• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Off grid Bass

A

AjBoatie

Jun 23, 2023
4
2
#1
Hi People
I enjoy camping with friends. We sometimes jam but my acoustic bass doesn’t have the volume to enhance the dreadnoughts. I’m looking for an amp solution that won’t break the bank. I’ve tried running my ‘rumble’ via a pure sine inverter but the buzz drives us nuts. I’ve thought of upgrading my car sound system to incorporate a big sub woofer but don’t know if this is viable. Any suggestions out there?
Cheers Andrew
 
#2
Forget the car stereo/sub concept. That's a no-go, IMHO.

You should be able to resolve the buzz issue -- honestly, I'm a bit surprised to hear about an amp buzz issue with a pure sine wave inverter. The amp buzzes, even with nothing plugged in? Does the volume/gain control change anything? What sort of inverter rig is it? And what model Rumble?
 
#4
I have a Jackery 300 which is pure sine. I tried my GK 700RB and it does have a low level hum on the Jackery.

I believe this is because the output on the jacker is only Hot and Return...no ground.

Amps use the ground connection to reduce hum. There may be a way to bodge some sort of connection between the chassis of the Jackery and amp, but I don't know if it can be done safely.

The amp I would suggest is the Roland Cube Street EX. It runs off AAs and I recommend getting some Eneloops and a charger. The amp does not have a built in charger.


The Cube Street EX is rated at 25W x 2 and has two 8" woofers. I believe actual power is closer to 12.5W (total). IMHO this amp is still small and light enough to work well for camp fire jams, and I think it will give you a bit of headroom when playing with a couple of drunks thrashing nice dreadnaughts. It will sound more like a PA cab than a bass amp. For the record, this would be my choice.

Roland also makes some smaller amps. The regular Cube Street is rated 2.5W x 2. I have actually played my Tacoma Thunderchief ABG through this model and it seemed about as loud as the gass. Also, it farted out super easily if I did not play with restraint.

Roland recently discontinued the Bass Cube RX with is rated 2.5W x 2 and has four 4" speakers. Years ago I tried one in a store and was totally unimpressed with the volume it could produce, but YMMV. This one will sound more like a bass amp and people seem to like its built-in rhythm module. I don't think this amp will give you much if any headroom against a couple of drunks with dreadnaughts.

The Bass Cube RX has been replaced by Boss Dual Cube Bass LX. This is rated 5W x 2 and has two 5" speakers. So it the amp makes +3dB more power, but less speakers could mean less efficiency...meaning it may produce about the same volume as the Bass Cube RX.

Roland makes a BA-330 amp that I think has a bit more headroom than the Cube Street EX, despite making less power. This amp also sounds more like a PA than a bass amp, and it is rated for 15W x 2 and has four 6.5" woofers. It's approximately twice the size and weight of the Cube Street EX...so I think it's a bit too bulky and heavy for the campfire scene.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DavePlaysBass and Green Hornet
#5
JBL Partybox.
It has both guitar and mic inputs with their own volume controls.
Has Bluetooth for connecting to devices, you can play music through it and play bass at the same time.
They're loud enough and last a long time from fully charged to no charge.
The volume does drop ever so slightly when running on its own battery but nothing to lose sleep over.
You can link two together to have a stereo unit but they must be the same unit.. The 310 won't link with the 510 and vice versa.
They have flashing disco lights around the speakers which can be switched off. A bass boost button with 3 settings (including off).
Worth looking into.
It's what I use if I can't be bothered setting up my bass rig or need something quickly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CallMeAl, Wasnex and AjBoatie
#6
Wasnex said:
I have a Jackery 300 which is pure sine. I tried my GK 700RB and it does have a low level hum on the Jackery.

I believe this is because the output on the jacker is only Hot and Return...no ground.

Amps use the ground connection to reduce hum. There may be a way to bodge some sort of connection between the chassis of the Jackery and amp, but I don't know if it can be done safely.

The amp I would suggest is the Roland Cube Street EX. It runs off AAs and I recommend getting some Eneloops and a charger. The amp does not have a built in charger.


