• 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.

Opinions, Recommendations, Advice & Grievances

untilshewokeme

untilshewokeme

Guest
Sep 29, 2014
1,067
3,345
42
Connecticut
#1
Here is my situation, I am currently picking up bass again after a 10+ year hiatus. For the short term I am looking to refine my skills again and maybe jam with my brother-in-law or friends. Long term maybe join a band and play small gigs here and there.

Previously I played out a poopy 100w 15” Kustom combo as it was the cheapest/loudest thing I could afford my freshmen year of high school for the band I was in. I have gone through dozens of old threads and it seems that combos aren’t want people recommend. But is getting an amp/cab overkill or is it thinking ahead?

Size: Looking for a smaller footprint (in terms of width and depth, height isn’t a problem) as I live in a small house
Weight: Not an issue (although the lighter the better)
Tone: Dirty/gnarly (something with character) that is still present at low volume (again practicing in a small house)
Musician Stylings: hardcore, punk, post-punk, metal, stoner metal

Combo Budget: $400ish
What has peaked my interest so far: GK MB 212, Any of the Ampeg BA Series, Fender Rumble V3s

Amp/Cab Budget: $800ish
What has peaked my interest so far: Orange TB500, Ampeg PF-500, Ampeg STV-212av, Ampeg SVT-410HLF, GK 212 MBE, GK Neo 212

So I am asking the TB community for your opinion on the matter. Combo or amp/head and which makes/model do you recommend. Used and local is my mindset at the moment to get the most bang for my buck.
 
#5
untilshewokeme said:
Currently building a parts jazz bass, should have it all together in the next month or so.
Click to expand...
Well sure hope you are a good craftsman and know what you're doing. From your op you have a budget in the $800 range. For just getting back into the swing of things (personal practice and fun informal jams) A new V3 Fender Rumble 200 combo will do all of that plus be able to play small bars/gigs without any PA support. Has an outstanding built in overdrive so you can dial in all the grind/dirt/grit you want and then blend it in or go 100%. Your choice. You can spend more if you like, but this would be a great start.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pudgychef
#7
Check out the "Mini Rigs of Doom" threads here for great examples of smaller setups.

As long as I'm spending other people's time and money, here's an interesting idea for a compact and fairly affordable but capable rig:

1) Traynor SB500 head ($500).

2) DIY 2-12 sealed cabinet using Kringle77's design based on the affordable Eminence Delta 12A driver ($85 ea). At only 2 cubic feet, it's lean and mean, and if you're up to the build it could be done for under $300. http://www.talkbass.com/threads/kringle77-sealed-2x12-video.1008579/

This would be a pretty cool, punchy, and unique rig for under eight bills, and it would sit on its little square in the corner and not cause any problems. (I have no direct experience with either of those products, but if I had the money to spare I'd take that road just for the adventure.)

Good luck with your search.
 
  • Like
Reactions: edencab and Jim Carr
#9
If footprint weren't such an issue, I'd recommend the OP look at used commercial cabinets. The Peavey Black Widow 1502 driver, for example, breaks up nicely and delivers the "gnarly" that the OP mentioned, but you'd want to run two of the 8-ohm versions -- which gets to be a lot of big heavy box in a small house.

Also in the DIY department, I'm getting ready to do this cool "Loud, Small and Cheap" build that Lowactnsatsfactn designed. The neo driver costs a bit more than the Delta 12A, but it's a great value. http://www.talkbass.com/threads/ano...mall-and-cheap-22-pounds-that-pounds.1095329/
 
#10
Of your choices I'd go Orange TB500 (terrific gritty tone, make sure you learn the tone stack) or PF500 ( make sure you get a newer one) with the GK Neo 212. Avoid Rumbles or other entry level combos. Lots of design compromises and cut corners.
 
#11
Love my little BA112v2 combo and I actually gig it regularly on very tight stages and tough schleps (we're not a super high volume band), but no doubt your second price range will get better and louder sound. If it were me, I'd do a PF500 and a 212av, but any of them are good choices...all a matter of your tastes.
 
