Ampeg Rocket Bass Combos

[iagtrplyr]

Thanks for the heads up!!
I plan on unboxing and test drive tomorrow- I’m home with the Boyz tomorrow, so they will undoubtedly be a part of this…gotta raise ‘em right!
Same shot, but….this should be Fun! View attachment 4313332

Oh, hurry up Tele...the suspense is killing me. I need to know if I have to save up (or sell-off) for the 115.

 

[68Tele-Bass]

Oh, hurry up Tele...the suspense is killing me. I need to know if I have to save up (or sell-off) for the 115.

I know! Right??? Sorry I’ve been under the weather since returning from Boston- not COVID-19, just a head cold.

 

[Lowbrow]

I know! Right??? Sorry I’ve been under the weather since returning from Boston- not COVID-19, just a head cold.

^ What. A. Tease.

 

[vin088xk1]

Just ordered the 112, CME had one in stock, should get a ship date tomorrow.

 

[iammr2]

Oh, hurry up Tele...the suspense is killing me. I need to know if I have to save up (or sell-off) for the 115.

Be like a Boy Scout and Be Prepared! Start saving and selling!

 

[jeff7bass]

Thanks for the heads up!!
I plan on unboxing and test drive tomorrow- I’m home with the Boyz tomorrow, so they will undoubtedly be a part of this…gotta raise ‘em right!
Same shot, but….this should be Fun! View attachment 4313332

Again with the box?!!!

 

[iagtrplyr]

Be like a Boy Scout and Be Prepared! Start saving and selling!

I hear ya! Working on a deal to sell my Rumble 100. Waiting until the Fourth to see if any better offers come in. I’ll keep looking around.

 

[Les Fret]

I am looking for a small practice and teaching amp. I was thinking on either the RB-108 or the Blackstar U30. Which would you choose soundwise?

 

[butterfingers1]

Always nice to see what a small combo is capable of, the RB 108 is interesting.

We don’t hear much about Blackstar, would be nice though.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Always nice to see what a small combo is capable of, the RB 108 is interesting.

We don’t hear much about Blackstar, would be nice though.

Agreed, not much written which makes me wonder a little. We’ve had a couple of Blackstar owners join us at the Combo Club, though I know of one incident where a member bought a Unity combo and traded it back within days. Said it wasn’t the sound he was looking for.

That’s why I love Ampeg. To me, it sends out to the ear what I’m trying to convey through my fingers. From classic rock to blues to pop standards, it can do it all for me. I love my other amps when I’m in the mood for a different flavor, but ‘Pegs will be with me forever.

 

[iagtrplyr]

I am looking for a small practice and teaching amp. I was thinking on either the RB-108 or the Blackstar U30. Which would you choose soundwise?

I read the thread about practice combos and remembered you writing here too, so here are my two cents. The mixer idea is decent, but it means having to add another piece of equipment of which may be of limited value when you're not teaching. Purchasing two amps is also doubling equipment, and if they're of questionable quality then what's the point? Actually, your original question when you came to this thread was if we thought the RB-108 combo would work and I say, yes, it would. From what I've read, that was Ampeg's intent of offering both inputs instead of one input and a -15 db pad.

If I was teaching a student, I'd give him/her the 0 db input and adjust for volume with that. Then, I'd use the -15 input to be there for either listening or to lead with. Tone controls would remain flat regardless. For instruction, I don't think that's a half-bad idea. I have the previous line's BA108 v2 and if I had that setup I wouldn't hesitate to use it for just that task. To me, it beats buying a mixer or an additional combo amp.

Good luck with the project, let us know what you end up deciding. Oh yeah, rent the combo out to the student so they can use the Aux-in and headphone capability. Before too long, it'll have paid for itself.

 

[WillieB]

(disclaimer: No pics taken )

Well I gigged my RB112! AND LOVED IT!

Its a Trio ( acoustic guitar,mando,harp - acoustic Guitar - Bass)

Patio gigs with 50 - 80 audience folks. PA is two Bose L1's with powered subs.

In the past I would bring a single 15 cab and a GK or Mesa head with 400 watts
and would just play from the stage and not use the PA.
Kind of a disadvantage due to playing loud enough for the patio is two loud for stage volume.
I always brought my whirlwind bass ten eq to try and find the tone I liked.

So I brought the RB112 .... sat it on the ground and tilted it back a wee bit. Used anti vibration pads under the
front feet.
Only used my broughton HPF and went into the board from the RB112 line out.
EQ controls all at noon (flat). Volume at 110clock, adjusted my jazz bass volumes as needed.

Deep buttery bass and just the right amount of mid and treble.

Less gear to haul/fewer trips from/to the car.
Just waiting for the covers to be in stock.

 

[iagtrplyr]

(disclaimer: No pics taken )

Well I gigged my RB112! AND LOVED IT!

