First serious amp purchase, upgrading from a Fender Rumble 100

[mattyb117]

Gigging bassist here. I've been using my rumble for practice and gigging for two years now and it's time for an upgrade. I like the sound of markbass amps, but haven't tried much else besides Darkglass, which I tend not to like the sound of. I tend towards a more classic bass sound, sort of flat I guess. Any thoughts on speaker size? I definitely don't need more than 500 watts, and I'm trying to stay around $1000. Combo vs. head and cab?

Also I like the look of a 2 x 10 because it's taller and I could probably hear it better behind me, but not sure if that'll make too much of a difference from a 1 x 12.

I play country mostly, but I'm also in a band with some college buddies and we occasionally play weddings as well as some on campus gigs where we play Bruno Mars type covers. Just kind of not sure what I want.

This will likely be my only amp for the forseeable future, so I want to know what I'm getting is a good value. Unless of course, I hit the lottery.

Anything helps, thanks!

 

[getBAK]

Wattage from a bass amp is kind of a red herring. Anywhere you play that needs something ultra powerful will have a PA/FOH setup. That said, the Rumble 100 is definately a beginner (albeit a damed good one) amp

If you can stretch the budget - I don't think there's a better combo on the market than the Genzler Magellen at ~$1300

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If you need to stay under $1000 (which I understand)- I've been really impressed with the Ampeg RocketBass series. The RB-210 fits right into your spec with money to spare for an expansion cab later if you need it.
Ampeg – Bass guitar amplification

The last thing I will recommend - forget the amp and spend the money on a DI and good PA. The PA system is really what will make the band sound right. The QSC CP-12 Powered speakers are insanely good - combine that with a inexpensive pre-amp (SansAmp is damned good for the $). Get the rest of the band to pay for a Beherenger XR12/16/18 mixer and you will have a leg up on every other band in your area.

 

[Chris_will_do]

If you're playing gigs bigger than you would be able to play with a max 350 watt there'll be a PA.
I played in front of a few thousand people with an 150 watt Ampeg combo.
DI'ed and mic'ed through the PA.
So anything more than 500 watts would be nonsense. I now play a 350 watt GRbass head and 12 inch. And that's louder then I ever needed.
But sounding f-ing great nonetheless .

 

[John D Harris]

Fender Rumble 500 Combo
Or
Bugera Veyron BV1001M Head into a
Orange OBC-112 cab.

 

[nonohmic]

You're going to get as many answers as there are amps in here. But since you said you like Markbass, want a 210, and want to stay at $1k them why not just go this;

Markbass CMD 102 P V 2x10

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With a discount code it's right at $1k.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

You need to try as many combos as possible. A 210 will sound different than a 115 which tends do give a fat vintage sound. There are many combos on the market that will serve your needs but only you know what you want for a sound. Combos from Fender, Ampeg, GK, Peavey and Hartke are all worth a look. Good luck.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It's worth the extra $$$ to get the 500.

 

[Iristone]

It depends on your tonal goal, favourite bassist etc. Other than the bigger Rumbles, the Ashdown Studio 210 and Ampeg Rocket 210 come to my mind.

 

[Medicine Man]

I played a thousandish gigs on a markbass 102. Portable and keeps up with a moderate drummer. I've since moved on to a different rig, but still use the combo as a grab and go.

 

[PiquetBass]

It's worth the extra $$$ to get the 500.

+1 vote for the Rumble 500c. I've been gigging mine for over a year now. It more than keeps up with 3 guitars, 3 vocalists, and a hard-hitting drummer.

As you already appear to enjoy the tone of the Rumble 100, would be a safe bet to "stick with what you know".

 

[CallMeAl]

500w and a 210 would be my recommendation. If it’s a combo, something that you could expand with a second cab later.

First choice would be a Markbass CMD 102p. Battle tested and always sounds great in a band mix. But I’d be happy with the similar offerings from Fender, Ampeg or GK too.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

Yes again on the Rumble 500, I A/B against a couple other combos, the 500 was the best. Keep the 100, I have a little restaurant gig that my 100 works perfect for. For the 2x10 cab/amp, I have a Hartke HD210 cab that really sounds good.

 

[And I]

Fender Rumbles are anything but flat, there's quite a bit of color there to my ears. Markbass amps do sound "flatter" to me. As others have said, no substitute for trying something out to see what your ears tell you.

