Double Bass Most Schlepp-able Combo ...

[iAsh]

Those Elf combos do look interesting! I noticed in the video he talked about designing the DI so it wouldn’t cause hum in the PA - I’ve had that problem with the DI out on my Markbass.

Interesting. I had a very good audio guy tell me years ago how the DI’s in many bass amps could be unreliable. Since then I’ve just used an outboard DI of my own. It makes the good audio techs happy and you can show the hand to the clowns with that gaff tape wrapped circa 1992 Whirlwind.

Talking maxim schleppability though it’s kind of essential the DI on an am be minimum pro quality like a Countyman or JDI.

 

[basss]

I know you said combo and I hate to be 'that guy' but I've tried a bunch of small combos and the best balance of portability and power I've found is the AI Doubleshot and a small head, either an AI Clarus or TC Bam200. Those small heads easily disappear into a bass bag and the Doubleshot goes in a shoulder bag and sounds big enough to keep up with energetic jazz stuff.

The DS easier to shlep, louder and better sounding than the Fender Rumbles. Yes the Double Four is smaller but the DS will blow it out of the water volume wise. I haven't tried the Elf combo but reports of the baked in compression are a turn off for me. The 112 combos are way too big/heavy for me to shlep with the upright for long distances and a luggage cart with the upright is pretty awkward.

The best solution for me is something that can go in a shoulder bag, which means under 20lbs, and not too big so I can get through doors/crowds easily. I prefer the convenience of a combo as well but when I have to carry the rig over my shoulder for several city blocks I'll take the lightest cab possible without compromising sound.

 

[Jason Hollar]

I know you said combo and I hate to be 'that guy' but I've tried a bunch of small combos and the best balance of portability and power I've found is the AI Doubleshot and a small head, either an AI Clarus or TC Bam200. Those small heads easily disappear into a bass bag and the Doubleshot goes in a shoulder bag and sounds big enough to keep up with energetic jazz stuff.

The DS easier to shlep, louder and better sounding than the Fender Rumbles. Yes the Double Four is smaller but the DS will blow it out of the water volume wise. I haven't tried the Elf combo but reports of the baked in compression are a turn off for me. The 112 combos are way too big/heavy for me to shlep with the upright for long distances and a luggage cart with the upright is pretty awkward.

The best solution for me is something that can go in a shoulder bag, which means under 20lbs, and not too big so I can get through doors/crowds easily. I prefer the convenience of a combo as well but when I have to carry the rig over my shoulder for several city blocks I'll take the lightest cab possible without compromising sound.

I regret not getting one of the earlier Acoustic Image or GK MB150 combos back in the day. I believe both had cool shoulder sling gig bag options for urban maneuvering.

 

[basss]

I did the MB150 and the Mooradian bag for it for about 15 years! At 24lbs it was just heavy enough to cause some pain if I had to carry it a long time, hence my 20lbs limit, though for some I imagine it would be no problem. I think the DS would be louder than that one too though. Robert Gallien did post here somewhere that a replacement for that combo would be coming soon. I'm looking forward to that one.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

The thing that turns me off about the Elf amplifiers is the built-in compression that can't be turned off. This is from the manual:

"When the LED begins to flash red, more and more compression is occurring in the preamp as the GAIN control is advanced. The compressor also tracks changes made to the EQ; therefore, an increase in an EQ setting will require a decrease in the GAIN setting to maintain the same amount of compression."

I use sometimes use compression when I play electric bass in a louder group, but I don't want any when I am playing double bass in a jazz group.

- Steve

 

[Jason Hollar]

I did the MB150 and the Mooradian bag for it for about 15 years! At 24lbs it was just heavy enough to cause some pain if I had to carry it a long time, hence my 20lbs limit, though for some I imagine it would be no problem. I think the DS would be louder than that one too though. Robert Gallien did post here somewhere that a replacement for that combo would be coming soon. I'm looking forward to that one.

That’s interesting. I must not have been paying attention in that particular GK thread - I thought maybe they were redoing the little MB heads … but you’re saying there’s possibly a new GK MB combo?

 

[Ric Vice]

I did the MB150 and the Mooradian bag for it for about 15 years! At 24lbs it was just heavy enough to cause some pain if I had to carry it a long time, hence my 20lbs limit, though for some I imagine it would be no problem. I think the DS would be louder than that one too though. Robert Gallien did post here somewhere that a replacement for that combo would be coming soon. I'm looking forward to that one.

It was the same experience for me. I used the 200MB and a Clevinger Keyhole bass with his Diamond Sonance resonator pickup. Carrying the 200MB over the shoulder wasn’t ideal so I bought a drum cart for long distance schlepping.

 

[Ric Vice]

Since then I’ve just used an outboard DI of my own. It makes the good audio techs happy and you can show the hand to the clowns with that gaff tape wrapped circa 1992 Whirlwind.

Talking maxim schleppability though it’s kind of essential the DI on an am be minimum pro quality like a Countyman or JDI.

Since I used a Walter Woods most of the time until a few years ago, I relied on DI de jour, until I bought my Grace Felix which has a excellent DI or the Headway EDB-2 H.E. that’s decent as well. Most of the respectable sound guys here in St.Louis used the Countryman 75 with piezo pickups. I never remember having any issues with the DI on the GK200MB. On the occasions now, when someone with come striding up with a Whirlwind, I just point to the Grace Felix and show them the connections.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I've not had much success with Acoustic Image combos. I had two versions of the Contra and they were very dependent on the acoustic environment. In some rooms they sounded wonderful, but outdoors or on a hollow stage there was no way get a good sound with those amplifiers. I was hoping that this wouldn't be an issue with the newer DoubleShot combo*, but I had the same problem. Ambient sounding amplifiers don't work for me in a real-world setting. I've had more consistent results with my AC101 which is a more conventional, rear ported cube with a forward-facing 10 inch speaker and a horn with an attenuator. It's basically a small PA system, so I find I get a pretty natural and transparent sound, unlike some amps that are voiced for electric bass.

