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The Combo Club

#5,081
I play a lot of sub gigs where I do not exactly know what kind of venue and audience is waiting for me. For these gigs I prefer to gig with a strong and versatile combo. I like the short and simply setup; just place your combo on stage, connect to mains, DI Out to FoH and you're done. I am also playing EUB and therefore need a combo with somehow acoustical capabilities. The Mark Bass cmd 121p was compact, loud and very nice for E-Bass but failed for EUB due to it's strongly coloured mids. The Ibanez Promethean P5110 was a gift from heaven to carry but even too weak for most bar gigs. The Ampeg Combos were to low mid heavy; nice for E-Bass but unusable for EUB. After trying the AER basscube I ended up with AER Amp two, which is a very good match for E-Bass and EUB. There is a nice video from Ed Friedland demonstrating it's capabilities:

I know, the price of an AER amp two is insane. But AER amps are less expensive in Germany where they are build and I had a good bargain opportunity to buy one used. The weigth of 25kg (55lbs) is little bit over the edge but I added some wheels and a trolley handle which makes it easy to carry:
AER Amp two - 1.jpg
 
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#5,082
TheBass said:
I play a lot of sub gigs where I do not exactly know what kind of venue and audience is waiting for me. For these gigs I prefer to gig with a strong and versatile combo. I like the short and simply setup; just place your combo on stage, connect to mains, DI Out to FoH and you're done. I am also playing EUB and therefore need a combo with somehow acoustical capabilities. The Mark Bass cmd 121p was compact, loud and very nice for E-Bass but failed for EUB due to it's strongly coloured mids. The Ibanez Promethean P5110 was a gift from heaven to carry but even too weak for most bar gigs. The Ampeg Combos were to low mid heavy; nice for E-Bass but unusable for EUB. After trying the AER basscube I ended up with AER Amp two, which is a very good match for E-Bass and EUB. There is a nice video from Ed Friedland demonstrating it's capabilities:

I know, the price of an AER amp two is insane. But AER amps are less expensive in Germany where they are build and I had a good bargain opportunity to buy one used. The weigth of 25kg (55lbs) is little bit over the edge but I added some wheels and a trolley handle which makes it easy to carry:
View attachment 3510585
Click to expand...


TheBass, just you posting that pic of your AER has increased our club’s property value ten fold! What a serious piece of kit you’ve got there. You auditioned some awfully good candidates too.

If you'd like a membership # please let me know. Id he happy to give you one and add your name to our roster.

Thanks for posting the image!
 
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#5,084
iagtrplyr said:
TheBass, just you posting that pic of your AER has increased our club’s property value ten fold! What a serious piece of kit you’ve got there. You auditioned some awfully good candidates too.

If you'd like a membership # please let me know. Id he happy to give you one and add your name to our roster.

Thanks for posting the image!
Click to expand...
Thanks for your warm welcome. i would appreciate a membership #.

I am just lucky to live less than 40 miles away from where those AER amps are build. Also Glockenklang is less than 150 miles away from my house too. I own a Glockenklang Blue Rock amp + Double Art cab for the louder rock sub gigs and may have paid even less than for an Ampeg or Mesa tube amp over here. I guess I am just blessed with two good amp companies next to me.
 
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#5,086
Ladies and gents, without further adieu, I proudly present to you member #149, all the way from Germany, TheBass, and member #150, all the way from Harrisburg, PA, EoganDubh! I'm so happy you two joined our club.

Folks, we made the short-term goal set to have 150 members by Monday and we did it! I wanna thank any of our regulars for maybe hinting to all the fine bass players we've added the past week or so to come aboard. As you may know, I begin inservice days next Monday thru Thursday and then the kiddies show up on Friday. Obviously, I won't be on as much as I'd like but I'll my presence, much like that itch you can't seem to reach, will be around!

Here's an idea to finish up what's been a great summer here at the club: we all board a plane and head to TheBass's house so he can give us tours of both the AER and Glockenklang factories. Who's ready for a field trip??? :hyper:
 
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#5,087
I've had this little marvel for over 20 years now with the extension cab and also had a MarBass 112 and a few others.......traded the MarkBass combo for a LMii head to go with my cabs instead.....I also saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, which is what made me want to play music.

I wouldn't mind being #151 since I was born in '51

IMG_0745.JPG
 
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#5,088
And the cheesecake shot of the BA-108. Read the fine manual and learned the bass EQ is centered on 40 hz (mid, 500 hz, high 4 kHz). What happens when I change the bass when the signal to the amp is high passed at ~ 60 hz? For science? Whatever it is, it sounds good.

