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At what point should you stop buying combos?

#46
johnk_10 said:
personally, i would never buy one in the first place, unless it's fliptop, and i don't really consider a fliptop a combo since they have a seperate head/cab.
plus with today's lightweight heads and cabs, portability is no longer an issue and that's the only benefit that i can see in a combo.
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On the one hand, I agree with this, but on the other hand, the lightweight amp developments have pretty much eliminated the need for the really bulky or underpowered combos that just had a more convenient form factor. I mean, you can take a full sized speaker cab of your choice and slap a 600 watt 5 pound head in it and have a capable rig with a negligible weight difference from a standalone cab. Also, the economics generally favor combos to similar head/cab setups. If a head + 210 cab = $1100 and the same amp and speakers in a similarly sized cab but in combo format = $950, I'm pretty well grabbing the combo every time. Truthfully though, I don't see why every manufacturer doesn't go the Genz-Benz Shuttle/Mesa walkabout/ampeg fliptop route in these scenarios, because it is great for when you need to use a standalone head.

I've used combos and stacks on gigs, and it just really depends on your needs overall, and knowing what you need at a particular venue before you get there. Don't show up for an outdoor show that has vocals only PA with a 110 combo, and don't show up for a coffeehouse gig with a fridge.

The time to stop buying combos is when they no longer suit your needs.
 
#47
lowfunk99 said:
I have played for 30 years and I still buy combo's.

It's about what you like more then anything.
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Exactly how I feel... Except I like separates :)

It's more like hard case vs gig bag, one's not better but may be a better choice for you.

My guitarist is a hard case/combo guy, I'm a gig bag/separates guy. We play the same gigs and both think we're smarter than the other. :eyebrow:
 
#48
IME, any regularly working bassist should have a mid-sized (i.e., 150- to 250-watt) combo in his arsenal. I've got a 350-watt head and a 4x10 cabinet but I haven't taken that rig out on a gig in more than a year. And I did about 70 shows last year.

JMO but I would say that a reliable, good-sounding and reasonably portable combo with an onboard DI is something you never really "outgrow".
 
#49
jaywa said:
IME, any regularly working bassist should have a mid-sized (i.e., 150- to 250-watt) combo in his arsenal. I've got a 350-watt head and a 4x10 cabinet but I haven't taken that rig out on a gig in more than a year. And I did about 70 shows last year.

JMO but I would say that a reliable, good-sounding and reasonably portable combo with an onboard DI is something you never really "outgrow".
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+1 to this
 
#50
jaywa said:
IME, any regularly working bassist should have a mid-sized (i.e., 150- to 250-watt) combo in his arsenal. I've got a 350-watt head and a 4x10 cabinet but I haven't taken that rig out on a gig in more than a year. And I did about 70 shows last year.

JMO but I would say that a reliable, good-sounding and reasonably portable combo with an onboard DI is something you never really "outgrow".
Click to expand...

I have a combo for convenience, but my big amp easily downscales for the smaller gigs if needed.
 
#51
Personally I have yet to hear a combo I really like. At least not one shy of the walk about or an Eden Metro and those boys are pricey enough to kinda be out of this general question I think... So I'm having a local cab builder clone my 1x10 and an airhead cab with space for an mb500. I totally get the grab n go aspect, just need it to perform as well as my micro speparates rig.
 
#54
While we're on this topic. I was wondering what would be louder, more suitable for gigging with heavy guitars and such.

A 150 Watt head into a 410 cab?
Or a 350 watt combo with 210 speaker configuration?

It's about the same price for either of these options in the Fender Rumble series and I was wondering what would be the better buy. Loudness wise.
 
#57
No problem. More speakers with less wattage almost always gives you more available volume than fewer speakers with more wattage. You'd have to cut your wattage way more than half for it to work out the other way.
 

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