I have been playing bass for 9 years and have only ever used my dads old trace elliot 4x10 combo which is now on its last legs, not to mention very heavy to lift around to rehearsals etc. I currently play in a band and we play various small/medium sized gigs, therefore portability is attractive to me as well as sound.
I have had my mind set on a markbass for a while but even then there are so many choices; do I go for the LMIII or is it worth going all out and getting the LM Tube 800? I would like to get a cab rather than a combo this time just because a few years down the line when I can afford it I would like to extend my setup.
I have no idea what to go for despite having played many different combinations in guitar shops over the past few months. Does anyone have any alternative suggestions other than markbass for around a 500w set up under $1600?
Many apologies for the length of this
. 1st, for $1600 (probably more like $12-1300, or even less) you can put together a
super rig, amplifier & cabinet.
amp:
Many,
many fine amps to buy. Decide what you like most & then buy it
used. The classifieds here at TalkBass are a great place to pick it up. The majority of guys who sell here keep their gear in pretty good shape (or excellent, even mint condition), so imho you have an excellent chance to get a fine unit at a good price. Can always check Craigslist, too, but I think it's more of a gamble than here. Of course you also can check for sales that are available on the amp you like if you want a new amp. And
www.ebay.com is a good place to check as well for both used & new. Just be sure to check out the seller.
Buying the new
est, lat
est, & great
est will cost you the most bucks. That's not to say don't go with the newest/latest/greatest if that's really what you want. But there are
lots of excellent amps that
used to be the newest/latest/greatest (maybe just 6 months or a year ago
) & still are excellent units but just are no longer the "flavor of the day." There are also amps that have been around for years but are still
fine choices. You can often get a really good deal on these. And bang-for-the-buck, new or used, they are often better choices, unless again you must have the most current amp. Just wanted you to be aware.
If you're looking new only, a couple of places I'd recommend you check before you buy are
www.RMCaudiodirect.com &
www.ProAudioStar.com . RMC doesn't have everything on the market, but they do have pretty good deals on the inventory they
do carry. Pro Audio Star often has new units at the same (or sometimes lower) prices than many used units you find. They can be a bit brusque at times (they're in Brooklin, lol), but they still have some nice deals. They're on ebay also & many of their auctions have a "make offer" option. If you see something that you like,
always make an offer. All they can say is "no." More times than not they'll accept, or at least come back with a counter offer that's less than their asking/"buy it now" price. They have no emotional attachment to the gear they sell, unlike individuals, so you can many times (but not always, of course) get a lower price. And don't be afraid to haggle some, regardless from whom you're looking to buy, new or, especially, used.
cab:
I have just 2 suggestions...
1. A 15/6 (a 2-way box with a 15" driver & a dedicated midrange driver). The specific 15"? The Eminence Kappa Lite 3015
LF (low frequency). IMHO, the
only 15, period, to consider for this format. The specific midrange? The 6.5" 18Sound 6ND410 is my top candidate, although there are maybe a half dozen fine possibilities here. I just think the 18Sound is the top choice. PM if you're interested in others (or other members might chime in with their choices.) These 2 speakers are 2 of the very,
very best speakers on the market.
This 15/6 can give you 410 volume (at least) & is both much smaller & lighter than any 410.
http://www.usspeaker.com/Kappa Lite-3015lf-1.htm
http://www.usspeaker.com/eighteensound-6ND410-1.htm
2. A 115 (
no midrange driver,
no tweeter) with either an Eminence Kappa Lite 3015 (
non-LF) or Faital Pro 15PR400. Both of these speakers are full-range and work great by themselves. Some guys may think there's another one or two 15s that work as well, but for many (likely most), these are
the top 2 full-range choices. They sure are for me. Both are tremendous, just different flavors of terrific.
Neither of these will give you the volume of the 15/6, but they'll both
still be very loud if you want. And if you're really just doing small/medium gigs (even
without FOH support), both will be
plenty loud enough (at least as loud as a very good 212). They'll also both be less expensive (& a bit smaller/lighter as well) because you're not paying for the midrange driver or the crossover that are in the 15/6.
http://www.usspeaker.com/Kappa Lite-3015-1.htm
http://www.usspeaker.com/faital pro 15PR400-1.htm
These type cabinets, both the 15/6 & 115, show up used in the Talkbass classifieds. Keep an eye out for them.
If you'd rather go new, there's a very well-respected pro builder that will get one of these cabs to you for the least coin I've come across. New from this guy is often right in the same ballpark as used from others. PM if you'd like more info.
