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The Combo Club

#5,643
fermata said:
New combo has landed! (Actually, it's unlikely it was airborne at any point, but let's not get into semantics.)

View attachment 3561675

A few observations, after playing the SB112 for all of an hour or so:

I'd call this amp clean/uncolored with a very well-voiced EQ. Whatever the frequency centers are (not listed in the manual), they're useful, sensible, and compatible with the speaker/cab design. When the bass is pushed, the cab avoids flubbiness; when the treble is cranked, it avoids brittleness. And I'm really happy to have my first four-band EQ; having those two separate mid controls really allows for some fine-tuning. My guess is this amp will be easy to dial into pretty much any mix.

Reading other reviews on TB, it seems the Low Expander gets a mixed reception. I really like it. It's not a normal mid-scoop, in the typical sense that lows and highs are boosted; it just boosts the lows and dips the mids and highs. Turn it up somewhere between a quarter and half, and the sound starts to get very warm and velvety. And the tweeter is sweet (no hiss, no brittleness) and thus useful, too.

At home, I have the single gain control barely cracked and my bass plugged into the -6dB input, and I've got plenty of volume. Switch to the unpadded input and turn up, and this thing gets really loud and actually moves air.

Finally, it's extremely well made, fairly compact, very light and easy to carry, and the carpet covering--which needlessly put me off these amps for too long--is trim, not shaggy, and actually, surprisingly, looks nice. (Domestic short-haired cab covering, if you will, as opposed to the long-haired varieties.)

Gotta say, it's hard to imagine a better amp at this size and price. (I'm guessing Traynor is aiming to compete with GK but has managed to push up against the MarkBass CMD 121, which costs almost twice as much!)

I'm looking forward to getting to know it better at some upcoming rehearsals and gigs in the next couple of weeks.
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I must say, formata, you know how to scribe a serious review. Nicely done! Today, I proclaim that anyone who uses the word semantics is okay with me! Please continue on with the enlightening prose as you get more used to your new baby.

Can we get these amps in the Lower 48? Pardon my naïveté. Ooh, how do ya like that word?
 
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#5,644
iagtrplyr said:
I must say, fermata, you know how to scribe a serious review. Nicely done! Today, I proclaim that anyone who uses the word semantics is okay with me! Please continue on with the enlightening prose as you get more used to your new baby.

Can we get these amps in the Lower 48? Pardon my naïveté. Ooh, how do ya like that word?
Click to expand...
Merci! I'll fess up: I had hoped to win your good graces by casually flaunting the word semantics, and obviously it worked. I'm also hoping to curry favor with this club by having a combo as my now one and only amp.

And yes, these amps are available in the lower 48. Up Front Guitars and Link Removed carry them, among others (check Reverb, too).

And now, sadly, I have to amend my glowing review with an unfortunate defect that only just revealed itself: the little Made in Canada maple leaf sticker fell off! I normally don't like stickers on amps, etc., but I do like this one. So it's very disappointing Traynor didn't make it stickier. I'll see if I can put it back on; I hope that doesn't void the warranty. ;) And I'll share more as I get to know the amp better.
 
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#5,645
fermata said:
Merci! I'll fess up: I had hoped to win your good graces by casually flaunting the word semantics, and obviously it worked. I'm also hoping to curry favor with this club by having a combo as my now one and only amp.

And yes, these amps are available in the lower 48. Up Front Guitars and Link Removed carry them, among others (check Reverb, too).

And now, sadly, I have to amend my glowing review with an unfortunate defect that only just revealed itself: the little Made in Canada maple leaf sticker fell off! I normally don't like stickers on amps, etc., but I do like this one. So it's very disappointing Traynor didn't make it stickier. I'll see if I can put it back on; I hope that doesn't void the warranty. ;) And I'll share more as I get to know the amp better.
Click to expand...

It's not the Canadian's fault...it is Fall, you know, eh?
 
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#5,646
fermata said:
Merci! I'll fess up: I had hoped to win your good graces by casually flaunting the word semantics, and obviously it worked. I'm also hoping to curry favor with this club by having a combo as my now one and only amp.

And yes, these amps are available in the lower 48. Up Front Guitars and Link Removed carry them, among others (check Reverb, too).

And now, sadly, I have to amend my glowing review with an unfortunate defect that only just revealed itself: the little Made in Canada maple leaf sticker fell off! I normally don't like stickers on amps, etc., but I do like this one. So it's very disappointing Traynor didn't make it stickier. I'll see if I can put it back on; I hope that doesn't void the warranty. ;) And I'll share more as I get to know the amp better.
Click to expand...

We’re gonna get along just fine, fermata. Just fine. BTW, I love the bass as well. I’m a sucker for a simplistic, what-you-need-and-no-more kinda bass. Even my Rogue bass has too many, what I consider, sliders and doo-dads.

Psst...just add a little maple syrup to the sticker and sleep her on while singing, Oh, Canada.”
 
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#5,649
AHaze said:
Recently became a double combo owner.View attachment 3561323
The Rumble 350 has been my only real amp for a while. I never particularly enjoyed hauling it out of my basement so when the Eden EC15 showed up in the local classifieds for $100, I had to snag it. The Rumble will now enjoy a permanent home in my jam space / practice room while the 20 lb. lighter Eden will be kept in the garage for easy loading.
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Haven’t forgotten you, AHaze. You should have a number tonight!
 
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#5,651
iagtrplyr said:
OMG, tell us everything and don’t leave out one detail. What did you get???
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Well,............? We're waiting!!!
cxwDIu5.gif
 
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#5,654
Doctor Intrepid said:
I'll wait til it arrives before I spill the beans. Sorry. Got to have a NAD and everything.
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Argh, isn’t it just a doctor to make ya wait until he’s ready to see you? Like MrNylon, I can wait, but I’d love just a smidgen of a hint to keep everyone happy. Come on, Doc!
 
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#5,659
GwenOnBass said:
Does Florida ever feel like autumn?

Want to hear more about a Rumble 200c and outdoors festival thing-y. Any PA?
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Sort of-in winter(calendar wise)*. The BL provides the PA(2x Electro Voice Evolve 50's). No instruments into PA, only voice(s). Guitarists are using smallish 7ender amps(Blues Junior, etc.), drummer also unmiced. Small community festival with individual tents and vendors, on a football size field.

*a 'guesstimation'. I've never experienced a real autumn.and I've never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express
 
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#5,660
GwenOnBass said:
Does Florida ever feel like autumn?

Want to hear more about a Rumble 200c and outdoors festival thing-y. Any PA?
Click to expand...

Hey M, big news. played the Ampeg this afternoon to record and Break-in the new speaker. It is very very nice! Nice enough you should re-think making the purchase and have someone put it in if you want to avoid that. Think of turning it up as loud as you want and not hear any breakup, strain, or plain pooping out!

If you’re interested, I’ll send ya some audio to hear, though it may not be perfect...or the sound either! Let me know.
 
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