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Double Bass EA Combos

#101
Jason Hollar said:
Also interested in the newer series III AI combos...the 400 watt Contra looks very nice indeed. Have there been any recent comparisons on these combos and the Wizzy's?

However, A/B'ing the EA head and an AI head at Bobs' place made me appreciate the EQ and tone options on the iamp series more.

I, for one love twiddling with knobs. And drinking beer.
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Hehe. Good one Jason.

FWIW, I have a Wizzy combo and an older Series I Contra. In terms of a comparison, they don't sound at all alike to me.

And I think the scoop on the new Contra is more power, less weight, but basically the same sound.

Both the Contra and the Wizzy sound good, just quite different. Only my opinion of course.
 
#102
Cool Steve...

Yeah, the several times I've heard and played through some of the older AI models, I've been impressed. I can see how they'd be perfect (for me) on smaller, drummerless gigs or very mellow cocktail/dinner jobs.

However, I'm often on gigs with drummers and guitar players. Even though we play mostly straightahead jazz stuff, those particular sounds can really cover up the bass in a hurry.

I'm thinking it would be wise to have an amp with a bit more juice and something a bit more conventional (in terms of speaker placement) like an EA rig.

So...which one of those amps of yours can get louder (without losing clarity) the Wizzy or the Acoustic Image?

Jason
 
#103
bolo said:
Hehe. Good one Jason.

FWIW, I have a Wizzy combo and an older Series I Contra. In terms of a comparison, they don't sound at all alike to me.

And I think the scoop on the new Contra is more power, less weight, but basically the same sound...
Click to expand...

An Acoustic Image aside:

IMHO the original series I Contra can be boomier, and breaks loose more easily on the lower notes vs. series II/IIa/III combos, which have a tighter bottom and better lower mids.

I got a Series III Coda R in yesterday, wish I had a Series II to do a direct side-by-side comparison, but the increased power is a very good thing to my ears.
 
#104
Jason Hollar said:
Yeah, the several times I've heard and played through some of the older AI models, I've been impressed. I can see how they'd be perfect (for me) on smaller, drummerless gigs or very mellow cocktail/dinner jobs.

However, I'm often on gigs with drummers and guitar players. Even though we play mostly straightahead jazz stuff, those particular sounds can really cover up the bass in a hurry.

I'm thinking it would be wise to have an amp with a bit more juice and something a bit more conventional (in terms of speaker placement) like an EA rig.

So...which one of those amps of yours can get louder (without losing clarity) the Wizzy or the Acoustic Image?

Jason
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Jason, yeah I definitely hear what you're saying.

IMO my Wizzy combo can generate more perceived volume than my Contra. Primarily I think this is because of the downfiring woofer in the AI.

I also think the EA sounds fuller through the mids, and as a result it isn't as easily "covered up" by the other instruments like what you described.

[ Okay, I reread Bob's post just prior to this one. Bear in mind I am using a Series I Contra, and the Series II's and III's may sound different than mine. ]

I used the Wizzy last night blending an AMT and a Rev SOLO. I had the amp set up on a chair in a corner of the room. Man, I was just happy with my sound all night.
 
#109
bolo said:
I can relate. In college I had a 70's SVT head, SVT 8x10 cab, and a Sunn 2x15 cab. The SVT cab took up the whole back seat of my '74 Plymouth Valiant (whoa!). Going up and down stairs took two people, and was still a bear.

Funny ... I didn't think about how durn big & heavy these things were back then. They were just .. my gear.

The university (Virginia Tech) also had a B-15 fliptop that I used to play through when I was in the stage band for their travelling song & dance troupe. I didn't realize then how cool this amp really was, or how sought after they were to become eventually. At the time, I didn't spend much time worrying about gear, and I was much more interested in the female singers & dancers in the troupe.
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Bolo,
When I was in college at Ball State University (yeah I know) I bought a 2X15 Casino amplifier that was bigger, and probably heavier than the family fridge. This baby was Huge! I had to wrestle it into the back seat of the Impala and slam the doors. That would have been, ok I guess, but it sounded awful. Fortunately, I traded it for a B-15 and still have it. Did the Valiant have the push button shift on the dash. Man, those were cool.

Ric
 
#110
So Steve,

How far away from your bass position was the amp (in the corner of the room)? Do you have any problems with feedback in this system?

I'd LOVE to blend a mic with my p/u's...it's just -- that means another $1000 or so (in addition to the $1000+ for one of the Wizzy combos) for the fab rig you have!

Of course, if I took all the money I've spent on my electric rig...I could have some choice gear on upright...but my electric gigs are the ones paying the bills right now!

Jason
 
#111
Hey guys,

Just an aside...

I realize the iamp800 combo has an optional dolly cart that can attach for easier transport.

Can the iamp500c Combo be fitted with this option?

If so, is it a fairly sturdy peice of hardware? I'd really only need it for polite pedestrian commutes in large hotels and other indoor venues...as I'm pretty much a park & play guy (no need for subways, etc.) This would be a big selling point in a compact amp for me...
 
#112
The piece on the iAMP 800 combo is commercially available, but wheels have to be installed in the cabinet.

I've had one of the cheaper versions of the fold-flat hand trucks for the last 3-4 years, it does a good job and takes little room. Invalid Link Removed is one, there are more sturdier models that I might have bought if I had known how much I'd use it.
 
#114
Jason Hollar said:
Thanks Bob...

So, does the iamp800 combo come with the wheels installed -- or is it an add-on option?
Click to expand...

It is included in the price of the combo. The retractable hand truck portion comes off the back of the cabinet as desired, the wheels are built into the cabinet at an angle so the cab is stable when upright.
 
#117
mje said:
More likely becasue the EA cabinets are much more efficient than the AI cabs. The EAs are 103-106dBA/watt- about the highest of any speaker cab on the market.
Click to expand...

That's dB SPL-- certainly not dBA. :)
 
#120
Ric Vice said:
Bolo,
When I was in college at Ball State University (yeah I know) I bought a 2X15 Casino amplifier that was bigger, and probably heavier than the family fridge. This baby was Huge! I had to wrestle it into the back seat of the Impala and slam the doors. That would have been, ok I guess, but it sounded awful. Fortunately, I traded it for a B-15 and still have it. Did the Valiant have the push button shift on the dash. Man, those were cool.

Ric
Click to expand...
Hey Ric. No, I did not have the push button shift on the dash in my '74 Plymouth Valium. I knew a guy in high school though whose dad collected Darts & Valiants from the 60's and 70's though. He had like 6 of the buggers, some w/ the push buttons, and he kept all of them running.

I still can't believe that the salesman at the music store in Falls Church, VA talked me and my Mom into buying an SVT cab and head. Geez, I was about 15 years old at the time! Does a kid in 10th grade who is in a garage band need an SVT? But it was either that or the big Acoustic cab and the 360 head I think.

I later sold the Ampeg to pay college expenses. Or buy drugs. I can't remember.
 

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