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Recommend a lightweight bass amp for a retiree

May I suggest a GK400RB as an amp, which you should be able to get for $200-250 and almost any decent used 112 or 115 cab?
That unit is 200 watts at 4 ohms. I don't want to buy two 8-ohm speakers like I had with my GK rig. Finding a 4-ohm used speaker is a bit harder too I think, at least in my area. I had two Backline speakers and I thought they were dreadful, especially the 15-incher.
 
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The 400RB I still own, and use occasionally, is loud way beyond its wattage. I personally run it through a Schroeder 112 (about $500ish?) so maybe above your target price, but I’ve played that amp for 20+ years through almost anything that’s been thrown at it and always sounds good. Admittedly, I’ve never used with GK cabs so I can’t comment on those. The Schroeders I own are both 8 ohm cabs, and using just one is almost always loud enough for any casual band situation I’ve been in for many years.
 
Btw folks I am amazed and delighted by your responses. You have listed several very good amps all within my price range. I would, of course, like to test drive some of them but where I live there are two retailers and very little supply.

Oh, btw, my first two bass amps were (you guessed it), Peavys. But HEAVY ... I hurt my back once trying to lift one. Does Peavey make any lightweight amps you could recommend?
They do. They make the 1000 watt Mini Mega it is smallish and weighs just about 9 lbs. Don't know USA cost but was £500 in uk pair it with a Peavey headliner 2x10 and you will have a very nice big sound.
 
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You guys checking the RB-115 on Sweetwater while reading this post? It's made today's trending gear list.
I guess a big issue with combos is that you need an extra cab to get the full power. Ralph124C41 doesn't want to have to add another cab, he wants a one cab solution.

The Hartke Hydrive HD112 is the only 4 ohm (switchable between 4 and 8 ohm) cab that meets the budget (and is new) that I found.

I don't have experience with this cab, but I do have experience working with what you got/can afford and this seems like a good cab for the price (after reading reviews and watching/listening to some videos).

The Warwick Gnome at $200 is also a great deal. I have the Warwick Gnome i Pro (280w) version, I use it everyday as a practice amp. No fan noise at all, which is an issue I hear from other micro heads. I ordered mine from Zzounds, linked to the 200w version below.

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Already been suggested in a way (with the single 15"). Close to $2,000 (probably more with tax) and the OP's budget is $600.

Also the Subway cabs are back ordered until at least April, possibly into the Summer.

Like I said earlier there seems to be a lotta Mesa Flexin on TB LOL

Analogeezer

Much cheaper if they can be found used, but yes, even then probably closer to $1200, less with the D-800 vs the plus. Sometimes I find it best to save a bit more to get something that suits me better, I like the flexibility of having a head/cab rather than a combo, but that's just me. The OP asked for suggestions, that's mine.
 
RS112T Bass Cabinet | RevSound

Great suggestion, except it leaves 15 bucks for an amp head. If you're going to poo poo Mesa for being too pricey, that's fine, but you kinda walked into that one. ;)

I'd suggest a GK mb200 and a used 112 neo; since the new fourth generation neos came out, they aren't the latest and greatest, so they should be a little less expensive. Still great cabs for the money.

I was not suggesting that really to the OP, I already made some suggestions at his budget point.

I'm poo poing Mesa because of the people posting their $2000 - $3,000 rigs as a suggestion for a guy with a $600 budget; and also the fact the cabinets are on back order until who knows when. This kind of advice is not helpful.

Given the OP's satisfaction with Ampeg and the fact a Rocketbass comes in under his budget cap, I think he would be very happy with that.

FWIW I have a RevSound cab with an Acoustic B300HD head and that entire rig cost me $700 and sounds flat out amazing.

Not trying to be a RevSound fanboi but I think most people do not realize how well priced his products are. His single 15" with a tweeter weighs 10 pounds less than a Mesa 1-15" and costs $200 less, AND you get to pick the tolex color if you want something other than basic black.

Now Mesa makes some great sounding, very high quality gear but I swear some days it should get it's own forum LOL

Analogeezer
 
Well ... the quest is over.
I just ordered a used KB 112 from a Guitar Center store in Florida (I live in New York state). With shipping and tax it came to under $250. I think it will pair nicely with my Tiltback 10 ... once I get access to it along with the BG250. That may happen, however, until the probate court thing is finished and that could take a long time.
 