- Steve

*I don't understand why this is called a combo. It's a head on top of a speaker cabinet: the exact opposite of a combo. It's two pieces of gear with two cables and takes extra time to set up, break down, and pack.

 

[basss]

That’s interesting. I must not have been paying attention in that particular GK thread - I thought maybe they were redoing the little MB heads … but you’re saying there’s possibly a new GK MB combo?

RAG posted about this in the GK Legacy combo thread over on the bass guitar amp forum. He said late this year.

 

[Jason Hollar]

RAG posted about this in the GK Legacy combo thread over on the bass guitar amp forum. He said late this year.

You are correct! I might just need to have some patience and see what they come out with!

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

One other thought that experience seems to bear out for me: A very design-savvy friend once postulated that the reason the PJB Flightcase amps sound so much better than their smaller counterparts is the the depth and design of the cabinets and the front porting. I think he may be on to something. It’s not just the speakers and the amp, but also the way the cabinet deals with the moving air coming off the back of the speakers. I don’t understand the physics of the equation, but I have yet to see s tiny box produce a full blooded sound that I actually like.

 

[Jason Hollar]

One other thought that experience seems to bear out for me: A very design-savvy friend once postulated that the reason the PJB Flightcase amps sound so much better than their smaller counterparts is the the depth and design of the cabinets and the front porting. I think he may be on to something. It’s not just the speakers and the amp, but also the way the cabinet deals with the moving air coming off the back of the speakers. I don’t understand the physics of the equation, but I have yet to see s tiny box produce a full blooded sound that I actually like.

I’ve never actually tried a PJB. The Flight looks cool - but at 33lbs and similar dimensions as my MB cube amp, it’s off my list for now.

 

[Ric Vice]

One other thought that experience seems to bear out for me: A very design-savvy friend once postulated that the reason the PJB Flightcase amps sound so much better than their smaller counterparts is the the depth and design of the cabinets and the front porting. I think he may be on to something. It’s not just the speakers and the amp, but also the way the cabinet deals with the moving air coming off the back of the speakers. I don’t understand the physics of the equation, but I have yet to see s tiny box produce a full blooded sound that I actually like.

I think you’re on to something there Chris, with one exception, all the cabinets that I really liked, were front ported. The EA VL 108’s and 208’s, and the MAS 1/8’s and 4x5.5. Even the Ampeg B-15N (I still own) is front ported. The EA’s “Transmission Line” cabs were chambered behind the speaker like the Bose Wave, the MAS have a “Manipulated Vortex” while the B-15N is a Double Baffle Reflex.

 

[klyph]

I’ve played a few gigs with sound guys who use these monitors and little side fills. They are impressive looking - I wonder if they could hold the fort with the upright bass? Do those inputs go instrument level?[/QUOTEI


There are two inputs that both have combo (1/4” & XLR) jacks, so you could even plug in an upright and electric,or mix two sources from the upright. I bought used (lucky deal) so I don’t have the manual. I don’t know what the input impedance is, but it sounded good with my Uber-hot recent 5string, my 1950’s bass guitar (passive), and most iimportantly, my Realist plugged directly in with NO preamp/buffer/HPF. You really owe it to yourself to give one a try. Some of the scenarios you listed sound like they could benefit from battery power, and the form factor can’t be beat!

 

[Ric Vice]

I don't know if it's possible, but if their was a way to fit a Ciare 6" driver into the Traynor SB 106 and it would work that could be something worth trying.

 

[Jefenator]

Another head + cab deviant, here.
My old GK MB150S finally gave up the ghost, and I do miss it and want to replace it with another combo eventually. (Drooling over the AER options.)
But truth be told, I hadn't been playing that combo out very often at all in recent years. Not since I acquired an Acme Low-B1 cab and got into micro-heads. That gives me a pretty compelling blend of schlep-ability and potency. (And in some ways is MORE convenient than a combo - when you store the speaker cab in your vehicle!)

 

[Ric Vice]

Another head + cab deviant, here.
My old GK MB150S finally gave up the ghost, and I do miss it and want to replace it with another combo eventually. (Drooling over the AER options.)
But truth be told, I hadn't been playing that combo out very often at all in recent years. Not since I acquired an Acme Low-B1 cab and got into micro-heads. That gives me a pretty compelling blend of schlep-ability and potency. (And in some ways is MORE convenient than a combo - when you store the speaker cab in your vehicle!)

My issue with the AER Bassics line is that although they have a fairly small footprint, they're on the heavier side. I also didn't love them with the Double Bass either using the Ehrlund EAP or any other of my pickups, which work great otherwise into a variety of amplifiers and heads. If you liked the GKMB150S, I'd think I'd take a look at the Traynor SB 106 or 110. They seem to have a similar simplicity about their EQ sections. a no nonsense Volume, Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, Treble. Just my take.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

I recently picked up a Markbass Micromark 801 combo. Musician's Friend had them on sale for $299 and with my Presidents' Day sale coupon I got one for $275 and free shipping. This little cube weighs 14.5 pounds and sends 50 watts through an 8" driver. By itself it makes a great travel/practice amp for electric bass, but I've used on a few upright bass gigs with my Fishman Platinum Stage preamp and got a very nice sound with decent volume for such a small amplifier. The single VPF filter is not sufficient tone shaping for double bass IMO, but with a preamp to boost the signal and shape the tone this amp works surprisingly well.

- Steve