Genzler Amplification Club

[Dan Robbins]

I am hoping I can get some help from the far more experienced hive mind here. I am a beginning (but improving) bass player with 45 years experience as a performing woodwind player. I know the value of quality gear (I have ~$30k invested in my saxophones). As I get better at bass, I would like to upgrade that equipment as well. My current gear is listed below.

I very much appreciate all the information folks give on the TB forums. I read a ton of it. I think that my next upgrade is to Genzler gear. Why?

• The bass player I play with in big bands and pit orchestra plays both her upright and electric through a Genzler Acoustic Array Pro. I think it sounds fantastic. We are currently in the middle of a run of “Frozen” which covers a number of musical genres, and that amp does them all really well.
• I do not live in an area where I can try out cabs easily. I have tried some Mesa, DG, and Fender cabs in home environments, but never in the same place to do a fair A/B comparison. It also seems like there is a lot more variation in effects pedals and my playing ability that affects the tone more than an amp/cab for me right now.
• While my ear is not yet well-attuned to the subtleties of bass cabinet variations, I would like to have something that is more genre agnostic and adaptable. It seems like many feel the Genzler cabs are pretty neutral and not colored in any one way.
• A couple friends who also play bass have said that they think I would like the sound of Genzler cabs (with either Genzler or Mesa heads) based on their knowledge of my musical and performance tastes.
• I think that one of the most important factors for me is that Jeff is here, participating in these discussions, and providing help and guidance. I very much appreciate and value people who stand behind their good products that way and would like to support that.

So I am seriously considering the MG350/BA10-2 combo as an upgrade that will last a long time. I don’t have a problem buying great gear once (I smile rather than cry when I do)

Questions

1. Is there much difference between the Gen1 and Gen2 BA10-2? It seems that Gen1 units come up for sale in the classifieds fairly regularly.
2. Am I going to outgrow the 350 and wish I would have bought an 800 right away?
3. Or is there a place for a 350 now and an 800 later if I find I need it?
4. Does it make sense to get the BA10-2 now and think that I could add to it with a MG12T-V or NC210 at some point if I need variety or more air pushing?
5. Or would the MG350 + 12T-V combo be a better place to start my upgrade? And add a BA as a subsequent addition?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have (or reasons why you think I am barking up the wrong tree).

Current Gear

• Rumble 40 (now upgraded with BassliteS2010 driver, some batting, and custom 3D printed port tubes) – great for portability and small acoustic groups
• TE ELF + TC208 – Got a really nice deal on this combo in the classifieds. This is the one I practice through in my music room. I really like it as well, but the ELF fan can be a little loud at times
• Any new gear I would like to keep under 15kg (33lbs), but that is not a requirement if something heavier is really special.

Genres?

I am still trying to figure that out. I am likely to be playing jazz, blues, blues rock, show tunes, wedding/event songs. Probably not super hard/loud metal. I am a jack-of-all-trades woodwind player in almost every genre (opera to funk, symphony to big bands). I think my bass playing interests are likely to be be similar.

It is likely that I might end up playing in small venues (up to 100ish people) or outside at a small beer garden. I figure anything more than that would have FOH in place.

DEFINITELY get the Series 2, especially in the 10” cab series. Goes Lower and higher and there’s more of everything…

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

An MG350 10-2 Series 2 combo atop a second 10-2 Series 2 cab, if you're not running IEM and play at intimate, not competitive volumes, will be a terrific way to be heard and hear yourself without stressing your back and hands.

 

[Nightman]

You’ll be fine. Genzler rules! The 350 is hella loud!

THIS!

Plus, my Genzler acquisition began with the MG800 and the BA410, then adding the BA12 and the 350 Combo for greater flexibility to my bass rig needs.
Personally, I don’t think you would outgrow the 350 Combo because of what it is and what it can handle. It is the Little Monster!

 

[HoHumbucker]

THIS!

Plus, my Genzler acquisition began with the MG800 and the BA410, then adding the BA12 and the 350 Combo for greater flexibility to my bass rig needs.
Personally, I don’t think you would outgrow the 350 Combo because of what it is and what it can handle. It is the Little Monster!

My thinking for a while is get the 350 + BA10-2 combo now. If/when I want to expand there are a lot of options that would still likely be great with the MG350 head.

• another BA10-2 (but maybe a different cab so I could have two different one-cab rigs)
• BA112SLT
• NC112
• NC210 (a little above my 15kg desire, but might be worth it)
• MG12T-V (I think that this plus the BA10-2 might be really good combo of cabs)

 

[3rdcurve]

Another vote for the Series 2 10" Combo. I get compliments and astonished looks from bandmates every time I use it. I have 2 additional matching cabs to upsize when the gig demands it, and I can't think of a scenario where the cabs wouldn't be enough.

