I'd go with a used TH 500 and look for a used 4x10. Put as much $$ as you can into your amp. You'll get more return on investment from that than from money into bass or pedals.
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Make my amp decision for me...
- Thread starter sigmafloyd
- Start date
Your best bang for the buck will be to buy used.
There are lots of good used amps out there.
Every time someone gets a new lightweight class D amp,
there is a perfectly good, but heavier amp being no longer used.
Same for older speaker cabs.
If you are young, strong and don't mind the weight,
there are deals to be had.
If you want new, with lots of headroom, Carvin has some
serious heads with lots of power and features.
I think you could score a new BX 1500 or 1600 and
an Avitar TB153 for a grand or less and cover pretty much any
sound, style or playing situation.
There are lots of good used amps out there.
Every time someone gets a new lightweight class D amp,
there is a perfectly good, but heavier amp being no longer used.
Same for older speaker cabs.
If you are young, strong and don't mind the weight,
there are deals to be had.
If you want new, with lots of headroom, Carvin has some
serious heads with lots of power and features.
I think you could score a new BX 1500 or 1600 and
an Avitar TB153 for a grand or less and cover pretty much any
sound, style or playing situation.
I Agree 100% here. I like Aguilar, but its pricey. A GK MB series head used + a 4x10 / 2x12 cab and youll be set. My personal favorite MB fusion.
Amp:
GK MB500
Kustom KXB500
GB Shuttle 6.2
Aguilar Tone Hammer 500
Mark Bass Little Mark II, III, etc
Many of these can be had used for around $400
Cabinet:
Invalid Link Removed
Get yourself any of... B210, B210 special, SB112, SB126 (in neo if you can afford it)
Buy 2 of the same (whichever you pick) at 8 ohms
Stack them vertically (in the tallest orientation)
depending on your selections (and if you buy new or used) this can eat up ~$700 or more
B210:
Haven't used, but is said to be an exceptional cab with very good low end support. I did hear one on stage and was pretty impressed. Since the B210 Special price has gone up I would strongly consider just getting one of these instead
B210 Special:
I have a pair of these. Fairly balanced and musical across the range, but not a lot of low end grunt (wouldn't expect much from a B string). When they were $100 cheaper they were an absolute steal, now... might as well get the originals
SB112:
I have one. The ceramic speaker has good mid-range and low end performance. It's a great sounding cab, but don't expect it to get super loud.
SB126:
I put a 3012LF in my 112 and it wasn't too far off from my fEarful 12/6 but had a painfully obvious hole in the midrange. I suspect that spec'ing a SB126 with a 3012LF and the lower crossover point could net something fairly close to a FF 12/6 but at lower cost and no carpentry skills required.
-> You can easily go over your budget with some of the options listed above, but you'll have one heck of a rig. Modular, easily portable (especially if you get neo speakers), and should get you by in a wide variety of venues/scenarios.
GK MB500
Kustom KXB500
GB Shuttle 6.2
Aguilar Tone Hammer 500
Mark Bass Little Mark II, III, etc
Many of these can be had used for around $400
Cabinet:
Invalid Link Removed
Get yourself any of... B210, B210 special, SB112, SB126 (in neo if you can afford it)
Buy 2 of the same (whichever you pick) at 8 ohms
Stack them vertically (in the tallest orientation)
depending on your selections (and if you buy new or used) this can eat up ~$700 or more
B210:
Haven't used, but is said to be an exceptional cab with very good low end support. I did hear one on stage and was pretty impressed. Since the B210 Special price has gone up I would strongly consider just getting one of these instead
B210 Special:
I have a pair of these. Fairly balanced and musical across the range, but not a lot of low end grunt (wouldn't expect much from a B string). When they were $100 cheaper they were an absolute steal, now... might as well get the originals
SB112:
I have one. The ceramic speaker has good mid-range and low end performance. It's a great sounding cab, but don't expect it to get super loud.
SB126:
I put a 3012LF in my 112 and it wasn't too far off from my fEarful 12/6 but had a painfully obvious hole in the midrange. I suspect that spec'ing a SB126 with a 3012LF and the lower crossover point could net something fairly close to a FF 12/6 but at lower cost and no carpentry skills required.
-> You can easily go over your budget with some of the options listed above, but you'll have one heck of a rig. Modular, easily portable (especially if you get neo speakers), and should get you by in a wide variety of venues/scenarios.
Sigma, do you intend to keep your new amp rig at home and transport it to/from band rehearsals/gigs? If so, then it makes little difference if you get a combo or separate head/cab IME. In fact a combo may be easier because you have less pieces to carry and less set-up time.
If you are going to leave your new rig at a rehearsal space, then I would also recommend a decent sized combo (again, more practical for set-up and also large things are less likely to go "missing" i.e. get stolen) or leave a cab at the rehearsal space and carry a super lightweight head in your gig bag.
Just my $0.02.
If you are going to leave your new rig at a rehearsal space, then I would also recommend a decent sized combo (again, more practical for set-up and also large things are less likely to go "missing" i.e. get stolen) or leave a cab at the rehearsal space and carry a super lightweight head in your gig bag.
Just my $0.02.
GK. Flexible, loud, reliable, affordable. Done
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
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Plugging in a speaker wire takes under 5 seconds. Being able to stash a 4 lb 800 watt head in my cable bag is priceless. It makes it possible for me to take just the head and leave a cabinet in one location, to bring a different head on a whim, or have a backup that is tiny and weighs next to nothing. How is that harder?
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Agreed you are better off not going combo.
For heads, Carvin BX-500 or 700 or GK are great buys for the money.
For cabs, GK again is a great buy for the money. Depending on your weight needs, Revsound makes a 38 pound 2x12 that I like. That and the Carvin puts you at about a grand.
