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Little Amps . . . different thinking

  • Thread starter Thread starter jhan
  • Start date Start date
#21
Bongolation said:
A lot of people (me included) aren't going to take the little amps seriously until they come in rackmount config.

For the huge savings these things represent in manufacturing costs over conventional heavyweights, it's the freakin' LEAST they can do for the buyer. Wouldn't kill them to put it in a 1U or 2U case. :spit:

The cigar-box configuration just screams, "this is just a secondary rig...my real rig with the effects and stuff is at home...this gig wasn't worth bringing my pro stuff to."
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Or...

As many have mentioned before, for them racking a tiny amp defeats the purpose of having a tiny amp. I carry mine in a small bag along with tools, strings, cables, tuner, etc. and I can still sling it over my shoulder along with a bass in a gigbag... I know, that's not "pro" either.
:D

Most people I know who gig professionally with their cigar boxes use them as mains, not spares. In fact carrying two spares can still be easier than carrying one rack. And they sound just as "pro" as anyone.
:cool:
 
#22
jhan said:
I used to be one of those 'You gotta haul tone" people. But lately man . . . I'm really getting tired of hauling that SVT4 Pro around. I used to sneer at those little 4-5 pound amp heads. But now . . . this old man might be seeing the light, at least for rehearsals.

Anyways, I'm looking at GK, SWR, and Markbass. All make very small amp heads. I'm also looking for the loudest and most affordable small cab I can find. Can anyone suggest a good combination?

Tks.
Click to expand...

My favorite setups ever have been the two I currently use, a Markbass Little Mark II into either of these modular stacks:

Nahas 1-12 on a 1-15 cab or bag End coax 1-10 on a coax 1-15 cab. Easily goes louder and lower and more powerful with excellent tone than I need.
 
#24
Bongolation said:
A lot of people (me included) aren't going to take the little amps seriously until they come in rackmount config.

For the huge savings these things represent in manufacturing costs over conventional heavyweights, it's the freakin' LEAST they can do for the buyer. Wouldn't kill them to put it in a 1U or 2U case. :spit:

The cigar-box configuration just screams, "this is just a secondary rig...my real rig with the effects and stuff is at home...this gig wasn't worth bringing my pro stuff to."
Click to expand...

?? You can buy rack ears for all of these amps in question. My Shuttle 9.0 is in a 4u rack w/ a BBE Maxcom and a 1u fan panel.
 
#25
I'm going the opposite direction - getting deeper in to tube heads.

But my LMII isn't going anywhere. First off, it's the perfect backup for a 40-year-old tube head. And it still gets plenty of use on Jazz gigs & rehearsals.

This rig here (w/ Acme B-1) is wicked portable and sonically solid as a rock for up to moderate volume situations.

acme_b-1.jpg
 
#26
i would never want to rack a tiny head unless i owned a large pa with a lot of tiny power amps. defeats the purpose. when i got rid of my rack, it was the happiest day ever. i don't ever want to go back to it.
 
#28
Realize that most people will suggest what they own, and that may or may not fit your tone desires. If you're running an SVT now (and like it), I'm not so sure that you'd like a Shuttle 9.0. Maybe more like an RH450 or Orange (depending on how much wool and/or grit you want).

I don't understand the rack argument. The point of a small amp is to ditch that nonsense. I suppose it depends on the gig, but I certainly don't need to bring a rack to any jazz gig to be taken seriously, nor do I have to for my funk gig. What is serious is being able to carry a whole rig in one trip, setup in about a minute, and have great tone. Right now, that is LMTube, Berg AE112 (for jazz) or Berg AE210 (for funk) cab, and a bass. If I want to make funny noises I'll bring my pedal board. Or just plug straight into the head and play.
 
#29
Racks are and always have been ugly. I much prefer micro amps sat straight on the cabinet, or in the case of a big traditional amp, I buy one that doesn't need rack mounting.

I've never been one for rack amps/tuners/effects etc...heavy and look tacky.

I would suggest trying a Markbass Little Mark 2/3, RH450, Orange Bass Terror.
 
#30
For many racks are impressive. I had a sax player friend who carried around an 8 space rack with a digital delay in it and a few other items he never used becuase he saw another sax player do it.

For local gigs (not travelling or handing your gear off to someone else) it's a time that's come and gone IMO IME. Even the biggest size queen local bassists I know have ditched them once they quit whining and actually checked out the newer amps. Got rid of their racks and haven't looked back. In many cases they came to that realization when they heard someone else with way less gear than they drag around sounding way better than their rig ever did. Not just okay for it's size... great.

