• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Rig Advice for someone without a car

In that case, perhaps a GK Neo 2x10 or 1x15 and a small folding cart would be a good choice. JMO.
GK doesn't make the 210 anymore, and it sounded like crap when they did. I had one. exactly the wrong thing to use for metal.. But the NEO 212-II is worth a look. The NEO 410 is worth a look, I have one, it's bassy and has wheels. The NEO 412 is definitely in the metal realm, but moving it - Oy!
 
I think I did play the Neo410 yesterday. But it'd definitely have to go on a cart as I can't push things in front of me and navigate with my cane. And I don't think it's all that much smaller spec wise than my Golight 4x10 I have now. Maybe a little lighter.
I did try another decent sounding GK 4x10, which I think was the CX. For Ceramic drivers it was pretty light too. But it looked not very road worthy, although the dimensions were nice.
 
ah, the CX line - I haven't tried those. You like?

And as for the golights - I remember trying one of them. I recall thinking the name better described the sound than the cab's weight. So if you use something like that that's light on the low end, a good, high-powered 2x10 might work. I guarantee a Rumble 500 Combo sounds better. Maybe look at the Rumble V3 210 cab. 500 watts and 39 lbs. So small it's cute.
 
The CX sounded good and was pretty light. No wheels though, not much on the corners for protection, and just a cloth grill. Which is probably fine but I have seen the steel grill on my Golight get dents.
True, the Golight is pretty light on the low end, so the Neo410 will be better there. If I can find any sort of 2x10 here I'll go investigate those. Have managed not to hear one thus far.
Should be a Rumble 200 combo around to test tomorrow. Won't quite be the 2x10 combo or cab, but I can get an idea of the sound at least.
What about GK's 2x10 combo? Any thoughts on that one?
 
JACink I'll do that.

Found another option just now, though I think it's too good to be true: Ashdown ABMC110 400W 1x10 Bass Tube Combo Amp | Musician's Friend
I have a hard time believing they can push 400 watts through a 1x10. Even half that is a stretch. Also the weight is off. Dimensions look about right, but no way does a box that big, even without a speaker, way 4 KG. Anyone got their hands on one of these? They look pretty new, not many people talking about them yet.
If by some chance it can in fact push even 200 watts, that one might be worth saving up for, or talking someone into ordering to a store here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bdplaid
I'm (obviously) not the OP, but I want to thank everyone for their tips. I'm a car-less bassist playing in a rock band for the first time in a long time (the last ~8 years or so has mostly been jazz, folk, and theatre for me), and my Acoustic Image Coda is very unlikely to cut it. For the moment we're just rehearsing, and there's backline in our rehearsal space, but I've been trying to figure out what I'm going to get when it comes time for gigging. I think I'm in a slightly easier situation than the OP (even without considering the sight issues) - Toronto has better public transit than Calgary, I think, and I'm not looking to play metal. The band I'm in is playing post rock, and one of our guitarists mentioned that he'll probably gig with his Blues Jr. because he figures his Hot Rod would be too loud, so I don't think I'm going to have to compete with anything too crazy.

So yeah, thanks for all the advice. This has made me feel much less worried about how I'm going to make this work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bdplaid and SamJ
JACink I'll do that.

Found another option just now, though I think it's too good to be true: Ashdown ABMC110 400W 1x10 Bass Tube Combo Amp | Musician's Friend
I have a hard time believing they can push 400 watts through a 1x10. Even half that is a stretch. Also the weight is off. Dimensions look about right, but no way does a box that big, even without a speaker, way 4 KG. Anyone got their hands on one of these? They look pretty new, not many people talking about them yet.
If by some chance it can in fact push even 200 watts, that one might be worth saving up for, or talking someone into ordering to a store here.

I think that the wattage is based on the amp, as all the ABM combo series (as far as I know, and at least the new ones) all have the same 400W amp in them, regardless of the speaker configuration.

I also think there is a digit missing from the weight on Musicians Friend, as the ABM 500 head weighs 14kg without the rest of the combo (an the 400 won't be much lighter).

Ashdown make a new neo ABM 210 Combo, which also has a 400W amp in it, but that weighs 26kg. Ashdown are definately not known for making light gear (except a very limited amount of micro heads).
 
Don't you wish manufacturers - the industry - would get away from using watts as the measure, and start using SPL and efficiency? I have a 400 watt single 15 that's louder than anything else I've played.
 
