Hartke Kickback 10 loud enough for band practice?

[SamBassPlayer]

4 piece band + singer in a music mill. Drummer takes it easy.

Am currently using my Rumble 500 Combo (without an extension cab) but it's way more amp than I need. It's not a big room. I was thinking about picking up some kind of kickback amp - would be nice to get my sound up off the floor - and just to leave it at the practice space.

I saw a used Hartke Kickback 10 (120W, 10" speaker) and am wondering if that would do the job. Just for rehearsal - not for playing out.

What do you think?

 

[Lowendchamp]

Is your bass active or passive? When talking about something that puts out maybe 75 watts RMS, active basses could be the difference between “cutting through the mix” or not.
Also, you said the drummer takes it easy, which is great, but what about the guitarist? They seem to be louder and harder to compete with than drums IME. I’ve always found my favorite person in the band is my drummer as we are the rhythm team, but a guitarist that is a team player is a must if you intend to downsize with a practice amp.

 

[SamBassPlayer]

Why do you say "maybe 75 watts"? I believe it's 120 watts into a single 10" aluminum-cone speaker. Do I have this wrong?

I play a passive P-bass mainly.

 

[Clark Westfield]

I’d say save your money and just use the Rumble.

Very versatile combo.

Throw a yoga wedge under the front and angle it up a bit.

 

[DaveParker39]

Having a dedicated practice space amp is nice.

Impossible to say if the Hartke will be enough without hearing the volume of the guitars but if it’s cheap enough, maybe it’s worth trying? It would be enough in my band, but we’re all very practice-volume-conscious.

 

[Marko 1]

Am currently using my Rumble 500 Combo (without an extension cab) but it's way more amp than I need.

Unless there are physical or transportation issues, having more than the absolute minimum needed at the moment is not "more amp than I need"...

it's just causing less stress on all the components, which is a very good thing.

 

[SAlcott]

I had the 12" Hartke Kickback; too much weight for too little oomph. Stuck with the Rumble, use the volume knob, and enjoy.

 

[Raf Seibert]

II would say it depends on how loud your band practices. I played with one band that had to turn down for live performances.

 

[SamBassPlayer]

Unless there are physical or transportation issues, having more than the absolute minimum needed at the moment is not "more amp than I need"...

it's just causing less stress on all the components, which is a very good thing.

Practice room is on very far end of mill. Having an amp I can leave there instead of making two trips in and two trips out every week and banging my Rumble around would be preferable to me. I mentioned the Rumble 500 being "more amp that I need" just as a reference so readers would know that something less than 350 watts would work fine.

I've got some tilt-up blocks I can put under the Rumble (or any other standard amp). I thought that a kickback style amp might save some space though. If I had a smaller amp to try I would, just to gauge the power/volume, but I don't. For now I'll continue to use the Rumble and tilt it back, and keep an eye our for maybe a Kickback 15 350W, or some other 200W+ amp I can leave on the tilt-up blocks.

It seems from various posts that 100W in any format would not be enough. But I once played an outdoor set for a couple of hundred people using the the Rumble 100 that was already on stage and it was plenty loud enough.

Thanks for the input - I appreciate it.

 

[DaveParker39]

Practice room is on very far end of mill. Having an amp I can leave there instead of making two trips in and two trips out every week and banging my Rumble around would be preferable to me. I mentioned the Rumble 500 being "more amp that I need" just as a reference so readers would know that something less than 350 watts would work fine.

I've got some tilt-up blocks I can put under the Rumble (or any other standard amp). I thought that a kickback style amp might save some space though. If I had a smaller amp to try I would, just to gauge the power/volume, but I don't. For now I'll continue to use the Rumble and tilt it back, and keep an eye our for maybe a Kickback 15 350W, or some other 200W+ amp I can leave on the tilt-up blocks.

It seems from various posts that 100W in any format would not be enough. But I once played an outdoor set for a couple of hundred people using the the Rumble 100 that was already on stage and it was plenty loud enough.

Thanks for the input - I appreciate it.

I still think it's worth looking into a dedicated practice space amp to avoid the lugging around.

I actually have a 350 watt behringer combo in our practice space right now. More than enough.

 

[JimChjones]

It depends on how sensible the rest of your band is. 100W into a ten is pretty loud in most confined spaces. You could always experiment at a practice with your regular amp turned right down and see how it works out. If you've got one of those guitarists who "I need my sound man" then there could be trouble, but if the whole band fancies nice civilised quiet practices it could do a lot for everyone's ears.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Bass is the one instrument where you don't want to compromise, or it will sound like a kazoo.

