the Rumble line is established with time under its belt.
10. Headroom will NEVER be a problem. These Rumbles are crazy loud and never compress or get overdriven/farty.

 

Yeah, that is a tough limit. You are kind of asking for the moon, especially if you insist on playing it first. Here is what I would do if you want to look at that price point. Rather than driving hundreds of miles, put that gas money into your budget.

For a head, you can't beat the Carvin BX-500: 300W @ 8ohms/[email protected], tons of EQ, and tube preamp. I think they are selling them for about $300, especially since they are pushing their newer head (BX-700). Pleanty of headroom

For a cabinet, look used. I know there is a guy here selling a used Revsound 4x10 for like $350 - of course you have to arrange to have it shipped. But there is a lot out there.

Looking at new cabs, your best bet would be the GK neos. They are the best cheaper priced light cabs. Sound is a little bright, but lots of people playing them. A 2x12 will give you everything you will need, but for now, maybe get a 2x10 or 1x12, and you can double up in the future if you start playing out and need more volume.

Combos will limit you. If you do get a combo, make sure it will allow you to plug in an extension speaker.

 

You cannot fry the passive input of an amplifier with active pickups.
You will only overdrive it. Might sound pleasing, might not. You'd have to send a much more enormous signal, like speaker level.
In my experience many input pads are just tone-sucks.

I'd also advocate a separate head/cab setup just for added flexibility of mix/match.

 

Among other things, a head/combo will be easier to change as your needs change. As I suggested, start with one cab, and get a duplicate later if/when you need it, and gives you a modular setup so you can bring as little as you need for the gig/practice. Also, if you start playing in a band, and you have the bucks, you can get a cheap beater cab to keep at practice, then just show up with your bass and head. Also easier to sell.

 

A combo is definitely not a bad way to go, ESPECIALLY with that Fender, and especially given the price limit. Traditionally combo's limited you: they usually had only one 15" speaker, lower overall power, were often really heavy, awkward to move and you were stuck with that setup until you bought another amp. Conversely, the Rumble is super light, has tons of power, two 10" speakers, and has the ability to add an extension speaker cab should you ever need more overall volume. But trust me, these things are loud. If it's for a beginner/hobbyist role, it's well more amp than will ever be needed. A 500w head with a 210 cab is enough for most weekend gigs; plenty of reports of people gigging the thing on all kinds of stages. Shouldn't matter that the head and cab are together in one box. In fact, it simplifies things a lot. I bought the Rumble head because I already had a variety of cabs, but I gave the combo serious consideration for all of the above reasons.

 

GK NEO. USED IF POSSIBLE.

 

Mesa Walkabout, best of both worlds. Combo in the Scout form, or head to use with cab of your choice. I've never found a cab it didn't like. Pick your cab by volume of the gig. Balanced line out has a level control. Tone for days...............

 

Only The Fender Rumble 200 or 500 combo meets all your requirements. Add a Rumble 115 cab for maximum watts and versatility. That would be $700 and $800 respectively. You can always call and ask for and get a discount. You could probably get the 500 + 115 for $700 or very close to it. Tons of Love and much high praise from working bass players at the Fender Rumble Club.

 

If the Rumble meets your needs and provides the sound you want you shouldn't care what we think. My response to you in the other thread was mainly to point out that only considering combos takes a lot of options off the table. However for the price point you are at, many of the options that meet your weight goals will only be available on the used market. Good luck!

 

GK MB500 plus a pair of their 112 Neo cabs would be an excellent choice but that will run you something like $1200.00. I run a V2 Fender Rumble 350 head and a pair of Rumble 112 Neo cabs (now discontinued) and love that set up. A Hartke 500 and a pair of 112 Hy-Drives would also be an excellent choice and cost even more. An Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and a pair of their SL 112 Neos cost even more than that. Your 40 pound weight limit kills any 410 or 212 choices.

 

Ampeg PF350 (8lb) $300, Ampeg SVT210AV (26lb) $300. Enough $ left over for cables, etc.

Easy to carry, with more than enough power for another SVT210AV if/when you need it.

Find a store that has the Rumble 500 and the Ampeg stuff in stock (Guitar Center Houston?) so you can play through them and check out their portability.

The PF350 has DI, so you could bring only the head to places that have good PA support and leave the cab(s) at home, if you wish.

 

Used GK MB200 and a pair of Neo 112's.