Talking about used/old heavy stuff.. saw this for 225$ CND (about 165$ USD). Peavey Mark VI with 2x15 cab. Must weight a ton!
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Combo or head+cab for beginner
- Thread starter Taz302
- Start date
Talking about used/old heavy stuff.. saw this for 225$ CND (about 165$ USD). Peavey Mark VI with 2x15 cab. Must weight a ton!
New it would be the Fender Rumble 100 no question. Better options are above your budget
My suggestion is to wait, and save up your money, until you're in a situation where you need more than you currently have -- and then decide what to buy. A lot of us have basements full of combos, for example, that were adequate for awhile but then needed to be replaced. There's no point in buying more than what you need now, but you also don't want to buy less than you might eventually need.
That would be the best advice. Not the most fun, but the best ;-)
@Taz302 I agree with @Lobster11 I went through a bunch of 400-500 dollar combos, peavy, TC, Ampeg, fender, i ended up with an acoustic B30 for about 2 years and it was all i needed. Saved up and got me a markbass 103p combo and it's more than I need but everything I wanted and I won't need to go hunting for more for quite some time.
Head and cab will be more expensive to start with but easier and less expensive to upgrade. I've always cussed at combo's when I got them because I had to "re-spend" the money I'd spent on the combo to get the thing I really needed now instead of just getting a more powerful head or an additional cabinet.Hello! This is my first message on this forum and English is not my main language. Thank you!
I have been learning bass for a few months. I currently have a Fender Rumble 25 but I mainly use a Digitech module to play with headphones and my computer. I would like to use another amplifier but I can't decide if I should take a combo or a head + cab. Mainly, I would like to use the head with my computer and the headphones to have a better "tone". In the future, of course I'll add a cab when necessary.
On the other hand, if I need to play at home without headphones I am afraid that the head + cab is overkill.
I also wouldn't want too small a combo if I play with friends (including a drummer). I don't want to buy stuff that won't last for my needs, I prefer a good choice first.
I have no problem buying used.
What do you think? Will a cab (not a big one) sound nice at home even at low volume?
I have a very small set that I got specifically for one club we played 35 to 40-times a year. We hosted an open-mic night there on 3 to 4 Fridays a month. We'd open up playing for an hour; then let the folks who signed up come on up for open-mic; and then we'd finish off the evening after the last sign up. It was a small brew pub and I couldn't bring my DNS-410 in there, so I bought an Eden TN226 (225-watts) and a couple of Eden EX112 cabs ($269 each).
I was amazed at the great sound I got from just using one of the 112's there, so I ordered a second one. Then I started using two of them at my medium sized gigs. I made a mistake though. I bought the first one in 4 ohm so I could get all the power out of the amp. Then I bought a second one, also in 4 ohm, and had to use my "big amp" so I could run two 4 ohm cabs off the same amp. If I had purchased the 8 ohm cabs, I could run both of them from that very light Eden TN226 amp. I bought the Eden amp used for $275 and cabs were $269 new so that was $544.
Also, if I had it to do over again, I'd get the 500-watt rms version of the amp the Eden TN501. That would give me more headroom, and those cabs can handle 300-watts rms each, so as long as I don't do anything stupid, I just about couldn't hurt them.
Here's what that small set up looks like:
I put the 4.7-lb. amp into the shoulder bag and over my shoulder, grab my bass in its case in one hand and that 30-lb. EX112 in the other hand and load out is almost finished. Was a breeze setting up and tearing down in that small brew pub. Plus, you can use the headphone jack anytime, whether or not you have the speaker cab hooked up. This by the way is normal on almost all solid state amps. It's the all-tube (all-valve) amps that can't be used without a speaker load. Doesn't matter on 99% of the solid state amps whether or not you have a cab hooked up while using your headphones.
And here's what I had to do when I used my big amp to run both of them:
Id separate headphone practice from Jamming, and get the headphone practice where you’re happy with it. Have you tried computer > Rumble > headphones? Works great for me. (Then again I like the speaker in the Rumble 25 as well 
)
Do you have a USB interface? What’s the digitech? Have you considered a different preamp or headphone amp?
As far as the amp goes- you don’t need to “drink the kool aid” that head+cab > combo. They’re both just tools for different jobs and preferences. That’s a tight budget you’ve got; you’ll get more firepower with a combo. I’ve been gigging 2+ years with only combos, and I keep getting called back
IMHO 500w @ 4 ohms and a 210* is a great “general purpose” amp. Get the matching second cab if/when needed. You may get away with less, you may need more; but it’s a good middle ground. A lot of these bigger combos have extension cabinet out, which is an essential feature for a jam/gig combo. The Fender Rumble 500 combo** is a great example. It’s essentially a 500 watt head loaded in a cab; 350w -> 210, 500w -> 410 w extension.
