Cheapest Path to Pro Level Gear?

[BAG]

Closest extension cab for the BA210 v2 is the PF210he.

This..... I didn't know what extension cab would suit (and figured Jimmy would) but was going to say that seeing your combo has an extension out socket there must surely be an applicable Ampeg cab to match.

 

[iualum]

You buy a cabinet that matches the cabinet part of your combo and connect them via an expansion/extension can put on your combo's power amp section. This can essentially double the power of your rig.

Buying a used one is even cheaper.

The OP talks about a TH500. He says his 210 is a 4-ohm cab. Best he could do, & it'd be a poor way, is a 2.67 total load. Doesn't work.

 

[Munjibunga]

"Hmmm ... Fodera ... never heard of that. Is it as good as a Fender?"

 

[Jay Mastro]

The OP talks about a TH500. He says his 210 is a 4-ohm cab. Best he could do, & it'd be a poor way, is a 2.67 total load. Doesn't work.

That was me who mentioned the TH500, I didnt mean to jack the thread, I'm just in a similar situation and figured Id get some quick advice

 

[Budro00]

I'm with most of these guys. Amp that's loud enough (depends on the gig) and doesn't break on you all the time (gotta be able to trust your gear), and the basses you already have. Seriously that's all you NEED.

 

[Mike A]

Cheapest path? Honestly? Pick your ultimate rig and buy nothing but that. You'll skip years and $$$ of trying other things that you might end up liking very much (and some you just hate) but if you go straight to your "dream rig" there's a good chance you'll love it forever, whether you'd have ended up there by going the long way or not.

 

[cnltb]

Cheapest Path to Pro Level Gear?
Nice relatives at Christmas and birthdays.

 

[FretNoMore]

Buying cheap, trading in and upgrading stuff is a waste of money in my opinion, you lose money at every step ... buy once, buy the really good top of the line stuff, as expensive as you can handle, used if possible, and then keep it and use it forever. The longer you use it the cheaper it becomes, in a way.

 

[hrodbert696]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm just going to stick with what I have and wait until nice used Ampeg 210 or 410 shows up.

Good for you. Late to the party, but for what it's worth...

1) "Pro Gear" can mean two things: an idiot blowhard guitarist who is going to sneer at any rig that isn't Fender + Ampeg because he thinks he knows more about gear than he really does, or just "gear that can keep up at a gig." If it means the first, this is not a band you want to be in anyway. If it means the second...

2) Your existing rig is fine for any gig you're likely to be doing any time soon. 450 watts into a 2x10 is plenty for cover band bar gigs. If you're playing outdoors or some huge place where it's not, your combo has a DI so the PA can do the heavy lifting. I would only worry about buying something more if you WANT to buy something more; but don't fall for the trap of spending money out of fear that you don't have enough. You do.

 

[tubatodd]

There have been MANY good suggestions in this thread. I will be more specific about a rig that is pro level gear, flexible and affordable.

2x Hartke 210XL ($250 each retail)
Carvin BX500 ($379)

You get a 500W 410 vertically stacked rig with PLENTY of EQ features to dial in your tone. I have a similar stack (Carvin BX250 or Markbass LM II) and it is fantastic. PLUS....it's easy to transport and can be split into a 210 rig for smaller gigs.

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

I love these pics. So many people talk about the rig they heard at this or that show. How many of them are hearing a DI they may or may not even see? How many pics have you seen with a great head and other gear and also in the rack is an Avalon U5? Yeah, there may be a mic on the cab and what not, but really, the Avalon is what you are hearing.

Why did you have to bring the words "Avalon U5" into my mind. Now I have gas!!!!

 

[iualum]

Cheapest path? Honestly? Pick your ultimate rig and buy nothing but that. You'll skip years and $$$ of trying other things that you might end up liking very much (and some you just hate) but if you go straight to your "dream rig" there's a good chance you'll love it forever, whether you'd have ended up there by going the long way or not.

Provided you have the wherewithal, pretty sound advice.

 

[SteveC]

Why did you have to bring the words "Avalon U5" into my mind. Now I have gas!!!!

Because I've had 2 of them and I still wonder. I know that the REDDI is the current rage and a great DI, but you still see a lot of U5's out there, and they are a great DI.

 

[bassrich]

Basses are fine Amp is good too, Throw an extension (410) cab under that badboy and you will be heard no problem but if you want a head cab route then I recommend a PF800 or a Hartke HA3500 and a 610 or 212 considering what you have already

 

[iualum]

Basses are fine Amp is good too, Throw an extension (410) cab under that badboy and you will be heard no problem but if you want a head cab route then I recommend a PF800 or a Hartke HA3500 and a 610 or 212 considering what you have already

OP, don't listen to this 410 suggestion. It's poor. If you want to go extension, do the PF210he.