I'm (obviously) not the OP, but I want to thank everyone for their tips. I'm a car-less bassist playing in a rock band for the first time in a long time (the last ~8 years or so has mostly been jazz, folk, and theatre for me), and my Acoustic Image Coda is very unlikely to cut it. For the moment we're just rehearsing, and there's backline in our rehearsal space, but I've been trying to figure out what I'm going to get when it comes time for gigging. I think I'm in a slightly easier situation than the OP (even without considering the sight issues) - Toronto has better public transit than Calgary, I think, and I'm not looking to play metal. The band I'm in is playing post rock, and one of our guitarists mentioned that he'll probably gig with his Blues Jr. because he figures his Hot Rod would be too loud, so I don't think I'm going to have to compete with anything too crazy.

So yeah, thanks for all the advice. This has made me feel much less worried about how I'm going to make this work.
First, WTH is post rock? :)
I work with a guy who has a Blues Jr. make no mistake, they cat get deafeningly loud. Nothing like a Marshall, but more than loud enough to cause your ears to ring - for a long time after the gig.

Even though I am currently using a 210 combo, I hesitate to recommend them out of hand. IME not all are created equal, some cut it and some far from it.
I'm really sick of 410's and their throw - I've had many, and every time it was double the volume 10 feet past where i was standing, causing a problem FOH, causing me to turn down and then I couldn't hear it.
I'd really like to check out a three 10, but these days the only company I know who makes one is Epifani. And I don't feel like shelling out a grand just to test the cab.
I guess that leaves 12s. I've had a GK 212 and an Avatar 112. The GK was plenty loud and reasonably compact, but had a middle of the road sound which just didn't light my fire; I thought it was light in the upper mids, with no bark. Well made, though. The Avatar was only 95dB efficient, so it took a lot of power to drive it. Deep, though, surprisingly so. I have friends who use and swear by two 112 cabs, so maybe it was me. Also, I was in a music store a couple of years ago, specifically NOT looking for a cab with 12s. The salesman - my friend - insisted that i try a GB Uber 212. It was best sound in the large store. So I dunno.
My fave cab is GK NEO 115 - III. Very barky, which i like. Not a boatload of low end, which for me makes it a good, growly cab. One thing about it - if you drive a lot of bass through it, the port becomes like an air pump which you can feel. I don't recommended that, though. But I've done an innumerable number of relative loud rock gigs with a single one of those GK Neo 115s, and liked it. Interestingly, I don't like 2 of them together.

Don't know that helps, but for me, the process of elimination leads to 12s.
 
I tried a Mesa Powerhouse 2x10 yesterday. I quite like the sounds I can get. It does have a little farting at louder volumes on the lowest string, but with a little EQ tweaking I can keep most of the low end and get rid of that.
I'm curious though, is the 2x10 supposed to have the adjustable crossover frequency and tweeter reset? I didn't see anything on the back panel, unless it latches or something. It did have the 2 combo jacks, and was labeled as new stock.
Also, are there any 2x10's that are going to have issues if used on their sides in a 4 speaker tall stack? Obviously the cab will be directly on the floor because most don't have feet or casters on the sides, and HF drivers won't be in the expected positions but are there any people have found just don't work in that configuration?
I also found a decent cart there that can be reconfigured a fair few different ways which I should be able to pull 2 2x10's around in once I get a locking strap or two. So things are coming together.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jim Carr
I used to have a two 210 rig and it was awesome in a 4-speaker tall config. Very controlled low end, very punchy, and I could actually hear it.

Another thing - you said one of the cabs is farting; I wonder if you can use a compressor/limiter pedal to help with that? It should work, but I'm not sure you'll get the volume and tone you're after using a comp/lim. But it'll protect the speakers.
 
Don't know that helps, but for me, the process of elimination leads to 12s.

I kind of ended up in the same place. The GK MB212 combo is currently on the top of my list, competing with the NEO-212 + MB500, or maybe some sort of modular 2x112 rig, though I'm concerned that it will be harder to securely attach 2 112s to a handcart. I'd also been eyeing the Neo-115, and wondering if it would be enough. I'm glad to hear that it's held up for you in loud rock situations.
 
I used to have a two 210 rig and it was awesome in a 4-speaker tall config. Very controlled low end, very punchy, and I could actually hear it.
What I really love as well is if I ever need to get a bigger rig, I can just add another 210 which would be a lot cheaper than buying a big new 410 or something... also I think it'd be easier to work with 2 210's as opposed to 1 410... I suppose depends on the situation but for the most part!
 

Latest posts