The Combo Club

[GwenOnBass]

There is a lady with a fan

but no fan on the PJB BG-400 combo amp. It's totally silent with the speakers off. This is a feature I didn't know I need, and in fact do. The whole recording setup is crackerjack. Not pro, but pro enough, given the computer hardware limitations. All that remains is Thursday's rhythm matrix practice group graduation. Going into it confident my bass will be heard clearly, and accurately. Our assignment is prepare a funk groove, and play it live for a Zoom room full of bassists. We have The Chicken for inspiration.

This is two years of lockdown for you. Bit by bit, the the video process is getting better. The better the recorded quality, the better it is to listen to. A video is a powerful tool.

 

[swink]

If you have some time to kill:

 

[SoulReflection]

There is a lady with a fan

Ya but, I think she is engaged in other duties ...

 

[GonePlaid]

If you have some time to kill:

I have a "sound machine" for sleeping-currently on "rain".

 

[GonePlaid]

Gonna be an interesting next few nights. Tonight(Tuesday):Concert band. Ibanez AGB-200>Bassman 25; Tomorrow night: mini concert @ assisted living place. Ibanez or Thunderbird(edit: EB-0?)>R40. (Nothing Thursday). Friday night: regular rock/c+w/standards band @ American Legion(PSL, FL). 1967 THUNDERBIRD>R100 w/ 1939 Martin Tenor Sax>R40 and 70s era flute into my regular vocal mic.
EDIT: to be clear, I play sax and flute in addition to(not simultaneously*)bass.
*or at the same time
Now, if I had a short broom and a jar of Vaseline, I could sweep the stage too.

So, update on the Friday night thing. The guitarist who was going to play the bass lines on his guitar, through my EHX micro POG, while I played sax on 4 or 5 numbers, thought it wasn't 'perfect' enuff(even though the audience wouldn't have noticed a difference-who pays attention to the bass?). So the sax-and flute-stayed home. It woulda given our group a bit more versatility, but I won't be bringing it up again.

 

[G-Dog]

So, update on the Friday night thing. The guitarist who was going to play the bass lines on his guitar, through my EHX micro POG, while I played sax on 4 or 5 numbers, thought it wasn't 'perfect' enuff(even though the audience wouldn't have noticed a difference-who pays attention to the bass?). So the sax-and flute-stayed home. It woulda given our group a bit more versatility, but I won't be bringing it up again.

Is this in single guitar band mode? And, of course, he thinks those songs need guitar more than bass.

Might be worth bringing up next time you're in double guitar band mode. Surely, Shirley, one of 'em would like like a shot at bass thru an octave-down pedal?
.

 

[GonePlaid]

Is this in single guitar band mode? And, of course, he thinks it needs guitar.

Might be worth bringing up next time you're in double guitar band mode. Surely, Shirley, one of 'em would like like a shot at bass thru an octave-down pedal?
.

No, this was in 2 guitarist mode. And he plays bass. However, we don't get paid enuff for him to bring his bass and amp(MarkBass 112?)-in addition to his guitar and amp-for 4-5 songs. For a few days, I forgot what a perfectionist he can be. I won't let it happen again.
This was also at one of the few places where we have sufficient room for me to have the sax-on a stand-off to my side while playing bass. We'd figured on doing 2 songs at the end of 2 sets so there was minimal switching/delays.
*you may detect a bit of bitterness in my posts about this. I'd worked up a few songs.

 

[BigAndyA]

Hmmmm, my choice of words……
At any rate, does directing a continuous cooling breeze on the amp circuitry have any effect?

Don't know. I'll see if I have a small fan that I can use to test out the theory. My other amp worked great today so I think I'll keep that one at the rehearsal place for now.

 

[G-Dog]

No, this was in 2 guitarist mode. And he plays bass. However, we don't get paid enuff for him to bring his bass and amp(MarkBass 112?)-in addition to his guitar and amp-for 4-5 songs. For a few days, I forgot what a perfectionist he can be. I won't let it happen again.
This was also at one of the few places where we have sufficient room for me to have the sax-on a stand-off to my side while playing bass. We'd figured on doing 2 songs at the end of 2 sets so there was minimal switching/delays.
*you may detect a bit of bitterness in my posts about this. I'd worked up a few songs.