I can pull my amp out of the bag, connect two speakons, an AC cable, plug the tuner into the tuner out and plug in my bass in less than five minutes. Breakdown doesn't take any longer unless in both cases I'm shooting the breeze with someone. And the heaviest thing I've lifted is a small speaker cab.
:cool:

As far as looking "pro", most people realize that miniaturization is usually more expensive so having relatively tiny gear that can hang with big stacks usually gets people's eyes open. I doubt anyone who's seen either of my rigs thought they were "backups" or "amateur".
:D
 
#32
Brad Johnson said:
For local gigs (not travelling or handing your gear off to someone else) it's a time that's come and gone IMO IME. Even the biggest size queen local bassists I know have ditched them once they quit whining and actually checked out the newer amps. Got rid of their racks and haven't looked back. In many cases they came to that realization when they heard someone else with way less gear than they drag around sounding way better than their rig ever did. Not just okay for it's size... great.
Click to expand...
i would agree with that. except once i downsized the head, it inspired me to get my tube amps fixed after years of disrepair, and once i got them fixed, it was all over.

i'll more than likely get another one sometime in the near future, but i'm back to being a size queen in a major way. still hate racks, though ;)
 
#33
I hate racks as well. Nothing like putting a 40 pound amp in something that makes it even more cumbersome.

JimmyM said:
i would agree with that. except once i downsized the head, it inspired me to get my tube amps fixed after years of disrepair, and once i got them fixed, it was all over.

i'll more than likely get another one sometime in the near future, but i'm back to being a size queen in a major way. still hate racks, though ;)
Click to expand...
 
#35
Chasarms said:
May I suggest it is completely dependent upon the rack? !! :hiding:
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I think for many any kind of casing that doesn't look like the amp itself is seen as "pro" and therefore desirable. Of course those people don't realize that many look at that as the gigging equivalent of a mullet*.

I've yet to see a rack I've been impressed with in the last decade. I see stuff I wouldn't want to have to carry everywhere. A friend of mine does local gigging and it was recommended that he get a Crest CA9 poweramp. He did, despite what I'd told him about it... now he has a nice heavy spare rack rig that he rarely takes out of his vehicle on gigs. It's heavier than any of his speakers.




*Not that there's anything wrong with mullets.
 
#37
Could anybody recommend a good setup for small jazz gigs? I got a fretless fender jazz. At the moment I have a warwick 412 cab and a warwick profet 5.2. It's too big! I want something small that will give me all the beautiful tone I want but also creates a good amount of volume. Are those SWR Spellbinder Blue's any good? Also something I could keep when I finally get an upright. Cheers.
 
#38
Shakin-Slim said:
Could anybody recommend a good setup for small jazz gigs? I got a fretless fender jazz. At the moment I have a warwick 412 cab and a warwick profet 5.2. It's too big! I want something small that will give me all the beautiful tone I want but also creates a good amount of volume. Are those SWR Spellbinder Blue's any good? Also something I could keep when I finally get an upright. Cheers.
Click to expand...


Small jazz gig with a fretless, the little Genz Benz Shuttle combos are great and lightweight. Several other small combos would work too. Most of the newer micro heads on top of a good small cab like Bag End (my personal preference for that type of finesse gig), Markbass, GB, EA, Schroeder, etc. will work fine and can usually coast through that type of gig. Better yet two small cabs. The results can be astonishing.

Try them out for yourself, that's the easiest way to see what grabs you. A tip: try getting your tone initially without a lot of tweaks, just bring the gain up and try the amp flat first. "Automatic" tweaks give more people the wrong impression about unfamiliar amps than anything else I've seen.
 
#39
unclekebm said:
I 'stack' my GFK MB2-500 on top of a GB NeoX 212t - total weight aprox 65lbs w/cables, etc
covers all my gigs...
I make a pretty good living with this rig - I hope I "look" pro... whatever!
Click to expand...


That "pro" look can actually work against you. Many managers will see a big rig and automatically "know" that you'll be playing LOUD. Whether or not you do is inconsequential in many cases... their minds are already made up.

I get smiles and questions like "where's the rest of your equipment?" and "You play bass?"
:confused:

:D
 
#40
I have a shallow gator rack and in it are my GK MB500, a Fender rack tuner, and Shure Wireless receiver. The whole package is very light and it protects my gear from damage. everything inside is all ready connected. All I ave to do is plug my speaker cables into my cab/cabs, and plug the extension cord into a wall socket. Quick, light, easy, and well protected. JMHO
 

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