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Total noob- suggestions appreciated

D

datsluke

Nov 9, 2009
43
0
Central Jersey
#1
Hey guys,

i was wondering if some of you could help with my dilemma. I currently play in a hardcore/metal-ish band. ive never played in front of an audience(outside of high school) so ive never needed a rig, until now. my band will be playing shows soon and i still dont have a rig other than my little 12watt.

here's the deal: i dont know squat about 90% of the things i read here. all i really know is how to play. its a little embarrassing.

ive been to sam ash and guitar center millions of times and after trying a few different heads i fell in love with the ampeg STV-cl. but i dont have that kind of cheese if you catch my drift. then one day i walked into the bass room at GC and saw this little black and yellow box out the corner of my eye. i dont think i need to explain to you guys what that was (specifically the LMII). after that day the SVT-CL has been pushed off to the side sort off.

ANYWAY, i need something fast. im really leaning towards the LMIII now but im still hesitant. how does a LMIII compare to any ampeg head really. seeing as how i dont have a grand to blow on a head. and once i do get a head whats a good cabinet match??

so if you guys could lead me in the right direction in purchasing a rig for hardcore breakdowns and in your face riffs id appreciate it greatly. :bassist:

-Luke
 
#2
What will you be competing against for guitar amps?

Keep in mind... overall speaker area means more to volume than true total watts do. A LMIII and a 4x10 cabinet would do well.

On the other hand, a used Hartke, Gallien Krueger, or even older Peavey head and 4x10 cabinet would do well also and would save you money while you learn what you really want and need.

350 - 500w's or more with 410's, in my opinion, would be a great starting point. You could always add another 410, 210, etc if you need more.
 
#3
well my one guitarist uses a mesa boogie single rectifier with a matching 410.. and the other guitarist uses some kind of marshall head with a matching marshall 410. i dont have details on specific models and such.

needless to say, itll be loud. even though more often than not my cab will be mic-ed anyway.i love the LMIII for its size, weight. ive heard nothing but good things about it. my main concern is going for a $600 head and going cheap for a cabinet that might blow during a show or something.
 
#4
I'll do a plug for the GK MB2-500. I am comparing it with my own SVT-CL currently, and that little creature holds up incredibly well. I bought my SVT used for $800 and I bought the GK used for $350, just for comparison. You can put the GK into a gig bag or backpack. You will need another person to help with the SVT unless you are into weightlifting. GK is cheaper than MarkBass. Heard good things about MB, but been a GK loyalist for two decades. I LOVE the SVT tone AND the GK growl. Due to weight, size, and power, I am leaning towards GK. I could own several for what an SVT costs. If you go 'new', then the SVT is $1800 and the GK is $500. If you like the MB, then I would even recommend it also. I was skeptical about micro heads, but after getting one, no longer. SVTs are great beasts no doubt. But the $cheese$ factor is a big one these days. GK has some neat features too, like headphones jack, footswitch, and several gain options. Yet it's very simple to operate. SVT is easy to use, but lots of tubes! I've played metal and hardcore stuff for years. My tone has always been like an older Iron Maiden tone with lots of bite n punch. 300 tube watts or 500 solid state watts can hang with VERY LOUD guitars. My bro plays a Boogie head and he asks me to turn all my amps down all the time!
 
#5
i played through GK in my high school jazz band for two years. the biggest complaint i had was that there were too many knobs. i like to keep it simple, bass, treble, mids and the ever important volume knob. thats it. i certainly don't know enough to be fiddling around with 20 knobs. but the GK served me well, god knows i dropped it countless times.
 
#6
If you can afford the LMKIII go ahead, pairing it with a 410 cab (im sure it was sitting on top of one at GC) will give you plenty of power and punch to compete with your guitar players. It would be nice to have an 810 speaker cab but, any gig that is big enough to need that will have their own or enough PA support.

+1 to stflbn "350 - 500w's or more with 410's" - that will get you through most gigs.
 
