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Is there that much of a difference going from a $500 to $1000 combo (2x10)

#41
bssplr said:
I recently (1 year ago) traded in my Walkabout for a Rumble 500. The main reason was weight, with injuries comes the inability to haul heavy gear. I had origonally purchased the walkabout for it's weight 10 years ago there was really nothing to compare it to. I found over time that the walkabout was not capable of putting out the kind of stage volume I required at the larger rock venues we were playing so I had to invest in an extension cab. Nothing can give the thump that the walkabout delivers short of an SVT, just realize that to get thump at volume on stage you will need the extension cab. If I were 20 years younger / healthier I would still be playing the Mesa, in my opinion the preamp on the walkabout is one of the best there is. Grit to full distortion, Thump to pristine clarity the walkabout has it all.

So if you are playing small to medium sized venues and "thump" is really what your looking for then upgrade to the walkabout.
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Thanks ! I love the sound of an all tube head with a sealed cab and I was wondering if the Walkabout delivers on this score. I'd love to play through one, but finding one in stock is a tough go. Thanks again - you rock !
 
#44
Bassplayer315 said:
I have owned the GK MB210, great combo but if you touch the outside of the cab with anything it will chip off. I had the combo for 2 months and it looked like it was 2 years old. Just loading in the trunk. Great tone but I think they got away from that spray on cover. I have the Rumble 500 now and the 112 extension cab. Well under a grad with the extension cab and has everything I need, combo alone for small- medium gigs, and Add the cab for large and out door. Plenty of power and tone. The Markbass stuff if now made in Indonesia so it's way over priced. I have tried every combo mentioned here and feel the Rumble was the best bang for the buck. I had gas for a Mesa Scout and found a nice one used for about a grand so that is a option if you can find one used. The Mesa rules the small combo offerings as it just has that killer tone that you can hear in the mix, the others sound great played alone but not a big difference in the mix.
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I gig regularly with the MB212-ii combo, and yes I noticed the exterior shell does chip easily. I bought a nice padded cover from GK and essentially solved that problem.
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For me it was still the best combo out there when comparing price, power, tone and portability....
 
#45
CL400Peavey said:
For $1000, new, you can have one of these:

Fender RUMBLE 500W Bass Amp Head | Musician's Friend

And two of these.

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I dont even like the new fender gear all that much, and I would go with that over a combo any day.

Or just a small amp and cab. If you show up to the venue and there is a bigger cab to use, you plug in to that.
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I tried this exact set up before I bought the 500 Combo, I found it was a little too dark. The 500V3 Combo I think offers more flexability with the 210's, you can pair it with a 115 or a 410. One caveat is the controls on the amp, if you like to adjust your sound during the night then the combo with an extension cab is really not for you. The controls are practically unreachable, for me it's not a problem though I pay a sound guy to adjust my sound during the night.

Gravedigger Dav said:
I play with a Rumble 500 I bought after comparing it to the Ampeg and Mark Bass. I have played an outdoor gig and an indoor room that holds 800 and have not had any issues keeping up with two guitars and drums.
It wasn't price, but sound and weight that influenced my decision.
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I agree, Sound and weight being the 2 biggest factors. Although being less than half the price I paid for my mesa is a pretty nice bonus.
 
#46
bssplr said:
I tried this exact set up before I bought the 500 Combo, I found it was a little too dark. The 500V3 Combo I think offers more flexability with the 210's, you can pair it with a 115 or a 410. One caveat is the controls on the amp, if you like to adjust your sound during the night then the combo with an extension cab is really not for you. The controls are practically unreachable, for me it's not a problem though I pay a sound guy to adjust my sound during the night.
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The 210's could be another option. I for one, would never recommend pairing the 210 with the 115 or the 410, or mixing those cabs up at all.

YMMV.
 
#47
bssplr said:
I tried this exact set up before I bought the 500 Combo, I found it was a little too dark. The 500V3 Combo I think offers more flexability with the 210's, you can pair it with a 115 or a 410. One caveat is the controls on the amp, if you like to adjust your sound during the night then the combo with an extension cab is really not for you. The controls are practically unreachable, for me it's not a problem though I pay a sound guy to adjust my sound during the night.



I agree, Sound and weight being the 2 biggest factors. Although being less than half the price I paid for my mesa is a pretty nice bonus.
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Yes, price was a nice bonus. I was prepared to pay for the Mark Bass, but was underwhelmed. I'm sure it is right for some, but for me, too middy.
 
#49
gjbassist said:
I have used multiple variations of heads/cabs and combos over the years. My current 500 watt GK combo with an extension cab is just as loud as any 500 watt head plus two cabs I have ever used! IMO if I needed more volume then I could get out of it everyone else in the band is playing too freakin' loud!
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IMHO once you get in to a combo and an extension cab, you are not saving any thing over an amp and cabs. I would rather have an MB500 and a pair of cabs than a combo, and an extension. Or any micro and cabs.
 
