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New amp recommendation

#22
DanAleks said:
I’d like to get a combo amp that would be a little easier to transport.
Click to expand...
Not saying "don't get a combo", but suggesting that you also look at potential amp/cab options, too.

It can be tricky to find one box (combo) that has everything you want all crammed in there. A simple Class D head can drop right into a backpack for easy transport and you can plug that into any cab you like. You might eventually use two cabs together to make more volume, a smaller one for quiet practice, a bigger one for the band... who knows?

"Nicer" combos that have everything that you want might also be rather pricey. Some combos might also be bigger and a little more cumbersome than a separate head & cab. Depending on what you find, the head/cab setup could be more flexible for the different settings and styles of music you play and you might also find generally superior bang for your buck going that way.
 
#23
groove pump said:
Not saying "don't get a combo", but suggesting that you also look at potential amp/cab options, too.

It can be tricky to find one box (combo) that has everything you want all crammed in there. A simple Class D head can drop right into a backpack for easy transport and you can plug that into any cab you like. You might eventually use two cabs together to make more volume, a smaller one for quiet practice, a bigger one for the band... who knows?

"Nicer" combos that have everything that you want might also be rather pricey. Some combos might also be bigger and a little more cumbersome than a separate head & cab. Depending on what you find, the head/cab setup could be more flexible for the different settings and styles of music you play and you might also find generally superior bang for your buck going that way.
Click to expand...



That idea has real potential.
Like I said, I have the 2x10 cab (at 50 LBS) that I could use. If you were getting a small Class D head, what would you get?

Thanks!
Dan
 
#29
DanAleks said:
That idea has real potential.
Like I said, I have the 2x10 cab (at 50 LBS) that I could use. If you were getting a small Class D head, what would you get?

Thanks!
Dan
Click to expand...
I don't have a ton of experience with these, but I have a GK MB 500 and also a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0.

The GK is the loudest 500 watts I could imagine. I've used this head to run my pair of 2x10 cabs outdoors without PA support and it's been plenty for me.

The Shuttle isn't quite as eager to push enormous volume, but it's also a potent head and it has a rather nice set of tone controls that include sweepable mids in the eq and a preamp tube that can be pushed into a mildly wooly driven sound at higher gain or a bit lower for cleaner tone.

If I had to go get something new today, I'm not sure where I'd start. The Genz Benz has a nice range of useful tones, so something from that family or perhaps a newer Genzler head would be easy to trust. I haven't sampled a newer GK Legacy, but I think that heads from their MB line are still around in the used market.

Quilter seems to make a decent head - I enjoyed noodling with one in a shop a couple weeks ago. Some of the high end options with strong reputations include Mesa Boogie and Bergantino, but I can't share any experiences with those.
 
#30
I love my quilter bb800 it sounds good alone, using preamp thru the xlr in, pedals only in front and a boom bass cabinet matrix. I don't even use my ampeg 8x10 anymore.
 
#32
So then I have a stupid question.

I’m seriously considering the Rumble 500. The specs say:
POWER AMP OUTPUT: 350W into 8Ω
500W into 4Ω
SPEAKERS: Two 10 in (25.4 cm), 16Ω, Eminence® Ceramic
and also says...
EXTERNAL SPEAKER OUTPUT (200/500 COMBO ONLY) —
Connect an 8Ω (minimum impedance) speaker cabinet here. The power rating of the external
cabinet should meet or exceed the rating listed on the amplifier.

The Carvin BR210 I currently have is 400W and 4Ω.

Is it possible to use the BR210 as an external speaker on the Fender Rumble?
I'm guessing no, but you all know much more than I do.

Thanks!
 
#33
DanAleks said:
So then I have a stupid question.

I’m seriously considering the Rumble 500. The specs say:
POWER AMP OUTPUT: 350W into 8Ω
500W into 4Ω
SPEAKERS: Two 10 in (25.4 cm), 16Ω, Eminence® Ceramic
and also says...
EXTERNAL SPEAKER OUTPUT (200/500 COMBO ONLY) —
Connect an 8Ω (minimum impedance) speaker cabinet here. The power rating of the external
cabinet should meet or exceed the rating listed on the amplifier.

The Carvin BR210 I currently have is 400W and 4Ω.

Is it possible to use the BR210 as an external speaker on the Fender Rumble?
I'm guessing no, but you all know much more than I do.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
That Carvin cab unfortunately wouldn't work in that application. You'd need another 8 ohm cab - ideally the Rumble 2x10 extension - to get the required 4 ohm minimum load.

Although the resistance load is divided by 2 when adding the 2nd cab, the sum of the power ratings of the two cabs is the general overall speaker power rating being driven by that amp. But as long as the resistance is at least the minimum load required by the amp, the power rating of the amp won't necessarily kill your speakers as long as you don't "turn it up to eleven". Even if the amp is rated at a few hundred watts higher than the speaker(s) hooked up to it, that setup can probably run fine if the amp's volume is under control.

As with any rig, if the speakers get to sounding strange when they're turned up a good bit or they start "farting out" (you'll know that when you hear it :wideyed:), back off the master volume and/or ease off on the lows either at the amp's eq or at your bass if you have an on-board preamp.
 

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