 

[Djadja]

Hey Genzler club folks! Just picked up a NC-112 in the classifieds. Thoughts about running an NC-112 with the Magellan 350 vs 800? If you’ve had the privilege of trying both amps with this particular cab, do you have a preference for one or other, and if so, why?

I haven’t played the NC112… but I have owned both the 350 and the 800 heads.
To my ears, when played at the same volume and settings, they sound virtually identical. So, the question becomes whether you need the additional wattage of the 800, the additional I/O, and the 2nd channel. If you don’t need those features, the 350 is wonderful, costs less, and the 850 provides features you don’t need. If you need those features, the 350 is inadequate.
I sold the 350 and kept the 800 just in case I might need those features. The reality is that for my uses, the 350 was more than adequate and I would have been happy with it. I play in a church band, 2 pop/rock bands at wineries and small clubs, and with a singer/songwriter mostly at wineries. There is a volume difference between the 350 and 800 but it is not huge.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

My thinking for a while is get the 350 + BA10-2 combo now. If/when I want to expand there are a lot of options that would still likely be great with the MG350 head.

• another BA10-2 (but maybe a different cab so I could have two different one-cab rigs)
• BA112SLT
• NC112
• NC210 (a little above my 15kg desire, but might be worth it)
• MG12T-V (I think that this plus the BA10-2 might be really good combo of cabs)

I'd add a BA12-3 SLT to a BA10-2 before adding an MG-112T. Basing that on trialing a BA12-3 SLT / MG-112T pairing which worked better at a distance vs nearby.

I'll toss out that I wish the BA series had a character switch, like the past Mesa cabs. It would be nice to toggle between a vintage and modern voicing right on the cab. Or a built in variable HPF and LPF?

 

[Nightman]

My thinking for a while is get the 350 + BA10-2 combo now. If/when I want to expand there are a lot of options that would still likely be great with the MG350 head.

• another BA10-2 (but maybe a different cab so I could have two different one-cab rigs)
• BA112SLT
• NC112
• NC210 (a little above my 15kg desire, but might be worth it)
• MG12T-V (I think that this plus the BA10-2 might be really good combo of cabs)

I really like stacking my 350 Combo on the BA12. They compliment each other so well.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

I really like stacking my 350 Combo on the BA12. They compliment each other so well.

Series 2 either or both?

 

[Nightman]

Series 2 either or both?

I only have the series 1 and really don’t see the need to move to anything else, but if you’re just getting started then the series 2 might be a good starting point, or series 1 from the used price point.

 

[Michael Vee]

I really like stacking my 350 Combo on the BA12. They compliment each other so well.

Although I really like the BA10-2 S2 stack with the combo, I'm still tempted to get the BA12-3 S2. I haven't seen one come up used yet. They may have, here on TB, and I missed it. After dropping big coin on the combo stack, I'm a bit reticent to buy a new BA12-3.. would prefer to go used for under $1K, if I can find that. I may get going and sell some of the inventory and do it anyway. Max has gently encouraged me to look at a 15-3 like his, but I dunno. I haven't played out with the BA10-2 stack yet, just the combo. I may not need anything else for the gigs I do.

 

[Nightman]

Right, it’s a decision to make between the two, but it is wise to consider your actual needs as opposed to someone else’s. That being said, I’d opt to go with a 12 to go with the 10, if that’s all I had. I look at it as having three different bass rig options.

 

[Djadja]

I really like stacking my 350 Combo on the BA12. They compliment each other so well.

I too have a 10-2 & a 12-3 that I use with an 800 and like a lot. I'm playing in 2 louder bands now and think about adding a 3rd cab. I don't really need another but feel like it would be nice. The fact that I can't decide between a 12 or a 10 or whether to go with first generation vs 2nd... may have saved my marriage at this point

 

[Scott Lynch]

I haven’t played the NC112… but I have owned both the 350 and the 800 heads.
To my ears, when played at the same volume and settings, they sound virtually identical. So, the question becomes whether you need the additional wattage of the 800, the additional I/O, and the 2nd channel. If you don’t need those features, the 350 is wonderful, costs less, and the 850 provides features you don’t need. If you need those features, the 350 is inadequate.
I sold the 350 and kept the 800 just in case I might need those features. The reality is that for my uses, the 350 was more than adequate and I would have been happy with it. I play in a church band, 2 pop/rock bands at wineries and small clubs, and with a singer/songwriter mostly at wineries. There is a volume difference between the 350 and 800 but it is not huge.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I've recently been using an MG350/BA10-2 combo, often with an additional BA10-2, and also happen to have an MG800 that I used to use with a pair of now-sold BA12-3s. I picked up the NC-112 out of curiosity. Running the MG 800 through the NC-112, it is capable of getting quite loud (as expected) but is rather dark sounding to my ears. I might just be used to how present the mids are with the BA cabs. The strings on my bass are old, however, so I will change them before this Saturday's gig to get a more accurate take on what the NC-112 can do on stage.