#50
Gearhead17 said:
someguyfromNC: Something that can hold up to a loud rock drummer in a rehearsal setting
CL400Peavey: Then a combo shouldn't be your goal, as IMHO it wont suit you.

I think you need to re-read the following advice. A loud rock drummer in rehearsal is an even louder drummer at a show. Go for a separate cab and head setup. Go used too. I understand you have been burned in the past, but buying some gear on TB or off of Craigslist is a great way to find bass players who have taken great care of their bass gear. I prefer Craigslist since I can see the buyer in person and get an idea quickly as to how well they took care of their gear. TB is another great choice as most of us want other bass players to be happy with the gear we are selling. You can be assured you are not buying a glorified paperweight....
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All this. Of course.

A 210 ain't gonna do it. And used is the smart choice.

But then again, the whole Equus caballus & H2O "thang" ...
 
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#51
Went throught the same quandary as the OP when building up my bass rig again. As far as the price difference- usually find the more money you spend the more features and perceived value of the product, so yes there is a difference. As far as combos go-look into head/cab set ups, I'm stuck with a Eden Metro 2x12, and while I gig a couple times a month if the band has a cab in the back line, I still have to bring combo instead of just a head. I used to own the walkabout, very cool set up for very small gigs. Mine didn't keep up with gorilla drummer in clubs until I swapped out the cab and went 4x10, and eventually send to an Impulse 600 because eventually the wkabout was on 2:00 by the end of the night (larger rooms smaller rooms it was ok). Again, this is all subjective to what you want to do.
 
#52
someguyfromNC said:
Hey guys longtime guitar player here recently turned bass. Love locking in with the drums and getting my groove on. I'm looking to get my first bass amp. Something that can hold up to a loud rock drummer in a rehearsal setting and lightweight in case I have to regularly carry it up stairs by myself.

Is there a huge difference between the $500 ss amp combo offerings from Ampeg BA, Fender Rumble V3, GK MB from say a MarkBass CMD 102p? Would the markbass just outclass these other amps? I'm right now leaning toward a Rumble 500 because its a 2x10 350/500 watts and 36 lbs. I'm considering the markbass because with the july 4 deals I can get one under 1000 shipped. I've read reviews on ALL of these amps and they are very much positive. The only amps the local stores carry around here are hartke and peavey 1x10 practice amps so I can't try out any of these. When I start gigging again I'm sure a 210 extension cab is in the future with whatever amp I purchase now. So that would make all of these amps 500 watt 4x10.

Just asking because I know in the guitar amp world a few hundred dollars can make an absolutely huge difference in the quality of amps available. I'm clueless how the bass amp world is regarding ss amps. At first glance it seems the quality is everywhere :)
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With a question like that, you are going to get a huge range of answers, to simplify the anser, the biggest difference between a $500.00 2x10 500 watt combo amp, and a $1000.00 2x10 500 watt combo amp is pretty much $500.00.

Quality wise, the V3 Rumbles are on par with the other major offerings out there, tone for miles, and scary loud. They aren't everyones cup of tea though. I happen to love mine, a colleague has that MarkBass you mentioned, and I honestly don't care for the tone. Lots of guys love em though.

My sig has the best advice I can give on buying a bass amp, and that is get up off your tailbone and go audition one!
 
#53
Thanks for all the tips guys. Appreciate every bit of it.

After racking my brain all weekend I eventually ordered a

GK 1001RB-II Head
GK Neo 212-II Cab

I just wasn't comfortable with the lightweight offerings. Things get knocked around. The fat guy down the road might come over and sit on it thinking its a chair. Who knows. Even at 51 lbs the cab is still lighter than any guitar cab I've gigged with in years.
 
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#54
B-string said:
I would go for the G-K MB212 it will handle most any situation you will be in.
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Not my experience. I have an MB212 (it's in my car now) and I don't use it in certain situations. I'll use it on jazz gigs or outdoors, but I had a bad experience with it smelling like a burnt Band-Aid™ and shutting off every few bars because it was overheating. The design flaw is that there are no vents, so I won't use it in a hot club where I might be pushing it or dealing with an iffy power source.
 
#56
someguyfromNC said:
Thanks for all the tips guys. Appreciate every bit of it.

After racking my brain all weekend I eventually ordered a

GK 1001RB-II Head
GK Neo 212-II Cab

I just wasn't comfortable with the lightweight offerings. Things get knocked around. The fat guy down the road might come over and sit on it thinking its a chair. Who knows. Even at 51 lbs the cab is still lighter than any guitar cab I've gigged with in years.
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Just make sure it is an 8 Ohm cab.
 

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