Maybe you shouldn't be so stingy and loan him your rig for those songs. Oh, but noo-oO-ooo! Not your "precious" 'Bird and your cherished Rumble. No way.

.​

 

[GonePlaid]

Maybe you shouldn't be so stingy and loan him your rig for those songs. Oh, but noo-oO-ooo! Not your "precious" 'Bird and your cherished Rumble. No way.

View attachment 4596448
.​

He doesn't like the 'Bird. Or the inexpensive Rumble. Only his MIA J and MarkBass.
Also there's the whole delay in switching sides(I'm on one side of the drums, the 2 guitars are on the other.)

 

[RodRy]

Maybe you shouldn't be so stingy and loan him your rig for those songs. Oh, but noo-oO-ooo! Not your "precious" 'Bird and your cherished Rumble. No way.

View attachment 4596448
.​

Dang-o man, bout cracked me up. 'Most slopped muh beer. Shoot.

 

[G-Dog]

Maybe you shouldn't be so stingy and loan him your rig for those songs. Oh, but noo-oO-ooo! Not your "precious" 'Bird and your cherished Rumble. No way.

View attachment 4596448
.​

Dang-o man, bout cracked me up. 'Most slopped muh beer. Shoot.
View attachment 4597451

Glad you liked it, rowdy Roddy. And many special thanks to GonePlaid for being such a good sport and not taking offense. He knows I'm a big fan of his, (though I'm not gonna blow on his amp!).
.

 

[RodRy]

Glad you liked it, rowdy Roddy. And many special thanks to GonePlaid for being such a good sport and not taking offense. He knows I'm a big fan of his, (though I'm not gonna blow on his amp!).
.

Best Rowdy Roddy quote, "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick a**. And I'm all outta bubblegum."

 

[GonePlaid]

Ho-lee Ship(sp?)! Just what I need(not): Kasino 200 Bass amp 1970's U200-2/K802 8x10 100 watt RMS combo amp Kustom | Coleman Music | Reverb (This was not a model listed in their catalog-for bass. They had an 8x10 guitar amp.

BTW, this(sorta)confirms what I'd heard about these. 100W RMS, 200W peak. All I know is that this thing is 52 y/o and LOUD.

 

[GonePlaid]

Ho-lee Ship(sp?)! Just what I need(not): Kasino 200 Bass amp 1970's U200-2/K802 8x10 100 watt RMS combo amp Kustom | Coleman Music | Reverb (This was not a model listed in their catalog-for bass. They had an 8x10 guitar amp.

BTW, this(sorta)confirms what I'd heard about these. 100W RMS, 200W peak. All I know is that this thing is 52 y/o and LOUD.
View attachment 4597639

Posted B4, but this is what it(w/ 2x15s)sounded like 7 years ago. Playing my unlamented Epi EB-3L-since sold. Note bass line during "take me to a disco" lyrics. Little inside joke. Saxist isn't a regular member. We've never rehearsed with him. He suggests a song, we ask "what key?", and away we go.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Good evening/morning folks! Sheesh, I had to go to Page 3 to find ya'll, and no posts on Friday? Must be a lot of bass playing going on. Hope you all had a good week. I'll be down to 60 days after next Monday. The district sent me their form letter yesterday saying they had approved my retirement request and to feel free to stop by sometime and say hi. I kid you not!

In more fun news, our CC member, KaiTheShisno, will be making his second pilgrimage west to the Corn State to pick up his new Stage 800 combo! We struck a deal a couple of days ago and before you know it he'll be playing that beautiful Jazzer bass through the Stage and not taking names. I'm looking forward to talking with him and hope his travels are safe.

Up next, as I continue my quest to downsize the music room...the PJB may be on the block for you Phil Jones lovers out there who are desiring a tiny-but-powerful combo for practice and acoustic jams. I haven't made my final decision yet, but it's not getting used and I wish it was. This one I will ship across the country in case anyone here in the club is interested. I'll be posting in the Classifieds in the next few days if I decide to. PM me if ya want to chat about it.

