Minimum to Support Low B String

[Robroy]

Wow. Was hoping for something smaller. I have been playing a few different amps in local stores and I haven't found anything smaller that sounded decent on the B string...but I was hoping....

If you want a speaker that goes flat down to 32 HZ (the low B) it will require a relatively expensive cab. By that I mean something over $500 regardless of size (even a 1x10). But there are a LOT of very small and light (7 lbs) Class D amps available now that produce 500 watts pretty effortlessly, and at relatively low cost.

$535 for this 1x10: Invalid Link Removed

The best bang for the buck in a speaker for what you described may be the one below. It's not particularly small, but it's fairly light, will blow the doors of the one above and a steal for the sound quality ($587): Invalid Link Removed

Amps are available all over the place. Just google Class D bass amp. They are in the $400 and up price range, and are typically 7 or 8 lbs and maybe 1.5 rack spaces high and half the width of a rack space.

 

[monsterthompson]

I play a V through a Fender Rumble 500 v3 and the low B sounds very good.
I haven't tried the other newer Rumble models, but I do use a Rumble 15 for a practice amp in a 15'x17' room and have no issue with it.

Good to hear real world Rumble feedback. I think the OP might be able to use the 12. Cheaper, smaller, lighter. Of course the 15 seems like a nice step up for not much more cash and weight.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Good to hear real world Rumble feedback. I think the OP might be able to use the 12. Cheaper, smaller, lighter. Of course the 15 seems like a nice step up for not much more cash and weight.

The 500 comes with 2x10. The 200 comes with 1x15. You can get extension cabs that are x15, 4x10, 1x12, but it does have DI out so that may not be an issue for larger venues.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Wait - you are playing with low volume groups, and you don't usually go much lower than D? Heck, if 300 watts doesn't do it (Carvin BX-500 is $319 new), and a decent 2x10 doesn't do it, you are lying about your music needs.

 

[ii7-V7]

Wait - you are playing with low volume groups, and you don't usually go much lower than D? Heck, if 300 watts doesn't do it (Carvin BX-500 is $319 new), and a decent 2x10 doesn't do it, you are lying about your music needs.

Not sure what you're getting at. I have a 400w amp that does great....but crushes spines. And a guitar amp that sounds terrible with any bass at all. These are the only amps I have. The point is that I want something that will work for this band, but doesn't weigh as much as a side of beef. But using my guitar amp isn't a good solution either. So, i'm looking for a small amp. I don't know enough about amps in general to know if having a low B string means I'll need some degree of specialized equipment. Based on what I'm reading it doesn't sound like at my volume needs anything special is required.

Actually, now that I'm thinking It, about the Ampeg Micro CL is the only small amp I've tried recently. And my issue wasn't even so much how it handled the B string as much as it was that it seemed to overdrive as surprisingly low volumes. I thought I had tried out more than this, but going through my dusty old memory banks I really haven't.

 

[buldog5151bass]

OP, I was trying to make a joke, and a point. If you are not playing with a full drum kit, 300w and a decent 2x10 should be more than enough to get you a decent low B. That is more than enough power. The key is not cheaping out on the cab.

 

[monsterthompson]

A poor man HPF work around is to lower the bass control when you play louder, and watch your plucking attack. You've probably noticed your stereo doesn't sound as bassy at low volumes as it does at higher ones. Same issue. Producing those bass frequencies takes watts. Too much bass EQ and a heavy attack will eat power, rob volume, and make farty noises. I've found I need to lighten my attack on lower strings to keep from farting out. It's easy (and fun) to hit them hard, but it's not always musical.

...a compressor (limiter) feature/option might be helpful. Of course that's more cost for a pedal or a built in, and one more knob to tweak.

 

[ii7-V7]

...a compressor (limiter) feature/option might be helpful. Of course that's more cost for a pedal or a built in, and one more knob to tweak.

I actually have a compressor pedal. I don't use it very often but perhaps I can fiddle with. Love your other advice so far as well.

 

[monsterthompson]

I actually have a compressor pedal. I don't use it very often but perhaps I can fiddle with. Love your other advice so far as well.

Glad you find it helpful. I didn't want to get too deep into "fundamental" issues or any other tech stuff based on your initial statement, but I did see the conversation going that way and thought some of my points would be relevant to the others chiming in and their points.

If you've got a comp pedal, it can help tame the dynamics of the lower string and make things easier on your cab. I've found comp to be an "old man effect" because it doesn't do much "fun" stuff to grab your attention, but after playing for a few years in band settings, it becomes something you grow to appreciate.

As for new gear, in mountain biking, they say "light, cheap, strong; pick two." It sounds like you are in the bass-gear equivalent position.

For budget stuff, Fender and Peavey seem to have some loyal followings. Carvin gets a bunch of praise per pound and dollar, too. Check some of theses -
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I'd expect they should provide enough to handle your needs, but I have no real experience with them.

 

[Bassitudes]

I second the WTDI. Just picked one up, and running it into a power amp into my LowB2 is a exercise in low-end excursion with articulation as an added bonus..

it absolutely is. I don't know why people are so salty so as to try to immediately try to counter anything they haven't even tried for themselves. I guess you and I will just have the best sounding bass strings in town and the other guys will sit there sounding bad with tons of "good" jokes.

 

[Blankandson]

This may help. For two years I played bass in a two-acoustic-guitar trio. No drums. Usually small to medium-sized rooms, low ceilings (8 - 12 feet). I was given a 5-string Rogue passive bass and a Berringer 45 watt 1x10" combo. I scouped the mids all the way down and pushed the bass and treble all the way up. That worked. Plenty of lows and clear highs. Both are probably available online for a total of $300-$350 today. Only bad thing is I plugged my active Warwick into the Berringer one day, turned it on, and hit my B string. Killed the combo. Dead in the water. So just BE CAREFUL and you might get away with it.

 

[ii7-V7]

A friend of mine let me borrow his cheapo Ibanez practice amp. I think it's 10w through a 6" speaker. He said I could use it as long as I needed until I got something more substantial. I took it to practice tonight. It did better than I expected...even handling the B string.....ok. It certainly wasn't an amazing sounding amp, but it got the job done. And I didn't have to break my back carrying it. It won't get by at any gigs, but it worked fine for practice.

When we play out I'll still need to haul the Monstrous Peavey around, but at least I have a solution for practicing. In the meantime I can save my funds.

 

[JACink]

A friend of mine let me borrow his cheapo Ibanez practice amp. I think it's 10w through a 6" speaker. He said I could use it as long as I needed until I got something more substantial. I took it to practice tonight. It did better than I expected...even handling the B string.....ok. It certainly wasn't an amazing sounding amp, but it got the job done. And I didn't have to break my back carrying it. It won't get by at any gigs, but it worked fine for practice.

When we play out I'll still need to haul the Monstrous Peavey around, but at least I have a solution for practicing. In the meantime I can save my funds.

I know I (and others) have already said this, so sorry for repeating it, but I really think you would like the GK MB112 combo.

See if you can find a store, or someone who has one, to try it out.

I have even carried mine on a motorbike when needed

 

[ii7-V7]

I'm absolutely on the lookout for one of those. I just haven't had a chance to try one out.

 

[morgansterne]

plus one on the fdeck hpf. I have one, haven't used it much, but at rehearsal the other day it was a godsend. when I'm there I use the drummer's hartke b60 combo (on an amp stand). It's DI'ed into the cheap PA for a little bit of extra help. Using the hpf cranked up to about 80hz really cleaned up the whole room. I was able to get nice clarity out of what I was playing, 4 string or 5 string, and at a good volume without farting out any speakers.