 

[shoot-r]

It seems from various posts that 100W in any format would not be enough. But I once played an outdoor set for a couple of hundred people using the the Rumble 100 that was already on stage and it was plenty loud enough.

I don't think having just 100 watts for a rehearsal amp will necessarily be the problem.

The problem is your talking of running a single 10" driver (and not a highly efficient driver at that) for bass in a live setting with drums/guitars/ect.

That same 100 watts will go MUCH farther into say, a decent 1x12 cab or combo.....and certainly much further into a 1x15 cab or combo.

As the old saying goes, "there's no replacement for displacement."

 

[SamBassPlayer]

I don't think having just 100 watts for a rehearsal amp will necessarily be the problem.

The problem is your talking of running a single 10" driver (and not a highly efficient driver at that) for bass in a live setting with drums/guitars/ect.

That same 100 watts will go MUCH farther into say, a decent 1x12 cab or combo.....and certainly much further into a 1x15 cab or combo.

As the old saying goes, "there's no replacement for displacement."

Thanks @shoot-r. Gives me an idea: I've got an Acoustic 2x10 cab with neo drivers that will handle 600W. I might keep an eye out for a used head and leave just the cab at the practice space.

Related question: I have access to an early 2000s solid state Bassman 100 with a 15" speaker. What do you think of that as a practice space amp?

 

[buldog5151bass]

Might be good. Why not borrow it and try?

 

[Gearhead17]

Thanks @shoot-r. Gives me an idea: I've got an Acoustic 2x10 cab with neo drivers that will handle 600W. I might keep an eye out for a used head and leave just the cab at the practice space.

A used head and that cabinet left at the practice space would be a great idea!

 

[shoot-r]

Thanks @shoot-r. Gives me an idea: I've got an Acoustic 2x10 cab with neo drivers that will handle 600W. I might keep an eye out for a used head and leave just the cab at the practice space.

Related question: I have access to an early 2000s solid state Bassman 100 with a 15" speaker. What do you think of that as a practice space amp?

Since you own and are already familiar with the voicing and like Fender's Rumble series, and you mentioned having already played a job using a backlined/furnished Rumble 100 combo (100 watts, 1-12" driver) and it was plenty, I'd suggest your watching the T.B. Classifieds for a used, but not abused, Rumble 100 combo for your rehearsal rig.

Used Rumbles pop-up from time to time in the classifieds at great prices.
There was a used Rumble 100 listed not long ago.

Parking your Acoustic 210 cabinet and buying a head for a rehearsal set-up is also another good option.
For many, many years now I've had a Ashdown 210T cabinet parked at our rehearsal area. A few years back (from the T.B. Classifieds) I bought a used, mint condition, with a carry bag, 3.5 lbs., 500 watts at 4 ohms/350 watts at 8 ohms, GK MB2-500 class D bass head for $250.00 to use as a rehearsal amp, it also goes with me to jobs as a backup head.

Money wise, a used Rumble 100 or a used GK MB head will probably be roughfully about the same .

 

[SamBassPlayer]

Thanks @shoot-r. I am watching classifieds (TB, FB, CL) for a combo or a head. Since I do have that extra cab, I am liking the the head/cab idea more and more though, especially if I can come up with a small-format head. The practice space is all hard-walled and concrete floor so I'm not worried about duplicating my stage sound as much as I just want to be heard (and hear myself) without overpowering the room. That's one of the reasons I was thinking about a kickback option. Saving some room with a combo kickback (as opposed to tilting back a vertical 2x10) is also an advantage but that's secondary.

When gigging I generally use my Rumble 500 alone or also DIed. I rarely use the extension cab but I have and still can - I'll just have to swing by the practice space and grab it.

 

[bherman]

Thanks @shoot-r. Gives me an idea: I've got an Acoustic 2x10 cab with neo drivers that will handle 600W. I might keep an eye out for a used head and leave just the cab at the practice space.

Related question: I have access to an early 2000s solid state Bassman 100 with a 15" speaker. What do you think of that as a practice space amp?

I use one of those Fenders for my band practices – it lives at the band leaders house, he actually owns it. It’s more than adequate for band rehearsals, and actually a pretty good amp.