 

[HoHumbucker]

My thinking for a while is get the 350 + BA10-2 combo now. If/when I want to expand there are a lot of options that would still likely be great with the MG350 head.

• another BA10-2 (but maybe a different cab so I could have two different one-cab rigs)
• BA112SLT
• NC112
• NC210 (a little above my 15kg desire, but might be worth it)
• MG12T-V (I think that this plus the BA10-2 might be really good combo of cabs)

Thanks everyone for your thoughts about this. Seems like many have good experiences with the MG350+ BA10-2 combo. That is where I am pretty sure I am headed as well. I will have plenty of time and a lot of skill to learn before I get to adding/needed additional cabs. That will give me the opportunity to sort out my sound preferences, and perhaps some new equipment would be on the market then too.

I also want to give a shout out to Jeff Genzler. He reached out to me personally within 90 minutes of my initial post asking if I had questions or would like to chat. I very much appreciate this level of personal interest and commitment to his product that is well beyond my expectations. This more than solidified my thinking that joining the Genzler amp/cab community is the right thing to do.

Now to send a note off to my local dealer about an amp/cab combo...

 

[Jamvan]

All this talk about the 350 being enough for a full band pushed me try using mine plus two MG12T-Vs for the indoor rig this winter rather than the 800+NC 212T that I've been running the past few years. I was using the 350 in a cradle mount on one of the 12T-Vs as a home combo practice amp and had the other one just sitting in my storage closet.

It's good to have options.

 

[HoHumbucker]

All this talk about the 350 being enough for a full band pushed me try using mine plus two MG12T-Vs for the indoor rig this winter rather than the 800+NC 212T that I've been running the past few years. I was using the 350 in a cradle mount on one of the 12T-Vs as a home combo practice amp and had the other one just sitting in my storage closet.

It's good to have options.

Based on my conversation with Jeff, I would likely keep an extension cab within the same cab family as the primary. If I had to choose today, I would probably pick the BA112 as the extension. That would give 3 different rig combos with the MG350 amp. But I also don't think I would go wrong with a second BA10-2 either. Almost like there are no bad choices here.

 

[davedamage]

All this talk about the 350 being enough for a full band pushed me try using mine plus two MG12T-Vs for the indoor rig this winter rather than the 800+NC 212T that I've been running the past few years. I was using the 350 in a cradle mount on one of the 12T-Vs as a home combo practice amp and had the other one just sitting in my storage closet.

It's good to have options.

I am very interested in hearing about this, even though I've gone the opposite direction. One NC212 with the 800 is the small rig. Two with the Shuttlemax 12.0 is the big boy and for running symmetrical guitar and bass cabs on the stage for a heavy, doom-ish three piece

 

[Nightman]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts about this. Seems like many have good experiences with the MG350+ BA10-2 combo. That is where I am pretty sure I am headed as well. I will have plenty of time and a lot of skill to learn before I get to adding/needed additional cabs. That will give me the opportunity to sort out my sound preferences, and perhaps some new equipment would be on the market then too.

I also want to give a shout out to Jeff Genzler. He reached out to me personally within 90 minutes of my initial post asking if I had questions or would like to chat. I very much appreciate this level of personal interest and commitment to his product that is well beyond my expectations. This more than solidified my thinking that joining the Genzler amp/cab community is the right thing to do.

Now to send a note off to my local dealer about an amp/cab combo...

Don’t forget to also get the 350 Combo gig bag! You can thank me later.

 

[Jamvan]

I am very interested in hearing about this, even though I've gone the opposite direction. One NC212 with the 800 is the small rig. Two with the Shuttlemax 12.0 is the big boy and for running symmetrical guitar and bass cabs on the stage for a heavy, doom-ish three piece

Yeah. My next gig is after Thanksgiving so will let you know. It's a quieter show so I don't think I'll have any issues but I'm more curious if I'll like the sonic footprint. I've found the MG cabs a bit more aggressive in the mids than either the BA or NC lines so while I'm fairly certain it'll be plenty loud, I'm not as certain I'm going to be as pleased with what comes out of it.