The Combo Club

[Miles_ONeal]

Genz Benz calls these combos because they are attached to the cabinets. It’s a grey area.

The club's founder, ChefKen, assigned a number very early on (#10, I think) to someone with a Shuttle. That's good enough for me. Yes, the amp portion is more easily removed than that of, say, a Rumble 100, but it's still attached. With bolts, AFAICT.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

If they are considered combos according to the club then yes.

You are now member #317! We'd love to hear about your journey - musical, bass, combos, and anything else fit for TalkBass.

Club Wiki (includes sub-wikis for membership notes and list)

 

[G-Dog]

I have never tried to post a picture on here. But I will try.

Nice Rig....not really a combo tho!!

I see a really nice Genz Benz Cab and head....is that what you meant to post? Looking for the all in one unit.

That is what the Genz benz combos look like. You can remove the head to use with different speaker cabs. Shuttle Series | GENZ BENZ

Ahhh....the previous model....Your are in with my apologize!

Chefken#1
Modulusman #2
Vmabus#3
Firewalz#4

Congrats to all!

Count me in. I use the Shuttle 6.2-12T for rehearsals and practice. Then I'll add the STL .2-12T EXT for gigs. Its nice that the saddle accepts the 9.2 too.

Welcome sir!! #10

Double digits!!

The club's founder, ChefKen, assigned a number very early on (#10, I think) to someone with a Shuttle. That's good enough for me. Yes, the amp portion is more easily removed than that of, say, a Rumble 100, but it's still attached. With bolts, AFAICT.

You are now member #317! We'd love to hear about your journey - musical, bass, combos, and anything else fit for TalkBass.

Club Wiki (includes sub-wikis for membership notes and list)

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[SoulReflection]

.

Screws count:

Magnets don't:

Latches do:

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Screws count:

Can you carry the whole thing by that top handle? (Not " Would you want to?" but "Can you?")

Magnets don't:

One might contend that magnets latch, but they don't fasten, whereas

Latches do:

Latches latch and fasten. To me, a combo requires the amp to be properly fastened to the cab somehow. Just observations, the science of comboness is already settled.

 

[SoulReflection]

Can you carry the whole thing by that top handle? (Not " Would you want to?" but "Can you?")

One might contend that magnets latch, but they don't fasten, whereas

Latches latch and fasten. To me, a combo requires the amp to be properly fastened to the cab somehow. Just observations, the science of comboness is already settled.

Agreed. This is not a combo:

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Agreed. This is not a combo:

Agreed. Even if you bolted it together, or latched it to french fries and a drink.

 

[GwenOnBass]

In more recent combo news, I plugged into my BA108v2+ Sunday for Ari Cap's Music Theory for the Bass Player cohort check-in.

The cohort is a group of students moving together through the first 20 units of the material. Every student has a coach, and there is a ratio of about one coach to three students. Coaches are volunteers who completed the course, usually multiple times, and are hand-selected. I'm one of two (what Ari calls) uber coaches, e.g. coaches to the coaches, and also coaches to the students. Roving coaches, if you will.

I don't normally attend these meetings with a bass. Sunday we were all called upon to plug in and ... the BA108v2+ is right in reach ...

My headphones are AKG 245s. I heard my bass fine with them on as I monitored the Zoom material.

Be prepared and all that, huh. lol.

 

[SoulReflection]

Agreed. Even if you bolted it together, or latched it to french fries and a drink.

Same difference...thanks...

 

[GwenOnBass]

Can you carry the whole thing by that top handle? (Not " Would you want to?" but "Can you?")

One might contend that magnets latch, but they don't fasten, whereas

Latches latch and fasten. To me, a combo requires the amp to be properly fastened to the cab somehow. Just observations, the science of comboness is already settled.

Nobody here believes I'm going to wade into this one lol.

 

[Pontiac Thrasher]

Genz Benz calls these combos because they are attached to the cabinets. It’s a grey area.

I am not an expert, but Fender set the precedent with "Piggyback?"

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Nobody here believes I'm going to wade into this one lol.

Wade, no. Dive, maybe?

 

[Jhalb]

Looks like I upset a hornets nest. I can carry both my Genz Benz with the top handle.

 

[Pontiac Thrasher]

Looks like I upset a hornets nest. I can carry both my Genz Benz with the top handle.

As can be carried most Fender piggybacks, that someone is strong enuff to do so with, not me.
; )

 

[SoulReflection]

Looks like I upset a hornets nest. I can carry both my Genz Benz with the top handle.

