Go-to class D head and cab

[GTx2]

Mesa Subway D-800+ on top of a Subway 2x12. Massive.
For outdoors - same head on top of two Subways 1x15. More massive.
I still have two Genz Benz heads as well.

D-800+ into Subway 2x12…..my exact rig!

 

[Michael Eisenman]

Many possibilities have been suggested. Have you tried contacting the bassist for that duo?

 

[bherman]

As you can see, everybody has ideas, but it all comes down to budget. Top of the line class D head and a cab can be close to $2k, what are you able to afford? For less $$ look used. Cant beat a Mesa Subway D800 ($5-600) and any number of good cabs, for about the same price used.

 

[GrooveCaptain]

As someone else pointed out... That silver with red and blue lighted knobs could've been a GK MB series head. I've used an MB800 for the last 5 or so years and absolutely love it. Only other I'd consider buying would be one of the Mesas. They're just fantastic amps.

 

[BeyondFiredUp]

I call this my "Poor Man's Walter Woods" because it's red...and cheap AF.

View attachment 7202647

(Note, I have no illusions that this rig sounds anywhere near as good as a Walter Woods...but, see above re: cheap AF)

I also have an Acoustic Image head, which is also Class D. That's actually my main amp, my real go-to head.

I am a Po Man's rig player too. I have the BH800 from TC Electronic. Very versatile and quite solid. I have the K212 matching cab. Good all-around tough rig! My assorted pedal board gets me the tweaked overdrive and eq with the occasional clean chorus and delay moments. No complaints, especially the price I got the rig for.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Been gigging for about 12 years now playing classic rock and country and have had a variety of heavy SS amps and cabs and now a V4B with 212 cab and a 90s peg rocketbass rb-50. Saw a country duo the other night and the bassist had a little silver class D head with red and blue lights and what looked a like a 115 cab. Sounded PHENOMENAL. Didn't get a chance to ask her what she was using but kinda wondering what that was. I’ve been saving my penny’s for new, light rocketbass 210 but given how good that setup sounded I’m thinking about going that route instead. Whats a go to class D and 115 cab setup folks are using on here?

The rigs I'm using are superb, but pretty much unobtainium now. Still, they are both great class D amps and you will see them pop up for sale used from time to time.

The one I use the most is my DNA-800 amp which puts out 400-watts into 8Ω or 800-watts into either 4Ω or 2Ω. It has a built-in compressor with adjustable threshold and ratio controls and weghs in at just 4.8-lbs. It's also dead quiet (great for acoustic recordings) because it uses passive cooling and thus has no fan.

It has a simplified EQ system with Bass, low-mid, high-mid, and Treble controls. Bass is a shelving control set at 35Hz and everything below. The low-mid control is centered at 500-Hz and the high-mid is centered at 2 KHz. The treble is also a shelving control for everything above 2KHz. I can make it sound like my Eden gear (David also designed those amps and cabs) by bumping up the Bass to 1 o'clock and the low-mid to 1:30. I boost the low-mids that same amount with my big Eden amp but usually boost it at 250Hz. I have to up the bass slightly because the bass EQ on the Eden is set at 30Hz. It's super light and super clear and works particularly well with DNA's DNS speakers.

The cabs I use are the DNS-210 and DNS-410. I bought the 410 first and the 210 in 2019 when I was accepted into the DNA endorsing Artist group. I most commonly use the DNS-210 with the DNA-800 amp. Since the cab is 8Ω the amp will deliver a max of 400-watts to it, but that is actually enough to fill all my indoor venues with the possible exception of a large venue with a long room - long rooms eat your sound. Only had one that I worried about it so I pulled out my Eden WT500/800 and bridged it at 800 watts into my DNS-210, My DNS-210 weighs 52-lbs and will handle 700-watts rms so it's possible to blow it with that much power, but I've never had to turn it above 10:30 for the biggest long room.

My other option would be to bring out my DNS-410 (handles 1400-watts rms, weighs 79-lbs.), which I always use for outdoor venues and music festivals. And if I really want to get crazy, I can use my DNA-800 to drive both cabs at once. The DNA-800 is 12" wide and 10" deep. Street price new was $799. Recently saw a new DNA-800 listed on reverb for $749 from a San Diego dealer. Saw a used one on Reverb for $625.

My amp stack of DNS-210 on top of a DNS-410. Had them stacked like this only once at a large venue but only needed to use the 210 to fill the room so the 410 was just and amp stand for the evening:

For small venues I use an Eden TN-226 class D amp. It puts out just 225-watts rms into 4Ω and I specifically bought it to play a small, local, brewpub where we hosted Friday Night Open Mic events over 40 times a year. Although it does not have a tube in the preamp like almost all of the Eden WT series class AB amps do, it still produces that same warmth that I get out of my Eden WT500/800 amp with the hybrid preamp that includes that 12ax7 tube. It is also dead quiet making it great for acoustic recordings. It utilizes passive cooling so there is no fan noise with this one either and it weighs in at just 4.7-lbs.

