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The Combo Club

Still thinking about that Orange crush 100, but...
1- is it loud enough for band practice with a guitarist and drummer playing blues and rock?
2- at 50+ pounds, does it sound that good to want to lug that around?
I’m not able to try one out around here, but I’m very intrigued by it. lol
So you're considering the 100 and no longer the 50?

1. 100 watts would get "crushed" with the guitarist and drummer I play with - wouldn't stand a chance!
2. No way!

I'll stick with my nice light Rumble 500 combo! :D
 
So you're considering the 100 and no longer the 50?

1. 100 watts would get "crushed" with the guitarist and drummer I play with - wouldn't stand a chance!
2. No way!

I'll stick with my nice light Rumble 500 combo! :D
Yea, that’s why I was thinking of getting the 100, but I still think it wouldn’t be enough. Haha
Plus the rumble 500 does sound really good.
 
Hey combo club. Thanks again for helping me out. Here is my new (to me) beauty. A lovely Ampeg 100watt 115.

Just got this thing home and am so pleased. Such a nice clear tone compared the Acoustic 25 watt I had. That tone could really only be described as muddy.
Very nice looking amp! Glad you're happy with it, and I like your blue bass too!
 
Sure, give me a number. I definitely don't see myself joining the seperate head and cabinet club any time soon.

And yes, I am already digging it. It just sounds so deep and burpy. Even my little Mikro sounds so nice.

You got it! I’ll try and ring you up tonight. I still remember the first time I listened to that combo. My son was looking for an amp and he played through it and we liked the tone. That was enough for me. There’s always an Ampeg in my stable no matter what the hot brand is at the time.
 
Sorry if this seems like an obvious question but if my combo includes a -15db input for active basses should I use that input if I’m running pedals? Isn’t that basically taking my bass and making it active?

thanks.
Good question. I don't know for sure. I do know that I have used pedals with a passive bass I did use the passive input. Seemed to work.
 
Thanks guys. I’ll give it a go once I’ve found the power supply for my overdrive pedal again. My main concern was I don’t want to blow my beautiful new Ampeg. But that seems unlikely based on what people are saying. I doubt I’ll get it much past mid volume anyway!

The idea of boost pedals are to push the preamp to grind your tone. If you start off at -15 dB, by the timf you add that OD you’re only back to where you started.

Add your favorite pedal at 0 dB (for a passive bass) and careful not to overdo it. Don't worry, your tone will tell ya. If you have an active bass that’s already got built-in heat, then use the pad to smooth out your input.

Some like the reduced-gain sound with their passive bass, especially if they’re running at super low level late at night. I do sometime, but it does reduce the mojo when your volume control is already low.

I’m onto my computer to get your number!
 
Hey combo club. Thanks again for helping me out. Here is my new (to me) beauty. A lovely Ampeg 100watt 115.

Just got this thing home and am so pleased. Such a nice clear tone compared the Acoustic 25 watt I had. That tone could really only be described as muddy.

WestyBassBob, I hereby anoint you as the 212th member of our Combo Club. Spread the good news that there's a place for combo lovers all over to meet and share tales of their amps. Congrats and thanks!
 
Good question. I don't know for sure. I do know that I have used pedals with a passive bass I did use the passive input. Seemed to work.
Sorry if this seems like an obvious question but if my combo includes a -15db input for active basses should I use that input if I’m running pedals? Isn’t that basically taking my bass and making it active?

thanks.
The terms "active" and "passive" for inputs are in fact misleading. It just indicates that the "active" input is less sensitive than the "passive" input. Usually the "active" input is generated from the "passive" input with an additional resistor to reduce input sensitivity and impedance. This helps reducing input noise but will also dampen the sound of a passive bass.
 
The terms "active" and "passive" for inputs are in fact misleading. It just indicates that the "active" input is less sensitive than the "passive" input. Usually the "active" input is generated from the "passive" input with an additional resistor to reduce input sensitivity and impedance. This helps reducing input noise but will also dampen the sound of a passive bass.
On a of couple older amps(2000 Bassman 25, Peavey MAX110),I'd run my active Les Paul 5er into the passive input and lower the volume on the bass to 5ish. Worked great.
 
The terms "active" and "passive" for inputs are in fact misleading. It just indicates that the "active" input is less sensitive than the "passive" input. Usually the "active" input is generated from the "passive" input with an additional resistor to reduce input sensitivity and impedance. This helps reducing input noise but will also dampen the sound of a passive bass.

Usually not an inline resistor, but an attenuator pad:

300px-Attenuator%2C_T-section.svg.png


Still pretty simple in construction, though resistor selection takes a little math and is dependent on "normal" input impedance and nominal input voltage.

You can, in theory, use an inline resistor, but pad circuits use smaller-value resistors than you'd otherwise need, give you better fine-tuning of attenuation amount than off-the-shelf resistor values would otherwise allow, and minimize the change in apparent impedance to the input (avoiding changes in capacitance loss and therefore tone).
 
So there is a Phil Jones BG-400 for sale in my area. It's red. I have a Bass Cub and a PB-100 now. Should I buy the BG-400 and sell the Cub and PB? I likely won't break even on the sale, but it will be close and I'll have an extra 100w of power. Also the BG-400 is red. I'll still have my double four to use until I move out of my apartment if the BG-400 doesn't come alive at low volume. Did I mention the BG-400 is red?
 
My SWAG is the only surprise a red BG-400 may hold is it's a hefty little thing at 40 pounds / 18 kg. :)
Scientific wild-ass guess? Think I've heard that before, and forgot it, but I love it.

I imagine up until about 12 on the master volume my CUB/PB combo of combos will sound very similar to the BG-400. I'm not comfortable enough with my playing to ask my apartment building neighbors to help me test that theory. I do think my (wishful) path forward with the CUB/PB set of adding 1 or 2 PB-300s will be harder than adding a C4 cab to the BG-400.
 
My own Stupid Wild-Azz Guess is there is no indoor venue a BG-400 and C4 won't handle. That said in the understanding it's not my personal goal at 64 to set decibel records. Would I like to try two C8s and 800 watts of my choice? Are you kidding? Do I need that now? :: shakes head sagely ::

^ horizontal back and forth movement of the head is somewhat universally acknowledged as a "no" :smug:
 
So there is a Phil Jones BG-400 for sale in my area. It's red. I have a Bass Cub and a PB-100 now. Should I buy the BG-400 and sell the Cub and PB? I likely won't break even on the sale, but it will be close and I'll have an extra 100w of power. Also the BG-400 is red. I'll still have my double four to use until I move out of my apartment if the BG-400 doesn't come alive at low volume. Did I mention the BG-400 is red?
Nahh, you don't want one of those, I think you should just pass...Oh, wait...it's RED???
Well, now, that changes things! I think it was made for you to have it!
:roflmao:

If you have the funds and such. No sense doing something rash... ;) The expansion ability seems to me it would make an ideal addition to a D4. I would expect that the BG-400 can run as low as the upper volume limit of the D4 with ease. Then with no additional cab you can probably manage most small-ish rooms. And if you need an extension cab for a really big gig (or super loud drummer) you know what mates to this perfectly.
 

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