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The Combo Club

#2,561
Before I hit it, I know I promised a Stage 800 update and that should be rolling in tomorrow. We had another crazy day today with school beginning at the normal time, but getting out early beating the blowing and drifting across the gravels. Tomorrow looks to be in jeopardy due to the Siberia-like temps and wind chill. Also, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all seem like perilous journeys to school if what we're reading holds up. I told Natasha, also known as #2 (but #1 in my heart), she may be putting up with me and loud rumbling from the man cave until further notice.


So be looking for a Fearless Leader report on the Fender Stage 800, or as I like to call it, an angry bull in a delicate china shop called my house.

G'night world from IA!
 
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#2,562
iagtrplyr said:
Fender...why do you do these things to us??? Just when Doggie had the Studio 40 in his sights, you toss him (and the rest of us) with a brand new, lower-priced combo that should do the trick at home. Decisions decisions. Well, I checked it out, as I'm sure GP did too, and I think for two bills it's probably a great buy. My only problem is I want something small for the music room, but powerful enough to jam and/or rehearse with others. I don't know if the single 8" speaker will do that as well as the 10" driver in the Studio 40, but I love its simplicity. Much shorter learning curve than with either the Stage or Studio models. Right this minute, I say spring for the Studio 40 (an extra 200 Washingtons, I know) and enjoy the many extra benefits unless this is for home only. Then someone take the plunge and grab this 25-watt rascal when it hits the shores. I'll be waiting to read the comments!
Click to expand...

And while we're on the subject
And while we're on the subject

The PJB BG-400 combo amp I also use is exactly the same size as the Compact 4 holding up the Ampeg BA108. It's kicking out 350 watts, or 500 watts when also driving the C4. So that's max / peak / whatever it is the smrt folks figure of 250 watts per cab. And, for me, this is an a high fun quotient of bass coming out of a stupidly small package. Of course PJB isn't priced in the budget range....

There was probably a point to that.

Might sound something like "these are very good times to be a bass player (especially if you've had enough of carrying more weight than strictly required)".

Or not.

Because there is still part of me that wants the C8 to pair with either the C4 or BG-400. It has the feel of Wyle E. Coyote solution, hey? :roflmao:
 
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#2,563
GwenOnBass said:
And while we're on the subject
And while we're on the subject

The PJB BG-400 combo amp I also use is exactly the same size as the Compact 4 holding up the Ampeg BA108. It's kicking out 350 watts, or 500 watts when also driving the C4. So that's max / peak / whatever it is the smrt folks figure of 250 watts per cab. And, for me, this is an a high fun quotient of bass coming out of a stupidly small package. Of course PJB isn't priced in the budget range....

There was probably a point to that.

Might sound something like "these are very good times to be a bass player (especially if you've had enough of carrying more weight than strictly required)".

Or not.

Because there is still part of me that wants the C8 to pair with either the C4 or BG-400. It has the feel of Wyle E. Coyote solution, hey? :roflmao:
Click to expand...
Acme makes amps?!?:D
 
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#2,565
c30d80a7c6c9db1ea5a7c5f092f9b8ae--back-to-the-future-bluetooth.jpg
0113080048-9.jpg
(It's not a combo!)
 
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#2,566
Now I think I should have a Wyle E. Coyote plushy on top of the rig.

That's mineral water there. My mild addiction to water so bright it's like crunchy. "Gas, no gas?" the waiter in Italy asks when I order aqua minerale. Gas.

We kind of know about gas around here. Because now there's an 8 ohm C8 that my BG-400 combo can drive (the original configuration was 4 ohms, I believe) that's like a whole different gas than i get with the mineral water. Both are likely safe. At a distance.

20190126_101007.jpg​
 
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#2,571
GwenOnBass said:
And while we're on the subject
And while we're on the subject

The PJB BG-400 combo amp I also use is exactly the same size as the Compact 4 holding up the Ampeg BA108. It's kicking out 350 watts, or 500 watts when also driving the C4. So that's max / peak / whatever it is the smrt folks figure of 250 watts per cab. And, for me, this is an a high fun quotient of bass coming out of a stupidly small package. Of course PJB isn't priced in the budget range....

There was probably a point to that.

Might sound something like "these are very good times to be a bass player (especially if you've had enough of carrying more weight than strictly required)".

Or not.

Because there is still part of me that wants the C8 to pair with either the C4 or BG-400. It has the feel of Wyle E. Coyote solution, hey? :roflmao:
Click to expand...

As interesting as this particular thought is, and even though we're the Combo Club, I've been wanting to ask one Morrighan how she's liking her TE Elf. It was on my short list months ago and I'd enjoy reading a quick assessment of it's tone, power, and whether the lime green goes with your cables. :wideyed:
 
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#2,573
iagtrplyr said:
As interesting as this particular thought is, and even though we're the Combo Club, I've been wanting to ask one Morrighan how she's liking her TE Elf. It was on my short list months ago and I'd enjoy reading a quick assessment of it's tone, power, and whether the lime green goes with your cables. :wideyed:
Click to expand...