Its a Trio ( acoustic guitar,mando,harp - acoustic Guitar - Bass)

Patio gigs with 50 - 80 audience folks. PA is two Bose L1's with powered subs.

In the past I would bring a single 15 cab and a GK or Mesa head with 400 watts
and would just play from the stage and not use the PA.
Kind of a disadvantage due to playing loud enough for the patio is two loud for stage volume.
I always brought my whirlwind bass ten eq to try and find the tone I liked.

So I brought the RB112 .... sat it on the ground and tilted it back a wee bit. Used anti vibration pads under the
front feet.
Only used my broughton HPF and went into the board from the RB112 line out.
EQ controls all at noon (flat). Volume at 110clock, adjusted my jazz bass volumes as needed.

Deep buttery bass and just the right amount of mid and treble.

Less gear to haul/fewer trips from/to the car.
Just waiting for the covers to be in stock.

Willie, you're my fave post of the day! Three things to ask ya:

1. How the heck did ya score an acoustic trio. I love that idea! I'll bet you folks are good too. Just a hunch.

2. Did ya feel the 112 gave not only enough volume, but that it had some left to spare, or were you pushing it? I'm asking because your ears can tell us if that setting is the limits of this combo or there's still more to give and you could've played in an even larger venue. Where's the end at, IYO?

3. I've done some looking for a cover already 'cuz she's not going out in the summer rain until there's one on. Is Ampeg talking covers yet or are you figuring sooner or later they'll be out? I'll definitely take one too.

Bonus request: move whatever mountain you have to move and please get us a pic. I'd love to see how the combo looks in the setting you drew up for us. Thanks a bunch for a fun post to read!

 

[butterfingers1]

(disclaimer: No pics taken )

Well I gigged my RB112! AND LOVED IT!

Its a Trio ( acoustic guitar,mando,harp - acoustic Guitar - Bass)

Patio gigs with 50 - 80 audience folks. PA is two Bose L1's with powered subs.

In the past I would bring a single 15 cab and a GK or Mesa head with 400 watts
and would just play from the stage and not use the PA.
Kind of a disadvantage due to playing loud enough for the patio is two loud for stage volume.
I always brought my whirlwind bass ten eq to try and find the tone I liked.

So I brought the RB112 .... sat it on the ground and tilted it back a wee bit. Used anti vibration pads under the
front feet.
Only used my broughton HPF and went into the board from the RB112 line out.
EQ controls all at noon (flat). Volume at 110clock, adjusted my jazz bass volumes as needed.

Deep buttery bass and just the right amount of mid and treble.

Less gear to haul/fewer trips from/to the car.
Just waiting for the covers to be in stock.

Thank you for these informative details.

How important is the HPF in your opinion?

How would you compare the « buttery-ness » of a precision bass into a brighter combo like GK, just by rolling off the tone knob?

Any comments most welcome.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Thank you for these informative details.

How important is the HPF in your opinion?

How would you compare the « buttery-ness » of a precision bass into a brighter combo like GK, just by rolling off the tone knob?

Any comments most welcome.

I’ll stick my thoughts here before anyone else jumps in.

I’m relatively new to the HPF, a Broughton pedal, having one for only the past month or so, but it’s made a nice improvement to determining the bass information you want in any given room. It really works and I leave it on no natter which amp I use. I just adjust the frequency to what my ears hear.

As for the GK, I’ve owned a gigging rig plus a combo and to me, it’s just not able to hit that buttery tone an Ampeg can nail, no batter what you do with the tone controls.

To no fault of the equipment or design, GKs are more modern, a tad cool sounding, yet can growl with the best of them. You buy a GK, IMHO, you’re not going after the Ampeg tone. Run a Sansamp or Ampeg SCR-DI and you’ll get closer, but I could never accurately mimic a B-15 tone. Now that’s butter!

 

[butterfingers1]

This is getting too much for me.

 

[jeff7bass]

This is getting too much for me.

Go for it.

 

[butterfingers1]

 

[WillieB]

Im very glad I went for it.
The HPF performs differently depending on the cab/amp combo.
On my GK amp/cab it was a game changer.
I havent had to drive the RB112 hard yet .... to me that's where the HPF saves a cone/pays off.

The trio was a spinoff of an 8 piece rock band, which was a spinoff of a 7 piece horn band.
Two acoustic guitar players who have performed as a duo for some time presents their own challenges.


covers for the rocketbass cabs seems like they will available in a couple of weeks.

to get even close to the ampeg tone on a GK I had to use a tech 21 VT bass pedal and an EQ pedal.

Enough volume to spare? On a small stage with
pa support YES! even withouth PA it might have been enough for a small/medium indoor venue.

I like a P bass in a GK amp rig ... its just a different sounding beast from a P bass into any ampeg rig.
They dont cross sounds line anywhere close. imho


Next gig july 6th film at 11!

 

[WillieB]

View attachment 4315112

Im just messing with ya ... you dont need this amp.