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Best Combo/ Head+Cabinet under 1400 dollars

Gomer Pyle

Gomer Pyle

Jun 14, 2013
83
31
#1
Dear Fellow Talkbassers,

I am looking for a portable amp for under 1400 dollar with a power between the 400 and 1000 watts.
Any good suggestions. I looked at the ampeg svt pro 7 but I don't know a good matching cabinet.
Yes I am a guy of perfection. So please cabinet of the same company as the head :P
 
#2
All of Ampeg's cabs would work well with it. Just depends on what you're looking for...how loud, how low do you want to go, how much are you willing to spend...things like that.
 
#3
I'm stuck between the PF 800/ svt 7 Pro. Orange Terror 500 bass combo and the Markbass combo's. I don't want to spend all that much and I won't play distorted sounds. I like a nice bottom end and a not an all to bright high for slapping.
Opinions on what amp to take?
 
#4
Gomer Pyle said:
I'm stuck between the PF 800/ svt 7 Pro. Orange Terror 500 bass combo and the Markbass combo's. I don't want to spend all that much and I won't play distorted sounds. I like a nice bottom end and a not an all to bright high for slapping.
Opinions on what amp to take?
Click to expand...

Maybe the Markbass Jeff Berlin Signature it fits well. It has a good bottom end and hasn´t tweeter.
The others CMD´s 12" and 15" maybe you doesn´t like them by the quality of their piezos, a bit noisy and hasn´t the feature to attenuate them.
 
#5
Ampeg or Orange. I used Markbass for a few months before I went back to Ampeg 6 years ago, and while I liked the heads, I thought every single one of their cabs had way too much upper mid that was almost impossible to get rid of, there was a huge response hole between the woofer in my CMD 121p combo and its tweeter, and all their cabs seemed to me that they were lacking on lows in comparison to my Ampeg stuff. The cabs make a very good first impression because they're easy to hear yourself in a mix. After a while, though, they just got irritating. I don't hear that in Ampeg or Orange cabs.
 
#9
I've got the Orange TB500 head..great sounding powerful unit....having matching cabs only assures visual perfection ..lots of cabs will work as good, often better than the same manufacturers cab...if you like the Markbass line this IMHO is the best of the bunch [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ..light , powerful as locomotive....ability to add an ext cab for serious power ...(don't let the cab only 350 watts fool you, plenty of power)
another great line is Traynor equipment, they have a 500w micro head that kicks butt and sounds great(I have the 200watter), 2 powerful tube heads as well.... and great looking matching cabs..... made in Canada gear that is built like tanks

Traynor head http://traynoramps.com/bass/small_block/product/sb500h/
Traynor cab http://traynoramps.com/bass/cabinets/product/tc410neo/

Orange cabs [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#10
Gomer Pyle said:
I'm stuck between the PF 800/ svt 7 Pro. Orange Terror 500 bass combo and the Markbass combo's. I don't want to spend all that much and I won't play distorted sounds. I like a nice bottom end and a not an all to bright high for slapping.
Opinions on what amp to take?
Click to expand...

If they have to match (really reduces your good options), then I would look at a Ampeg PF-800 and the PF-115lf. Preferably a pair of those cabs.
 
#12
image.jpg
Happy with Rumble 410 and 500 head.

With discounts, I paid $680. Great tone and volume.
 
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#13
edencab said:
...
another great line is Traynor equipment, they have a 500w micro head that kicks butt and sounds great(I have the 200watter), 2 powerful tube heads as well.... and great looking matching cabs..... made in Canada gear that is built like tanks

Traynor head http://traynoramps.com/bass/small_block/product/sb500h/
Traynor cab http://traynoramps.com/bass/cabinets/product/tc410neo/

...
Click to expand...
I have both store stock and a SB200H head ordered for myself which will be in this week. I intend to use it this weekend with a single 12 and am really excited to get this 1.5 lb smallest micro amp wonder! I have SB500H on order but they sold out of the first production run. 2nd run is supposed to ship by September 25th. Probably gonna end up buying myself a pair of their 15 neos as I had one of their 15s before and it was killer.
I have used their equipment for years as a end user before I decided to become a dealer for them. One thing that swayed me was I could easily make one phone call and talk to a real person in their tech support - the actual techs that did repair. Had one of their subs blow - which could happen to any brand, and I was overnighted the amp at no cost - before I sent the other one back. Can't ask for anything better than that.

Have you heard that 410 you linked to?
 
