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Double Bass Need opinion to match iamp with a cab...

Nuno A.

Nuno A.

Velvet Strings Customer Service
Jul 9, 2001
656
3
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SWITZERLAND
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#1
Hi there, after a lot of $ down the sink and so many amps that i dont even remember all, i decided to give EA a try hoping it will be the definitive gear...
But as i will have to buy without trying(which in my dictionary is bad, but i will open an exception since all i read so far is great reviews..), i will need some advice..
At least for now, i want an amp and a single cab...and im undecided beteween the iamp 500 + wizzy, i amp 800 + wizzy( with the option in the future to ad another one)...
any opinions? other suggestions regarding EA?
i will need no more that 300 watts of pure clean sound....but is always good to have some headroom of course...
thanks in advance

NUNO
 
#2
I haven't tried the wizzy cabs yet, but what you already like in other brands may give you a clue. Do you tend to prefer larger or smaller speakers? I like the smaller ones, so for me the (now discontinued) VL 108 and 208 cabs were the best choice. I own the CXL 112 and use it on doubling gigs, but for straight DB gigs I prefer the less colored bottom of the 208's. If you tend to like the sound you get from 12's in general, then you won't be disappointed in the sound you get from EA on that front. I'm also intrigued by the iamp 500.
 
#3
I like 12's , never tried the wizzy but have read nothing but good reviews, i wont expect it to be a boomy cab at all....about the amp...i kinda have a theory that may sound stupid but...from all the amps that i owned(too many) i noticed that all of them could gave me a clean sound at 60% of the maximum power( to make myself clear...i think a 200 w amp will give me 120/130 watts of clean sound, a 300 watts amp will give 180 watts, after the quality of the sound starts to decrease dramatically)...thats why i gave up about the clarus...rated at 200 watts i expect it to give me about 130 w of clean sound before it starts to sound....."not so good"
so, using my "theory" the iamp 500 would give me 300 watts of clean power which i think is what i need....the iamp 800 would give me more, which can be good for some shows, but i dont know about using it whith just a wizzer...but it could be a good option if i would buy another wizzer in the future or another cab...then i think i would have more power that i would ever need.
what i really would like to hear is the A/B match from somebody who played both the iamp 500 and the iamp 800...
all this sound confusing, but i am confused...and since i will have to buy "blind", i wanna make sure i make the right option.... i already spent too much $ in the wrong gear...
so far i the iamp 500 + wizzy is winning but....

NUNO
 
#4
The Wizzys are cool for a more "vintage" sound, but if you're looking for smaller cabs specifically, I don't think you could do better than the EA NL210. It's a great match for the iAmp (I have an iAmp 800) and IMHO the best cab EA has ever made. I've owned a VL210, VL208, CXL-112 and have played through numerous other models. I think they really got it right with the NL210. Plus, it's only 44 lbs and not ridiculously expensive.
 
#5
I own an iAMP 800, numerous VL-series cabs, and a Wizzy. I agree with Chris that the VL-208 is one of the best cabs ever made for bass (though I haven't tried the VL-108). Two VL-208's, or a VL-208/VL-110 stack would go great with either the iAMP 500 or 800. But the Wizzy is also a fantastic little cab. I did a little shootout with my Wizzy against a VL-208 on its own, a VL-110 on its own, and then the VL-208/VL-110 together. To my surprise, the Wizzy bested both VL cabs (singlely) in balance and articulation, although the VL-208/VL-110 together exceeded the Wizzy in both regards (though not by a huge margin). For its size and weight, the Wizzy is amazingly loud and authoritative. Although it is not as flat as other EA cabs (their is some added midrange warmth), I find that its overall tone is not "colored", but rather slightly warmed up. But the amazing thing is that it is somehow both warm (in a somewhat "vintage" way), yet extremely balanced and articulate (which is very "unvintage"). I had always thought these characteristics to be mutually exclusive, to a certain extent, but the Wizzy pulls it off well.


As for the iAMP issue, it is my understanding that the 500 and the 800 should be sonically nearly identical. You may want to ask Mike Dimin about that, as he currently has both (and is selling his 800). While I have not hear the NL-210, from all accounts, it should also be a fantastic cab.

Tom.
 
#8
ROSE BOWLUS said:
I was wondering that myself, but according to Mike, the 500 meets all of his volume needs, and it's lighter. Myself, I find it nice to have the extra headroom, so I would have opted for the 800.
Click to expand...


How much lighter, I wonder? For me the issue is moot because I keep my 800 in a small rack so I can stack my VL108 on top of it, but surely the weight difference couldn't be that much?
 
#9
I have the 500. The size and weight make it great for carrying in a shoulder bag. I have no quams about bringing it to rehearsals/small gigs instead of using the amp provided by the rehearsal space/club. When I had my stewart 1.2/ aggie db659 rig in a 2 space rack I would often leave it at home because I didn't want to carry it. While the 800 is not that much bigger I think it would be just big enough to deter me from carrying on the subway to a rehearsal/gig if I didn't have to.
 
#13
COTTON BOWLUS said:
Just wondering when I changed my name to Rose? I just check, and the plumbing is still external! ;)

Tom (not Rose) Bowlus.
Click to expand...

It was actually a dumb football joke. VERY masculine...sorry if I seemed to make any implications about the location of the plumbing. :)

Yours,

FRESH SWISSGIRL
 
#14
Chris Fitzgerald said:
It was actually a dumb football joke. VERY masculine...sorry if I seemed to make any implications about the location of the plumbing. :)

Yours,

FRESH SWISSGIRL
Click to expand...
Believe it or not, that is the first time I have heard that one! I guess because I pronounce my name more like BAU-luss than BOWL-uss, it didn't occur to me. Actually, it's pretty funny. And being a died in the wool Buckeye, I am very familiar with the Rose Bowl!

T.
 
#15
I got my iAMP800 from Clubbass.

Dave suggested to get the 800 since I use more than one cab on a loud situation. If you only use one 8 Ohm cab the 500 may be O.K.

The 500 is about 5 pounds lighter.

My 800 in its 15 pound rack is a little heavier than I wish it would be. But the rack is 15 by itself.
I just took my iAMP out of its rack and bought a $20 tool box
that is about 6 pound and put foam padding in there to protect the amp.
I'll post a picture when I'm done.

About a cab, I have the CXL112 and I really like it, but the NL210 is even better. Volume wise the CXl112 is amazing for a 1x12" but is not as loud as my EV 15L pro line (well, that's one of the best speakers ever made).
Its CXL112 is louder than for example the eden metro.

Wolfram
 

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