What do I need to compete with all the noise?

You need at least :::: drum roll :::: 300 watts. Not GK, either. SWR if you must.

 

I recommend you get at least 300 Watts Head at 4 Ohms.
And a 4x10" Cab that has a sensivity of at leas 100dB´s.

Too complicated?
Ok.

If you have the money:
Buy EDEN

If you dont:
Buy Carvin.


Simple.

 

The only place you can get Carvin...
Is from CARVIN.

www.carvin.com
They sell factory direct.

There is a dealer tough in Florida, but they dont have the newest in stock, so it would be the same.

 

As far as what brand of amps to go with:

FORSFYD!!!

Someone elses preference in sound will not necessarily match yours.

 

Top work Estring

Yeah man I fell your pain Porky boy I am also in the market for something a a little bit more serious, but unfortunatly I am gonna have to get some piece of crap combo cause I have no money, damn it.

I'll probly have to settle for like a 15 inch upwards of 200 watts, which will go alright I spose, but it won't beat a proper amp

Maybe when I have a job, whatever that is

-Maurice (primus rule)

 

Bass Central is a Carvin amp dealer. They are absolutely super to deal with. One of our prominent Talkbassers, Gard, works there.

Shoot `em an email and see if they can do something for you www.basscentral.com . Carvin RC-210 owners seem very satisfied with their purchase. If you bridged it with two cabs, you can push 600W.

 

My Harkte 2115 competes and more with odds worth than that, but i would definately say look into getting a nice powerful carvin.

 

Carvin RC210. You can add a 15, 18, or more 10 later if you need it.

 

The GK setup you mentioned will do fine. Be careful worrying about brands, if you wait long enough this thread will eventually recommend every bass amp ever made GK is serious pro gear, you may personally love or hate the tone (so listen before you buy), but it's definitely up to the job.

I wouldn't draw the line at 300 watts, a 200 watt head (like the 400RB) will do in your case well enough.

Buy used if you need to save money, I've seen some Peavey and Ampeg 4-10s go as cheap as $250 used.

 

As with any combos, be sure to check the amp's output INTO THE SPEAKER LOAD IN THE COMBO!

Many combos are rated so many watts (say 200 for example) into 4 ohms -- but then the speaker is 8 ohms, meaning the amp will only push 100 to 150 watts into it. These are usually set up this way so you can add an 8-ohm extension cab for full output into a 4-ohm total load.

2x10 and 2x12 combos are almost always wired parallel, and frequently use 2 16-ohm speakers to get that 8-ohm load (again even though the amp is rated at 4 ohms).

 

A baseball bat might help!

jc

 

Well, I got by for a long time in a VERY loud band (three guitarists with 50 watt mesa/65 watt fender/another 65 watt fender and a drummer who simply couldn't play quietly) with a peavey MKIII and a BFI 1X15 cab, so that was only about 75 watts.

mike

 

Pork- my band set up is very similar..fender 1 12" pratice amp and a 2x12 fender 100watt combo for guitarists and also a loud drummer. For this arrangment my Ampeg B2 combo has been fine though I'm really running it just about at its limits at practice as we too have a lot of bass oriented songs...the 1x12 is soon to be replaced by a 4x12 and I am just now adding an extensinon cab(undecided as to which) to my combo to get the full 350watts out of it. I just think its a good combo that allows decent expandability.

 

If you don't have the $$$s for a stack, try out a Nemesis 4X10. I got one a few months back to combat the same problem - I had an Ampeg B-50R trying to keep up with the same size band you are talking about. Now they've got to turn up to compete with me.

With mids boosted to cut through the distortion, I keep my gain set around 1:00 and my volume at 4. I can't imagine turning it all the way up. But maybe that is me...

 

Back to recommendations: Carvin does indeed sell more watts per dollar than just about anything else out there. Decent features too. I am really sold on this outfit

Your other option of course is second-hand. But you really have to do your homework to know what the specs are on something, but you can usually find the info on the net. And really CRANK the amp before you buy it, 'cause there's no guarantees. Basses are easy -- for the most part, either they work or they don't. But amps have weird things that don't show up until 10 or even 30 minutes in. Make sure you like its tone LOUD.

 

BTW, I really like your screen name. Sounds like something I'd drink ... just before another myocardial infarction. Boy, I love that word too ... infarction ... but not what it represents.

 

I play a Ampeg B-2 Combo agianst a Line 6 Flextone 100 watt amp and drums and I can get loud enough. You can also get an extension cab if you need more power.