Last edited:
#15
Gomer Pyle said:
Dear Fellow Talkbassers,

I am looking for a portable amp for under 1400 dollar with a power between the 400 and 1000 watts.
Any good suggestions. I looked at the ampeg svt pro 7 but I don't know a good matching cabinet.
Yes I am a guy of perfection. So please cabinet of the same company as the head :p
Click to expand...
1st, are you in the States?

You looked at the Ampeg SVT Pro 7. Does that mean that's the amp you're going to buy? As for me, I'd go with a used GK MB800 (~$500).

Then for a cab(s)…how much potential volume do you need/want? Any size/weight limitations? Will just about anything fit in your car? Do you want a single cab or a multiple/modular cabs set-up? Why must the amp/cab(s) be from the same manufacturer? For looks only?
 
#16
bebass said:
I have both store stock and a SB200H head ordered for myself which will be in this week. I intend to use it this weekend with a single 12 and am really excited to get this 1.5 lb smallest micro amp wonder! I have SB500H on order but they sold out of the first production run. 2nd run is supposed to ship by September 25th. Probably gonna end up buying myself a pair of their 15 neos as I had one of their 15s before and it was killer.
I have used their equipment for years as a end user before I decided to become a dealer for them. One thing that swayed me was I could easily make one phone call and talk to a real person in their tech support - the actual techs that did repair. Had one of their subs blow - which could happen to any brand, and I was overnighted the amp at no cost - before I sent the other one back. Can't ask for anything better than that.

Have you heard that 410 you linked to?
Click to expand...

only briefly in the store, not enough to really comment other than like most Traynor stuff, loud, ballsy if needed and warm smooth as well...I think their stuff is great for all styles....
...can't wait to hear what you think of the SB200H....I really like mine with good EQ ability, I'm finding the Orange amp I just got, seems less "flexible" through various tone settings ( it does sound great, still learning it though).......the Traynor seems to have a much wider range of tones available....I like to run the Gain about 1 o'clock and all the others about 2 and the Low expander I swing from noon to 3 , depending

...what kind of gig are playing it at?.....what is your band and music style like?...
 
#17
edencab said:
only briefly in the store, not enough to really comment other than like most Traynor stuff, loud, ballsy if needed and warm smooth as well...I think their stuff is great for all styles....
...can't wait to hear what you think of the SB200H....I really like mine with good EQ ability, I'm finding the Orange amp I just got, seems less "flexible" through various tone settings ( it does sound great, still learning it though).......the Traynor seems to have a much wider range of tones available....I like to run the Gain about 1 o'clock and all the others about 2 and the Low expander I swing from noon to 3 , depending

...what kind of gig are playing it at?.....what is your band and music style like?...
Click to expand...
This will be just a jam session - not sure exactly what these guys play ha ha. Lots of times I need a small rig to go play blues with a harmonica player. I am in between bands although the harp player should call me some as I am one of the 5 bass players he has on his list. Looking to start a new band with hot guitar and female vocals and thought a modern country thing would be fun. Traditionally I am rock & electric blues oriented. I just moved so really trying to get my feet wet with the local folks. I think I will like that SB200H and would like to try their neo15 with it, or a pair of the neo15s with the SB500H - now THAT would be killer for sure.

To reiterate your post with a slightly different choice for cabs for the OP:
SB500H plus 2 of the TC115neo MAP is $499 for the amp and $479 each on the cab = $1457 total and I am absolutely positive that a store coupon exists to bring it down to his budget of under $1400
It would be cheaper to go with your suggestion of SB500H plus TC410neo which would be 499 MAP for the amp and 799 MAP for the TC410neo for a total of $1298. I would be intrigued by either choice and would think each would have it's own strengths.

tc115neo_stack_lg.png

sb500h_lg.png

tc410neo_lg.png
 
#19
Knowing what I know now when I was purchasing my gear, I would not have purchased all my gear by the same manufacturer, nor my speaker combinations. I believe the amp I purchased is top notch and would have worked with a myriad of cabinets. I have no complaints with my cabs but probably should have kicked more tires rather than going with aesthetics. Based on what I've read here I would have liked to try Bergantino, Baer, Audiokinesis (probably wouldn't find too many up here), Epifani, Greenboy (again, likely hard to find) and Schroeder.
My advice: buy a great head and then find a well-suited cab.
 
#20
Same brand cab and head? GK 550 Fusion and GK 212 Neo cab. List is about $1650 but with a good discount (15%) it drops to $1402. Two channels. Three pre-amp tubes. Loud you bet! Cab is about 50# and head about 28#. Adjustable contour, bright and low switches, bi-amp to the 212 if you want it. Not a bad rig and it may be all you would ever need.
 

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