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Cab and head gig ready for $1200?

#6
bolophonic said:
A GK 700RB-II or a Hartke 3500 head and then a couple of 8ohm cabs will be endlessly dependable and will leave you with money left over.
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8 ohm cabs are a must, you can always add another identical cab and get everything you like but LOUDER. Don't be afraid to go used either. Buy it from a bass player - I have yet to meet a bass player who trashed their gear. Many of them take great care of it (not teenagers though!).

DO NOT go for a combo amp. Separate heads and cabs are MUCH MORE versatile, louder, and generally sound better. Will you have PA support at these shows? Some with a PA for you and others no?

Cab choice will also depend on what type of tone you want to achieve on stage. I am able to get away with a 210 at some shows, but I do not want a lot of low end on stage. I stand near subwoofers all the time and get "free" low end. I prefer a good low mid presence coupled with decent clarity from my stage rig. I also don't need to hear myself super loud, I just need to cut through a bit with midrange and boom, I can hear myself.

A reggae bass player is best off with a 410 or some other crazy cab at minimum. Using a 210 to blast low end is not typically going to end well.......

Keep trying out gear and let us know what you decide to go with. We can steer you to the promised land..... :bassist:
 
#7
heyitsamike said:
is the Markbass 151HR a good stand alone cab.?
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When I tried one out, I liked it a lot. Most 15's I have tried lacked definition in the midrange. I felt this cab had great definition in the mids. Two of these could serve you for many gigs. If you go with one of these, grab a 2x4 or something to wedge under it so you can tilt it towards your ears. That is the other trick to making that 210 I talked about earlier work well on stage.
 
#12
heyitsamike said:
my budget is 1200 to spend on a cab and head.
ive been looking at a bunch of markbass stuff too.
i want something that is good for small-medium sized gigs at bars or clubs. any suggestions
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For $1200 I got the Little Mark III head and a Traveler 151P cab that's doing small and medium gigs just fine. I also got another 151P for outdoors and large venues. But, I want two Barefaced cabs. All in good time.
 
#13
Check out a Markbass Little Mark III and an Avatar 4x10 or the TB153 cabinet. http://www.avatarspeakers.com/

I'm not so sure 8 ohm is the way to go. If you get one 4 ohm cab, you get the full power from your amp and you'll have a one cab solution. The reality is that even in the largest places you don't need a full stack anymore. I have the Little Mark III with a GK NEO full stack 4x10 and 1x15. While the stack looks cool, I could easily handle even the larger gigs with either one of the cabs alone, and often do. So, I'd prefer a one cab set-up at 4 ohms. Full power and easier load in/out. Usable for the coffeehouse and the big venue.

If you want to have more options, consider getting the big 4ohm 4x10 or TB153 and then an Avatar 1x12 for the small shows. Pushing your budget a little, but not much. You could get a less expensive head than the Markbass such as a Carvin or the lower wattage GK microhead.
 
#18
How loud do you need to be? Is weight/portability important? Do you wish to spend as little as possible or ar you flush such that blowing the whole 12oo is fine? How versatile should the rig be? Will you have PA support for bass? Without some basic parameters, the question is VERY broad. Roughly, without knowing more, I'd suggest a 500 watt head and a pair of 112 cabs, so you can use 1 or both, depending on volume needs. However, if the band is loud and you have no PA for bass, a 410 cab would be safer, with a 112 for smaller jams. It's mainly a matter of taste as far as brands go. There's a ton of good gear available. If you dig yellow, go Markbass :-)
 

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