Looking for Small Combo with Deep Sound

[KohanMike]

i'm going to ignore the part where you said "not too expensive" and suggest the Phil Jones Double Four, about $480. It is tiny, like a big shoe box, and puts out amazing bass. I use it for rehearsals twice a week with 30 ukulele players in a good size meeting room, and our leader is on an Fishman amp. I also use it for smaller gigs. Arriba makes a bag perfect for it.

 

[BOOG]

I have an ampeg BA-108 I won for $50 off eBay. Still had the $120 sales tag on it. It's the smallest in the series but packs unbelievable punch. Definitely sounds like an ampeg. The newer versions also have the kickback feature. It's a very light small combo, I even play my guitar through it. I imagine it would be perfect to jam out with acoustics. Highly recommended.

This is definitely a contender. I used to have one. Great amp!
Another idea that I like more because you can get more out of it, it sounds nice and rich in tone at lower volume and has a built in comfortable carry handle is the Eden EX110 or EX112 (25lb and small) paired with a small head of your choice (Eden WTX 264, Markbass Blackline 250, Gallien-Krueger MB200) to throw in a shoulder bag or backpack.
Lots of choices and good prices on Reverb.

 

[Bodeeni]

Have you tried the Rumble 100? 22 LBS. I use a Warwick BC-10 for Jazz gigs, it is the size of a bread box and put out quite a bit of sound 13lbs. But not sure if it would have enough low end. Although it has no tweeter and not a lot of highs. It is cheap,small, light and sounds like a bass amp. But that Rumble with the 12 is also feather weight.

 

[Joe Nerve]

An Ampeg. On the floor.

I've owned a whole lot of combos and head and cab combinations, and my Ampeg was what you described, most.

I'd also reconsider the combo idea, as in this day and age a combo is IMO more trouble than it's worth. A speaker cab without the built in head is smaller and lighter than it's combo sibling, and there are 100s of powerful, awesome sounding mini heads these days you can fit in a knapsack without even knowing you're carrying it around. By having a head and speaker you're open a whole world of other options, including the option of not having to bring an amp to gigs that have cabinets already (something that's VERY common in my area).

 

[interp]

I know it’s been said a gazillion times, but here goes:

Great tone. Lightweight. Cheap.

Pick any two.

 

[Commreman]

traynor SB 112. I have one I use on tighter stages, and it is loud, deep, articulate, and powerful. You will not be disappointed! 28 pounds, 200 very loud watts.

 

[lug]

i'm going to ignore the part where you said "not too expensive" and suggest the Phil Jones Double Four, about $480. It is tiny, like a big shoe box, and puts out amazing bass. I use it for rehearsals twice a week with 30 ukulele players in a good size meeting room, and our leader is on an Fishman amp. I also use it for smaller gigs. Arriba makes a bag perfect for it.

View attachment 2903559 View attachment 2903561

Ditto, simply rob a local liquor store and get one of these!

 

[SDH]

Mark Bass combo....they are light and go deep!

 

[jthisdell]

It'll stretch your budget a bit but I would suggest going separate head and cab and get a Barefaced One 10. One of the smallest, lightest cabs that will deliver really big tone. I've used mine with a couple of acoustic bands and also my folk rock trio with electric guitar and drums. Have carries it up and down steps many, many times. 16 pounds and fits in the trunk of my Miata. Add a class D head, I've used it with a Rumble 150 v2 and a Tonehammer 500.

Barefaced Bass - One 10

 

[HertzWhenIPlay]

If I could make a suggestion, seems you were willing to purchase another amp so why not purchase one to leave it as a dedicated rehearsal amp at their spot? You could even shop used and purchase something heavy and then hire someone to move it for you as it would be kind of a one time move until you stop playing with these guys…Just a thought

 

[Ray James]

It's really nice that so many people have taken the time to come up with so many different ideas

Unfortunately I can't leave the amp at the rehearsal room. And I'm not quite ready to go on a stairlift

It's made me realise just how much I like my Rumble 200 - confirmed by one of the posters. I was disappointed when I tried the Rumble 40 1x10, after all the highly rated Rumble 500 is only a 2x10

I will be checking out ALL the suggestions

Using Excel

Finally, there is a Phil Jones Cub BG-100 on offer from a private seller about one hour's drive away - but at a much price than I expected. I may look into that too

Or I may visit www.charlesatlas.com

 

[Linnin]

Unfortunately I can't leave the amp at the rehearsal room. And I'm not quite ready to go on a stairlift

Sin of Pride. Dude if there were an elevator on the first floor to the second, you would take it would you not? Or would you say "No, I'm not that old yet, I'll take the stairs". Don't be ridiculous. Let your Rumble ride the amplifier escalator.