As for 1x12 vs 2x10, there is a big difference in speaker-cone area. All things being equal, a 2x10 simply moves more air.

 

[shoot-r]

I'd suggest used but not abused.

Your dollars will go much farther going with quality, used equipment.

Take your time, decide what your ears would like, watch the T.B. Classifieds, Reverb, Craigslist, local listings, ect., till what you'd like pops-up at a price that's reasonable to you.

(In pic)
SansAmp BDDI V2 pedal.
G.K. MB Fusion 800 head.
Bergantino CN212 cabinet.

All were bought in good to like new condition from the T.B. Classifieds over a 3 month period.....$1,100.00.

 

[Ignatius]

My rehearsal amp is a rumble 100. I have used it on a couple of small gigs.

My gig amp is a Markbass LMIII bought used for $300 and a Markbass 2x10 I got new for about $300. This rig has power to spare. If we are playing a bigger outdoor show I DI into the PA.

The Markbass has a flat sound but works well with a VT Bass pedal ($100 or so) in front to give it some character.

 

[ArteK]

My "big" amp right now is a TC Electronics BQ500 head (500w@4 ohms, 250W@8 ohms, $339 new), played through an Avatar SB126 bass cabinet (1x12 + 1x6 mids-and-highs speakers, $399 new).

Not boutique stuff, but the sound I'm getting out of this rig is amazing. The lows are incredible, and it's got power to burn, even at 250W@8 ohms for the single cabinet. I actually bought two 8-ohm SB126 cabs, but I doubt I'll really need to use the second one. The 250W and single cab seems to be plenty for the moderate volume gigs I've been playing. The downside: it's 45 pounds, so about 10-15 pounds heavier than the boutique 1x12 cabs like Aguilar (which are twice as expensive).

You'll need Speakon cables for the BQ500 head. The Avatar cabinet has both Speakon and 1/4" input jacks.

 

[J Wilson]

I'd steer towards professional gear if at all possible in new (and never overlook careful shopping can find great deals occasionally in the used market), namely Mesa Subway, Genzler, Bergantino, or Ampeg.

I'd also urge buying as much wattage as fits the budget for three reasons, all from long experience:

You can always turn down a larger powered to match a stage level, but a lower power amp runs out of power and you're fighting uphill all the way, and . . .

Pushing an amp that's not strong enough, your tone can go to hell, you're stressing the internals, and you simply don't have the tone and control you'd like, and . . .

Amp power vs. heard output increases logarithmically: That is, all other things being the same, 600 watts is only 3db louder than 300 watts, and the 600 allows for more clean headroom/tone. Don't make the mistake of thinking 300 to 600 doubles how loud it is, it doesn't work that way.

The way you get noticeably louder isn't by adding power over and over, but cabinets. The Mesa Subway heads, can run four Subway cabinets, and running four instead of a single adds 9db, a HUGE jump, if required.

If you like 210's, I'd suggest as much amp and a 210 as the budget allows, and be sure the head and cabinet (far easier to split and move than a combo) will allow for a 2nd 210 cabinet should you need one. A lot of times, it's hard to hear yourself on stage (bass is just that way), and the side by side 210 cabinet can be stood on one end, and two, making a vertical string of four 10's, would put the third or fourth one at eye level or close, which makes it far easier to hear yourself.

Best of Luck,

JW

 

[Pep]

If you're wanting a more "classic" sound in an amp head, Mesa Subway D-800+ or the WD-800. Great classic sound, dependable and light weight. You should never need to purchase another amp head.

 

[TallaDawg]

I have a bit of vested interest in this, since I have a GK Fusion 500 for sale....But I played many, many gigs with that amp on top of a pair of Harke Hydrive 112's and the combination absolutely killed!! The Hydrives are small, light and easy to move, and you'll have more cone area than a 2-10. I think you could find good used ones plus the amp for 1K.

Another possibility is a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.2 -- 210T combo. The amp is separate but there's a cradle on the speaker that allows everything to move as a single unit. A good one should go for $7-800. And even though GB was bought by Fender, the engineer who designed the amp is still here as a TB member (AgedHorse) and will provide service & parts if needed.

 

[thepapercut]

The big boy Fender Rumble or a GK 2x12 combo. Both are extremely loud and portable.