I am not a fan of the Fenders. And yes, if you have the time, shop used.
For heads, Carvin BX-500 or 700 or GK are great buys for the money.
For cabs, GK again is a great buy for the money. Depending on your weight needs, Revsound makes a 38 pound 2x12 that I like. That and the Carvin puts you at about a grand.
I am not a fan of the Fenders. And yes, if you have the time, shop used.
Or go used - I got almost that same setup (carvin bx500 and revsound 210) for 600!
This is great advice. I liked my TB153 a lot, just wasn't a fan of the form factor on the cab. That's why I ultimately sold it and went to 210's. That TB153 has some serious low end grunt and could probably get you by as a stand alone cab. I can only imagine what a second one would do.
I also have a Carvin BX1500. It doesn't have what I would call "personality" (not really a signature or distinct tone, just clean, clear, and "polite"). But man does it have an engine under the hood. The only problem with this amp is you can easily destroy most run of the mill cabinets if you hook it up wrong or get a bit overzealous with some of the knobs.
Sure, plugging in is no time at all. But set-up time is more than just plugging in. I am at that time of life when carrying a speaker cabinet up and down a couple of flights of stairs and then turning around to make a second trip for a head is a PITA.
I prefer to take my SS combo to gigs because of the aforementioned convenience, because it's cheap and I don't mind if it blows up, because I can mic it or have a DI out to the PA if I need more power, and because the audience can't really tell the difference between my $500 SS combo and my $3000 all tube rig when its in the mix with a heavy handed drummer and guitarist.
Combo's do impose constraints, but they do have advantages for some of us.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,613
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
I'm 65. Second trip for the head??? My head weighs ~4 lbs and fits in my bass gig bag or cable bag. If I really care about a "one trip carry," I have the bass on my back, a shoulder bag with cables, and an Epifani 210 UL1 cab in the other hand—one had free to wave at the girls and get the door. If the cab were a combo, I'd be forced to carry it and the amp all in one hand—less balanced and certainly heavier.
To each their own.
Those who find combos so convenient and modular rigs so complicated have reasons that surpass my understanding.
Second trip for the head??? My head weighs ~4 lbs and fits in my bass gig bag or cable bag. If I really care about a "one trip carry," I have the bass on my back, a shoulder bag with cables, and an Epifani 210 UL1 cab in the other hand. If the cab were a combo, I'd be forced to carry it and the amp all in one hand—less balanced and certainly heavier. To each their own.
Those who find combos so convenient and modular rigs so complicated have reasons that surpass my understanding.
Modular rigs are no more "complicated" than combo's. They give you enormous flexibility and control over power and tone, and that's really important for recording (because amp and cab combinations can sound different). I don't know about the OP's circumstances, but I have just come to the conclusion that for most live performances I don't need the hassle of a modular rig and most audiences don't know the difference anyway.
I didn't intend to turn the OP's thread into a combo vs. modular argument.
Edit: I agree that lightweight Class D heads are no hassle at all, but they do nothing for me. My modular rig is all tube, which sounds great in isolation but is a hassle to take anywhere.
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comparing basses & amps - a very expensive bass will sound like poo through a cheap crappy amp !
BUT , a cheaper bass will sound pretty darn good thru a nice amp ..!!
I like combo amps ... but remember , if 1 little part of that combo amp breaks ( amp , speaker , jack , capacitor , whatever ) then your whole rig is down ..! separate components are easier to deal with in that respect ... and they are not complicated to hook up ... and amps are light enough for the one trip set up !
I also like used gear ... more so with amp heads ... I would probably only buy Used speakers from people here on Talkbass ..!! as I would trust them more than most goofballs on Ebay ..!!
I would think a light head and a 2x10 cab would be great ... then later ad another similar 2x10 so you can stack them vertically so you can hear yourself better ..!! which would mead you could turn down a bit , save some wear and tear on your gear and ears ..!!
BUT , a cheaper bass will sound pretty darn good thru a nice amp ..!!
I like combo amps ... but remember , if 1 little part of that combo amp breaks ( amp , speaker , jack , capacitor , whatever ) then your whole rig is down ..! separate components are easier to deal with in that respect ... and they are not complicated to hook up ... and amps are light enough for the one trip set up !
I also like used gear ... more so with amp heads ... I would probably only buy Used speakers from people here on Talkbass ..!! as I would trust them more than most goofballs on Ebay ..!!
I would think a light head and a 2x10 cab would be great ... then later ad another similar 2x10 so you can stack them vertically so you can hear yourself better ..!! which would mead you could turn down a bit , save some wear and tear on your gear and ears ..!!
GK MB1x15, 2X12 or 2X10 combo. Lightweight, loud and thumping and sound great. AND, if it's not enough (should be), you can add a powered cab and double it's wattage. Gallien-Krueger MB212-II 2x12" 500-Watt Bass Combo | Sweetwater.com
I'm running the Rumble 500 head with a 410 cab.
Wicked loud, plenty of headroom.
Small amp, slightly bulky cab.
Sounds great and like I said, loud!
Wicked loud, plenty of headroom.
Small amp, slightly bulky cab.
Sounds great and like I said, loud!
+1 for the GK! I have had the 700RB for about 10 years and have never had a problem. Great sound when everything is set at noon, very little tweaking needs to be done to find a good tone. I have been in bands ranging from 1 guitarist to 3 and have never had a problem with volume, or cutting through the mix. I believe they run about 650 new so I am sure you could find one used around $500 easy. Pair that with the Neo 2x12 or 4x10 and you will be set!
PS, If you are looking for something smaller, My buddy has one of the MB heads and loves it.
PS, If you are looking for something smaller, My buddy has one of the MB heads and loves it.