 

[Bassometer]

i'm going to ignore the part where you said "not too expensive" and suggest the Phil Jones Double Four, about $480. It is tiny, like a big shoe box, and puts out amazing bass. I use it for rehearsals twice a week with 30 ukulele players in a good size meeting room, and our leader is on an Fishman amp. I also use it for smaller gigs. Arriba makes a bag perfect for it.

View attachment 2903559 View attachment 2903561

If cost wasn't a factor: MAS 1-8 with a Quilter head.

 

[BOOG]

It's really nice that so many people have taken the time to come up with so many different ideas

Unfortunately I can't leave the amp at the rehearsal room. And I'm not quite ready to go on a stairlift

It's made me realise just how much I like my Rumble 200 - confirmed by one of the posters. I was disappointed when I tried the Rumble 40 1x10, after all the highly rated Rumble 500 is only a 2x10

I will be checking out ALL the suggestions

Using Excel

Finally, there is a Phil Jones Cub BG-100 on offer from a private seller about one hour's drive away - but at a much price than I expected. I may look into that too

Or I may visit www.charlesatlas.com

If you get a chance stop back when you get what you decided. We’d all like to hear what you found works best and what you think about it.

 

[ahc]

I'm with the head and cab contingent. You might be interested in the Trace Elliot Elf and 1x10 or 2x8 cab. The Gallien Kruger MB200 is another choice for a compact head.

 

[Yahboy]

Hartke KB12

Hartke KB12 Kickback 500W 1x12" Bass Combo

Use the Shape mode to create Vintage Deep tone.

 

[biguglyman]

I've had one of these for almost 30 years. Best sounding, deepest small combo I've ever experienced. Used it for practice and gigs with an extension speaker. Love the looks on the faces when I walk into a jam or audition carrying everything in one trip, then jack in and crank up!

Carvin Pro Bass 150 Combo | Ron's Musical Outlet

 

[Ray James]

I haven't made any final decision yet but all the comments have been very helpful

The standout choice would have been the GK MB150. This is less than a third of the size of the Rumble 200 because of its shallow profile. Unfortunately in the UK (where I live) it sells for $1,100 and this is above what I had in mind

The Traynor is another standout but the SB range seems to have never been distributed here

Phil Jones gear has many supporters, but my concern is that to some people they are not very loud and have a limited eq range. Shame I don't know anyone who could provide me with a demo onsite, but I wouldn't rule this out

The Ampeg is around two thirds the size and not much lighter than my Rumble unfortunately

This all started because the Rumble 40 was disappointing - and at $340 here is overpriced. The 100 has a fairly similar footprint to the 200

So I'm going to stick with my existing amp for the moment and see if I can find a more convenient way of transporting it. And in the meantime go to more music stores to try out some other small amps

Thanks once again

 

[BOOG]

There’s always a balance:
Cost
Weight
Sound quality
These are all relative to an individual’s resources and expectations. Generally, one of these are sacrificed for the other two. The former suggestions made are about the extent of what is available for your parameters. Decisiveness and action are all that remains.

 

[Ray James]

I have read loads of forums where plenty of people spend their time offering advice, but you never know what happened in the end

So I owe it to you all to let you know my final decision

I eventually came to the conclusion that the safest option was to get a Rumble 40 V3

And I then found someone who was selling an immaculate example

I've been very pleased. I now see that the Rumble 200 v3 is a seriously deep beast bearing in mind its price point, so a smaller piece of equipment is never going to quite measure up

But my wife came home recently while I was playing and she commented how loud the 40 sounded from outside our house

And I've read the guidance from AstroSonic about how you can upgrade the speaker and sound if you want to, so there is an upgrade path, and that's great

So thanks once again to all who contributed