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Need help picking a new amp

J

Joe Joe

May 12, 2005
6
0
#1
To give you a little background, I have been playing for 12 years with various bands and I've reached the point where less is more.
I used to play through an old Crate BX160 with one 15" and loved it. I sold that and replaced it with a Warwick CCL 1x15 combo for more power and loved it.
The only problem with the Warwick was it was slightly too big to fit in my car's trunk and I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building w/out an elevator so portability became an issue.

I recently sold that amp and bought an Eden CXC110 and the CX110 subwoofer. Last night I tried it out for the first time as a whole and did not like the sound. The combo is great on its own for practice and small gigs but I plugged in the sub last night and couldn't find a tone I liked to save my life. I either got a low boom with no discernable notes and long sustain or all high end without any bass. I have a feeling it's the fact that it's 2 10's and I'm used to 15's. Or maybe I didn't hook it up correctly as I'm used to simple combos.

Regardless, I'm not happy with the sound as I look to larger venues but portability is a serious issue with me.

I play a Modulus Q5 and I prefer a sound that has less high end and more of a motown rhythmic punch.
I am interested in looking at new combos to suit my needs.
These are my necessities:
1. Portability a must (smallest dimension less than 18")
2. 15' speaker
3. Combo preferred
4. 200 Watts or higher
5. direct out

Can anyone give me ideas or opinions on what to look at?

Thanks
 
#2
My opinion:

Look into a GK combo such as the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] Besides sounding great, having good portability with the built-in wheels and handle, it most importantly (IMO) has the kickback feature. Many times in cramped stages your tone blows right under you and you really can't accurately hear how it is sounding to the audience. Having the amp aimed at your head helps tremendously.

I play a Thunderfunk/Ampeg 6X10HLF rig, but am considering one of these for the aforementioned reasons.

If that is too much power, drop down to the 700RB version.
 
#3
OK - I know that it's combo preferred but ... GK 700 into a B/E 15. The BE has a very small foot print. You can always do a webbing strap setup to keep the amp on top (I'm doing that for my B/E 2x10 and GK 1001. My head is in an SKB Rack and I'm keeping the whole setup on a tile back amp stand.

The disadvantage is that B/E are heavy for their size. Not back breaking, just not light. The GK is heavy for a compact amp as well. So not the lightest on the block.

The advantage is tone for days in a very small foot print.

I've played through a few combo's. Eden & SWR working mans. GK 400 2x10. None of them are particularly light and noe of the sound particularly good to me... I think of the combo as portability at a price and the price is tone ...

Note that I haven't played through the Eden Metro, SWR Super Redhead, Bassman 400 or the GK 1001 combo's. I would guess that those are all impressive amps. The size and weight penalty would be significant though... So I'd be back at the GK head (700 rb II is $500 delivered from Rik's Music) and the Bag End cab.
 
#4
Just throwing it out there... Mesa Boogie Walkabout... i played one at a local music store and i was blown away by the volume and the sound. in your situation it would be perfect. its 300 watts vacume tube. It docks into a (i think) 1x12 speaker cab and it can be taken out and used as a head on a stack. it sounds amazing and dosent weigh much. thats just my reccomendation.
 
#5
metallicaorion said:
Just throwing it out there... Mesa Boogie Walkabout... i played one at a local music store and i was blown away by the volume and the sound. in your situation it would be perfect. its 300 watts vacume tube. It docks into a (i think) 1x12 speaker cab and it can be taken out and used as a head on a stack. it sounds amazing and dosent weigh much. thats just my reccomendation.
Click to expand...

The walkabout is not a tube amp. It does have a preamp tube (or two). They are VERY nice good sounding amps. It would be perfect for what you want.
 
#7
I (and many others on this site) say that your MUCH better off with a head and cab vs a combo. This has been debated time and time again, but the concensous is to get separates. Why??

Because if you want to upgrade your head vs the cab or vice versa, you can.

If one breaks the other is not part of a broken unit.

It's easier to carry two smaller units vs one bulky large...And the list goes on....
 
#8
Quadzilla said:
I (and many others on this site) say that your MUCH better off with a head and cab vs a combo. This has been debated time and time again, but the concensous is to get separates. Why??

Because if you want to upgrade your head vs the cab or vice versa, you can.

If one breaks the other is not part of a broken unit.

It's easier to carry two smaller units vs one bulky large...And the list goes on....
Click to expand...
I agree. I recently bought an EA iAmp500 with a Whizzy 112 cab. The iAmp rides in a small gigbag that I can wear on my shoulder and I can easily carry the 17"H x 17"W x 12.5"D box and it only weighs 29 pounds. The amp is 3.5"H x 14"W x 9"D and weighs 13 pounds. I love a 10" or 12 " for a good thump. I find that the bigger speakers start to get boomy. Try one out!
 
#9
Portability, tone, and volume, you say??

Schroeder 1210.
Still to heavy for you?? Maybe too pricey??

A pair of Aguilar GS112's would do you good... and if you wanted to spend s'more, Epifani 112's are very portable.

On a really strict budget? Avatar SB112..... sort of the poorman's Aguilar, per se.

As for a portable amp, the options are everywhere. If you like the Eden tone, you can find a WT head used for a reasonable price, and they're light as a feather. :smug:
 
#10
metallicaorion said:
Just throwing it out there... Mesa Boogie Walkabout....
Click to expand...

I played the 112 combo. What a nice combo. I wanted to buy it on the spot. Now that the idea has been thrown out there for you, all you have to do is go pick it up. There is a nice one at the Southcenter GC, just south of Seattle.

-Mike
 
#11
Thank you all for the tips.

I have indeed looked at the Walkabout.
I liked the 15 very much but couldn't find a good used one at the time.
I am still playing the Eden CXC110 with the CX110 sub.
I am actually thinking about getting rid of the combo in favor of the Eden WT330 itself and keeping the sub. Then I would add a 1x15 because I like the bigger sound, hence moving away from the 10.

Do you know if it's possible to just take the amp out of the CXC110 combo? I would do that but I don't want to wreck the cabinet because I would like to sell it eventually.
If so, would it be unwise to take the amp out of the combo, get a padded case for it, keep the sub and pick up a 1x15 cabinet (possibly a mesa)?
Or do you think I would be better off selling my CXC110 and sub and using that money to buy either a walkabout 15 or a WT300 and a 15" cab?

Thanks for the input!
 
#12
Joe Joe said:
Thank you all for the tips.

Do you know if it's possible to just take the amp out of the CXC110 combo? I would do that but I don't want to wreck the cabinet because I would like to sell it eventually.
If so, would it be unwise to take the amp out of the combo, get a padded case for it, keep the sub and pick up a 1x15 cabinet (possibly a mesa)?
Or do you think I would be better off selling my CXC110 and sub and using that money to buy either a walkabout 15 or a WT300 and a 15" cab?

Thanks for the input!
Click to expand...

you'd have to build a chasis for the cxc110 amp, the insides of the amp would be completely exposed.

i would recommend saving yourself the trouble and sell the entire combo and buy a 330 or a 400 for about the same price.

getting a lightweight 15 combo is a tough task... i would recommend playing some more 10s and 12s at the music store and make sure it wasn't just a fluke with the edens.
 

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