No hornet's nest, just a wholesome discussion. Doesn't really matter just so that everyone is happy or doesn't care. In the whole scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. Just a way to liven up a Monday .

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Looks like I upset a hornets nest. I can carry both my Genz Benz with the top handle.

Nah. Once upon a time, probably. Today it's just messing around. ("I hope", he said as he looked around intently.)
I just wondered if the Bassman could be carried that way. The GB I know are meant to be. But thanks for saying so!

 

[G-Dog]

Screws count:

... ... ...

Hmmm, ... Is there any specific precedence or decree to support that?

The initial decree, after member voting, did seem to say we "should include multi-piece amplifiers that are sold to be used as one, like the Ampeg B-15". And that does appear to be The Founder's thinking in accepting GB Shuttle combos.​

Can you carry the whole thing by that top handle? (Not " Would you want to?" but "Can you?") ... ...
To me, a combo requires the amp to be properly fastened to the cab somehow. ... ...

Oh, I can assure you that, YES, that many young healthy bassists, or roadies, definitely COULD carry my whole Bassman 500 (hybrid) head bolted to my Bassman 115 NEO cab at approx. just 70 lb.s. It IS that securely fastened together with the heavy duty piggy-back bolts! In my younger days I sometimes carried that, or more, quite a distance! (Hence my back surgeries.) But this is moot since it wasn't "sold to be used as one."

​

Hmm, but this makes me wonder if the Genz Benz Shuttle combos could meet that criteria? I'm not familiar enough with their amp-attachment bracket to know if the handle is meant to "handle" the full combo's weight? But, again, this is moot since they have been accepted since day one of the club.​

... ... Magnets don't:

... ... ...

I don't believe this has actually been considered at all. I don't see it being "sold to be used as one", though. And, if lifting the cab by just one handle, and tilting it, I wouldn't trust the magnet to hold the head on. ​

... ... Latches do:

While latches facilitate converting from one-piece transport to two-piece usable "combo", I don't think they were mentioned in the acceptance criteria. " Cool", "unique", and such adjectives were used. But, IIRC, the hardwired speaker cord, however long it was, seemed to be an example of "sold to be used as one."​

... ... ...
Just observations, the science of comboness is already settled.

Yeah, maybe, but as Fearless Leader you hold the destiny of the Definition of Combo-Ness at your whim.
.​

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Hmmm, ... Is there any specific precedence or decree to support that?

The initial decree, after member voting, did seem to say we "should include multi-piece amplifiers that are sold to be used as one, like the Ampeg B-15". And that does appear to be The Founder's thinking in accepting GB Shuttle combos.​

Oh, I can assure you that, YES, that many young healthy bassists, or roadies, definitely COULD carry my whole Bassman 500 (hybrid) head bolted to my Bassman 115 NEO cab at approx. just 70 lb.s. It IS that securely fastened together with the heavy duty piggy-back bolts! In my younger days I sometimes carried that, or more, quite a distance! (Hence my back surgeries.) But this is moot since it wasn't "sold to be used as one."

View attachment 5382490​

Hmm, but this makes me wonder if the Genz Benz Shuttle combos could meet that criteria? I'm not familiar enough with their amp-attachment bracket to know if the handle is meant to "handle" the full combo's weight? But, again, this is moot since they have been accepted since day one of the club.​

I don't believe this has actually been considered at all. I don't see it being "sold to be used as one", though. And, if lifting the cab by just one handle, and tilting it, I wouldn't trust the magnet to hold the head on. ​

While latches facilitate converting from one-piece transport to two-piece usable "combo", I don't think they were mentioned in the acceptance criteria. " Cool", "unique", and such adjectives were used. But, IIRC, the hardwired speaker cord, however long it was, seemed to be an example of "sold to be used as one."​

Yeah, maybe, but as Fearless Leader you hold the destiny of the Definition of Combo-Ness at your whim.
.​

I agree the hardwired cord is a clear indicator, but I don’t think the lack of one disqualifies by itself. There can be intent for a combination to be a combo while allowing flexibility. Maybe it comes down to whether one believes that to be called a combo it cannot be used otherwise without surgery. Exclusive vs inclusive.
The Shuttle is pretty much on the edge; some will see it one side, some on the other. Since our sous chef allowed it, I see it as safely in.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

… the science of comboness is already settled.

I hope y’all caught the sarcasm there…

 

[GonePlaid]

I hope y’all caught the sarcasm there…

No, I had a mask on.