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Going to School in NYC. Need a new amp!

K

kdanderso

Guest
May 22, 2018
5
3
#1
Hello Everybody,

As the title suggests I'm looking for a new rig and would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! I need something clean and powerful but also very portable (as I will be living in the city and playing gigs around town, 4x10 stacks are not great). I'm thinking head and just one relatively small cab. I play everything from straight ahead jazz on an upright bass (with a realist pickup) to crazy experimental music where I plug my j bass into an octave and phaser pedal.

For amps: I have been looking at Acoustic Image clarus sl and Aguilar tonehammer 500. Amongst jazz players I know that the acoustic image is highly regarded. I have played an Acoustic Image amp as a backline with both electric and upright on a jazz gig and thought it sounded great but my concern is that it may not be as versatile as other amps (I play a lot of electric bass and different styles). A lot of pro bass players that I admire are playing Aguilar. I am probably leaning towards this amp a bit more. I have playing it also and loved it. I have never fully tested and compared the two amps so let me know which one you think is best for me. Of course if you have other recommendations, please let me know!

For cabs: Here's where I'm struggling. I don't know anything about cabs. I love the sound of an enormous 4x10 but that's extremely inprractical for me right now. I know acoustic image makes really portable rigs but as I mentioned before, I'm worried the rig won't be as versatile as I would like. From a little bit of research I've come across brands like Hathor, Bergantino, phil jones, and Genz Benz that all seem really interesting. What would you recommend? I want something that will pair really well with my amp and have enough power (500-600w are the amps I'm looking at). If it could be small and lightweight (under 40lbs? even lighter?), that would be great!

Thank you everybody for all your gracious help and advice,
Kirk

(also I'm new to the forum)
 
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#2
Welcome to the forum!

There are some nice fairly portable combos with good power on tap, like the Rumble series. The higher powered combos can be connected to an external cabinet. I do not know how well they work with DB, but there is a mega-thread about them.

As far as head/cab rigs go, portability is pretty proportional to price, the more power and portability you need, the more it will cost you. There is also a bit of a hard floor in relation to output down low and portability when you start talking about cabs.

What is your budget? That may be THE determining factor on volume to portability there.
 
#3
You're pretty well on track with the brands you're looking at. I'd add Markbass to the list of cabs to check out.
Most of the jazz players I know who live in NYC are using 1x12's these days due to portability issues.
 
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#5
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#9
My band has played in NYC at least once per month for the past 2 years. Every place we've been has at least some sort of bass cab/head or combo with FOH support. If you're living in Manhattan or Brooklyn, you won't have a car (because it's crazy and costs $400+ per month to park). For getting "around town" a combo you can bungee to a luggage carrier will be much easier than a head/cab combo. Then for electric gigs you have a gig bag and the combo you can roll. Remember, unless you're walking, you'll need to get the stuff into an Uber or cab. Or worse, up and down the stairs to the subway! For stand up jazz gigs, I would forget the amp and go d.i. or mic. Trying to schlep a stand up bass and an amp in NYC will be tough. Good luck! You're gonna have a great time, that's for sure!
 
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#10
kdanderso said:
Hello Everybody,

As the title suggests I'm looking for a new rig and would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! I need something clean and powerful but also very portable (as I will be living in the city and playing gigs around town, 4x10 stacks are not great). I'm thinking head and just one relatively small cab. I play everything from straight ahead jazz on an upright bass (with a realist pickup) to crazy experimental music where I plug my j bass into an octave and phaser pedal.

For amps: I have been looking at Acoustic Image clarus sl and Aguilar tonehammer 500. Amongst jazz players I know that the acoustic image is highly regarded. I have played an Acoustic Image amp as a backline with both electric and upright on a jazz gig and thought it sounded great but my concern is that it may not be as versatile as other amps (I play a lot of electric bass and different styles). A lot of pro bass players that I admire are playing Aguilar. I am probably leaning towards this amp a bit more. I have playing it also and loved it. I have never fully tested and compared the two amps so let me know which one you think is best for me. Of course if you have other recommendations, please let me know!