Well ... the quest is over.
I just ordered a used KB 112 from a Guitar Center store in Florida (I live in New York state). With shipping and tax it came to under $250. I think it will pair nicely with my Tiltback 10 ... once I get access to it along with the BG250. That may happen, however, until the probate court thing is finished and that could take a long time.

Congrats, did you have them ship it to your house or did you have them ship it to a local GC?

The second of course assuming you have a local GC.

That's a really good deal (like $200 off from new) and I think you should be really happy with it.

Analogeezer
 
Congrats, did you have them ship it to your house or did you have them ship it to a local GC?

The second of course assuming you have a local GC.

That's a really good deal (like $200 off from new) and I think you should be really happy with it.

Analogeezer
To the store. That way I can check it out on the spot and if it doesn't work then the folks there (I've been shopping there for more 10 years) will just box it up and send it back for me.

The store is about 10 miles from me but is in the heart of shopping for me so nothing special.
 
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Oops, my bad. i took a look at the pics and this is an older unit, like my Tiltback 10. It has only 120 watts and that is not what I want so I am trying to cancel the order. It hasn't shipped out or at least I have not gotten any word about it.
 
To the store. That way I can check it out on the spot and if it doesn't work then the folks there (I've been shopping there for more 10 years) will just box it up and send it back for me.

The store is about 10 miles from me but is in the heart of shopping for me so nothing special.

Smart move, you were well ahead of me as this was what I was going to suggest, ALWAYS a good idea with GC gear and I think it actually saves them money shipping from store to store as opposed to your house. If you turn it down it just goes on the floor with other used gear at the new location.

Hell my closest GC is 65 miles away but I would still do the ship to store option.

Analogeezer
 
Smart move, you were well ahead of me as this was what I was going to suggest, ALWAYS a good idea with GC gear and I think it actually saves them money shipping from store to store as opposed to your house. If you turn it down it just goes on the floor with other used gear at the new location.

Hell my closest GC is 65 miles away but I would still do the ship to store option.

Analogeezer
Yes years ago I ordered an amp with a proprietary power cord from a GC in California. I told the store to make sure to send me the cord and was assured it would. I then sent an email to the store saying the same thing. A full week later I got the amp and ... no cord. I called the CA store and the manager, without checking with his employee, told me he was certain his employee would have sent the cord. I took the amp to my store and somebody put it in their stock and sold it within a few days; it could also run on batteries. Btw, after I came home I got an email from the CA store saying they had found the cord. They said they forgot it but offered no apology. I guess I emailed back not to bother but I've made sure never to order from that store again.

I had the amp sent to my home so I had to make the trip to my local GC to return it.
 
To the store. That way I can check it out on the spot and if it doesn't work then the folks there (I've been shopping there for more 10 years) will just box it up and send it back for me.

The store is about 10 miles from me but is in the heart of shopping for me so nothing special.

Do report back on how you like that amp. It is on my radar screen (especially used for the price yours was) as a replacement for my Hartke A25. Nothing wrong with the A25 really, it's just so low in output (25 watts) as to be mainly useful for looking cute LOL.

I played a duo thing with my keyboard player at a Christmas party at work with it and used it for some songwriting/learning songs upstairs at his grand piano and it was ok for that.

Reality is it's not useful for much other than looking awfully cute but the KB12 only weighs 2 pounds more and is not a whole lot larger, and would be useful as an actual amp.

So I would be really curious to hear your impressions of the KB12, seems like a low cost solution to amp GAS :)

Analogeezer
 
Please read my earlier post. I cancelled the order as I discovered it was the first-generation model with only 120 RMS, not the current 250 RMS/500 peak power.

Yeah I just read that; those are actually not bad amps but if you stand a chance of getting your Kickback 10 back it's hardly worth it to buy a used Kickback 12.

Beyond the watts I think the new ones weigh about 20 pounds less, which was a goal of your so yes by all means cancel the order and keep looking.

If it makes you feel better some guy on Reverb bought one of these Hartke KB12 combos used from Sam Ash and they sent him the old one even though it was advertised as the new version.

Not sure it was outright fraud, more likely the kind of people who work at these places got it wrong in the listing and picture; the ability to fog a mirror seems to be the only requirement to working there LOL

Analogeezer
 
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