#12
I really like my Genz Benz Contour 210 combo. Its got 500 total watts if you add a second 210 down the road. Great tone and you can score one for under 500 bucks.....It could handle a small gig with just the 2 10" speakers with style....300 watts thumps pretty good!
 
#13
untilshewokeme said:
Combo or amp/head and which makes/model do you recommend. Used and local is my mindset at the moment to get the most bang for my buck.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're doing what I did about 3 years ago: get back into music after a decade away. Congrats! I had a lot of fun gearing up and finding the right musicians to work with. I'm sure you will, too.

I did make some mistakes, though. First mistake: I bought a combo amp. Because then I bought an extension cab to go with it. Eventually even that was not quite enough and I ended up flipping the whole rig and doing what I should have done in the first place: buy separates. I probably only lost a couple hundred bucks on the deal, but I also wasted time and endured frustration. Do it right the first time.

Get a head with at least 500w. Get an 8 ohm cab that's big enough for something--rehearsal at least, or even small gigs. Then, as budget allows, get a second cab identical to the first. That then becomes the Big Rig that you'll use for loud drummers and outdoor stages, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lomo and Winfred
#14
scottfeldstein said:
Get an 8 ohm cab that's big enough for something--rehearsal at least, or even small gigs. Then, as budget allows, get a second cab identical to the first. That then becomes the Big Rig that you'll use for loud drummers and outdoor stages, etc.
Click to expand...

That's good advice, and it bears repeating that you have to watch your impedances carefully. That Ampeg SVT 212av, for example, is a 4-ohm cab. Great if that's all you want to run, but problematic for many heads that can't run 2-ohm loads (i.e., a pair of those cabs). That DIY 212 that I suggested using the Delta 12A also is a 4-ohm cab if wired in parallel, or a 16-ohm cab if wired in series, neither of which works very well for a stacked two-cab setup.

This is why I sometimes wish I had bought a separate power amp -- a Crest ProLite 2.0 ($380), to be precise -- instead of my Ampeg PF800 ($500 on sale and a good deal at the time). The ProLite has two bridgeable channels, runs down to 2 ohms, and offers all kinds of flexibility with cabinet setups. True, it's not a micro head, but it is a Class D power amp, and light enough to cart around. If you want maximum flexibility with cabinet arrangements and don't mind a 2-space shallow rack case, that's the way to go, IMO. For a capable pre-amp to run into the ProLite, you'd need look no further than the humble but effective Joyo American Sound pedal ($35).

Excluding the rack case, I bet you could easily put together a Crest ProLite 2.0, Joyo American Sound, and DIY 212 for under $700. That rig wouldn't have the same sleek profile as a micro-head, but it would offer tons more flexibility for the future.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: tedious1
#16
Thanks for all the input so far, please keep it coming. The more knowledge the better.

As far as a DIY cab, I might stay way at the moment. Building a parts bass is one thing but measuring, cutting and assembling plywood is a complete different beast. For some reason I have an uncanny ability to make all carpentry projects come out like a picasso painting.
 
#19
untilshewokeme said:
Here is my situation, I am currently picking up bass again after a 10+ year hiatus. For the short term I am looking to refine my skills again and maybe jam with my brother-in-law or friends. Long term maybe join a band and play small gigs here and there.

Combo Budget: $400ish
What has peaked my interest so far: GK MB 212, Any of the Ampeg BA Series, Fender Rumble V3s

So I am asking the TB community for your opinion on the matter. Combo or amp/head and which makes/model do you recommend. Used and local is my mindset at the moment to get the most bang for my buck.
Click to expand...

GK MB 212. If it gets too loud, buy a second one.. When GK says 500 watts, they mean it. Mine has gone up against pairs of guitar amps with no problem at all, save for a habit of walking, if placed on a hard surface. . I think a sans amp pre will get the grit you want
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back