Lightweight 2x12 combo amp?

[Bright Midnight]

Hey guys,

What lightweight combo amps with a 2x12 speaker setup do you recommend? I've been using a 15 inch Schertler combo up until now, and I'm leaning back towards using 12 inch speakers, they seem to suit me better. Lightweight is a necessity and I'd probably go for secondhand to lower the price.

What say you?

 

[gtirard]

Check this:

GR AT Cube 800...damn, this looks like something special!

It's a custom GR Bass 2x12 combo, based on their standard head and their standard 2x12 cab, the specs are crazy, you can ask @pingvuiini for advice…

 

[CallMeAl]

Id look at This guy
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[Lync]

This. It is all you will ever need and the DI sounds great too.

Id look at This guy
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[Jefenator]

If you find the ideal combo, great. But I would probably expand my search to include separate heads & cabs. IME a class D head in a shoulder bag has no impact on load-in and minimal impact on setup.

 

[Zach77]

Hey guys,

What lightweight combo amps with a 2x12 speaker setup do you recommend? I've been using a 15 inch Schertler combo up until now, and I'm leaning back towards using 12 inch speakers, they seem to suit me better. Lightweight is a necessity and I'd probably go for secondhand to lower the price.

What say you?

Markbass is pretty killer. I run two 12s, and it's plenty for all my needs. Couldn't ask for a more lightweight, portable rig. It's not all-in-one, but I use the 1x12 combo with a 12 extension. Easy to carry, one in both hands. Not a strain, even for a long haul.

 

[CallMeAl]

Markbass is pretty killer. I run two 12s, and it's plenty for all my needs. Couldn't ask for a more lightweight, portable rig. It's not all-in-one, but I use the 1x12 combo with a 12 extension. Easy to carry, one in both hands. Not a strain, even for a long haul.

Yeah, even though I voted for GK, this is a great option too. I currently own the CMD 121p and with extension it just slays, so light and portable

 

[Jim C]

Check this:

GR AT Cube 800...damn, this looks like something special!

It's a custom GR Bass 2x12 combo, based on their standard head and their standard 2x12 cab, the specs are crazy, you can ask @pingvuiini for advice…

While this is probably an amazing amp, they are pretty much unobtainable in the US right now.
Wish I had gone Barefaced instead of a G&R 1x12 now that I need another.

 

[gtirard]

While this is probably an amazing amp, they are pretty much unobtainable in the US right now.
Wish I had gone Barefaced instead of a G&R 1x12 now that I need another.

Your are right, I'm going to stop talking about them until their product become available.

 

[BAG]

Id look at This guy
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Yep.
These are light and very loud.
I've got a Schertler B10 as my most used combo for the studio and most gigs. When I need more volume (which is rare) I use the GK MB212.

 

[ashtray]

Since used is on the table, maybe a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 with 2 matching 12” cabs? The head attached to the cabinet to make a combo. You could probably join the two cabinets together if you needed it.

 

[Clark W]

If you're bent on having a 212 combo, GK all day long. They have 3 to choose from.

Fusion 800 watt, 2 grand (has a 3x 12AX7 tube preamp)
Legacy 800 watt. 1700
MB212-II 500 watt 1300
All three are in the 41 - 43 lb weight range

I have a MB210-II, 500 watt combo(37lbs), that I bought for 650 in 2018. The Fusion and Legacy are gonna give you better control over your tone and better tone all together, than an MB series. But I gigged my MB210 for over a year, 2 and 3x a week, and got lots of compliments on the tone.

Like someone said earlier, class D amps have gotten small and light. My main rig now is a Mesa Subway D-800+ @ 6 lbs with a GK NEO IV 212 4 ohm cab @ 43 lbs. Or two Markbass Traveler 151P cabs, also 43lbs ea. And I have a backup head, GK Goldline 500 that weighs 26 lbs.

Weights have gotten to where combos aren't an advantage there anymore. And class D amps have gotten so small, that you can grab two 112 cabs or two 115 cabs and have a 1 cab rig for smaller gigs and two cab rig for bigger ones and there's really no advantage over that by using a combo instead.

 

[murphy]

While this is probably an amazing amp, they are pretty much unobtainable in the US right now.
Wish I had gone Barefaced instead of a G&R 1x12 now that I need another.

Dave at Club Bass and Guitar in Toronto could ship you one

Lightweight Bass Cabinets With Best Clarity & Sound - CB&G

 

[themickster]

Hey guys,

What lightweight combo amps with a 2x12 speaker setup do you recommend? I've been using a 15 inch Schertler combo up until now, and I'm leaning back towards using 12 inch speakers, they seem to suit me better. Lightweight is a necessity and I'd probably go for secondhand to lower the price.

What say you?

Markbass make a 2x10 combo. It would be even lighter than a 2x10. Their 2x10 speaker is 10lb lighter than their 44.14lb 2x12.

 

[Alper Yilmaz]

When it comes to combos, I would be in the camp of having a combo with 1x12" extended by a separate speaker. I am not sure if that's what you are looking for but a 2x12" cabinet (or a combo) is a bit difficult for me to schlep around because of the form factor, even if it is a light one. That is why I got rid of my Bergantino AE212 at one point. Also, it can be too powerful for some smaller gigs as most 2x12" speakers would draw the full power from the amp at 4 ohms. My preference is to use my Markbass CMD 112P in relatively smaller gigs and extend it with a Markbass New York 151 cabinet in larger venues, as needed. So, in short, if you like Markbass amps and their speakers, go for the CMD 121P (or whatever the newer version is) and have a separate 1x12" for extension.

 

[scuzzy]

can agree with those recommending the GK MB212-II. It is the best combo I've ever used, by a good amount.

 

[13bass]

Rumble 800 (my next purchase) with neodymium speakers is only 29 lb., the Rumble 500 is 35.5 lb.

 

[bucephylus]

I have been gigging the GK Legacy 112. It is an amazing and intelligently designed amplifier. I would have high confidence that the 212 version would be a killer. I didn’t need that much stage push, so went with the smaller box. As it is, the 112 has probably 70% more than I need. Highly recommended.

 

[Dominic D]

Another vote for GK. My Legacy 212 is around 40 pounds and puts out a stupid loud 800W without an extension cabinet.

 

[BAG]

I'm assuming your Schertler B15 would have a similar hi-fi sound to my B10 (but with more of everything) so if that's the general sound you like I don't think you'll like the Fender Rumbles. To me they all sounded like there was a big blanket on them no matter how I played around with the EQ.
The Rumble Studio 800 I was able to get a good sound from as there are sooooo many options, but it took a bit of menu diving to get there whereas the GK MB212 was basically set flat and sounded great (to me).