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Decrease The Rig!

D

doctormoose87

Feb 12, 2011
80
0
Hereford UK
#1
Hi All

Hope your well wherever you are in the world.

Anywho. Got a baby on the way and the wife is asking me to down size my amp. I've got an Ashdown 330 2x10 combo which is a lovely piece of kit, just bulky. Can anyone recommend a smaller combo / half stack that's about 300 watts (maybe 200) to try out?

Many Thanks
 
#6
It looks pretty small... Orange Bass terror combo
11051812230517.jpg
 
#10
I guess we live in a different world.. where I come from a 2x10 combo IS small.. practice amp size even.. In your case I'd imagine a fEARful 12/6 would be too big.. Seems to me the other half needs to realize you're a bass player, and proper sound does require a bit of size in the cab dept...
 
#11
dhomer said:
I guess we live in a different world.. where I come from a 2x10 combo IS small.. practice amp size even.. In your case I'd imagine a fEARful 12/6 would be too big.. Seems to me the other half needs to realize you're a bass player, and proper sound does require a bit of size in the cab dept...
Click to expand...

Eh, it is what it is, the guy knows his life. And it's possible to do this.

In fact I've recently heard an Agular 112 with a small Eden WT-500 Traveler on top (small rig!) which was quite the ticket for small, good-sounding, and easily present with a band. This is do-able... I wouldn't limit myself to a combo though. Look around.
 
#12
from ampeg, either the micro vr or for a bit more power the pf350 paired with the av210, still a 210 set up but would have less of a footprint. I have the pf500 and am planning on pairing it with a tc112 for a pretty small yet powerful rig. Oh also the Promethean stuff might be worth checking out, they have a 110 combo which is supposed to be pretty nice, no experience myself with that one.
 
#13
Ashdown 210 combo
Dimensions: 25-4/5"W x 30-1/4"H x 20-1/2"D

You of course could find something smaller, but why spend the money? Spending money on something that is 6 inches smaller on each side is not really worth it. Better off saving your money for the baby. I mean, spending $200-400 on something else is a WASTE. You could always get a small mixer and some headphones to take up 1SF.

Are you using the 210 for shows? If this is for practicing only and you have ANOTHER bass rig hanging around in the small apartment, then you have an issue. If you are able to use the combo for shows and practices, you are set.

Can you elaborate more? Maybe I missed something.....

I would suggest this GK combo if my other info is useless: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
15-1/2"W x 17-1/2"H x 14-3/4"D
 
#14
Our 2 bedroom flat is tiny, if I stand with my arms out on either side I can touch both walls in our kitchen and I'm a shorty at 5'3".

Spending another £300 (450 dollars) on another amp is not the best solution I agree but I only have the one and use it for gigs and practice. Anything bigger than about 100 people and I DI into the pa anyway.
Maybe that's the solution? DI all the time till I can afford an amp again as I'm probably gonna have to pawn it for nappies anyway lol.
 
#16
doctormoose87 said:
Our 2 bedroom flat is tiny, if I stand with my arms out on either side I can touch both walls in our kitchen and I'm a shorty at 5'3".

Spending another £300 (450 dollars) on another amp is not the best solution I agree but I only have the one and use it for gigs and practice. Anything bigger than about 100 people and I DI into the pa anyway.
Maybe that's the solution? DI all the time till I can afford an amp again as I'm probably gonna have to pawn it for nappies anyway lol.
Click to expand...

Smaller than I thought! Yikes! Ok, if you go DI at every show with no amp - YOU NEED TO HAVE GOOD MONITORS! A smart sound guy too - which is hard to find. Most places I play would complain about putting bass sounds in the monitors. Most small monitors can barely handle bass tones.

Turn the combo on it's side and take up a little less room for free.
 
#17
I'd save for the baby. I would've said fEarful, but that'd be bigger than your existing setup. The real worthy downsize IMO is a WalkAbout 112, but I'd imagine that being very pricy. Then there's the GK MB series, the Orange, the MarkBass, GB Shuttle, Ibanez Promethean. Below that you might as well just get a Frontman 15B.

If I were you I'd try to explain to the wife that by downsizing it'd end up cost you guys more, and see if she'd accept that. Let her understand you're willing to downsize but you're also considering the best interest of your family.
 
#18
The combo does not look like it would take up a lot of space. Perhaps the solution is not to get a smaller rig but to find a way to fit the amp in your flat so that it's not conspicious. Hide it under or next to some furniture and cover it with cloth or something. I have a feeling the problem is more psychological/relational than technical. If you really needed a smaller rig that'll still do the job, I'd suggest a class D micro amp of some sort and a Barefaced Midget. Gonna cost you a pretty penny though.
 
#19
I played my first gig with a new Ampeg PF-350 paired with a new Avatar SB112 and it not only did the job but also sounded great.
Played an Ampeg VR mini-half stack at GC yesterday and it was also great. Not bulky at all. BIG sound for a mini stack.
Downsizing from a 2x10 combo doesn’t leave you a lot of room so I would recommend a top-notch 12”, 3-way cab (possibly fEARFUL). The addition of a midrange driver will help you be heard in louder situations. Then just top it off with a good micro head, at least 500 watts so you can drive two cabs if you ever need to.
Probably the cheapest option is the GK MB12 combo, which cranks up loud enough gig with plus is small and light.
 

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