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

Because I've had 2 of them and I still wonder. I know that the REDDI is the current rage and a great DI, but you still see a lot of U5's out there, and they are a great DI.

I have used the Avalon extensively in the studio and love it! It sounds clean and clear.

 

[SteveC]

I have used the Avalon extensively in the studio and love it! It sounds clean and clear.

It does, and live it's great as well. I've debated using it as a DI for my IEM's at church and as a preamp into a powered PA cab for home practice and smaller gigs. I wish it were in a smaller package.

 

[RustyAxe]

I've run 2x10 with 4x10 cabs ... no problem. Some say that the different power handling capacity is bad. Is it that you can't run your amp wide open? Those SIX 10" will produce enough volume without dime'ing the amp. Just one man's opinion (and experience), of course.

 

[peterpalmieri]

Pro gear simply means your bass stays in tune and your amp works and is loud enough for the context you are using it in. Other musicians rarely complain about your amp being to small and more often worry when you drag in some monstorous thing that is going to blow everyone away. Having pro gear also means you carry a tuner and extra cables, a power strip and an extension cord. A pencil and note pad aren't a bad idea either. Be prepared, play well and be a good communicator.

 

[BurningSkies]

The person that shows up with the $4000 bass and $4000 amp and knows no songs and fiddles with knobs all night to get his sound is going to either learn very fast or be pissed off at the "soul sucking" paying bands who insist that he learn the material they play. Notice I didn't specify cover band, etc. It's somewhat ironic to me though that the less a gig pays and the less busy a band is, the more the worry is on gear.

Show up prepared, on time, with gear that makes other peoples lives easier or doesn't add stress, you're a pro. No one will care how much your equipment cost as long as they don't need to worry about it. And no one will care how much your equipment cost if you can't play what is required either.

I know it seems like I mentioned money several times during this post. I love playing. I play in many different kinds of situations. It's not my only source of income, but the free gigs that are not free by choice are long gone. Professional anything means you are getting paid for your work, otherwise it is a hobby. Professional also means attitude, encompassing the preparedness, etc.

Oh, and for the record, I really enjoy wedding and corporate type gigs, soul sucking has to do more with attitude than material. One band I play with is tons of Motown, disco, soul, etc. and I love it. Another is lots of new dance music where I play along with sequences, and I love it. I can't say every song is my favorite, but I'm making money that provides for my family by playing music- tell me the part that sucks? I'm a social worker on the other Side of my life, and there is some pretty heavy stuff going on in the world. Covering "I Love it" along with a sequence is not even close to that!

Ok, off of my soapbox now! Have fun and do a good job; everything else tends to fall into place.

We all play for different reasons. And what we like and don't like may be completely different. Obviously when I say that I found corporate and wedding gigs a soul-suck, I was referring to MY experience not yours or anyone else. To me, those events luckily paid multiple thousands to do, because I just don't like them and you have to give me the extra cash to want to deal with them. I don't like being background/cocktail music and I don't necessarily like the 'atmosphere' of such things. I spend my workdays in a job that's got plenty of pomp and ceremony. I'd much rather play for 500-800$ in a club or bar to people who have paid to see us and are actively and attentively there for music. That's where music is fun.

But then, I don't love playing covers and have never considered the bands I'm in as such. Going in to these kind of events we've made it clear what we do and don't do and what our material is...overwhelmingly original songs with a handful of other songs that we've chosen to do our own interpretations of.

But then, often times I will take a lesser paid gig in a good room known to be a 'scene room' to build an active and supportive fanbase and advance the band in general than take a bigger paycheck in a really crappy room. We had a monthly gig in a place that was netting us decent pay but the crowd that patronized the room wasn't our crowd nor would ever be active followers of our band. It was more of a country/classic rock room. The band was much happier after we axed it from our schedule...after we had a long discussion about our motivations. If we wanted to book 4 or 5 nights a week, we could do that. But we don't want to play every show, just every 'right' show. I also won't book club/bar shows in the same town any less than 3 weeks apart. Both choices were the correct decisions for us. We get better rooms, better draws and more money once we enforced these things.

Again YMMV. We don't all play for the same reasons. I have one guy in the band who's a hand-to-mouth player who would take any gig he could as long as he walked out with at least 50$ at the end of the night. Not what the rest of us are about.