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Help with a rig in australia

A

alrigtdon

Jan 2, 2008
16
0
#1
Hello all

I am looking to purchase my first rig, will be using it to play reggae/funk/jazz.

Will be used to play pub type venues 100-200 people max.

Am i best to go second hand or new?

Would it be worth looking at importing a head from overseas?

Any help appreciated

Cheers
 
#2
importing a head from overseas isn't the best way to go because there always can be trouble with the power conversion.

Australia has a power rate of 250v where as USA has 110V i think.
It can be done however, some newer amps can switch between both (but you will have to change the fuse) but not all of them can. You can buy a power converter however that is the size of a small shoebox and most people cant be bothered carting one of those things around.
Also there is no warranty for any product you purchase from overseas. So if something goes wrong you're in trouble. and it's always risky with electronics, so be careful.
its probably better to purchase your head from australia.
and it is probably better to purchase speakers from australia aswell because the cost of shipping of a big item like that is astronomical, sometimes more than the actual cab itself.

For smaller venues i think a 210 box or a 212 box would be quite suitable for you especially if you hook that up with a 400watt head.
My suggestion would be a Epifani 210 with a Gallien Krueger 400rb, that would set you back around 2k AusD
Not trying to plug the store that I work at but you should check out Bass People in Sydney Annandale. Its a great store that would have what you are looking for and they really know their gear.

let us know how you go
 
#4
It really depends on what you want. Considering that this will be your first rig I would feel comfortable recommending that you buy local. There are many great brands readily available with in Australia. And as Evan said you'll be able to avoid shipping and warranty hassles. If you do have particular interest in brands that aren't available here I can recommend a few great people to do business with overseas. I ourchased all of my basses from overseas, and most recently bought the Glockenklang Bass Art pre from America, (they actually had it custom built in Germany @ 240v for me).

Be aware that prices that often appear much cheaper overseas, but after Shipping, insurance and customs costs you can be looking at a comparable price, (if only a little cheaper), for items that will be alot harder to follow up on warranty issues.

Let us all know what style you play and gigs you do, or hope to be doing. I'm sure the TB folk can recommend a good rig available locally.
 
#5
You can pick up some great used gear at decent prices if you know what to look for. It can be a bit of a gamble though, and you don't get the warranty, after sales service, range of choices that you have when buying new.

I recommend taking your bass to as many places as you can, playing through as many different rigs as you can, and, as smogg said, trusting your ears.

When you find something you like, don't be afraid to hit the sales dude up for a discount and see if he'll throw in some free stuff for you as well :)
 
#6
I'm with smogg and funkydanbass - go through a couple of music shops, play through everything you can, and let your ears and wallet decide.
I found Ashdown makes stuff that's cheap as, and awesome. I dunno where you live, but I know Billy Hyde in Parramatta Sydney does some good ashdown deals...
 
#10
I live in Sydney, and I went to Billy Hyde and tried a lot of amps there. I really like the Genz-Benz Neo-Pak 3.5, and looked at the cheapest way of getting it (I am 15 and don't have a lot of money to throw around). I figured the cheapest way to get it was to ship from America, but then the Shuttle series came out.
Since I liked the Neo-Pak a lot, and there were so many good reviews from the people here, I ordered the Shuttle 3.0 from America. Got it much cheaper, has a 100v-250v power supply, easy to use and light.
I got lucky on a Hartke 2.5XL cabinet, used near my house, and have been using this rig to gig lately.
It really is worth the money, and hasn't let me down. The soundmen also rave about the DI on it.

I think get a Shuttle 3.0, or 6.0 depending how loud you wanna be. I do think the 6.0 can be overkill sometimes though.
 