If you remember, my Terror Bass came back a few weeks ago and I've put it through the test with not only spirited playing through my 115 cab, but recording as well, and it has performed flawlessly. I think the Atlanta service dept decided they had enough of me bugging them and fixed it right. The tone is all tubey with a smooth top end and full, but not boomy bass. Both the P and the Rogue sound excellent in their own way, and it may finally be the B-15 on steroids as was advertised. She'll be my gigging rig, but also terrific for recording.

Finally, and this one is for M. Does everyone have that certain rig setup that at any given moment sounds so good you don't think it'll get any better? I'm sure you do and I right now have mine. It's in the upstairs guest room and consists of my P-bass (GP's fave) and M's and my baby Ampeg BA-108 v2+ combo. OMG, I flip it on, noodle for ten minutes before heading downstairs, and think that I've conquered the world! It's burpy without trying, has plenty of booty with a slight increase on the bass knob, and with the tone and volume controls being adjusted, can come up with about every creamy tone you can think of. I know, sounds impossible, but it's true. I may never move the pair out of the bedroom!

That's it for now, I'm off to slumberland to dream about 500-lb Kasinos and the fact that spring is only a little over three weeks away. Yeah, I know down south it's not such a big deal, but after this winter in Ioway it's a major deal here. Enjoy your weekend, everyone, and play soem bass!

 

[GwenOnBass]

... my baby Ampeg BA-108 v2+ combo. OMG, I flip it on, noodle for ten minutes before heading downstairs, and think that I've conquered the world!

I know, crazy deal for a hundred spacebucks!

A school pennant, ski hat, scarf, and a bundle of hand written notes from the students in our Ethics Day workshop arrived in the post. Bought a pack of high end stationary for my reply that I will pen this weekend.

One more rhythm matrix practice group to go, and we have homework. Playing to a Zoom room of bass players feels different than playing a gig.

 

[Giffro]

Howdy all,
Was just reading back on some old posts and would like to make an argument for the posting of user @gstaats whose posting and I quote it, asks....
JAN 1 2022 POST #20874
I've read through this thread and an varying opinions over time. Do B-15s count as a combo? (I do wheel mine and carry it with the head folded in)... I have a b-15r and also have one of the super rare ampeg b-15e extension cabs (only 97 were made).

To defend the B-15 as a combo we as a group already had a very similar query that I asked back in June 3 2019
PAGE 198
POST #3960
My query was related to an old Aussie amp at the time..a Goldentone (era approx 1965) that had a similar design to the B-15 that utilised a head and cab with the head clipped to the cap and carried inside the cab upside down when transporting. The consensus at the time from the group was that it was classed as a Combo..even the manufacturer called it a combo.
I quote my orig posting on it and the picture I also included at the time showing the side latches that attach the head to the cab rendering it a Combo. Here is that posting so you dont have to go back and look...

Giffro: "
I owned a classic amp in the late 60's which would classify as a Combo but also a separate head and cab, even though it really was classed as a combo. It was an Aussie made Goldentone 60watt BassMaster valve (tube) amp.
The head which was attached to a baseboard of its own, was then attached to the cab with 2 latches either side of the cab (if you look carefully at the left side of the pic you can see the 2 left-side latches). The cab was an unusual design where the head slotted into the top of the cab and was clipped down. When transporting, the head was turned upside-down on its base board and clamped again by the same 4 latches (2 on either side), so in effect the head was inside the cab and from the outside it just looked like a cab with no head. It did make it heavy to carry as you were picking up the entire cab with the head inside lol The head had a carry handle on both top and bottom, the bottom handle being attached to it's baseboard so when the head was turned upside-down and clipped to the cab you could carry the entire rig by it's "bottom" handle.

The speakers were 2 Rola 12" drivers. Easy to replace the speakers...just remove the head and the cab entry was though the top where the head sat, so you could reach down with both hands and unscrew the speakers from the front baffle board and replace them with ease if needed. From memory the speaker cable at the rear of the head plugged into the socket at the rear of the cab. The power cable was at the rear of the head too. When transporting, those cables sat inside the cab when the head was reversed and clipped.
It was a two piece unit as such but ran as a one piece unit when fitted together, just like a combo these days.
If you look carefully you can just see the seam along the leading front edge which is the baseboard the head is attached to..also at back left rear in the pic. An example of a very early flexible combo type amp."
This was the picture I included with this original text...you can clearly see the latches on each side that clip the head to the cab to form the combo..and when reversed the head sits inside the cab also using the catches.
Just thought it may help with the B-15 Combo or Not A Combo discussion. I for one believe it is a Combo if it is put together as one unit for a gig..it is a combo.

