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My own 'hey guys, what would you do '?

D

dbflats

Oct 15, 2024
666
932
#1
Heh, kinda cracks me up, folks asking what to do here, often regarding fairly mundane decisions....so here, I'll do it too🤗

Now keeping in mind, no decision is imminent, here's the deal; I have two lead sleds, one an ancient Hartke mosfet 7000 which I use for bass as well as guitar. Oldie but a goodie, in a hardshell case with a power supply and a bunch of cords. Not light.

The other is a new, unused Hartke HA 1000, so basically an updated version of the old unit. I never use this head but it's fine and powerful, and heavy.

So here's the if; were I to go the lightweight head route, I would also likely just pick up a guitar amp for my guitar needs so we needn't worry about guitar usage. Any such bass head would not need to have fancy features for recording as I do all my recording direct to DAW through an RNDI.

I have two 4-ohm 2x10s so it would be desirable to be able to accommodate that load, but I'd consider even just the ability to power one cab.

So, what should I get, lol? Am I looking at Quilter? Mesa? Genzler?

I've heard guys using the little tiny amps and they sounded good, warm and throbbing, so ain't worried about Class D.

Might do nothing, I mostly just record stuff at home these days, though one live gig is getting busier.
 
#2
To be able to safely drive that 2 ohm load, i'd look at the Mesa stuff. The Bass 800D would be high on my list if I were you.

If you didn't need the ability to do 2 ohms, id look at the Genzler stuff. I have a Magellan 800 that has been exceptional for the 6 months or so that ive owned it. It can do 2.67 ohms. Jeff told me that it can safely drive 2 of his 4 ohm cabs, but i would reach out to him to see what he thinks about your particular setup.

Genzler just released a revision of the 800 called the Magellan 800+ that looks great. The sweepable mids plus adjustable HPF are a great addition to what is already an excellent amp. Im considering swapping my 800 for the 800+.

Good luck on your search!
Screenshot_20260329_095026_Gallery.jpg
 
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#4
dbflats said:
Heh, kinda cracks me up, folks asking what to do here, often regarding fairly mundane decisions....so here, I'll do it too🤗

Now keeping in mind, no decision is imminent, here's the deal; I have two lead sleds, one an ancient Hartke mosfet 7000 which I use for bass as well as guitar. Oldie but a goodie, in a hardshell case with a power supply and a bunch of cords. Not light.

The other is a new, unused Hartke HA 1000, so basically an updated version of the old unit. I never use this head but it's fine and powerful, and heavy.

So here's the if; were I to go the lightweight head route, I would also likely just pick up a guitar amp for my guitar needs so we needn't worry about guitar usage. Any such bass head would not need to have fancy features for recording as I do all my recording direct to DAW through an RNDI.

I have two 4-ohm 2x10s so it would be desirable to be able to accommodate that load, but I'd consider even just the ability to power one cab.

So, what should I get, lol? Am I looking at Quilter? Mesa? Genzler?

I've heard guys using the little tiny amps and they sounded good, warm and throbbing, so ain't worried about Class D.

Might do nothing, I mostly just record stuff at home these days, though one live gig is getting busier.
Click to expand...
As @Kenny056 said, look at the Mesa for a 2 ohm load.
I'm a huge fan of the Quilter v803 if you only need a 4 ohm cab.
 
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#6
Right now I've got two Markbass cabs with ceramic loaded speakers, MB something or other.

I imagine they're rated for 300-400 watts given I run them off that Hartke.

OK just looked, they're MB 58R 102p 4.
 
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#8
I looked them up, 300 watts, so with the Subway amps (and any amp that’s 800 watts at 2 ohms you would need to be careful and have reasonable expectations. Something around 500-600 watts rms you’ll be a better (or at least safer) amp choice imo.
 
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#9
I vacilate between what was my original credo when I resumed playing music after a long break, which was to use the crap I've got, hence my gigging on guitar with a large old school bass rig, or.....

Upgrading to more modern tools. I did ditch two old very heavy Peavey 2x10s which sounded great, swapping them out for the MB cabs, but other than that it's been the old amp.

In that road case it's both handy and a little too heavy and awkward. Seems like I'm gonna smash some club's glass door one of these times with the thing.
 
