"Im still a little confused about the whole preamp and poweramp deal."
Ok, I'll try and explain:
Combo = preamp/poweramp/speakers in one cabinet
Head = preamp/poweramp in one unit such as the gk800
Preamp is the tone shaping portion of all amplifiers but only has minimal power output, not enough to power speakers.
Power amps are slave amps and don't include a preamp. These take the signal from a preamp and boost it to the level needed to power speakers. You can find these from 100 watts to 2000+ watts whatever suites your need.
If you want an ampeg sound you can use an Ampeg Preamp with any poweramp and achieve this. Many companies make preamps. I think Bass Player did a shootout of 20 or 30 of them several years ago. You might search their archives for more info.
newbass/billdog explained the advantages to this setup.
Ok, I'll try and explain:
Combo = preamp/poweramp/speakers in one cabinet
Head = preamp/poweramp in one unit such as the gk800
Preamp is the tone shaping portion of all amplifiers but only has minimal power output, not enough to power speakers.
Power amps are slave amps and don't include a preamp. These take the signal from a preamp and boost it to the level needed to power speakers. You can find these from 100 watts to 2000+ watts whatever suites your need.
If you want an ampeg sound you can use an Ampeg Preamp with any poweramp and achieve this. Many companies make preamps. I think Bass Player did a shootout of 20 or 30 of them several years ago. You might search their archives for more info.
newbass/billdog explained the advantages to this setup.
