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Looking for a combo to gig with....

Looking at gig worthy combos

  • GK Legacy 212

    Votes: 51 45.9%

  • Fender Rumble 800

    Votes: 47 42.3%

  • Ampeg RB-210

    Votes: 13 11.7%
  • Total voters
    111
  • Poll closed .
FIREpunkMEDIC

FIREpunkMEDIC

Jun 2, 2017
149
170
#1
Hey all! As the title suggests I am looking for a "smaller" rig to gig with when I don't want to bring my Ampeg V4B Reissue and cab. So far looking pretty enticing are the Fender Rumble 800, The GK Legacy 212, or Ampeg RB-210. We play covers with a punk rock/Power-pop twist. The basses consist of a Precison, a custom PJ (profile pic) with Fralin Overwound PJ set, and a Stingray. Wondering what any of you with experience with any of these amps has to say about them, and open to other suggestions to a degree.
 
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#2
Have the Fender in the music school I work in. It does an ok job but the volume level is just irritating as it gets so loud so quickly that you really don't have the precision you need. Sounds ok though.

The Ampeg RB-210 looks ok but it would be a pass for me without semi parametric mids or separate low and high mids.

The GK has 2x12" speakers so that alone would sway it for me as it's gonna move more air.
 
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#3
I have the Rumble 500 and 210 extension cabinet. The 500 alone has plenty of volume and sounds good to my ears. The 800 also has that little switch to cut the power for lower volume environments.
Screenshot_20260126_160419_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
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#6
I would head to Sweetwater,Guitar Center,a local brick and mortar music store etc and try different combos and see what appeals to you.Chances are it might not be one of the amps/ brands you mentioned or you might end up with a head/ cabinet setup.Dont be in a rush.You might hear a new sound out of a different brand of amp that you wouldn't have considered before.
 
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#7
BruceG68 said:
I would head to Sweetwater,Guitar Center,a local brick and mortar music store etc and try different combos and see what appeals to you.Chances are it might not be one of the amps/ brands you mentioned or you might end up with a head/ cabinet setup.Dont be in a rush.You might hear a new sound out of a different brand of amp that you wouldn't have considered before.
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I already have a V4B and 212av at our rehearsal space. Kinda looking for a combo to keep at home and be an "alternate" rig whe. I don't wanna lug head/cab uo and down a bunch of stairs haha
 
#8
It will be hard to beat the GK combo. It might be overkill for some gigs, but it will never be inadequate. If you have the budget to afford it, go for it!

Also the GK tone is wonderful for pop/punk. All the grind and pick tone definition you’ll ever need. I went from a V4 to a Legacy 500 and wasn’t disappointed at all. Eventually I opted for more power in the GK Legacy 1200 and it was WAY better sounding than the 500.

Still miss my V4 though. Hold onto that gem.
 
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#9
FIREpunkMEDIC said:
Hey all! As the title suggests I am looking for a "smaller" rig to gig with when I don't want to bring my Ampeg V4B Reissue and cab. So far looking pretty enticing are the Fender Rumble 800, The GK Legacy 212, or Ampeg RB-210. We play covers with a punk rock/Power-pop twist. The basses consist of a Precison, a custom PJ (profile pic) with Fralin Overwound PJ set, and a Stingray. Wondering what any of you with experience with any of these amps has to say about them, and open to other suggestions to a degree.
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I'd go GK for sure. I gigged one of their MB210-II combos 2 and 3 nights a week for a year and it held up well and got pushed a lot. You're not going to have to push that 800 watt 212 Legacy anywhere near like what I did with my MB210-II (350 watts combo only / 500 with 8 ohm extension cab that I never did get)
 
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#11
All the ones you mentioned are completely different tones IMO. If you want something similarly voice then the ampeg is the best choice. I personally like my amps to be more or less voiced the same. Going from a GK to an Ampeg is pretty drastic IMO. The Ampeg Rocket series is also not the same flavor as your V4
 
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#12
The GK all the way. I don't have the combo but I have the head/cab equivalent--a 2x12 Neo IV and a Legacy 500 head (actually less power than the head in the combo which is really a Legacy 800). Super punchy, clear and detailed and very LOUD. I carry big stages with it no prob, never had it up past noon, never truly need the second cab I bought. Sounds killer for any genre but is excellent for rock. It definitely is in that classic RB place tonally, which for the music you describe is hard to beat.
 
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#14
So Anyway, I use the Rumble 800 with our little Americana trio. I bought it because of its weight/power ratio. It's easy to transport.
It easily covers every room and outdoor venue we play with headroom to spare.
We try not to be too loud because we're old. :cool:

I've been using it for about a year and I like the 2x10 more than single 15 Ashdown combo that I was using.

Good Luck with your decision.
 
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#17
The three you listed have very different sound styles. Best bet is to get in front of one. Beyond that each of us here will just list our personal favourites. I have several GK heads, combos, and cabs in different configurations. I like what they do for my bass tones from jazz to metal, and that I can get the proper tone at any volume level. In my experience they are in a different class.

What I find myself using most of the time is the Legacy 800w combo 1x12. It does a good job of small venue stuff, whether jazz combo or classic rock band. When I need more push for a bigger venue or heavier music I can put a 1x12 under it, or a 2x12.

I've done some good sized outdoor shows with a 5 piece metal band using the combo and the 2x12. Plenty of projection. I've not encountered a situation requiring more than what it can do that wasn't just full FOH.

One note - before trying a GK have a watch of the video explaining their approach to eq and gain. Knowing how to work them brings them to life.
 
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#18
Is onboard overdrive/distortion important to you? I own Fender Rumble products (a head and a combo), and also a GK Legacy amp head. The Fender Overdrive circuit is warm, harmonically rich, and reasonably transparent. OTOH, even though I like bright dirt (e.g. Darkglass B7K) I haven't been able to get a good tone out of the GK's Drive circuit: no matter how I tweak the amp's EQ and voicing switches, it's too harsh/brittle for me.

Onboard distortion is important for me because I play a lot of rock but don't always have room to set up a single dirt pedal let alone a pedalboard. Distortion aside: I like both the Fender Rumble and GK Legacy for clean tones. The GK is a bit more modern, but I have no overall preference between it and the Fender.


The last Ampeg product I tried was two decades ago, therefore I can't comment on current Ampeg products.
 
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#20
Topkat13 said:
The Legacy would be my choice…only as a 112. It’s no easy schlep but the 212 would be a back breaker IMO. You could always add another GK 112. They have handles on both sides…I wish my combo did.
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I have both the GK 2x12 Neo IV cab and a 1x12 cab and I grab the 2x12 pretty much 95% of the time even when the 1x12 would be OK because the 2x12 is just so darn easy to schlepp. I consider it super portable. Naturally it's great to have the extra oomph and height, and at 43 lbs hardly much more of a workout than the 1x12 (the 2x12 combo is only 3lbs more). I guess it depends on your definition of "back breaker" though!
 

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