20190817_105205.jpg
 
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#5,090
G-Dog said:
If listening to Solstice Eve is out, I'd be happy to work for GonePlaid any way he sees fit. :thumbsup:

BTFW*, I was in 7th grade at the time. Not so carefree having to plan, and prepare for, your High School courses and choose between becoming a Beatle or an astronaut. Tough choices! Back when it was still called Junior High! 9th graders ruled!!!
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*By The Further Way
Click to expand...


I hear ya, been recording a little (but not enough to post)
 
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#5,091
TheBass said:
I play a lot of sub gigs where I do not exactly know what kind of venue and audience is waiting for me. For these gigs I prefer to gig with a strong and versatile combo. I like the short and simply setup; just place your combo on stage, connect to mains, DI Out to FoH and you're done. I am also playing EUB and therefore need a combo with somehow acoustical capabilities. The Mark Bass cmd 121p was compact, loud and very nice for E-Bass but failed for EUB due to it's strongly coloured mids. The Ibanez Promethean P5110 was a gift from heaven to carry but even too weak for most bar gigs. The Ampeg Combos were to low mid heavy; nice for E-Bass but unusable for EUB. After trying the AER basscube I ended up with AER Amp two, which is a very good match for E-Bass and EUB. There is a nice video from Ed Friedland demonstrating it's capabilities:

I know, the price of an AER amp two is insane. But AER amps are less expensive in Germany where they are build and I had a good bargain opportunity to buy one used. The weigth of 25kg (55lbs) is little bit over the edge but I added some wheels and a trolley handle which makes it easy to carry:
View attachment 3510585
Click to expand...


EUB still means you're a doubler, yes? So the AER makes a great deal of sense and is drop-dead gorgeous to boot.
 
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#5,092
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#5,093
loopee said:
I've had this little marvel for over 20 years now with the extension cab and also had a MarBass 112 and a few others.......traded the MarkBass combo for a LMii head to go with my cabs instead.....I also saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, which is what made me want to play music.

I wouldn't mind being #151 since I was born in '51

View attachment 3510868
Click to expand...


Trying to figure from the photo who makes this beast? :: ducks, runs, and covers ::
 
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#5,097
loopee said:
I've had this little marvel for over 20 years now with the extension cab and also had a MarBass 112 and a few others.......traded the MarkBass combo for a LMii head to go with my cabs instead.....I also saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, which is what made me want to play music.

I wouldn't mind being #151 since I was born in '51

View attachment 3510868
Click to expand...

loopee, your wish this Saturday morning is my command. We begin the journey to 200 members with the presentation of loopee as our 151st Combo Club member. Wear that badge with pride, our newest teammate! BTW, been dying to play through that GK just to hear what all the fuss is about. Everyone who seems to use the amp loves it.
 
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#5,098
Went off and thought about it. What it appears to me is, a high-passed signal to the preamp of my combo with a bass EQ centered at 40 hz means the preamp acts on -12 db inside its curve? Is the breadth of the curve the Q? (I really did search.)

Then the same signal to Amp B where the bass EQ is centered at 80 hz means, well to me it gets pretty complicated fast. The old eastbound train leaves at some hour and some speed some distance from westbound train and this is exactly the blessing of band class.
 
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#5,099
GwenOnBass said:
Went off and thought about it. What it appears to me is, a high-passed signal to the preamp of my combo with a bass EQ centered at 40 hz means the preamp acts on -12 db inside its curve? Is the breadth of the curve the Q? (I really did search.)

Then the same signal to Amp B where the bass EQ is centered at 80 hz means, well to me it gets pretty complicated fast. The old eastbound train leaves at some hour and some speed some distance from westbound train and this is exactly the blessing of band class.
Click to expand...

Interesting hypothesis, Professor. So my question to you is, “What is your overall objective with the experimenting, besides a quality learning experience and something fun to mess with?”

Are you planning on running a multiple-amp setup? Will you be hauling this mega-rig to gigs? Is the purple Voodoo Child cable involved in any of this?

I’ll wait...
 
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#5,100
The intention are arrangements to cover all immediately probable circumstance.

In the worst case scenario (where sheer volume is required), I could run a line out from the PBJ combo to the Elf driving its own cab. More practical circumstance sees the PBJ gear as a combo or a combo + extension for large places. The Elf + CAB 27 is for smaller settings, or rehearsal space, or the Elf alone as either a DI or for a backline cab. If the setting were really low volume, the BA-108 is definitely worth the tote.

At present it's where I work. I can drop the tablet on a music stand and run the headphone out to any AUX IN. Or read music. I know, weird.

What wasn't accounted for in assembling this Frankenstein's laboratory of bass was just how different the three amps sound.
 
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