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#10
dbflats said:
Heh, kinda cracks me up, folks asking what to do here, often regarding fairly mundane decisions....so here, I'll do it too🤗

Now keeping in mind, no decision is imminent, here's the deal; I have two lead sleds, one an ancient Hartke mosfet 7000 which I use for bass as well as guitar. Oldie but a goodie, in a hardshell case with a power supply and a bunch of cords. Not light.

The other is a new, unused Hartke HA 1000, so basically an updated version of the old unit. I never use this head but it's fine and powerful, and heavy.

So here's the if; were I to go the lightweight head route, I would also likely just pick up a guitar amp for my guitar needs so we needn't worry about guitar usage. Any such bass head would not need to have fancy features for recording as I do all my recording direct to DAW through an RNDI.

I have two 4-ohm 2x10s so it would be desirable to be able to accommodate that load, but I'd consider even just the ability to power one cab.

So, what should I get, lol? Am I looking at Quilter? Mesa? Genzler?

I've heard guys using the little tiny amps and they sounded good, warm and throbbing, so ain't worried about Class D.

Might do nothing, I mostly just record stuff at home these days, though one live gig is getting busier.
Click to expand...


Are your cabs light?

Supposedly the HA7000 weighs about 30lbs. That's a weight I can handle easily. Maybe you just need a lighter case. The amp is rated 350W at 4 ohms X 2 or 240W at 8 ohms x 2. So assuming your cabs are 4 ohms each, you get 700W. If your cabs are 8 ohms you get 480W.

Let's say you want to replace it with a 800W head like a Mesa D800+ that weighs 6.3lbs. The net weight saving is 30 - 6.3 = 23.7lbs.

AFAIK, the LH1000 is about 2lbs heavier.

IMHO:

Cabs tend to be bigger and heavier than 30lbs.. There is a good chance you will lighten your load more than 23.7 lbs by updating your cabs rather than your amp.

I am not saying I would do this, but I would certainly consider it.
 
#15
dbflats said:
I vacilate between what was my original credo when I resumed playing music after a long break, which was to use the crap I've got, hence my gigging on guitar with a large old school bass rig, or.....

Upgrading to more modern tools. I did ditch two old very heavy Peavey 2x10s which sounded great, swapping them out for the MB cabs, but other than that it's been the old amp.

In that road case it's both handy and a little too heavy and awkward. Seems like I'm gonna smash some club's glass door one of these times with the thing.
Click to expand...
Ive been lugging around a GK RB2001 in a road case for years. Damn thing must weigh 80lbs, but it also hits like an 80lb sledge hammer 😄
 
#16
dbflats said:
Heh, kinda cracks me up, folks asking what to do here, often regarding fairly mundane decisions....so here, I'll do it too🤗

Now keeping in mind, no decision is imminent, here's the deal; I have two lead sleds, one an ancient Hartke mosfet 7000 which I use for bass as well as guitar. Oldie but a goodie, in a hardshell case with a power supply and a bunch of cords. Not light.

The other is a new, unused Hartke HA 1000, so basically an updated version of the old unit. I never use this head but it's fine and powerful, and heavy.

So here's the if; were I to go the lightweight head route, I would also likely just pick up a guitar amp for my guitar needs so we needn't worry about guitar usage. Any such bass head would not need to have fancy features for recording as I do all my recording direct to DAW through an RNDI.

I have two 4-ohm 2x10s so it would be desirable to be able to accommodate that load, but I'd consider even just the ability to power one cab.

So, what should I get, lol? Am I looking at Quilter? Mesa? Genzler?

I've heard guys using the little tiny amps and they sounded good, warm and throbbing, so ain't worried about Class D.

Might do nothing, I mostly just record stuff at home these days, though one live gig is getting busier.
Click to expand...

I would be tempted to get one of those QSC 12” PA speakers. Powered and has a bass amp mode. My HX Stomp can make guitar noises just as easily as bass noises, so I’d have both instruments covered ez pz.
 
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#17
It’s nearly impossible to recommend the Mesa line strongly enough.
I’ve been using my D800 head for nearly a decade, and it’s just bulletproof.
Have you ever put off buying a newer car because the one you had, high mileage though it may have been, worked perfectly fine? And then purchased the newer one, to find that the driving experience, convenience, and real-world reliability were greater than your highest expectations?
Yeah.
Mesa.
 
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