Low volume, superb tone, price no object.
Laid back music: soft jazz, blues, semi-acoustic blues, country-blues, some folk, etc.
Laid back music: soft jazz, blues, semi-acoustic blues, country-blues, some folk, etc.
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Combo Recommendation?
- Thread starter KenD
- Start date
What are you using now?
What can you test drive locally?
Everyone can give you their opinion on what they like, but your ears need to be the deciding factor
What can you test drive locally?
Everyone can give you their opinion on what they like, but your ears need to be the deciding factor
What I'm using now is irrelevant to the question.
I can only test drive Traynor.
I realize I have asked for opinions. That's what I want. Opinions based on user experience.
I was gonna suggest the combo of
an SVT head and a fridge.
But great tone and low volume points to PJB. All their combos are fantastic.
an SVT head and a fridge.
But great tone and low volume points to PJB. All their combos are fantastic.
I have never played through PJB amps but I have heard some good demo recordings of them online. They do sound good but my neuroses can't get around an array of such small drivers. I got my start on 15" JBLs.
I would go with an Ampeg RB-112. I love mine and it sounds really good.
Would you consider only combos? Because my Aguilar TH500 with 2 SL112s is compact and lightweight. With my bass in a gig bag, I can load in with one trip (the cabs are 25lb each). And the tone is spectacular. I’ve owned Bergantino, Genzler, Hartke, Phil Jones, Vanderkley, GK and SWR. None of them hit me like the Aguilar did.
That's a really nice rig and some great players use them (e.g. Gary Willis) but I'm thinking much smaller and more compact.
I like my Markbass CMD-121P pretty well. It’s easy to schlep and plenty loud enough for my purposes, has flexible enough eq and a good, full sound, though it doesn’t have the heavy duty low end of my old Ashdown 15” rig.
A little off the beaten track, and it may not be what you're looking for; but I've always liked Acoustic Image combos. I feel that they have great tone, are lightweight, and might be a good fit for you. Not great with a loud band though.
How low volume and what do call superb tone? Markbass have an acoustic combo and Blackstar Super Fly has a channel for acoustic guitar. They've OKd it for bass. They also have a Fly 3 for acoustics, also OK for bass.
PJB. I’ve gigged a Briefcase. It’s perfect, good looking, with a very portable weight & form factor.
Eyes closed, you’d have no idea of the drivers.
Much more traditional and accessible is the Ampeg BA series, or Rocket Bass.
MarkBass probably has something ideal too that’s easy to find.
Eyes closed, you’d have no idea of the drivers.
Much more traditional and accessible is the Ampeg BA series, or Rocket Bass.
MarkBass probably has something ideal too that’s easy to find.
I've been gigging for about 10 years with a pretty high-end rig: Euphonic Audio class D head and a matched pair of Bergantino 1x12 (not neo) cabs.
I needed a small combo that could replace my one-cab rig for smaller gigs, and since I live on the 3rd floor and drive a Prius, I wanted something small and relatively lightweight. I found a killer deal on TB for a Markbass 121p with a matching extension cab so I took a risk, not knowing what to expect. But on the very first gig this thing blew me away! The band was shocked by the tone, clarity, and volume from such a small rig.
The combo alone moves way more air than it should for it's size. Maybe it wouldn't hold up in a death metal band but playing with a blues quartet it is perfect. Adding the second cabinet makes it just as loud, if not louder, than my fancy Berg rig, at a fraction of the weight and a much lower wattage rating.
The tone would be the question for you. It's got a lot of upper-mids (some say this is more the speakers than the preamp) and I hear it as a very cutting, modern tone. That is exactly what I go for, so this thing is perfect. However, with the VLE knob you can dial all of that back and get a much more traditional bottom-end with less definition if that's what you're going for. It would be ideal if you could demo one to explore it's tonal range in person, as the VLE and VFP controls do things you won't find on any other combo amps.
It's not the cheapest, and maybe it's the trendy pick these days, but I absolutely love my Markbass combo.
I needed a small combo that could replace my one-cab rig for smaller gigs, and since I live on the 3rd floor and drive a Prius, I wanted something small and relatively lightweight. I found a killer deal on TB for a Markbass 121p with a matching extension cab so I took a risk, not knowing what to expect. But on the very first gig this thing blew me away! The band was shocked by the tone, clarity, and volume from such a small rig.
The combo alone moves way more air than it should for it's size. Maybe it wouldn't hold up in a death metal band but playing with a blues quartet it is perfect. Adding the second cabinet makes it just as loud, if not louder, than my fancy Berg rig, at a fraction of the weight and a much lower wattage rating.
The tone would be the question for you. It's got a lot of upper-mids (some say this is more the speakers than the preamp) and I hear it as a very cutting, modern tone. That is exactly what I go for, so this thing is perfect. However, with the VLE knob you can dial all of that back and get a much more traditional bottom-end with less definition if that's what you're going for. It would be ideal if you could demo one to explore it's tonal range in person, as the VLE and VFP controls do things you won't find on any other combo amps.
It's not the cheapest, and maybe it's the trendy pick these days, but I absolutely love my Markbass combo.
I love my Markbass Ninja 102 500 Richard Bona Signature 500W 2x10’ speakers;
After years of head/cab mix and match gig rigs, I settled on a Rumble 500C.
Light, loud, great tone and an easy grab and go amp.
It can handle anything from bedroom practice to fest gigs.
There’s also the Fender Rumble club with some great information.
Light, loud, great tone and an easy grab and go amp.
It can handle anything from bedroom practice to fest gigs.
There’s also the Fender Rumble club with some great information.
Most of the decent brands above are good, and I’ve at least tried all of them
Mesa
Genzler
GK
markBass
Ampeg
haven’t tried the Jones
Won’t recommend the Rumble
Currently use an SVT, but am keeping a BA-115v2. I’ve had 3 offers to buy it in the last year. My answer is always no
Other than that I’d go for the MarkBass 12” combo, if I weren’t going to use a cab/head unit
If you want a very small form factor and great toan look at a Barefaced One10 and a class d head. I'm not trying to knock combos but when you get into a higher budget there are more choices with separates.
I haven’t tried the Ampeg RB12, but the 500 watt 2 10 RB210 is really nice, and loud. Betcha the RB12 would make you smile
