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Lightweight bass combo for oldman!!

#42
I can recommend from extensive experience Fender Rumble 100 and Traynor SB112 or SB115. All are gigable. Im 73, I jettisoned all my bulky clumsy heavy rigs. The Rumble 100 is 21 lbs. the SB112 is 25lbs. They do the job well. Very liberating!!!

sb112.jpg
 
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#43
Maron6168 said:
Hi guys,
I normally play a large amp with big cab but finding it increasingly hard to carry at my age (62)!! So I've been looking at buying a small (100-300watt) combo amp that i can DI if needed and use my pedals through too. The internet is a nightmare with so many recommendations and combinations, the Fender 100 Rumble seems ok and I quite like the Mark bass but as I have recently joined Talk Bass I thought I would take the opportunity to ask the experts - you! I'm based in the UK and play mostly pubs and smaller clubs so any help would be much appreciated. Cheers
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Hi Maron6168,
I used a Markbass 121p for about 8 years, adding a Markbass speaker cab when needed—which was seldom.
Great little amp—until the speaker blew.
Markbass won’t sell you a new speaker—at least not in the US: you have to ship it to an authorized service center (which is very costly), then pay for the speaker ($$), as well as installation (more $$).
By the time you’re done, you may as well just buy a new amp.
I replaced my speaker with another suitable one, and continued to gig with it, but it never sounded as good.
Ultimately, I bought a Fender Rumble 800– a fantastic amp: it has a bit more power, 2-10” speakers, excellent tone controls; and while it’s a bit larger, the weight’s about the same—29lbs.
If I’d known then what I know now about the Markbass service policies, I would’ve bought a Rumble in the first place!
 
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#45
fretlessbass said:
Hi Maron6168,
I used a Markbass 121p for about 8 years, adding a Markbass speaker cab when needed—which was seldom.
Great little amp—until the speaker blew.
Markbass won’t sell you a new speaker—at least not in the US: you have to ship it to an authorized service center (which is very costly), then pay for the speaker ($$), as well as installation (more $$).
By the time you’re done, you may as well just buy a new amp.
I replaced my speaker with another suitable one, and continued to gig with it, but it never sounded as good.
Ultimately, I bought a Fender Rumble 800– a fantastic amp: it has a bit more power, 2-10” speakers, excellent tone controls; and while it’s a bit larger, the weight’s about the same—29lbs.
If I’d known then what I know now about the Markbass service policies, I would’ve bought a Rumble in the first place!
Click to expand...
Not to dismiss or even diminish your point (in fact I've made a mental note),

but another lesson here is gigging with such a small rig in the first place.

And I'm gonna take a wild guess that little MB was being killed slowly over those eight years while you were (and apparently still are) thinking that the extension cab wasn't needed. :)
 
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#47
ahbradot said:
Me turning 60 years old and I really love my Markbass Ninja Richard Bona Signature 500W

500 watts
• Two ten-inch speakers
• Light and portable
• Rear ported
• Built-in DI
View attachment 5209525
Click to expand...
Why MarkBass discontinued this model is beyond me! It's a home run in so many ways: Loud, light, small footprint, expandable and sounds great.
Still scratching my head..:meh:
 
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#50
Maron6168 said:
Hi guys,
I normally play a large amp with big cab but finding it increasingly hard to carry at my age (62)!! So I've been looking at buying a small (100-300watt) combo amp that i can DI if needed and use my pedals through too. The internet is a nightmare with so many recommendations and combinations, the Fender 100 Rumble seems ok and I quite like the Mark bass but as I have recently joined Talk Bass I thought I would take the opportunity to ask the experts - you! I'm based in the UK and play mostly pubs and smaller clubs so any help would be much appreciated. Cheers
Click to expand...
You can't beat an Ampeg.
 
#51
Marko 1 said:
Not to dismiss or even diminish your point (in fact I've made a mental note),

but another lesson here is gigging with such a small rig in the first place.

And I'm gonna take a wild guess that little MB was being killed slowly over those eight years while you were (and apparently still are) thinking that the extension cab wasn't needed. :)
Click to expand...
Hi Marko 1,
I can understand how you might reach that conclusion; I should’ve been clearer about my playing schedule , and the types of gig I do: For starters, I’m not in a rock—or any
type of loud,band.
I play between 8-10 performances per week—almost all of them are musical theater work, along with some quiet jazz and church gigs.
In most all situations, my amp serves strictly as a monitor, facing up at me.
(Come to think of it, for at least half my work, there would be a bass amp provided, so the amount of wear and tear was more like four years worth of gigs!)
The Markbass combo’s tone controls were generally set almost, or totally, flat; neither gain nor master EVER went past noon.
ANY time I played a pop gig, I added a Markbass Traveler 123 cabinet—at which point the amp generally wasn’t turned up even as high.
Regardless, equipment can and does fail eventually; especially when it’s used full-time.
My ONLY issue with Markbass is a policy that prevented me from simply buying a new speaker for, if I remember, $279, but needing to spend approximately equal amount for shipping and service.
At that point, it simply makes more sense to me to replace the entire rig.
 
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#54
I always recommend the Fender Rumble 500 combo to anyone looking for an easy lug on a budget, but if you have the money, the GR Bass stuff looks incredible and I know a lot of people are happy with their products. A small foldable trolley/cart will also make the load-in even easier.
 
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#55
Went from Large Boogie gear to Markbass about 12 years ago and never looked back.
The 2x10 kickback combo is awesome. BUT I eventually just went MB head and MB cabs. I have a 2x10 and a 2x12, a cab for any occasion. I have the richard bona ninja1000 and the sd1200. Had lmt800s and all have been awesome AND NO issues. So far very reliable. The TONE is what I love. You can get about anything with the MB Heads. Soft and fat or lean and punchy. The cabs have a warmth and hold shape super well. No farting out at loud levels-Super impressive!!
I have not tried a rumble so can't speak for em'. ;-)
 

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#57
I don’t a Fender Rumble 500 combo but have used one at a few open mics when it was the house amp. They’re a great amp at a great price, and are a pretty easy carry, too.

My LS/BL has a Markbass CMD102P combo in her basement so I use that for rehearsals rather than carrying my own amp/cabs back and forth. It sounds pretty good, is lightweight, and is in a tilt back cabinet.

The only Gallien-Krueger combo I’ve used is an MD150S, which I still own and mostly use at home. I like it a lot but it’s not loud enough for my playing situations so I don’t take it out much. But I love G-K amps and currently have two heads (I had t heads at one point!). Based on my experience, I’d say their current bigger combos should be worth checking out as well.
 
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