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What's up with the Combo negativity?

#121
coyote1 said:
Why not a pair of combos to accomplish the exact same thing? Imagine, for example, owning two combos: A Hydrive 5210c and a 5410. The 5210 for small gigs, the 5410 for medium size gigs... and then, for larger gigs, stack 'em together. 750 watts into six 10" speakers. AND it gives you greater tonal versatility than a single amp.

Of course, you could do the same with two heads and two cabs. But if you forget speaker cables, you're hosed :)




C'mon... don't we all have a clue already what we'd likely purchase in such a scenario? Who here doesn't check out gear regularly?
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Why have two combos when I can just have one head and two cabs? Also, the D-180 didn't come as a combo.

And I don't forget speaker cables. Not sure why this is a big thing to you.
 
#122
If my bass sounds good through it, I like it!!!

Currently use a Bassman TV combo, have owned a SVT in the past, and I like both!!!

Must admit I thought I used to hate combos but I am a changed man, now feel the love for all amps equally. ( as long as they sound good)
 
#126
Personal Experience and Prevailing Personal Opinion:

Every single COMBO I have ever used has gone south eventually.

I love the form and "schlep" factor but every single combo I have owned eventually has issues that result from the "head" being Attached/Fitted inside the same cabinet as the speaker.

Rattles, buzzes, or sympathetic vibration of components.

As much as I love the form factor never, EVER, again.

IMHO, IME, My 2 Cents, YMMV, Etc.

I no longer will endure the aggravation of compromised sound/tone.

Bottom Line?

A Combo IS a Compromise, however useful and convenient they may be.
 
#128
nortonrider said:
In every "what amp should I buy" thread, there are always the guys commenting to not buy a Combo but a separate head and cab (mix and match, interchangeability, etc...) and pretty much hating on the combos.

I happen to think that if they were really not that user friendly, manufacturers wouldn't still be making / selling them.
Somebody is buying them and it can't be just "noobs" who don't know any better.

I also believe that these comments dismissing Combos are just a bunch of people regurgitating stuff they have heard others say.

Personally, I like combos.
My main amp is an old Genz Benz combo, it has a DI and the ability to add an extension cab should I care to.

My Peavey tube amp / SWR rig is packed away in the closet.

Anybody else dig their Combos?
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Yes

been playing a Ampeg B100R for 10 years.

just got another combo that I dont like but man it is loud.

sent that one back and ordered an Ashdown MAG 410 Combo...

I had a 74 Fender 2X16 bottom and a 250 Watt Fender tube head when I was a kid. was a great amp but too much to lug around.

actually I had my hands on a Ampeg PF500 and 115 HE cab for a few days....didnt do anything different than a combo
 
#129
I prefer anything with fewer pieces to forget or lose. What got me out of combo amps was simply my interest to try building my own speakers. Now it seems that micro heads and lightweight speakers have surpassed combo amps for weight, if not size. My GK MB150E combo, with conventional power transformer and ceramic magnet speaker, is now my heaviest amp, and lives permanently in the preamp factory.
 
#130
Sartori said:
a) Why have two combos when I can just have one head and two cabs? Also, the D-180 didn't come as a combo.

B) And I don't forget speaker cables. Not sure why this is a big thing to you.
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A) I answered that earlier. Two amps gives you more tonal versatility. You could use a splitter, or you could make one a slave to the other... either way, you can set the tone controls differently and thereby gain a much broader tonal spectrum.

B) it's not really. But I've played perhaps two thousand or more gigs in my life, and seen a lot.... And I know of two instances where a speaker cable was forgotten. Fact is that this becomes a non-issue with a combo.
 
#131
coyote1 said:
A) I answered that earlier. Two amps gives you more tonal versatility. You could use a splitter, or you could make one a slave to the other... either way, you can set the tone controls differently and thereby gain a much broader tonal spectrum.
Click to expand...

But I could do the same thing with separates as well.

B) it's not really. But I've played perhaps two thousand or more gigs in my life, and seen a lot.... And I know of two instances where a speaker cable was forgotten. Fact is that this becomes a non-issue with a combo.
Click to expand...

