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Double Bass Practical Subway-Travel URB Rig around 1000?

#21
jeffbonny said:
I wonder if the sound as it focuses out into the room isn't better than what you hear sitting right on top of it? I'm on my third one and always had them for portability and durability more than sound quality. But I keep coming back to them because every time I hear someone else using one I think "hey, that sounds pretty good!".
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They do sound pretty good, although I think their voicing and e.q. work better for electric bass than for upright. A GK is a very good choice for situations where portability is absolutely paramount--like the original poster on the subway. Lots of great players still use them. The design has surely stood the test of time. These things have been around for...what, 30+ years? I've had the same 200MB for more than 20 years and it's been bulletproof.

But these days there are many small, lightweight amplification options, some of which sound better to my ears and don't cost much more than a GK.
 
#24
You need to decide if you're going with a shoulder bag or a cart. IMO the shoulder bag is the best solution. The small GK is the only amp thats small enough not to be really awkward in a shoulder bag although it is a bit heavy for this. The best solution would be the GK microbass cab in a shoulder bag and a sub 4lbs. amp in your bass bag. Other small cabs while light enough are a bit big for the shoulder bag thing. Do you really want a cab hanging off your shoulder thats sticking out over 11-12 inches while fighting through rush hour crowds with your bass? The depth of the cab is a big factor in ease of carrying.

Carrying an amp on a cart while wheeling a bass in front of you seems really unwieldy to me although I guess some guys do it. I don't know how they get through doors though.
 
#25
Anyone have experience with AER's basscubes?

I have the GK Mbx with a Bose poweramp and Sansamp Paradriver preamp. This set up weighs in at about 19lbs for everything, and if I absolutely, positively must use an amp on a gig I just throw the gear in my GX bag and leave extra early.
 
#26
basss said:
IMO the shoulder bag is the best solution. The small GK is the only amp thats small enough not to be really awkward in a shoulder bag although it is a bit heavy for this.
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I got a GK bag for the MBE combo and I keep thinking there ought to be a better solution, or at least a better design. A grab handle would be very helpful and I wish the padding was more stationary inside the bag. It seems like when I'm carrying the amp/bag on my shoulder, I always bump it once or twice on either a doorway or a car door frame.

But this little rig makes the BugBass sound great and has plenty of volume and bottom for my purposes. I actually had to use the low filter (a HPF, really!) to clean the bottom up at my last gig.
 
#27
tornadobass said:
I got a GK bag for the MBE combo and I keep thinking there ought to be a better solution, or at least a better design. A grab handle would be very helpful and I wish the padding was more stationary inside the bag. It seems like when I'm carrying the amp/bag on my shoulder, I always bump it once or twice on either a doorway or a car door frame.

But this little rig makes the BugBass sound great and has plenty of volume and bottom for my purposes. I actually had to use the low filter (a HPF, really!) to clean the bottom up at my last gig.
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Mooradian makes a bag for specifically for this amp - or at least they used to when I bought mine about 12 years ago. It's a clam shell design with handles, shoulder strap and stationary padding. After over a decade of regular use mine is worn but still very usable.
 
#28
tornadobass said:
I got a GK bag for the MBE combo and I keep thinking there ought to be a better solution, or at least a better design. A grab handle would be very helpful and I wish the padding was more stationary inside the bag. It seems like when I'm carrying the amp/bag on my shoulder, I always bump it once or twice on either a doorway or a car door frame.

But this little rig makes the BugBass sound great and has plenty of volume and bottom for my purposes. I actually had to use the low filter (a HPF, really!) to clean the bottom up at my last gig.
Click to expand...

I had Mooradian make me a bag when I used the GK. They'll make it to your specs. Backpack straps are available.
 
#36
M Ramsey said:
Several years back it fell from my amp stand about 12"-18" onto a wooden stage ...
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Yeah, those GKs are durable. I had one fall about 8' at CB's Gallery! No functional damage. I just don't dig the sound, though.
Back to the topic, Instead of a combo amp, I recommend finding a lightweight head you can deal with, and getting maybe two small cabinets. With the head in your backpack, the weight will be more comfortably distributed, and then you only bring as much speaker as you need for the venue. If there is a cabinet there already, your left hand is free. If there is a rig there, you still have the option of bringing your own head, so you can spend less time fussing with the sound and get right to playing.
Robobass
 

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