Bass amp wattage for 3pc. gig?

[timh28]

Matching (as in same brand/model) cabinets produce predictable results, so yes.

Cool good to know, will certainly keep that in mind when shopping around, thank you!

 

[Thundertips]

So you would say just get two lots of 410s then?

Please don't.

Many threads on this site explaining why. It was an old outdated thought process. Fact is, most 4X10's get louder and go lower then most 1X15's. The whole 10's for punch, and 15's for lows is false.

I must agree. 4-10's sound amazing with a Bass. Two 4-10's would probably kick!

 

[otp57]

So as the title says, I have a support gig coming up in August (provided we aren’t still isolating by then) and I’m weighing up some options regarding amps. The venue we are playing is small-ish but not a pub gig. I’ve read a lot of forums on here about amps for gigging etc. but I still don’t know for certain what’s best for me.
So for reference I am in a three piece band and the guitarist/singer’s amp is a fender blues junior (15w). I play a fender standard jazz bass. I’m not sure whether going for a 300w head would be overkill but I would most likely use only one cab if I did bringing the wattage somewhere around 150-175w depending on the amp. Again, I’m not sure if this is overkill as I know theres the whole formula of taking your guitarist’s wattage(s) and multiplying by 2-4.
So if anyone has any advice on what wattage I should be looking at and even any possible amp recommendation for a first time bass amp buyer then please let me know I would greatly appreciate it.
Of note, I have previously played a mic’d up pub gig through a fender rumble 100 which did the trick for the pub gig but I’m just unsure of where I stand with this slightly larger gig.
Thank you in advance for any help and I hope you are all staying safe!

My Hartke 2500 can make a lot of RUMBLE for a 250 watter( I used one 15 cab a one 210 cab) this amp is a tree shaker.I also have the HA3500 and HA5500 for starting a EARTHQUAKE.If you get a Rumble 200 It is LOUD and you can use your 100 with the 200 for a killer setup.

 

[RumbleBot]

Standard would be a 500W head into a single 8 ohms cab. This'll yield around 300 watts. More important than the watts is how much speaker surface we're talking about. I like to bring enough to get the job done. I'd say that with halfway decent gear, you're beginning to be on the safe side of things when you get something along the lines of a 2x12 cab. In most circumstances a halfway decent 500w head into a 212 will be able to deliver against a drummer playing rock without holding back.
Guitar watts don't mean that much. One of the loudest players I've had to put up with in the last few years only had a 30 W head. He played into a 412 and I needed more than a 212 to keep up with that.

I've played in metal bands against two guitar players and kept up just fine with a 540W GK and a pair of Aguilar GS 1x12 cabs. So a 300W+ head into a 2x12 cab should be fine.

 

[Paulabass]

You can turn down any amp. You can't turn one up that's maxed.

 

[InhumanResource]

So you would say just get two lots of 410s then?

If you are not going to be in the PA and need to carry the room with your rig, this is ideal.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

A Berg B|Amp and three 12s. Will totally kill it.

 

[Papuzzo]

Just to be safe, get yourself a personal PA system, say around 20,000W, and plug in to that. You never know when you may need 20,000W.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

My experience when I was gigging multiple times a week was a Hartke Ha3500 into 2 very beat down 4x10 cabs, I had to pretty much crank the Hartke to stay alive, it made it but that Hartke had no more to give!
I would say at least 500 watts with some matching cabs would do the trick. The cab I moved up to was a 2x15 and eventually Fender Rumble 15s and they made a world of difference with a 500 watt Fender Rumble head

 

[Wesley R]

Is it a one of type gig? If so renting might be a decent option. Maybe see some other bands at the same venue and see what they use.
I recall going to see a band at the venue we were scheduled to play the next week. Worrying that our sound system would not be big enough. Ten minutes into the place the owner recognizes us and motions for us to follow him into his office, where he tells us if we are that loud he will fire us like he was going to do to them. Problem of the size of the sound system solved.
I loved renting amps and while it sounds like money wasted it wasn't as it kept me from making several bad choices.

Please remember a Watt is not a unit of Volume.
Not all 300 watt rigs are equal.

 

[Steve Dallman]

I’ve played in a three piece for 11 years. We use no PA support for bass or guitar except for outdoor gigs or very large venues.

Our guitar player uses a 20-25 watt 1965 Ampeg Reverb Rocket. He’s always loud enough, and often too loud.

I started with this group with a 540 watt GK1001RB. Not overkill.

Next was an Ampeg PF-500. Not overkill. (Used a 12/6/1 and 12 sub I built.)

Now using an Ampeg PF-800 and fEARful 12/6/1 and 12/sub. Still not overkill.

 

[timh28]

Lots of different rigs I’ve seen in this thread already, thank you for all of the responses they have been a world of help!