*112 or 115 would work too
**or similar offerings from Ampeg, GK, Markbass, Peavey...
Good luck!
)Do you have a USB interface? What’s the digitech? Have you considered a different preamp or headphone amp?
As far as the amp goes- you don’t need to “drink the kool aid” that head+cab > combo. They’re both just tools for different jobs and preferences. That’s a tight budget you’ve got; you’ll get more firepower with a combo. I’ve been gigging 2+ years with only combos, and I keep getting called back
IMHO 500w @ 4 ohms and a 210* is a great “general purpose” amp. Get the matching second cab if/when needed. You may get away with less, you may need more; but it’s a good middle ground. A lot of these bigger combos have extension cabinet out, which is an essential feature for a jam/gig combo. The Fender Rumble 500 combo** is a great example. It’s essentially a 500 watt head loaded in a cab; 350w -> 210, 500w -> 410 w extension.
*112 or 115 would work too
**or similar offerings from Ampeg, GK, Markbass, Peavey...
Good luck!
As you can see from the responses here that are all over the place, everyone has their own preferences and no guarantee that whatever someone here posts as "the best ever, all you'll ever need" will be the best choice for you. Since you are just starting out, not yet playing with others, I'd stick with what you have until you get a better idea of what your preferences are. You won't be able to find top-notch gear for $500 unless you buy used, which is always a good choice anyway. I'd say to keep reading up on different amps, go and try as many as you can, and take your time. When I restarted playing bass, I probably bought and sold 4-6 different rigs until I knew enough know what I was looking for. Start with a head and add speakers as your need grows.
Notice that I am specifically not giving you my preferences, as thats meaningless until you know more about the whole spectrum of gear to choose from. The only advantage you have in Canada is that Traynor is a Canadian company, so it should be more cost-effective than buying imported stuff. Might be worth starting your search there.
Notice that I am specifically not giving you my preferences, as thats meaningless until you know more about the whole spectrum of gear to choose from. The only advantage you have in Canada is that Traynor is a Canadian company, so it should be more cost-effective than buying imported stuff. Might be worth starting your search there.
Thanks a lot for that useful and very interesting post!
That's what I like; reading all different points of view and opinions. I agree with you, better buy used and that's what I plan on doing.
Head + Cabinet, and I'll tell you why:
We get this question a lot, first-timers smartly coming here to inquire. I'd say buy something with several hundred watts output and one cabinet that will fit it. Later, instead of now having to buy something bigger and selling the too-small one, you can easily add a second cab for less money, it gets louder quicker, and you've skipped having to sell something that was too small right from the start. Plus more power will give you more headroom, and you will sound better.
I shy away from recommending 'beginner basses' or 'beginner amps'. If your first bass is hard to play, and has poor tone from a poor amp, WHY would you want to put the time in to progress in your journey ?
Spend a little more, and buy better. It's far more inspiring with a bass that feels right and sounds good, and you need that a lot at first. Shop around carefully in the used market, you can find great deals on more than you thought you'd end up with.
As a child, I'd plunk around on a terrible heirloom piano we had at home. I convinced my parents I really wanted to play, and they got me with a great teacher, who had two Steinway grands in perfect shape in his studio. The minute I played the first note on one of those, I was in heaven.
I've never forgotten that lesson.
We get this question a lot, first-timers smartly coming here to inquire. I'd say buy something with several hundred watts output and one cabinet that will fit it. Later, instead of now having to buy something bigger and selling the too-small one, you can easily add a second cab for less money, it gets louder quicker, and you've skipped having to sell something that was too small right from the start. Plus more power will give you more headroom, and you will sound better.
I shy away from recommending 'beginner basses' or 'beginner amps'. If your first bass is hard to play, and has poor tone from a poor amp, WHY would you want to put the time in to progress in your journey ?
Spend a little more, and buy better. It's far more inspiring with a bass that feels right and sounds good, and you need that a lot at first. Shop around carefully in the used market, you can find great deals on more than you thought you'd end up with.
As a child, I'd plunk around on a terrible heirloom piano we had at home. I convinced my parents I really wanted to play, and they got me with a great teacher, who had two Steinway grands in perfect shape in his studio. The minute I played the first note on one of those, I was in heaven.
I've never forgotten that lesson.
Good advice above; I’m singling out that line in particular because Traynor makes great stuff. Certainly worth starting the search there—and maybe even ending it there!
I purchased a Trace Eliott ELF and 1x10" cabinet last fall and absolutely love it. I've played some smaller indoor gigs with it, and it's got enough oomph to run my 4x10" in a pinch. Best of luck.
Having both combos and separate components I can say that I much prefer the separate component set ups due to the additional options you can put together between amp heads and cabs. A bit more costly but worth it.
Also, from my experience, the separate head/cab setups just sound better and last longer.
Also, from my experience, the separate head/cab setups just sound better and last longer.
