I think we must agree that while we are ill-defined we are also inclusive. So in my mind that settles it: if you can order fries with it then it is a combo ...
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The Combo Club
- Thread starter ChefKen
- Start date
If you're carrying it around with the head attached therefor only making one trip, I call it a combo. This would obviously include the Ampeg as the head is stored within. The minute you detach the head from the cab and carry them separately, it is no longer a combo. So I guess we've just created a new category: "Situational Combo" ...which, if you think about it, is also a great name for a band. Inclusion is the word of the day. In the immortal words of Olson Johnson from the movie Blazing Saddles when determining who will be allowed to inhabit Rock Ridge: "...aw hell, everybody".
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What is the biggest amp with speaker in the same housing? Which is the bulkiest and which has the highest output? Without checking, the Blackstar Unity 500 might be the highest output with its standalone 500w. Rumble 500s and Markbasses need an outboard speaker to give 500w.
The Kasino will be along shortly ...
«Olson Johnson is right!»
Back in the old days, when this club was - dare I say it («dare, dare!») - something of a fringe group, it was called the «No respect - I rock a combo Club». It was a place for those outsiders, those untouchables that went against the old TB dogma that you weren’t serious as a player unless you went the head-and-cab route.
Times change. Now I rarely hear that opinion voiced at all, and the Combo Club has gone from a fringe forum to a respected part of TB, to the extent that we now have to discuss what to allow as a combo. We have arrived.
So I agree with @biguglyman that this is no time for exclusion, and if you want to gaffer tape a head to a cab and call it a combo, that’s just fine. It only means that more people are recognizing the advantages of combos, and that, ultimately, is the purpose of this club.
The problem isn’t usually the drivers, it’s the integrated amp’s ability to drive at 8ohms. The Separate Markbass amps drive the same watts @ 8 ohms as the combos do. I have a 420watt Ashdown head, but that 400w is only accessible with a 4 ohm load (ie 2cabs)
Ummmm....excuse me? My fantabulous Gallien Kreuger MB212-ii puts out it's full 500 watts to the 2X12" speakers enclosed. ("Give the Governor a HRUMPH!"......"HRUMPH"..."better watch that guy...")
That's the same as Blackstar Unity 500.
- Oct 22, 2015
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Combos and watts ... please feel free to correct my understanding
It is possible, if you squint a bit, to see the Phil Jones Suitacase Compact combo at my left.
That's 350 watts to four 5 inch drivers, for 87.5 watts to each driver. Add the C4 for the "full" 500 watts and that means the combo and the cabs receive 250 watts each, or 62.5 watts per driver. It's "more loud" at 500 watts because there's more speaker area, yes?
What's fun to me about the pic is it shows just how small the PJB combo is. My bass is bigger than the amp. It's definitely loud. I could probably use that combo without the C4 extension for 80 percent of the gigs I don't have here in the time of The Thing That's Going Around. It's that loud.
Possibly a MarkBass or a GK or AnyOtherBrand combo can overpower the PJB in raw wall shaking power. There are players who wouldn't use the PJB at a rehearsal because it's not loud enough. That much loud isn't my objective with the combo. Perhaps at some point I will need two fridges
so I'll buy two fridges, and another Elf, and we're done
It is possible, if you squint a bit, to see the Phil Jones Suitacase Compact combo at my left.
That's 350 watts to four 5 inch drivers, for 87.5 watts to each driver. Add the C4 for the "full" 500 watts and that means the combo and the cabs receive 250 watts each, or 62.5 watts per driver. It's "more loud" at 500 watts because there's more speaker area, yes?
What's fun to me about the pic is it shows just how small the PJB combo is. My bass is bigger than the amp. It's definitely loud. I could probably use that combo without the C4 extension for 80 percent of the gigs I don't have here in the time of The Thing That's Going Around. It's that loud.
Possibly a MarkBass or a GK or AnyOtherBrand combo can overpower the PJB in raw wall shaking power. There are players who wouldn't use the PJB at a rehearsal because it's not loud enough. That much loud isn't my objective with the combo. Perhaps at some point I will need two fridges
so I'll buy two fridges, and another Elf, and we're done
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That's more or less how it works, I believe. Having more drivers also shoves more air, giving deeper bass as well as more volume.
Which Elf will you go for?
Which Elf will you go for?
- Oct 22, 2015
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This is my Completely-Not-A-Combo Elf and PJB Cab 27s
which all came together as The Other Rig in a tale of happy circumstance. And should a backline fridge be provided, the Elf will see me through. Several TB players report the Elf's dinky 200 watts is more than enough with the right cab. Yes it's legal to talk about amps and cabs here
Still rockin' the VX50BA:
TBH I don't use it that often, I tend to plug into my PC direct with a USB interface, which sounds really good:
interesting comparison between my VOX NuTube hybrid & USB-interface
TBH I don't use it that often, I tend to plug into my PC direct with a USB interface, which sounds really good:
interesting comparison between my VOX NuTube hybrid & USB-interface
Still rockin' the VX50BA:
TBH I don't use it that often, I tend to plug into my PC direct with a USB interface, which sounds really good:
interesting comparison between my VOX NuTube hybrid & USB-interface
Ah, yes! The li'l foxy Voxy! Keep on Voxin', Killer! I do need to fire mine up, too.