For cabs: Here's where I'm struggling. I don't know anything about cabs. I love the sound of an enormous 4x10 but that's extremely inprractical for me right now. I know acoustic image makes really portable rigs but as I mentioned before, I'm worried the rig won't be as versatile as I would like. From a little bit of research I've come across brands like Hathor, Bergantino, phil jones, and Genz Benz that all seem really interesting. What would you recommend? I want something that will pair really well with my amp and have enough power (500-600w are the amps I'm looking at). If it could be small and lightweight (under 40lbs? even lighter?), that would be great!

Thank you everybody for all your gracious help and advice,
Kirk

(also I'm new to the forum)
Click to expand...
A k212 by itself is amazing. It keeps up with a loud drummer in a small room at pretty low master. Growly, good punch, snappy high end, and it doesn't fart out very easily. I love it. So much, that I got two. I traded my 610 to GC for one new one, and went and bought another one after my first practice with it. Couldn't be happier.

Oh, but there's no tweeter control on it. Gotta either get the head with the Tweetertone function or a high pass filter for that.

They look so good too.
20180512_203310.jpg
20180515_201752.jpg

20180515_195728.jpg

I got the matching head on it's way too.
 
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#11
First, congratulations on the school...and best of luck with it.

I'd recommend a Gallien Kreuger MB112ii or something very like it.
Lightweight, compact, a true 200w, DB folk seem to like it, it's got headphones-out and mp3-in ... and a matching powered cab should things get to where you need more power.

Ohh...and welcome to TB!
 
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#14
I am in NYC an a decent 12" will cover any gig easily. I use a Genz Shuttle 6.0 with a 12 for most gigs, and a Shuttle 3.0 with a 10 for small gigs and my little Warwick BC-10 watt'er for small jazz gigs.
I really like a head I can put in my gigbag and a separate light weight efficient 12", I would guess a light 2x10 could work too. definitely want to go with something under 30lbs. All my amps could handle a octaver.
 
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#15
GK MB112, or similar 12" compact combo provide a single hand lift in a giggable amp. I'd be tempted to add a small hand truck to drag it around, but its tote-able as-is. The Fender Rumble and Peavey Max 112 are a couple others for a bit less. Fun stuff to have a capable amp in a small lightweight package.
 
#17
kdanderso said:
Hello Everybody,

As the title suggests I'm looking for a new rig and would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions! I need something clean and powerful but also very portable (as I will be living in the city and playing gigs around town, 4x10 stacks are not great). I'm thinking head and just one relatively small cab. I play everything from straight ahead jazz on an upright bass (with a realist pickup) to crazy experimental music where I plug my j bass into an octave and phaser pedal.

For amps: I have been looking at Acoustic Image clarus sl and Aguilar tonehammer 500. Amongst jazz players I know that the acoustic image is highly regarded. I have played an Acoustic Image amp as a backline with both electric and upright on a jazz gig and thought it sounded great but my concern is that it may not be as versatile as other amps (I play a lot of electric bass and different styles). A lot of pro bass players that I admire are playing Aguilar. I am probably leaning towards this amp a bit more. I have playing it also and loved it. I have never fully tested and compared the two amps so let me know which one you think is best for me. Of course if you have other recommendations, please let me know!

For cabs: Here's where I'm struggling. I don't know anything about cabs. I love the sound of an enormous 4x10 but that's extremely inprractical for me right now. I know acoustic image makes really portable rigs but as I mentioned before, I'm worried the rig won't be as versatile as I would like. From a little bit of research I've come across brands like Hathor, Bergantino, phil jones, and Genz Benz that all seem really interesting. What would you recommend? I want something that will pair really well with my amp and have enough power (500-600w are the amps I'm looking at). If it could be small and lightweight (under 40lbs? even lighter?), that would be great!

Thank you everybody for all your gracious help and advice,
Kirk

(also I'm new to the forum)
Click to expand...

This used one lists for $1,200 and it's being sold $649. 600 watts. What do you think?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 

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