 

[RodRy]

Howdy all,
Was just reading back on some old posts and would like to make an argument for the posting of user @gstaats whose posting and I quote it, asks....
JAN 1 2022 POST #20874
I've read through this thread and an varying opinions over time. Do B-15s count as a combo? (I do wheel mine and carry it with the head folded in)... I have a b-15r and also have one of the super rare ampeg b-15e extension cabs (only 97 were made).

To defend the B-15 as a combo we as a group already had a very similar query that I asked back in June 3 2019
PAGE 198
POST #3960
My query was related to an old Aussie amp at the time..a Goldentone (era approx 1965) that had a similar design to the B-15 that utilised a head and cab with the head clipped to the cap and carried inside the cab upside down when transporting. The consensus at the time from the group was that it was classed as a Combo..even the manufacturer called it a combo.
I quote my orig posting on it and the picture I also included at the time showing the side latches that attach the head to the cab rendering it a Combo. Here is that posting so you dont have to go back and look...

Giffro: "
I owned a classic amp in the late 60's which would classify as a Combo but also a separate head and cab, even though it really was classed as a combo. It was an Aussie made Goldentone 60watt BassMaster valve (tube) amp.
The head which was attached to a baseboard of its own, was then attached to the cab with 2 latches either side of the cab (if you look carefully at the left side of the pic you can see the 2 left-side latches). The cab was an unusual design where the head slotted into the top of the cab and was clipped down. When transporting, the head was turned upside-down on its base board and clamped again by the same 4 latches (2 on either side), so in effect the head was inside the cab and from the outside it just looked like a cab with no head. It did make it heavy to carry as you were picking up the entire cab with the head inside lol The head had a carry handle on both top and bottom, the bottom handle being attached to it's baseboard so when the head was turned upside-down and clipped to the cab you could carry the entire rig by it's "bottom" handle.

The speakers were 2 Rola 12" drivers. Easy to replace the speakers...just remove the head and the cab entry was though the top where the head sat, so you could reach down with both hands and unscrew the speakers from the front baffle board and replace them with ease if needed. From memory the speaker cable at the rear of the head plugged into the socket at the rear of the cab. The power cable was at the rear of the head too. When transporting, those cables sat inside the cab when the head was reversed and clipped.
It was a two piece unit as such but ran as a one piece unit when fitted together, just like a combo these days.
If you look carefully you can just see the seam along the leading front edge which is the baseboard the head is attached to..also at back left rear in the pic. An example of a very early flexible combo type amp."
This was the picture I included with this original text...you can clearly see the latches on each side that clip the head to the cab to form the combo..and when reversed the head sits inside the cab also using the catches.
Just thought it may help with the B-15 Combo or Not A Combo discussion. I for one believe it is a Combo if it is put together as one unit for a gig..it is a combo.

View attachment 4600786

I got lost in the description somewhere. It sounds like the head unit is intended to come off and such for transporting. So far as this lone player sees it, if the head does not fully remain connected to the speaker cabinet (through a mechanical means, not just a chord) during travel, set-up, and playing, then to me, it's not a combo. It does not look like a combo in that photo...

But that's just an opinion.

 

[Giffro]

I got lost in the description somewhere. It sounds like the head unit is intended to come off and such for transporting. So far as this lone player sees it, if the head does not fully remain connected to the speaker cabinet (through a mechanical means, not just a chord) during travel, set-up, and playing, then to me, it's not a combo. It does not look like a combo in that photo...

But that's just an opinion.

Theres nothing stopping a user leaving the whole unit connected for travel if that what is desired..not ideal if it can be removed and turned upside down inside the cab...its still ONE unit wether the head is latched outside the cab or inside it. It is definately connected via the side latches during play time and its part of setting up..transport is up to the owner..I still call it as per manufacturers description..a Combo.