Hmmm, it occurs to me, with the revived debate over combo vs head'n'cab, that a detailed direct comparison between the VX50BA and the Mini SuperBeetle may be of interest. IIRC, they are pretty much the same components in different boxes. Now, if only there was someone who had both and could give a comparison review ... hmmm ...
[cough, cough] <Fearless Leader> [cough, cough].
. . . . . . 
.
I agree 100% that everyone is welcome in the club, and every opinion should be respected, but you have to dare to call a cat a cat and a combo a combo... If we go on like this we can start burning the encyclopedias and call everything we come across a combo. Or should we consider to include the numbers 7 to 9 in the alphabet?«Olson Johnson is right!»
Back in the old days, when this club was - dare I say it («dare, dare!») - something of a fringe group, it was called the «No respect - I rock a combo Club». It was a place for those outsiders, those untouchables that went against the old TB dogma that you weren’t serious as a player unless you went the head-and-cab route.
Times change. Now I rarely hear that opinion voiced at all, and the Combo Club has gone from a fringe forum to a respected part of TB, to the extent that we now have to discuss what to allow as a combo. We have arrived.
So I agree with @biguglyman that this is no time for exclusion, and if you want to gaffer tape a head to a cab and call it a combo, that’s just fine. It only means that more people are recognizing the advantages of combos, and that, ultimately, is the purpose of this club.
Since this discussion is apparently taking a philosophical turn, I’m going to have to politely disagree. The word «combo», originally used to describe a group of musicians from different bands, simply means a combination of items. Therefore, a combo amp is a combined amp and cab, but exactly how they are combined is not defined anywhere, so as long as it’s a combination of an amp and cab, it could take on a number of forms, all equally valid.
How would you tell between a head & speaker and an all-in-one?Since this discussion is apparently taking a philosophical turn, I’m going to have to politely disagree. The word «combo», originally used to describe a group of musicians from different bands, simply means a combination of items. Therefore, a combo amp is a combined amp and cab, but exactly how they are combined is not defined anywhere, so as long as it’s a combination of an amp and cab, it could take on a number of forms, all equally valid.
Now that I think of it: what would we call an all-in-one with outboard speaker?
You'll get the 200w with an 8 ohm load.This is my Completely-Not-A-Combo Elf and PJB Cab 27s
View attachment 4045330
which all came together as The Other Rig in a tale of happy circumstance. And should a backline fridge be provided, the Elf will see me through. Several TB players report the Elf's dinky 200 watts is more than enough with the right cab. Yes it's legal to talk about amps and cabs here
Well, maybe it's because of my work in a fairly rigid field, but I tend to separate the question a bit:
1. Who may join the club? This, to me, has the answer of "aw hell, everybody" and I'm happy to offer a seat on the couch next to me, and any beverage at hand.
2. What is a "combo amp"? To me, the definition is still a hard line: only those combinations of amp and speaker where the amp is integrated into the cabinet. I am willing to accept those which come from the factory which have a mechanical connection between the amp and cabinet which can be thought of as "integrated." But a little bracket on top, to me, is not integrated. Which means the very lovely (and indeed quite drool-worthy) Magellan 350 MG12T-V is still not a combo.
So my vote (Do we get votes? Should I even mention the word after this last week?) is that anyone who wants to be a member and post here is allowed, but to get an "official number" one must have somewhere in their collection an amp and speaker in a integrated cabinet.
And parting from that combo does not disqualify one from membership, although it may be cause for friendly ribbing from other members, and calls to purchase a new qualifying amp!
But what do I know? I just come here to hear from some funny and intelligent folks!
- Oct 22, 2015
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Per the TE manual, the Elf is 130 watts at 8 ohms. One cab at 8 ohms receives 30 more watts than each cab in a two cab, 4 ohm stack. That's well within the rated capacity of the two cabs
See, now this is a type of discussion I like. Polite, respectful disagreement on a position is a way to grow understanding. I promise, I am completely respectful to any and all participants, and any slight which is taken from any of my statements is not intended, and I apologize in advance if I give any offence.Since this discussion is apparently taking a philosophical turn, I’m going to have to politely disagree. The word «combo», originally used to describe a group of musicians from different bands, simply means a combination of items. Therefore, a combo amp is a combined amp and cab, but exactly how they are combined is not defined anywhere, so as long as it’s a combination of an amp and cab, it could take on a number of forms, all equally valid.
So let's look at what we tend to understand a "combo amp" to be. From everything I've ever understood about it, the definition was about an amplifier which is put right into the overall cabinet which also contains speakers. Some makers go a bit out onto the fringes, and that's fine. Owners of those combinations are whole-heartedly encouraged to enjoy them, and share tales of their bliss with us.
To me, that's what the mighty Magellan 350 MG12T-V is. A beautiful piece of kit, and I'm really interested in reading a review of it. But, I cannot look at it and think, "combo amp." It looks like a head with a bracket holding it to the cabinet. Not significantly different from the brackets which hold the earlier mentioned Fender Bassman to one another.
As mentioned, I'm happy to invite any to participate and enjoy the thread, but if we are going to be called the "combo club" we do need to have a somewhat solid definition of what that means, and hold to it.
I am guessing that @Cracker7 may have another amp around which qualifies as a "combo" as I have defined it. And if not, then I still welcome a new contributor to the growing collection of people on this forum.
Others may differ in opinion, and I fully respect them for that.
