thanks becker i tried this at the local gc today. it sounded very tinny and thin compared to other 100 watt amps by fender ampeg. i appreciate the help.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
what amp for small jazz gigs
- Thread starter pbass888
- Start date
Depends on your definition of "reasonable." My current "jazz" rigs:
Markbass LMTube head ($679 - 7lbs)
TC RH450 head ($900 - 9lbs)
Bergantino AE112 cabinet ($649 ea 31lbs)
I only take one cab (and in fact am selling the second 112 as I got a 210 for my second cab for funk/louder gigs) and one head. This setup will play most any room at pretty high volumes if necessary, and sounds huge.
"Reasonable price" to me means buying something that I love and won't be flipping in a few weeks/months because I tried to save money and compromise. My last bass rig lasted 10 years (swtiched to go lightweight). I'm hoping this will be stable for another 10.
10 years would be great im going to check these out. I guess a grand might be reasonable after testing out several today (see my earlier post) but i was hoping around 500-600. i will check these out and report back and thank you for your suggestion
this was the one at gc that i liked best. the price kinda scared me off.. i play a fretted mia mm sterling hs and loved the 2x10 combo (see my earlier post). thanks i will look at the 1x12 xcombo.
thanks again
another thought - if you are trying to economize, but want that great modern gear sound, consider going used. All of the gear that was suggested can usually be found on the TB classifieds for far less than new.
Using the TB classifieds generally puts you together with fellow bass players who are conscientious and honest sellers (nothing is perfect, but TB Classifieds come close for used bass gear!).
So, use GC to audition the gear, then looked in the the safest used marketplace for bass gear - TB Classifieds.
Good luck
Using the TB classifieds generally puts you together with fellow bass players who are conscientious and honest sellers (nothing is perfect, but TB Classifieds come close for used bass gear!).
So, use GC to audition the gear, then looked in the the safest used marketplace for bass gear - TB Classifieds.
Good luck
very good idea! I am not a professional bass player... play for fun and love of music and just play a few gigs a month.I am going to take a shot at the classifieds now.
I think what you get with the MB Jeff Berlin 1x15 combo is a bit warmer/fatter tone than the other MB hybrid stuff, both from the 15" driver and the lack of tweet/horn. If you like things a bit more "old school" that might be a good option.
I hear ya brother - I am not a full time pro (any more) either. Depending on the season I do from 2-4 gigs per month, but I never regret kicking out the bucks for my Mesa Walkabout (Mesa prices are a challenge!)
But an old, but very good piece of advice applies here - don't skimp on the quality of your gear. Over time, you'll rarely be unhappy with a good piece of gear (even if it pushed your wallet a little), but a cheap piece of gear will haunt you every time you turn it on.
good luck
For a cheap but great combo I would suggest a Markbass LMII (~$400 used) and a Epifani PS-112 (~$350 used) cab. I used this exact combination and I love it! The PS-112 is easily one of the best 1x12s in it's price range and can beat out others that cost more. The LMII is just a monster that gives me everything I want tonally. I actually don't like playing through any other amp since I've gotten it.
I picked up my Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0-10T combo for about $550. It was very slightly used, almost new. Should be plenty of amp for your situation.
- Nov 29, 2007
- 3,641
- 13
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist GENZ BENZ/HERCULES STANDS/XSonics
im going to try to hunt 1 down here in this area and see if i can play it and get it!
Man, there are a LOT of good options.....
First in my mind though would be a GK MB150. These things are probably the single most widely used tiny combo over the last 30 years and there's damn good reason for it. Reliable, sounds good with slab or upright, loud, very portable, reasonably priced and lots of used ones out there. If you're not sure about what to get the used GK is safe because it WILL do the job and if you find something you like better you'll have an easy sell for a good price. Probably you'll want to keep it....and if you don't probably you'll regret it.
That's personal experience talking.
First in my mind though would be a GK MB150. These things are probably the single most widely used tiny combo over the last 30 years and there's damn good reason for it. Reliable, sounds good with slab or upright, loud, very portable, reasonably priced and lots of used ones out there. If you're not sure about what to get the used GK is safe because it WILL do the job and if you find something you like better you'll have an easy sell for a good price. Probably you'll want to keep it....and if you don't probably you'll regret it.
That's personal experience talking.
Chef
In Memoriam
If you don't have the coin for the walkabout, it's true that the GK MB150 and Ampeg B100R are both tasty little units that can be fairly cheap used.
Add the Roland Cube 100 to that list. On its "Flip-Top" model, it sounds darned close to the Ampeg B100R. It's a great little amp that might be perfect for your needs, but I'd find the new G-K MB combos, heads, and cabs difficult to ignore. (Some aren't in stores yet, alas.) Only one I've played is the MB210 combo, and I was very impressed. Not sure it matches the amazing Mesa Walkabout, but it's lighter and costs a lot less.
Th3 3.0-10T is a nice little amp. I used one for a while, but I found that the 6.0-12T gives me a little more low end that I think I need. I tried to make a 10 work - it was really easy to carry and fit well in the trunk - but the 12 isn't THAT bad and is large enough to make a noticeable difference in sound.
Just re-read the OP and saw the ideal amp is a separate head/cab. I don't know if this would apply to you but I went one further and went for a separate power amp/preamp/cab. Whenever I can I will blow off an amp altogether and play through the PA. The preamp makes this very doable. This rig of a Bag End S10-C, Stewart PA-50B power amp and a Raven Labs PMB preamp is compact and versatile. I have around $650 in this it with the amp and cab being purchased used.
Ive used a GK MB150s for probably close to a thousand gigs over the past 18 years. The only maintenance done is speaker repair due to foam surround failure. There have been more choices of small, high quality combos in recent years, but I still trust my GK (BTW, I also use a GK 400RB-IV with my country/ rock band)