The Cube Street EX is rated at 25W x 2 and has two 8" woofers. I believe actual power is closer to 12.5W (total). IMHO this amp is still small and light enough to work well for camp fire jams, and I think it will give you a bit of headroom when playing with a couple of drunks thrashing nice dreadnaughts. It will sound more like a PA cab than a bass amp. For the record, this would be my choice.

Roland also makes some smaller amps. The regular Cube Street is rated 2.5W x 2. I have actually played my Tacoma Thunderchief ABG through this model and it seemed about as loud as the gass. Also, it farted out super easily if I did not play with restraint.

Roland recently discontinued the Bass Cube RX with is rated 2.5W x 2 and has four 4" speakers. Years ago I tried one in a store and was totally unimpressed with the volume it could produce, but YMMV. This one will sound more like a bass amp and people seem to like its built-in rhythm module. I don't think this amp will give you much if any headroom against a couple of drunks with dreadnaughts.

The Bass Cube RX has been replaced by Boss Dual Cube Bass LX. This is rated 5W x 2 and has two 5" speakers. So it the amp makes +3dB more power, but less speakers could mean less efficiency...meaning it may produce about the same volume as the Bass Cube RX.

Roland makes a BA-330 amp that I think has a bit more headroom than the Cube Street EX, despite making less power. This amp also sounds more like a PA than a bass amp, and it is rated for 15W x 2 and has four 6.5" woofers. It's approximately twice the size and weight of the Cube Street EX...so I think it's a bit too bulky and heavy for the campfire scene.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the detailed response. I’ll check out the Cube, it sounds ideal. I think you are correct regarding the no earth causing hum/buzz. I did fit a filter to the A/C input plug with to try and address it. The result was a less obtrusive hum but a hum nonetheless, my drunk mate on his dreadnaught still didn’t like it, he’s a fussy knucklehead.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wasnex
#7
Redbrangus said:
Forget the car stereo/sub concept. That's a no-go, IMHO.

You should be able to resolve the buzz issue -- honestly, I'm a bit surprised to hear about an amp buzz issue with a pure sine wave inverter. The amp buzzes, even with nothing plugged in? Does the volume/gain control change anything? What sort of inverter rig is it? And what model Rumble?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I think the buzz has something to do with there is no earth when using an inverter. This is pointed out by a contributor below. I did fit a filter to the A/C input to no avail, less buzz but still buzz. It’s a Rumble 15 I’m experimenting with.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wasnex
#8
upload_2023-6-30_21-46-6.png


Sorry.... Just had to!
 
  • Like
Reactions: AjBoatie, seamonkey and fdeck
#11
daveman50 said:
View attachment 5110732

Sorry.... Just had to!
Click to expand...

Except that's actually right. That's the size it takes for an acoustic double bass to equal the output of an acoustic guitar.

If you want a slab bass, a good high efficiency class-d battery powered amp will be your next best choice, with a good efficient (high sensitivity) speaker. Which may end up weighing as much as a double bass.
 
#12
Not sure what level is “breaking the bank” for you but quality lasts. In my youth it was “cheapest wins” but that gets expensive in the long run and I am much too poor to buy cheap!
All that being said, I use a Phil Jones Double Four for my campfire/living room outings powering it with my Dewalt cordless drill batteries. I 3d printed an adapter but you can buy them on Amazon. Others I have seen use a laptop battery that is slimmer.
Here is a used one in the classifieds:
For Sale - Phil Jones Bass Double Four w/custom cover
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/phil-jones-bass-double-four-w-custom-cover.1610774/
Here is a pic of my setup:

IMG_2748.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3439.jpeg
    IMG_3439.jpeg
    632.3 KB · Views: 35
#14
I got an ABG last year. I also play upright and cello. So far I've tried the ABG with fiddlers, who can be just as loud as guitars. Right now I'm in the process of de-fretting it. I've played it without the frets, though I still have to fill in the slots.

My impression so far: If you want to play with "correct" EBG setup and technique, forget it. If the hot young fiddlers are competing to see who can play the loudest and fastest, forget it. In my hands, it's louder without frets, because I can dig in as hard as I want without worrying about buzzing. I plan on leaving the action high, or even raising it. But still, it's an acoustic instrument, and it has its limits. If I were to take anything camping, it would be my cello.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wasnex

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back