#11
hey alrigtdon,

all i'd suggest is that you try and hear/play through as much gear as you can and decide what you like the sound of. Amps like GK have been around for a long time and have a good reputation. Newer stuff like Markbass and GenzBenz has really taken off over here now too. GKs have a pretty dry punchy tone while something like Ashdown or Ampeg are warmer and more 'old school'. Markbass, Genzbenz and Eden are pretty flexible and sit somewhere in between. For speakers, I started out with a used quad box. It was punchy and put out plenty of volume even if it was a pain to move around sometimes... It's good to have some reserve in case you find yourself without a PA or in a big room...
 
#12
personally id never buy new musical gear again. not that ive had any bad experience, but im happy to spend half the money and spend a bit of time dicking around with the gear (something i enjoy anyway). if your after something you dont have to worry about at all then new is more suitable (not that it wont break, more because of the warranty) then new might be a reasonable idea, but second hand is deffinately cheaper (or higher quality)
 
#14
living in Tassie may be a bad thing for bass gear
although you got Basscentre just a hop and a skip over the Bass Strait
great guys down there - haven't yet bought from em directly, but whenever i've contacted them they have very helpful! and very prompt with any sort of enquiry

i think us Sydneysiders are luckiest with bass gear - we got the recently opened Bass People, also Bass Gear Direct - again, great folks always willing to help you out.

a quick vent from me (and totally unrelated to anything on this thread!) - i sold my old bass on consigment through the now defunct Bass Player in Annandale (same location as the new Bass People, who I believe bought out Bass Player). I was ecstatic when i heard that my bass got sold a couple of weeks after i left it with them....only to hear a week later that the store was now bankrupt!!!
got letters from the liquidators...etc...a long story short: i never got my money from selling the bass. was VERY VERY disapppointed
- end of vent-

not trying to discourage anyone from selling basses via consignment

i think i was just REALLY unlucky - timing wise and everything else wise!!!
 
#15
oh by the way - i reckon Markbass and Genz Benx stuff is priced very competitively down under. along with Epifani and Bergantino now sold thru the aforementioned Bass People and Bass Gear Direct Sydney dealers - awesome!!!
 
#16
+1.
You could look up George at Bass Gear Direct who is doing some crazy deals on the Bergantino 112 cabs at the moment and he is a pretty helpful bloke as well. Really knows his gear. A Berg 2 x 112 stack would sound awesome and would cover almost any type of gig and would give you more versatility than just one bigger box. Probably pickup a couple of them for under $1600 going on my experience, buying my rig from him. Even if he can't help you with what he sells he'll probably steer you in the right direction.
 
#18
[/QUOTE]a quick vent from me (and totally unrelated to anything on this thread!) - i sold my old bass on consigment through the now defunct Bass Player in Annandale (same location as the new Bass People, who I believe bought out Bass Player). I was ecstatic when i heard that my bass got sold a couple of weeks after i left it with them....only to hear a week later that the store was now bankrupt!!!
got letters from the liquidators...etc...a long story short: i never got my money from selling the bass. was VERY VERY disapppointed
- end of vent-

not trying to discourage anyone from selling basses via consignment

i think i was just REALLY unlucky - timing wise and everything else wise!!![/QUOTE]

Hey Guys
I just wanted to clear up something here.

Bass People didnt buy out The Bass Player.

The Bass Player went out of business Mid last year (07) and we opened up in December of the same year.
The only thing we have in common with the previous store is the location and the fact that we are a bass specialist.
Totally new owner, totally new management and a totally new store.
I just wanted to make that 100% clear

sorry to hear about the lost bass

and op i hope you get a rig you are happy with, good luck

JB
 
#19
I'd recomend you buy second hand gear. Simply because if you don't like it and decide to flip it second hand then you wont lose out too much. If you buy something new and you don't like it and try to sell it off you will lose a lot of $ in the process. Have a look around tassie and plan a trip over the water if it is possible. I suspect you will find better deals on the mainland.

Also keep an eye out in the international section of the classifieds forum ere on talkbass, you will occasionaly find something for sale there in australia.

OT - Will the stink of the bass player ever leave our nostrils?...
 

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