#7
now are there any specific cabs that work well or better than others with MB heads? and i know there must be a difference in cabs that cost $300 and others that cost $800 besides size. like i said before im concerned that if i go cheap on a cab it might not be able to handle the LMIII. unless you guys have suggestions for a cheap cab that rivals some of the more expensive ones out there.
 
#9
If it were me, I'd spend more money on the speaker cab, and get by with a cheaper amp, like a used Peavey, or GK. Even a Backline 600. The guitarist both have big, loud halfstacks, you're gonna want some good speakers, and plenty of em. A 410 is about the bare bones minimum, actually I'd be considering a 610, 810, maybe even a 215. Volume comes from the speaker cab, don't skimp on your gear.
 
#11
datsluke said:
i played through GK in my high school jazz band for two years. the biggest complaint i had was that there were too many knobs. i like to keep it simple, bass, treble, mids and the ever important volume knob. thats it. i certainly don't know enough to be fiddling around with 20 knobs. but the GK served me well, god knows i dropped it countless times.
Click to expand...

Subject line is the rig I just acquired about 10 days ago. $1050 brand new from GC. Did live gig in hotel ballroom 5 days later.

Don't be freaked by the dials. Really not much more complex than LM II/III. Read the manual on the GK site for the 700/1001 RB-II. Set up the dials like the baselines shown....whatever is closest to your style of play. I used the Rock (pretty much straight up mid range everything except voicing which was off.) I found for the venue, I wanted a little more BOOM so I turned the bass EQ dial to about 1:30 off that baseline rock setup. It was awesome. I play a Warwick $$ 5, clicked the 5 string button for the low emphasis. We were having some sound audibility issues on stage (could not hear the guitards on stage but they could in the room). Band members loved the new rig....said they could tell where we were by the thump in their feet.:cool:
 
#13
datsluke said:
i played through GK in my high school jazz band for two years. the biggest complaint i had was that there were too many knobs. i like to keep it simple, bass, treble, mids and the ever important volume knob. thats it. i certainly don't know enough to be fiddling around with 20 knobs. but the GK served me well, god knows i dropped it countless times.
Click to expand...

Subject line is the rig I just acquired about 10 days ago. $1050 brand new from GC. Did live gig in hotel ballroom 5 days later.

Don't be freaked by the dials. Really not much more complex than LM II/III. Read the manual on the GK site for the 700/1001 RB-II. Set up the dials like the baselines shown....whatever is closest to your style of play. I used the Rock (pretty much straight up mid range everything except voicing which was off.) I found for the venue, I wanted a little more BOOM so I turned the bass EQ dial to about 1:30 off that baseline rock setup. It was awesome. I play a Warwick $$ 5, clicked the 5 string button for the low emphasis. We were having some sound audibility issues on stage (could not hear the guitards on stage but they could in the room). Band members loved the new rig....said they could tell where we were by the thump in their feet.:cool:
 
#14
Cabs: One word: Avatar.

Why? World class Eminence drivers (the main thing to consider when looking at cabs), excellent price and build quality, awesome customer service. Tons of positive reviews here on TB.

I have two, a B212 and a B210. They're great cabs at a great price, and would work well with about any head you end up with.

They also sell "blems" on eBay. I have one of the so-called blems. Dave told me what the blem was, but I never could find it. He's selling a B410 on there now. (Which I'm watching so please don't bid it up :p )
 
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#18
RickenBoogie said:
If it were me, I'd spend more money on the speaker cab, and get by with a cheaper amp, like a used Peavey, or GK. Even a Backline 600. The guitarist both have big, loud halfstacks, you're gonna want some good speakers, and plenty of em. A 410 is about the bare bones minimum, actually I'd be considering a 610, 810, maybe even a 215. Volume comes from the speaker cab, don't skimp on your gear.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

The OP needs to move a lot of air to keep up with those tube stacks.

A pair of used, 8 ohm 4x10's with 300-500w would make a loud, flexible rig.
 

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