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Need help with budget gigging rig

V

vade700

Guest
Jan 12, 2012
130
3
#1
Hey guys, im sure this has been asked but I need help from some people who know their stuff. I need a recommendation for a bass head and cab that is loud enough for small gigs. I play alternative metal, stuff like Tool, Chevelle, Alice in Chains, Rage Against The Machine mixed with the heavy riffs of bands like System of a Down and Korn. I also play a 5 string and some amps just dont have what it take to make that low B sound tight and punchy.

Additional details: im trying to spend no more than 600 dollars(im in high school) I dont care much about weight, tone is what im after. im looking to buy used.
 
#3
Check the Guitar Center used gear page. They will ship from store to store and will allow you a return period. Right now there are at least a couple decent heads (Hartke and others) for $100, less if you want Behringer or Peavey.

They might not want to ship a used cab from store to store though, but used is still the way to go. Hartke 210xl and 115xl cabs can be found cheap and I remember seeing a lot of guys playing that type of music through Hartke cabs.

Looking through the GC listings, if you lives in southern california you could put together a decent rig for $200-$300.
 
#4
It's good to rehearse at medium volume to protect your hearing, which means you don't need a giant rig for that.

Medium to large size gigs should have PA support which you can use to make loud for the audience and you only use your rig to hear yourself on stage, so you don't need a giant rig for that either.

A 15" combo like a Fender Rumble or Peavey TNT can get loud enough.
You want one that can tilt back so the sound goes to your ears instead of your knees.
Stuff like that can be had for way less than $600.

The next step up would be like a G-K combo or a Genz Benz combo.

See if you can get the seller to let you try it out with your band before you pay.
You can't tell how it sits in the mix by trying it out on the pawnshop floor or in some guy's living room. For private party sellers see if you can get them to bring it to your rehearsal.
 
#5
I'm playing on a GK RB400-III. 210 combo and a 115 extension. Honestly, I don't bring anything more than the 210 combo to practices. It's easily enough. I'll haul along the 115 for shows. Nice to have a stack pushing your sound close to ear level.

What you ultimately need is an amp that is powerful enough to have the final say with your drummer. And I've easily got that with the GK. At small shows my amp can be as loud as his drums (and louder if I wanted our band to suck). At any venue that's decent enough to mic drums I can get a mic too if need be. GKs have a nice growl in the preamp and between that and my Ric I have a pretty awesome setup for a rock band. I'd definitely consider a GK. Right in your price range used. Great amp and something like a RB400 would be in your budget used. 240watts but they ain't lying about their power. Great amp for rock music.
 
#7
Second-hand Hartke and G-K should suit your budget, or new Behringer or lower-end Ashdown stuff is perfectly giggable. I bought a used Warwick cab for $300 and a new Warwick head for $400 - so if you search classifieds and sales like a hawk and be patient with your money, a really sweet rig can be put together cheaply.

Look at 250-300 watts so you have some headroom to work with, and remember that speaker surface is one of the most important factors in volume (not wattage). A head with built-in compressor (many Hartke amps), if used correctly, can do wonders for a bassist playing your kind of music by fattening things up and evening out levels.

The 2x10 + 1x15 is a handy modular option if you want a smaller rig at rehearsals and bigger on stage, but it might cost you more to pick up two cabs. A single 4x10 is still a safe option for most people and I would personally go for that configuration if you want something that will handle your B-string in either situation.
 
#8
The players in those bands are all over the map for what they use. But the tone comes from them, not their gear. The gear just facilitates it and makes them comfortable onstage. Even though a couple of those guys and I use and recommend checking out Ampeg gear ;) you should be able to get a good sound out of pretty much anything that works and has enough guns for your gigs. And a good standard starting point is 300w and a 410. Not too big, but enough to handle louder gigs if need be.
 
#9
Here in Norway Ashdown and Harkte are the cheapest brands to get new or used. I would go for Ashdown as I like the tone gritty, otherwise the Harkte LH500 is cheap and a damn working horse.
The only "problem" with these 2 is that most of the Ashdown and Harkte amps are heavy SS. You could go for the Ampeg PF350 or the GK MB200 which are light class D amps.
As Jimmy say, 300W and a decent cab will do.
 
#10
you could easily score a used GK 800RB and a SWR Goliath off of CL for $600 total if you put a little effort into it. With that rig you could have all the power and bottom you could ever need.
 
#11
honestly for me GK makes the best sounding amps but... i hate the budget thing... so i say you should totally go with a Pf500 ($399) and a Pf115 or so that shouldnt cost you a lot and its a great sounding amp!
 
#12
The secret to getting a big low B is to have a cab that makes 60Hz. Many claim, very few deliver. The best I can get out of my Trace 1518 is a big D, I do that by chopping out the 30hz right out and big cut on 40hz.

It still makes a better B than any 4x10 I heard, but I haven't heard an Ampeg 410HLF. I don't want to give up the mediocre dispersion of the 15 to get a better low end but total crap dispersion of any 4x10.
 
#13
GK RB series head whether it be a 400, 700 RB-II, or 800.

I'll also suggest to take a look at a pair of Bag End S15D cabs. They can usually be found for pretty cheap these days since they aren't "in" any more. I use a pair of them with a GK 800RB and it's awesome, I get constant compliments on my tone.
 
#14
A good starting point is a high quality amp with 350/500 watts and a high quality, efficient cab ...... as you develop as a player your tastes are going to change and you will be chasing that tone in your head, and the wost possible side effect is GAS ....which ruins budgets ...so take your bass and try as many amps and cabinets as you can ... your best value is to go the used route, but use common sense
 
#17
armybass said:
you could easily score a used GK 800RB and a SWR Goliath off of CL for $600 total if you put a little effort into it. With that rig you could have all the power and bottom you could ever need.
Click to expand...
That's what I was going to suggest. The SWR Goliath cabs sound good, are loud as heck, and can be had used for $300 - $350. Their major drawback, IMHO, is weight, but the OP said he doesn't care about that (oh, to be young ...).
 
#20
Another vote for a GK 800RB/SWR Goliath combination. Should come in pretty close to your budget target, sound amazing, and last quite a while if you treat them right. They are also both pretty common models, so they should be easy to find. Something like an SWR Bass 350 or SM400 would also be a good choice.
 

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