I run the EQ on it flat with the exception of boosting the low-mids at 250Hz to 1:30 like I do with my big 800-watt Eden amp. And to make things really convenient, I can carry the rig in our out in one trip. I put the amp in its shoulder bag over one shoulder, put my gig bag over the other, grab my bass in its case in one hand and grab my Eden EX-112 cab by its handle in the middle of the back edge of the cab in the other hand...one and done and a big smile from me. I believe the street price was $499 new and the TN501 (500-watt rms into 4Ω version) was $649 new. Of course Gear4Music owns Eden now and they haven't had any inventory for at least 2-years now.

Here's my small venue rig. It is very compact and sounds great. Notice how nicely the entire rig fit in a chair? :

 

[BaltBass5]

I played an Ampeg V4B with Ampeg SV212 for quite a while and switched to the Mesa TT800 with Subway 212. It's WAY lighter, sounds great (Can cop the Ampeg vibe if you want to) and it has been a seriously reliable workhorse!

Oh and I also forgot to mention:
Preamp Tubes, 2 Channels, Massive amount of tonal control!

 

[DeepHz]

Since I purchased this Mesa TT-800 and Subway 115 I stopped buying gear. So versatile!

 

[Chenzo]

I've had consistently great sound using an Aguilar TH700 and one or two Barefaced Super Compact 1x12's.

+1 for the TH700, absolutely love mine and it's a real workhouse. 4-hour sets, 4 nights/week for a year and it never broke a sweat.

 

[unlined4string]

Tecamp Puma 900 into a EA CXL-112L.

 

[H Nighttrain]

I moved fron Eden heads/cabs to lighter gear in the late 20-teens. I currently own five amps, all have different sound:

GK MB500 (aggressive)
GB Shuttle 3.0 (clean, rich)
Aguilar TH350 (thumpy, punchy)
Ashdown OriginAL 350 (heavy, deep)
EA iAmpMicro 300 (very clean, pristine)

Depending on the gig I pair these with RevSound cabs, love these lightweight boxes:

RS115 8-Ohm
RS212 4-ohm
RS28 4-ohm

 

[Jefenator]

It would probably be easier to list the class D heads that aren't worthy than the ones that are.
FWIW my go-to is a Bergantino B|Amp. It is very flexible & you can program in then recall a few different scenes with whatever EQ / compression / distortion you want. But I just leave it on my one preferred setting for everything. (Little lo / lo mid& hi boost, little compression.) I like how the controls are digital, so the knobs can't tweak your settings in transit. I also like the built in tuner. Most importantly, it has the presence & slam I want on larger gigs – and the built-in DI is very handy.
I also have the Quilter BB800 which is more of a "no frills" unit. It makes for a good portable backup and has its own take on sonic heft.
My 15" cab is an old Bag End S-15D which is kind of a relic from the 1990s. A bit heavy by today's neodymium standards, but compact & potent. Pairs well with my more modern cab, a Bergantino HDN210.

 

[Mo Boogs]

Alright I’ve definitely got my sights set on the TT800 and SW115. Anyone who own this setup know if you can crank up the gain, lower the volume and adjust the eq to get a good punchy bass for small gigs at low volumes as well? I’d like to be able to get just the one head and cab rather than an assortment of cabs to go with it.

 

[jeffb28451]

Silver with lights sounds like a GR or a GK.

 

[Elmstreet]

+1 for the Quilter Bass Block V803, I'm super happy with mine. I use mine with an Ampeg Venture VB212 cab that only weighs 40lbs.

 

[WRM]

Alright I’ve definitely got my sights set on the TT800 and SW115. Anyone who own this setup know if you can crank up the gain, lower the volume and adjust the eq to get a good punchy bass for small gigs at low volumes as well? I’d like to be able to get just the one head and cab rather than an assortment of cabs to go with it.

IMO - Yes!

 

[Spacecoastbass]

Yes. Lots of options with the TT and SW115. Not gonna get DG kinda distorting but you can dime the input set the master to meet the situation and control the OD pre to taste. It’s a very usable/musical tube pre with some help on the other end of the signal path. Play with the sym/asym for feel. So much fun!

 

[6thplanet]

I've played my amp through a Subway 15, quite fantastic I must say.

 

[Parzival]

Check out the Genzler Magellan 800 and Bass Array cabs. And there is the Kinetix 800 if you want a tube preamp.

 

[Wicked G]

CLASS D AMPS:
MESA BOOGIE WD800
LANEY DIGBETH 500
ORANGE TERROR BASS 500
GENZ BENZ STREAMLINER 600
TC ELECTRONIC RH750
TC ELECTRONIC RH450

CABS:
ORANGE OBC112 X 2
GALLIEN KRUEGER NEO 112 X 2
TC ELECTRONIC RS210 X 2
TC ELECTRONIC K212 X 2
GENZ BENZ UBER QUAD 1288T
GENZ BENZ UBER BASS 115T

They all put a major smile on my face