Regarding the gig, it’s only one gig for now however we are hoping to play some more after this one and therefore I would like to start building my rig now and wanted some inspiration and advice from those who already have, it would appear, great rigs themselves. However, with all that is going on at the moment and with a possibility of having to tap into my potential rig budget, there is a possibility that only for this gig I may have to hire, which I have no issue with as where we practice has various combos and even a hiwatt head and cab which I could hire. There’s also the chance we could ask the venue or even the band we are supporting to lend us however I don’t really want to be that guy and while playing a few pub gigs people have been kind enough to ask US if we want to use their gear, I feel the other way might not go down so well and I know there are lots of mixed feelings about this in the music world. So hiring could be a useful possibility but if I am able to invest entirely into rig which I could expand and improve then I most definitely will

 

[skortch]

So you would say just get two lots of 410s then?

Personally, I would go with a 400-500 watt head and two 15" 8 ohm cabinets. Going with Rumble specs you'd be saving about 46 pounds over two 4x10s and 2x15 should be able to handle most situations. (Two 4x10s seems like overkill for most shows and a lot of excess weight to lug around.)

1x15 should be good for many smaller gigs. Going the modular route gives you flexibility.

You could also look into two 2x10 cabs or a combo amp with an extension cabinet. Just make sure you like the sound of whatever head and cab combination you end up using.

 

[Jim Carr]

...I’m not sure whether going for a 300w head would be overkill but I would most likely use only one cab if I did bringing the wattage somewhere around 150-175w depending on the amp. Again, I’m not sure if this is overkill as I know theres the whole formula of taking your guitarist’s wattage(s) and multiplying by 2-4...
...previously played a mic’d up pub gig through a fender rumble 100 which did the trick for the pub gig but I’m just unsure of where I stand with this slightly larger gig...

OK, didn't read the whole thread. There is no overkill, only KILL.

A rumble 100 combo might work when you are "mic’d up," but what happens when you aren't getting PA support?

What happens when the guitarist gets a new amp? What happens when you add another member? What happens when you join another band that is bigger and louder? Don't get a wimpy amp.

You need a lot more power than you might think. Just remember that power and loudness are in a logarithmic relationship.
To double the loudness, doesn't take twice the power, nor thrice, nope. Ten times the power is needed to double the apparent loudness.

To be twice as loud as 100 watts takes 1000 watts, assuming we live in an ideal world where power is seamlessly converted to loudness, which we don't.

Try going with something that will deliver at least 500 watts into 4 ohms. You will need speakers that can deliver that power as clean sound. Used heavy gear is cheap these days. Two cabs is better than one.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

I must agree. 4-10's sound amazing with a Bass. Two 4-10's would probably kick!

The Rumble 500 head with 2 210s is very loud and plenty of low end. Easier on your back also. I have that setup.

 

[timh28]

OK, didn't read the whole thread. There is no overkill, only KILL.

It might work when you are "mic’d up," but what happens when you aren't getting PA support.
What happens when the guitarist gets a new amp? What happens when you add another member? What happens when you join another band that is bigger and louder? Don't get a wimpy amp.

You need a lot more power than you might think. Just remember that power and loudness are in a logarithmic relationship.
To double the loudness, doesn't take twice the power, nor thrice, nope. Ten times the power is needed to double the apparent loudness.

To be twice as loud as 100 watts takes 1000 watts, assuming we live in an ideal world where power is seamlessly converted to loudness, which we don't.

Try going with something that will deliver at least 500 watts into 4 ohms. You will need speakers that hand deliver. Used heavy gear is cheap these days. Two cabs is better than one.

This is really useful to know and I will definitely consider it when shopping, thanks so much!

 

[timh28]

The Rumble 500 head with 2 210s is very loud and plenty of low end. Easier on your back also. I have that setup.

That sounds like a great rig! Will have to try it out

 

[InhumanResource]

This is really useful to know and I will definitely consider it when shopping, thanks so much!

It is also good to realize speakers make noise, watts only indirectly so. More drivers will net you volume faster than more watts. Also very important to understand what your PA situation will be, a rig for stage monitor is a much lighter use case than a rig providing the entire bass sound.

 

[Jim Carr]

This is really useful to know and I will definitely consider it when shopping, thanks so much!

The 410 format works fine, as long as you are in front of it. Once you, or more significantly your audience, are off to the side a bit, known as "off-axis," the mid-range frequencies from the speakers are mostly lost. In effect, the 410 is a very directional cabinet, with poor mid-range dispersion. From off-axis, they are muddy.

However, they can be loud, are unwieldy, often heavy, and thus can be found quite cheap. If you find an Eden, SWR, Ampeg, etc. 410 for under $300, grab it.

Much better would be a pair of 112 or 115 cabinets. For me, I love my 212 that has tilt back wheels. Of course it is a fEARful, and that is a whole 'nuther topic.

In general, a pair of identical 8 ohm cabinets is the way to go. Of course you can start with a head and a cab, and then add the second cab if you need ("want ") it.

 

[timh28]

It is also good to realize speakers make noise, watts only indirectly so. More drivers will net you volume faster than more watts. Also very important to understand what your PA situation will be, a rig for stage monitor is a much lighter use case than a rig providing the entire bass sound.

Yeah I suppose that does make sense! We’ve not received news re: PA from the venue itself but the company running the show have said there should be PA there so it’s just waiting game until we know