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Chasing that headroom, but what amp/speaker size/wattage???

#21
If the Orange 112 combo was not enough, I would not buy a different 112 combo. Get at least a 115 combo, or a 210. But the 212 combo would certainly be a safe bet here.

Note that a "super 12", like Barefaced or Fearless, can be a lot louder, but might require a significantly higher amount of power to get there.

Unfortunately most combo amps do not publish sensitivity specs for their internal speaker cabinet. Sensitivity is a measure of speaker/speaker cabinet efficiency. The higher the sensitivity, the louder each watt is.
 
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#22
matt82 said:
Budget is around $2k, maybe a bit over but not very much
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That covers pretty much every combo on the market.

I agree with some of the previous responses, though. Head + cab gets my vote and witht that budget, you can grab about anything you want. I've got dual Genzler/Genz Benz rigs, so that's my preference. I will own some Subway gear one of these days.
 
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#26
Mesa definitely will work for you. I went a slightly different direction for the cab. IMHO, my Genzler BA15-3 is also not your typical 15, not slow and muddy but deep tight and punchy! The Array drivers deliver articulation in the mids and highs that are smooth without harshness!
 

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#29
for headroom at home, a single good efficient 12" is enough. 2x10" would be a bit better, but it's more a question which specific cab you'll like more. some prefer a 15", also nothing's wrong with it.

I'd say, no much point in climbing above like 200W for this usage, so like a 350W with passive cooling (you don't have fan noise) is the sweet spot.
 
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#30
Orange Crush 12" 50w? I tried one, it was ok but I wasn't nuts about it. Maybe it wasn't enough headroom, or maybe you just didn't like the flavor.

Really best thing to do is go try em yourself. We're gonna tell you what we like, but you gotta live with it! But I get the conundrum of buying blind if that's your situation.

GK is a solid choice. I haven't tried the Legacy but the MB112 is fantastic. In theory a 12" should be plenty for a home amp. But if you wanna be extra certain, or don't want to deal with a return, 115 or 210 would be solid. Anything more you're just gonna hurt yourself ;)
 
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#34
HolmeBass said:
If the Orange 112 combo was not enough, I would not buy a different 112 combo. Get at least a 115 combo, or a 210. But the 212 combo would certainly be a safe bet here.

Note that a "super 12", like Barefaced or Fearless, can be a lot louder, but might require a significantly higher amount of power to get there.

Unfortunately most combo amps do not publish sensitivity specs for their internal speaker cabinet. Sensitivity is a measure of speaker/speaker cabinet efficiency. The higher the sensitivity, the louder each watt is.
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Barefaced 12" don't need a loud amp to get loud. It's loud even with a 50W amp.
 
#36
#37
I don't like the idea of a "practice amp" and a "gigging amp". I have two amp setups, one smaller and one larger. Both have been used for home practice and gigging. Sometimes both are home practice amps simultaneously, depending on where I choose to play, in my studio or joining the Discountess' in her musical space. I've practiced and gigged without an amp as well, for what it's worth. Bigger amps for when you need to make bigger noise. Smaller amps when you need to make smaller noise and be able to use more than the first 5% of the output. Generally, if you need really big noise, the venue will have or rent the tools to do that. The main consideration ends up being what you are willing to haul around or have parked in your home musical generation area. Amps take up space. Amps have mass. Amps also cost money. Louder, lighter amps tend to cost more. It is not uncommon for me to bring the small amp to a gig when there is limited space and run a DI to a larger PA that is not occupying stage space. If you can hear yourself on stage, the amp is sufficient in output and may be superfluous if there are individual monitors.

Twice, out of hundreds of gigs and hundreds of jams, I felt under-amped. Once in a basement metal jam, I was faced with a guitarist running a full Marshall stack with a tube head. I couldn't hear myself with my amp at full gallop...or the drummer. I am lucky to hear anything afterwards, even with the earplugs. The other time was a festival that sported 10k watts of sound for the audience. It turned out the stage monitors were louder and better sounding that what I brought and it made sense to use my amp as a heavy, over-priced DI an accept the stage sound support for what it was: phenomenal. For the record, I've never run out of headroom at home, practicing at a volume that overcomes ambient noise clearly enough that I can hear my articulations. Yes, that can be loud if need be.

Current setups (not owned at the time of the tales told):

GK MB212 combo for the small, portable solution (200w output to a 1x12").
GK 1001rbii paired with a Mesa Subway 215 for bigger noise (700w output to 2x15").

In truth, the combo would cover most bar situations, mainly serving as my wee kickback monitor, letting the PA do the heavy lifting. If I can't hear it on stage, the stage is too loud. The GK/Mesa combo is really an item of purely personal luxury at the price of playing mule for my whimsy. I love them both and bring the one that makes sense. At home, I play the one that is set up closest to where I am playing and feel no regret.
 
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#38
Since it's just for home use there's plenty of options out there.
My home use combo is 130 watts 8 ohms 15" driver, Australian made Labsystems combo.
Think GK400RB build/quality and you'll get the picture.
It never goes past noon on the volume dial and it works extremely well and only cost $500 AU ($331 US), used once 25 years ago by the original owner who stored it in the wardrobe all this time, until his new wife said "get rid of it so I can buy some more shoes"... Holy Headlock Wedded Bliss!!

There's lots of lovely expensive bass gear being promoted and suggested to you, but in all honesty, you don't need to spend $2k for a home practice combo when you can spend under $400
20240814_070007.jpg
 
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#40
LiptonJigglers said:
Since it's just for home use there's plenty of options out there.
My home use combo is 130 watts 8 ohms 15" driver, Australian made Labsystems combo.
Think GK400RB build/quality and you'll get the picture.
It never goes past noon on the volume dial and it works extremely well and only cost $500 AU ($331 US), used once 25 years ago by the original owner who stored it in the wardrobe all this time, until his new wife said "get rid of it so I can buy some more shoes"... Holy Headlock Wedded Bliss!!

There's lots of lovely expensive bass gear being promoted and suggested to you, but in all honesty, you don't need to spend $2k for a home practice combo when you can spend under $400View attachment 7005217
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I agree. Amps and cabs are pricey when you want good tone & loud & lightweight.

But if you plan to keep the rig at home, no need to look for lightweight.

You can buy awesome used amps for almost nothing.
 
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