Poor person's Acoustic Image?

It's OK, turnabout is fair play, considering the number of posts BG folks have done over here, suggesting Rotosounds in the STRINGS forum or, more recently, talking about a couple of decades old Stingray in the DO OLDER BASSES SOUND BETTER in a thread where folks are talking about DBs a couple hundred years old.
Rather than a combo, have you looked into a small head and light speaker cabinet? When I use an amp (which is starting to be more and more since I moved down south; louder audiences, rooms not conducive to music, less than competent sound people, etc.), I have a Walter Woods (7lbs) and a GK MBE112 (12lbs). The head only offerings from AI weigh in at about 3 lbs, find (or build) a lightweight 1 12" cabinet, hey, there you go...

 

Another good separate head is the Euphonic Audio Iamp Doubler. Many bassists are upgrading to the Doubler II and the first generation can be bought used at a great price.

 

GK have some nice light combos that sound pretty good. Start by setting the EQ to flat.....
-2 +1 +2 -2 for B LM HM T (or thereabouts).

+1 to EA amps.

Or post a Wanted ad for a used Contra.

 

No, it's the same size cabinet, but just a speaker cabinet. There was one for sale here(talk bass), but I can't remember how recently.
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/amp...n-krueger-112mbx-extension-cab-for-micro-bass
They don't make'm anymore, but they still pop up used...

 

Lot to miss about NYC!

 

I agree with others regarding a separate head and speaker vs a combo amp, that way you can use the same amp with different speakers. TC, Trace Elliot and Gallien Kruger all make small inexpensive heads and speakers that should fit in your price range. Do some searches in the Amps, Mic & Cabs [DB] forum, there are plenty of good, light, options.

Trace Elliot ELF 1x10 impressions
TC Bam200

The speaker cabinets are trickier to search for but a small single eight or ten inch speaker would replace the contra just fine.

Happy hunting and good luck.

 

For Sale - MAS 2*5 with case. MAS 25. Great cab. There's a 45 for sale too, but a bit heavier.

 

Always some sorta trade off, eh? :-/. Anyway, sounds like you’ve got your reproduction of your acoustic sound using amplification worked out alright.

 

I'm using an Eden WTX500 and an Eden EX1124. More directional than the Contra. Or I'll use the Contra with the Eden Ex1124 as an extension. Both work well.

 

I also use the TC Bam and find it to be a good poor mans substitute for the AI. Fewer features, not as much power, but for $149 its one heck of a deal. I use mine with a Doubleshot that I picked up used. Its a great sounding combo. I have not tried the Elf cabs but I did try the head and didn't like the baked-in color. People seem to like the cab. If you keep watching the classifieds sooner or later an inexpensive 110 will show up.

 

Yeah, but it has its perks, too. Branford's quartet played here last week and I loaned Eric Revis my German bass (since he was doing the bass du jour thing and the college bass was Not Happening), got to hang out with the band in the hotel bar, swap stories. Last night, a buddy from NYC Claire Daly was playing in Savannah, so drove down and got to sit in with that band. And my friend Dan Greenblatt is coming in from Seattle in a couple of weeks, got a few gigs and a workshop scheduled with him.

 

Claire Daly rocks. I saw her heading up a 5-baritone frontline at a jazz festival a few years ago.

 

Another option might be a used Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0-10T. And since the amp could be removed y loosening two screws with handwheels you have both a combo amp if you want it compact and a single carry item and separate amp and can in case you want to use a different cab.
Only 180 watts as is with the 8 ohms speaker, 300 watts with 4 ohms.

 

If you already have a bass and an AI Contra, anything more should pay for itself from gigs...

 

my cheapest, lightest, loudest setup was - AI Focus I series iii + Ampeg 210 AV

not the best or the exact tone i was looking for but, it served we well for 200+ gigs the last few years.

 

Never had an AI rig to compare it to, but +1 on GK MB series. I like the old ones better but my MB112ii is pretty versatile. My other rig is TE Elf head with PJB cab 27. The head is ok, a better EQ section and I'd call it "good," but the cab 27 is wonderful. Honestly sometimes wish I could have the GK amp with the PJB speakers.

 

Once I found two cabinets on the street. One flite cabinet and the GK. I only took the flite. I regret not taking the GK