Double Bass Could use some amplification recommendations...

[Mark Gollihur]

Do you think the regular Acoustic Array would be better as an all around swiss army amp, and still do a great job on bass?

I don't think it would do a "great" job with bass. If it did a great job, I wouldn't have bothered with having the bass-specific version made. I felt that the low end just wasn't present enough to do a bass instrument justice. The AA-Pro was designed to be a guitar amp.

The Bass Array series, though, as a bass cabinet, are pretty neutral and transparent - meaning that they don't overly "bass up" the signal. If you run the amp flat, the sound coming out will be pretty well balanced from top to bottom. And the array is the same, so it provides full range coverage.

I'd feel pretty confident in saying that the Bass version would be better at also covering higher-frequency instruments than the guitar (regular) version would be at covering bass. It still has all the same functionality (pole mount socket, built-in effects, two channels, multiple DIs, etc.) so you're not losing anything.

[edit - in re-reading those first two sentences, they sound a little unintentionally snarky. Totally not how I meant it, apologies!]

 

[klyph]

AER and Henriksen both make pretty portable amps that can handle bass and sound natural with other instruments. I don’t think there’s any way to try either brand at a retailer, unfortunately. But you can keep an eye out for used ones.

 

[MuseChaser]

I don't think it would do a "great" job with bass. If it did a great job, I wouldn't have bothered with having the bass-specific version made. I felt that the low end just wasn't present enough to do a bass instrument justice. The AA-Pro was designed to be a guitar amp.

The Bass Array series, though, as a bass cabinet, are pretty neutral and transparent - meaning that they don't overly "bass up" the signal. If you run the amp flat, the sound coming out will be pretty well balanced from top to bottom. And the array is the same, so it provides full range coverage.

I'd feel pretty confident in saying that the Bass version would be better at also covering higher-frequency instruments than the guitar (regular) version would be at covering bass. It still has all the same functionality (pole mount socket, built-in effects, two channels, multiple DIs, etc.) so you're not losing anything.

[edit - in re-reading those first two sentences, they sound a little unintentionally snarky. Totally not how I meant it, apologies!]

Not snarky in the least, and I really appreciate your input. Thank you.

OK... here's the update...

I bought TWO amps yesterday; a pretty-much-as-new Genzler Acoustic Array Pro (not the Bass Array) from a very kind person who gave me a price I couldn't walk away from, and a first edition Acoustic Image Coda 310AA that needed some cleaning and a minor tweeter repair. The Genzler is simply fantastic, although Mark's assessment of it's lack of extension into that last bottom octave or so is dead on. The Acoustic Image definitely has THAT covered, although I don't find it's tone-shaping abilities as intuitive as the Genzler, and it lacks the beautiful open clarity of the Genzler.. not even close. I'm really happy with both, and looking forward to putting the Genzler through its paces at a gig at a jazz club (on keys) in Utica tonight (7-9 at Tiny's...stop by!).

Thank you ALL, very much, for the great assistance and tips.