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Do I really need a new rig??
- Thread starter capnjim
- Start date
Dude, put that money into something you need more. The Peavey will be fine for most bands you'll play with. I only recently replaced mine as it died after damage done moving overseas.
I know I'll be in the minority here though.
I know I'll be in the minority here though.
If you have a working amp that covers your current situation, you don’t NEED a new anything...
WANT though is a mighty powerful motivator. If your current amp has a line in/effects return, a different preamp (or several different ones) can provide a huge range previously unavailable. This would essentially turn your combo into a powered cab, not a bad way to go.
WANT though is a mighty powerful motivator. If your current amp has a line in/effects return, a different preamp (or several different ones) can provide a huge range previously unavailable. This would essentially turn your combo into a powered cab, not a bad way to go.
The customer service you get on the Benz is worth that again, as well.
Some people don't get on with 'Aguilar Tone', others love it. Same with Shuttles. You won't get very far comparing opinions.
Any way you look at it you would be 'stealing' that gear and will be lucky if someone else doesn't jump on it while you vacillate. Go plug in and see.
Or buy some shares.
I’ll through out my usual Ampeg sales pitch here, merely to TRY one. I did NOT say buy one. This way you will know one way or the other. Not everything they make is heavy. If you have something that works for the moment, I would stash the cash and wait for the right deal. Regardless of brand there are literally TONS of good used gear for sale on a daily basis. I personally can’t think of any other type of musical equipment that gets bought new, used very little, then when the “fascination “ fades, gets stuffed in a corner someplace. Once you decide what you want, that is the equipment you are looking for.
If that's $600 for both the cab and the Genz head, that's a good deal. Or is it $350 for the cab and $600 for the head?
By "light " I meant relatively light. I had a 2x15 cab before. Its not bad, but its way more than the 25lbs that the 12" cab is.
Yeah, the guy with the cab said he would do the head and cab for 600. The Aguilar head is 450 so that would be 800$ for the head and cab.
Yeah, the guy with the cab said he would do the head and cab for 600. The Aguilar head is 450 so that would be 800$ for the head and cab.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Unless you really expect to need it, spending $800 on the amp is wasting $800, no matter how good the price.
Size doesn't matter
Quality, Design and technology of Cabinet and Speaker does matter.
Now to your question;
Peavy makes a decent product but Aguilar, Genz Benz and Barfaced make superior products and make a nice upgrade. Also with quality amplification and Speaker Cab if you decide to upgrade your Bass you will be able to hear subtle differences between instruments that would otherwise be masked with inferior amplification; Your Peavey Max 115 is worth about 2-250 if you don't need the money keep as backup or 'leave at rehearsal space amp'. For me; If I want a better Amp or Bass and can afford it; need has nothing to do with it. I am a Bass Player afterall. 6-800 dollars in which you can get 70-100% back if it doesn't work out is not such a big risk unless it is your Rent money.
Quality, Design and technology of Cabinet and Speaker does matter. Now to your question;
Peavy makes a decent product but Aguilar, Genz Benz and Barfaced make superior products and make a nice upgrade. Also with quality amplification and Speaker Cab if you decide to upgrade your Bass you will be able to hear subtle differences between instruments that would otherwise be masked with inferior amplification; Your Peavey Max 115 is worth about 2-250 if you don't need the money keep as backup or 'leave at rehearsal space amp'. For me; If I want a better Amp or Bass and can afford it; need has nothing to do with it. I am a Bass Player afterall. 6-800 dollars in which you can get 70-100% back if it doesn't work out is not such a big risk unless it is your Rent money.
I agree.
Once you have committed the time and money to get it,
you will feel like it's time to wring that new toy out and see what it'll do.
Once you have committed the time and money to get it,
you will feel like it's time to wring that new toy out and see what it'll do.
You probably do not "need" a new rig. But it seems pretty obvious that you "want" a new rig.
IMHO, it's always a good idea to try before you buy when possible to ensure you like the amp and cab you are considering. Since you have the cash, try the gear out and let real life experience inform your decision. There have been plenty of times when I thought I wanted something only to find out from trying it that I was mistaken.
Good luck
.
IMHO, it's always a good idea to try before you buy when possible to ensure you like the amp and cab you are considering. Since you have the cash, try the gear out and let real life experience inform your decision. There have been plenty of times when I thought I wanted something only to find out from trying it that I was mistaken.
Good luck
.
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I don't know much about the combo you have, and don't have the will to look up specs, but you may be better off keeping what you have for now in terms of loudness. 300 watts into a 15 is good for all sorts. I currently have a similar setup, and love it all night long.
I do like aguilar stuff, and I'll never discourage someone from buying gear, but If you don't know what you want, just get out there and kick a bunch of tires. Do all that at a store, though, just to avoid wasting real people's time. Once you have a head you like, take it out with you and try a pile of cabs. Or otherwise if you find a cab you like take it out for your head-shoppin'. Or do what I did, buy everything you find at a good price and play with it until you tire of it.
It's an adventure.
I do like aguilar stuff, and I'll never discourage someone from buying gear, but If you don't know what you want, just get out there and kick a bunch of tires. Do all that at a store, though, just to avoid wasting real people's time. Once you have a head you like, take it out with you and try a pile of cabs. Or otherwise if you find a cab you like take it out for your head-shoppin'. Or do what I did, buy everything you find at a good price and play with it until you tire of it.
It's an adventure.
I like the idea of investing what you'd spend now and then using it to buy a new rig when you need it.
I also jammed and gigged with a single 12" speaker for years and in the end I didn't like how it sat in the mix once a second guitar came into play. Still the Aguilar is a sweet head, and it does sound like you'd be able to get along with a 112. On it's own though you'd be going for a different sound but almost certainly would have a similar or lower potential volume level.
Those would be my suggestions though, and also while the stock market is in a slump it could be a good time to buy but I'm also not qualified to advise on that.
I also jammed and gigged with a single 12" speaker for years and in the end I didn't like how it sat in the mix once a second guitar came into play. Still the Aguilar is a sweet head, and it does sound like you'd be able to get along with a 112. On it's own though you'd be going for a different sound but almost certainly would have a similar or lower potential volume level.
Those would be my suggestions though, and also while the stock market is in a slump it could be a good time to buy but I'm also not qualified to advise on that.
First things first... If you have money available and would like a lighter rig, go for it. The items you are talking about are certainly priced reasonably. If you buy them and decide they are unnecessary, you can sell them again for little or no loss.
Next... the Shuttle 9.0 and Tone Hammer are two very different amps. You will definitely prefer the sound of one over the other, but there is no telling which one you will prefer. In this situation - and if you can swing it - I would buy both amps and sell the one I liked least. The Aguilar might be worth $150 more than the Genz Benz, after all, Aguilar is still in business. However Genz Benz amps are very good, and very affordable since the company has gone away.
Next, next, the cab... a single 12" speaker will take you a long way, especially if you are as picky as you say about playing at reasonable volume. If you need more, you can always find a second cab, or sell yours and get a 210 or 212 cab. Again, the Barefaced cab is fairly priced and you'll likely not lose a lot of money selling it later.
Or... keep your current cab until you find a band and know what your needs are going to be. Lots of choices here, none of them are wrong. And I can tell you from experience, 20 less lbs. to move after are a gig or rehearsal is always nice. Just sayin'...
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