TE is showing some new little combo amps at NAMM right now, FWIW.
 
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#2,574
Just to let everyone know my amp expansion, with the Vox added to the Peavey and the two Eden cabs, is a failure. The issue is that the Vox doesn't have many EQ options, so the tone coming from the Eden cabs, from the Vox head, is not great. Nonetheless, the Vox head works as an excellent preamp for the Peavey. So that part of the experiment was a success!

I have a few options moving forward, but I think the amp experimenting must be put on hold for awhile. I bought a cheap Chinese Hofner in order convert it to a fretless so that will be the next obsession for a bit!
 
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#2,575
Would that it be easy to quantify what an amp's "tone" is? Yet I feel the Elf is "warmer" at "flat settings" than my PJB combo or my little Ampeg BA-108. Why that is, I can't say. Hear tell around TB from folks who play or played Trace Elliot when it was the TE of original neon green fame that the engineers nailed the secret sauce with the Elf. One thing I'm digging about it is how it makes it really possible to show up with nothing more than what all fits in the gig bag for those joints with a cab backline.

And it's kind of intriguing (for me) to consider how easy it is to load in and load out in these modern-now-a-go-go days with a single carry. Rumble, Double-Four, Vox VX50BA ... And what holds my attention is conventional TB wisdom as I originally understood runs a rig for the largest venue you reasonably expect. When one might argue a rig for the smallest venue you reasonably expect and use a DI for anything bigger. Your amp as a personal monitor ....

When I went to the mountain top for enlightenment, that's what the wise donkey said. Back to practice.
 
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#2,576
GonePlaid said:
Wile E. at rest after a hard day at 'work':View attachment 3297671
Click to expand...

GP, why are you so brilliant? MAybe it's the cold and snow beginning to undo me, but we need a theme for today and Gone Plaid just turned on the lightbulb. So here it is...

Take a pic of one of your combos along with either your favorite animal (live or stuffed), toy, silly item, or whatever the heck you want. It's the end of January, folks, and it's time for something fun for the weekend. Now be as creative as you want to. As I tell the fourth graders, your imagination is your only boundary. Can you tell I only taught for a day and a half this past week? So let it fly, CC members. Thanks GP!
 
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#2,577
iagtrplyr said:
As interesting as this particular thought is, and even though we're the Combo Club, I've been wanting to ask one Morrighan how she's liking her TE Elf. It was on my short list months ago and I'd enjoy reading a quick assessment of it's tone, power, and whether the lime green goes with your cables. :wideyed:
Click to expand...

The Elf and the PJB C4 is teh awesomesauce. Elf + C4 + C4
there went the last braincells
 
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#2,578
Doctor Intrepid said:
Just to let everyone know my amp expansion, with the Vox added to the Peavey and the two Eden cabs, is a failure. The issue is that the Vox doesn't have many EQ options, so the tone coming from the Eden cabs, from the Vox head, is not great. Nonetheless, the Vox head works as an excellent preamp for the Peavey. So that part of the experiment was a success!

I have a few options moving forward, but I think the amp experimenting must be put on hold for awhile. I bought a cheap Chinese Hofner in order convert it to a fretless so that will be the next obsession for a bit!
Click to expand...

Doc, long time no hear, how ya been? Sorry to hear about the failed experiment, but feel good about the fact that you didn't kill any combos in the process (that's your cue, G'Dog). Your Vox combo is probably fine for what it does which is to use as a small room practice amp. I loved your creative thinking though. You mentioned the Vox head improving the Peavey, but do you end up losing some of the Peavey's preamp features because of it? I was thinking about their Kosmos feature. CAn you still use that, if it's any good, to begin with, or does it get bypassed?

I know you're on to your Hofner fretless now, but I'd unload all your gizmos and purchase a Stage 800. It'll do whatever you're looking for and you'll have enough amps and effects to play with until Global Warming takes over. You'll thank me and so will the nice people who'll score on your old equipment. Think about it!
 
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#2,579
GwenOnBass said:
Would that it be easy to quantify what an amp's "tone" is? Yet I feel the Elf is "warmer" at "flat settings" than my PJB combo or my little Ampeg BA-108. Why that is, I can't say. Hear tell around TB from folks who play or played Trace Elliot when it was the TE of original neon green fame that the engineers nailed the secret sauce with the Elf. One thing I'm digging about it is how it makes it really possible to show up with nothing more than what all fits in the gig bag for those joints with a cab backline.

And it's kind of intriguing (for me) to consider how easy it is to load in and load out in these modern-now-a-go-go days with a single carry. Rumble, Double-Four, Vox VX50BA ... And what holds my attention is conventional TB wisdom as I originally understood runs a rig for the largest venue you reasonably expect. When one might argue a rig for the smallest venue you reasonably expect and use a DI for anything bigger. Your amp as a personal monitor ....

When I went to the mountain top for enlightenment, that's what the wise donkey said. Back to practice.
Click to expand...

Thanks, M! You pretty much echoed what I've read and heard from those who own an Elf. I think it's a really cool story and hope it gives you great tone for years to come.
 
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