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head recommendation

A

a memory a hope

Jan 23, 2005
10
0
#1
I'm upgrading my rig. I'm getting an eden 4x10 cab soon and i need a head for it. I only have a limited budget of about $350-400. Basically I just need it to be able to be loud enough to be heard with 2 guitars and drums. The cab is 4 ohms. I was reading about the ashdown mag300 head and that seems like a good deal but i wanted to get the opinions of other bass enthuisiasts before i make any purchases.

you can check out my band here for a reference to the kinds of music we play. I'm not on these recordings so don't blame me for the really twangy bass haha :p
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#2
I'm playing the hardcore stuff also and I say for the type of clubs you will be playing and the way everything is just thrown in the corner as the next bands go on for me it was a GK400RB head which I bought for $200.00 used! this head was ripped off my 4X10 cabinet twice by stage divers running across the stage and tripping on my bass cord which was looped through the handle on the GK head. when the head hit the floor it didn't even skip or break down and kept on playing. its a diehard head, its cheap, its light and easy to get around, and nobody wants to steal it, and finally its simple which is important when everyone is sharing everyone elses stuff (and this will happen for sure) and messing with the knobs on the heads..

other than that I say try or buy anything as long as its solid state for Lightness then after your playing bigger shows like say 500 or more people then you can get someone to roady your stuff and you can buy anything you want.
 
#4
Tajue17 said:
I'm playing the hardcore stuff also and I say for the type of clubs you will be playing and the way everything is just thrown in the corner as the next bands go on for me it was a GK400RB head which I bought for $200.00 used! this head was ripped off my 4X10 cabinet twice by stage divers running across the stage and tripping on my bass cord which was looped through the handle on the GK head. when the head hit the floor it didn't even skip or break down and kept on playing. its a diehard head, its cheap, its light and easy to get around, and nobody wants to steal it, and finally its simple which is important when everyone is sharing everyone elses stuff (and this will happen for sure) and messing with the knobs on the heads..

other than that I say try or buy anything as long as its solid state for Lightness then after your playing bigger shows like say 500 or more people then you can get someone to roady your stuff and you can buy anything you want.
Click to expand...
Hardcore up the shizna that is "get a solid state head because they are lighter" , bah, what you want is an SVT anyway


[avoids getting into an arguement about real hardcore :mad: ]
 
#5
The MAG is great, and usually sells for less than what you've got to work with. Its an excellent intermediate amp. If you like the way colored sound of it, you could probably get one that is a step up in watts.
 
#6
The MAG will probably barely get the job done for you... but its likely the best chance in your price range.

If your willing to suffer through the used market... you could find some luck and maybe snag a Peavey or GK head. For the same amount of money as a MAG, you might be able to get a few more watts. A Peavey Firebass 700 would give you a little more power, and since it goes down to 2ohms, you could add another 4ohm cab to your rig without worry.
 
#7
a memory a hope said:
I'm getting an eden 4x10 cab soon and i need a head for it. I only have a limited budget of about $350-400. Basically I just need it to be able to be loud enough to be heard with 2 guitars and drums. The cab is 4 ohms.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming you're getting an Eden 410XLT, which is rated at 700W. It will be best to drive it with around 600-800W. With the cab's efficiency of 106dB, you should have no volume problem with even two loud guitars and a loud drummer.

But finding a head that will put out around 700W at 4 ohms for less than $400 will be tough. You'll probably need to find a used power amp (e.g., a QSC RMX850 will give you 830W@4ohm which would be a near-perfect match for that Eden cab) and a simple preamp (e.g., Sansamp BDDI comes to mind). There's a good chance you'll be able to find those used for around $400 combined, you'll be VERY happy with your rig, and it'll be easy to upgrade in the future when you have more cash.
 
#9
I needed a powerfull system that could keep up with virtually any combination of guitar amps/drums.I went with a BBE preamp and a Behringer 1400 watt power amp. I'm very happy, and I think I found that punchy, yet thick sound I've been after for years now. Someday I may change out the power amp to something lighter/shallower but for now it works really well.

I got both for a little over $500 plus shipping.

Edit: Oh, and both were purchased new. I'm sure you could do much better on the used market.
 

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