I don't know that much- find me what I need.

I'm not going to tell you what to get, but I will tell you that the matching head/cab thing is going to limit you...there are a whole lot of great cab companies that don't make heads, and there are a lot of great amp makers that don't make cabs. Beyond that...there are some that do both, but you would be better mixing and matching.

 

I play a GK 2001RB thru a SWR 6x10 cab. This will cover anything you ever need to do.
You have to do the homework. Don't buy new, check out Craigslist for deals. Also, make sure your bass is on par with the rig. A $200 bass thru a $3000 rig will still sound like a $200 sound.

 

Lets take a moment and see what direction you're looking for...what are your size constraints and weight constraints. With 3 K to spend, you can certainly get a top-flight gigging rig. I personally would prefer two cabs to one cab, due to transportability and modularity. Then when you have smaller gigs you can bring one cab and if you have one that needs some fire power, you've got two.

If you're looking for the 'classic' (Motown) sound then more traditional cabs, like Ampeg might be what you're looking for. If you're interested in covering a lot of ground, I'd check out some of the great makers out there today. The first that come to mind for me are Bergantino and Epiphany. Good cabs and they're not boat anchors. Loads of people around here like Aguilar cabinets too, and those new Genz-Benz Uber cabs look pretty serious. Mesa cabs are pretty bomb-proof too, but definitely not light!

 

Exactly what I use now. Tube pre-amp, Carvin DCM1000 and a pair of 4Ω Acme B2s. That'll take about half of the money.

Paul

 

I just told you!

Paul

 

I'd find a name brand head that sounded good to me (at least 400 watts if SS) and either a Berg, Acme, LDS, or whatever protable cab you like the sound of and use the rest of the money for something important (mortgage, car, chicks, etc.)

It's all about what YOU like dude and it may not take close to $3K

Do disagree about the cost of the bass though; my SX with aftermarket pups sounds and plays way better than 2 dead mint 70's Jazz basses and 1 70's P
I do have other basses that sound as good or better than the cheapy though

 

You need to figure this out for yourself. There are dozens of great amps on the market, and they all sound different. Go out and start playing with some gear. See what YOU like. We can name our favorites all day, but it won't answer your question. You need to find a rig that'll make you happy. At least you've got the budget, and can choose virtually anything you like.

 

Ignore everything else you have heard in this thread and try out a mesa m6 carbine and a powerhouse 1200 cab.

trust me on this.

do not buy markbass cabs for reggae or for anything that requires deep bass. they don't "do" deep.

 

Ignore everyone else so far and get a Mesa Walkabout Scout combo and the matching extension cabinet. There's nothing more portable that'll give you so much great sound. I'd go with the 1x12" combo and the 1x15" extension cabinet for R&B..

 

For what you say youre looking for, Id go with an Aguilar DB750 (used) or a new DB751 and Aguilar DB series cabs.

 

Ignore this.

 

This would be good. And Heavy.

I am in a reggae band, and I'm currently playing a Bergantino HT115 with a Schroeder 1212 on top of it.

Right now, I'm using a LMII for a head, but in the past I had a Mesa 400+ (not 'clean' enough, really heavy), and before that a first generation Hartke MOSFET 3500. I've had other heads and had other heads provided as backline.

I'm soon to upgrade heads, though. I'm interested in the Markbass LM Tube 800 and also the GB Shuttle 12...the Hartke LH1000 is also interesting, but not as much due to size/weight. Right now the LM Tube 800 sounds good on paper, but I'm withholding judgment as its gotten mediocre reviews so far here. I'm sure there are other 800-1000w amps to look at, but I've only just started to investigate. I really like the LMII, but have problem with how it reacts to low transients (below E). I like its tone but want more wattage behind the power section for the boosted lows in the 35-100hz range.

For cabs I've currently commissioned fEARful 15/6 that the box is slated to be delivered in about two weeks, then I'll be outfitting and finishing it myself. I sincerely hope and believe that this will be the cab I'm looking for, and assuming that works out as well as I think, I'll use it singly, or paired with my HT115 until I have a fEARful 15(only I hope) built.

 

The problem with a thread like this is that everyone and his/her brother will tell you about their favourite amp. The final decision has to be yours. In the end you just have to get out there and try them all.

Paul

 

+1. Take the time to find YOUR amp and cab.