If I dont have a speaker cable then I dont have a mic cable or an instrument cable, or a tuner, or any of my effects, or a guitar strap, or a back up head, spare set of strings, or Allan wrenches and other tools for last minute adjustments, or a ham sandwich, a beer, a couple of cats, Oh look thats shiny...............


:D


I put a lot of items in one bag, if I for some reason dont have that bag, then I dont have a lot of other equipment that I use regularly. I have yet to forget the bag, so "no speaker cable" is not a big deal. Even if I did forget one, I can just pirate one from the PA.
 
#132
nortonrider said:
According to your profile, you've got a GK410.
How many different cabinets do you have?
What different uses do you use them all for?
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I have a 15" that I use for bass and guitar now as well with a head similar to the one I described. I'm limited by funds here, but having a combo would make this situation worse because it wouldnt let me upgrade specific pieces of my rig. I'm trying to get rid of my GK cab, but I love my GK amp. If it was a combo this would be a bit of an issue.

Additionally, guitar combos dont seem to fall under the same rule. So many good small tube combos. You just dont get the same quality with bass most of the time, though part of that is because most bass amps are incredibly boring tonally.
 
#133
Ok here you go just to prove I'm not a hater. This was posted elsewhere and I will repost it here as an example of a combo worth giging with.

scottbass.gif


SVP-pro, Crown xls 1500, fEARful 15/6. This would be worth the added weight for a combo.
 
#134
coyote1 said:
A) I answered that earlier. Two amps gives you more tonal versatility. You could use a splitter, or you could make one a slave to the other... either way, you can set the tone controls differently and thereby gain a much broader tonal spectrum.

B) it's not really. But I've played perhaps two thousand or more gigs in my life, and seen a lot.... And I know of two instances where a speaker cable was forgotten. Fact is that this becomes a non-issue with a combo.
Click to expand...

No, you didn't, not really. I see no reason to have two of the same amp when one will suffice, and I can just use different cabs for different jobs. Also, as I mentioned, my amp was never made in combo form. Even if I wanted a combo of it, I'd be SOL.

Plus... a combo with a 200 watt tube amp portion and two 15 inch speakers? No thanks.

My speaker cable stays with my amp. And I keep another one in the bag of cables and stuff I bring to gigs. It's not an issue.

One thing that's not possible with a combo... usually my big cab lives at the rehearsal space, and my small cab at home, and I just bring the amp home if I want to use it at home.

Instead of just having cabs, which are relatively cheap, I'd have to have two combos. I'd have to have two of the same damn amp if I wanted the same/similar sound at home. This strikes me as ridiculous.

Not a knock on those who use combos, that's fine if they do, I don't really care what other people play, but they are NOT for me. Stop trying to convert me.
 
#135
If you have an amp with separates and you don't bring your necessary cables, you really should just quit playing altogether. And Sartori is given special permission not to use a combo. Everyone quit making him get a combo.

There. All the world's problems solved.
 
#138
Where did I say two of the same amp?

Btw, no one is making you get the combos. We are merely talking hypotheticals here. Yes, all these scenarios could be done with separates too.

Sartori said:
No, you didn't, not really. I see no reason to have two of the same amp when one will suffice, and I can just use different cabs for different jobs. Also, as I mentioned, my amp was never made in combo form. Even if I wanted a combo of it, I'd be SOL.

Plus... a combo with a 200 watt tube amp portion and two 15 inch speakers? No thanks.

My speaker cable stays with my amp. And I keep another one in the bag of cables and stuff I bring to gigs. It's not an issue.

One thing that's not possible with a combo... usually my big cab lives at the rehearsal space, and my small cab at home, and I just bring the amp home if I want to use it at home.

Instead of just having cabs, which are relatively cheap, I'd have to have two combos. I'd have to have two of the same damn amp if I wanted the same/similar sound at home. This strikes me as ridiculous.

Not a knock on those who use combos, that's fine if they do, I don't really care what other people play, but they are NOT for me. Stop trying to convert me.
Click to expand...
 
#139
I love combos and use them regularly. They don't move as much air and don't have the same presence on stage. If a combo and a head/cab unit presented the same logistics, I would use the head/cab every time.

A combo is a compromise, IMO, but one I'm willing to make at this point in my life. I love the tone of my GK MB115
 

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