I have both combo and separates. Fender Rumble 500 with extension cab.
Orange separates:
Orange separates:
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Why a Combo?
- Thread starter M-Mittlesteadt
- Start date
When I play "acoustic" music without any drums, I really love my Ampeg RB 112 combo. Light weight, nice tone and bass goes deep enough :
But when a crazy drummer is playing, then I need my big artillery :
But when a crazy drummer is playing, then I need my big artillery :
No pic, but I use a 1-10 Elf combo for a “theater” gig that I do 2x per year.
I split the input with a cheap resistance mixer if I need to double on BG and DB.
Less to carry and set up.
FOH is a “small” rig with 18’s and a competent sound tech. The Elf has an xlr out. Sound is always great.
I split the input with a cheap resistance mixer if I need to double on BG and DB.
Less to carry and set up.
FOH is a “small” rig with 18’s and a competent sound tech. The Elf has an xlr out. Sound is always great.
I got the Hartke KB15 recently. It had been on my radar for years and this summer I finally heard one live at an outdoor party. Sounded great so I finally pulled the trigger.
I like controls on the front vs on the top rear of combos. It's as loud as I'll ever need and it will fit in the front seat of my Chevy S10. Tilt back is cool.
Hidden behind the weight bench right now because I'm rearranging my living room turned home gym/music room so a stock image will have to do for now.
I like controls on the front vs on the top rear of combos. It's as loud as I'll ever need and it will fit in the front seat of my Chevy S10. Tilt back is cool.
Hidden behind the weight bench right now because I'm rearranging my living room turned home gym/music room so a stock image will have to do for now.
Back in the 70's and through mid-80's I played amp/cab rigs, the largest being a Road440 with matching 18" cab. A monster. Heavy, but the wheels on the cab helped. When I restarted playing I got a deal on a SWR Baby Blue 2 combo, and that really seemed so much easier and also sounded much better than the Road. It didn't have the power but it had a sweet tone and would fill a small room, coffee house, living room, very well. When that crapped out I went with a Rumble100 and I have been very pleased with it, and the light weight, much lighter and more portable than any of my previous rigs. So for me it's about having the most you can get, best possible sound, out of a portable package. Oh, at a reasonable price too, since I'm not a pro, and I don't have money to burn.
My current combo, AI CODA-R (with effects). Series II so around 2010.. I also had SWR Baby Blue and the old Aluminum box GK MB 150, The Baby Blue was heavy - the AI and GK were the same but AI has more power and fully featured. I'll keep this until it croaks I use a preamp for electric. I can also power another 4ohm cab, Effects are reverbs delay chorus and combinations of those 3. They are Alesis
300 watt ( I think this is total with the extension_), 5 mid, tweeter (defeatable) and 10 inch down firing woofer
20+ lbs with a bag
I can hoist my upright on my back. This and soem pedals on my shoulder and carry my electric on one hand and have ab extra hand for coffee, a phone or cigarette (I don't smoke) I have done it and walked about a city block
It is not loud but can be with an efficient extension. Small cabs like these have to have inefficient drivers for driver excursion and low end reproduction. A piano trio I worked with loves this as we hide the cabinet under the piano. Bass coupling with the stage is perfect amount of felt low end
300 watt ( I think this is total with the extension_), 5 mid, tweeter (defeatable) and 10 inch down firing woofer
20+ lbs with a bag
I can hoist my upright on my back. This and soem pedals on my shoulder and carry my electric on one hand and have ab extra hand for coffee, a phone or cigarette (I don't smoke) I have done it and walked about a city block
It is not loud but can be with an efficient extension. Small cabs like these have to have inefficient drivers for driver excursion and low end reproduction. A piano trio I worked with loves this as we hide the cabinet under the piano. Bass coupling with the stage is perfect amount of felt low end
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The only combo I currently own is an early '70s Polytone 101 - the original version sporting a single 15" CTS Alnico speaker - and it's a fairly unique sounding amp, usable for the guitar as well. If I had to keep just one amp, the old 101 would most likely make the cut.
No pictures of it in this computer, but it's identical to the one found in this ad...no affiliation with the seller:
www.dba.dk
No pictures of it in this computer, but it's identical to the one found in this ad...no affiliation with the seller:
Polytone 101 Guitar/basforstærker | DBA
Polytone 101 basforstærker i super stand, også god til jazzguitar.
In days past when I played medium-to-big venues I used separates, usually playing cabs I’d built. [I built a LOT of cabs in the 60s-70s.] For the past couple decades I haven’t needed anything that heavy duty so I’ve become a combo player and I carry a small solid state head in case of gear failure. I’m no longer gigging, just playing coffee houses, wineries and jams nowadays so the small stuff serves me righteously. Right now I have a couple Markbass and a PJB along with my faithful TE ELF head. At age 75 I’ll probably cull a few items. We’ll see.
I'm strictly ABGs, but do have to amp occasionally if the coffeehouse is noisy or something. Rumble 15 works for me, and does nicely for vocal or an acoustic six string as well. Little Behringer minimixer handles all three.
Gave you played any Genz Benz combo to compare that to? I currently use the Shuttle 6.0 12t, and wonder if it's worth the upgrade.
Being able to tilt a combo back on a gig without the amp falling off is a bit benefit.
I prefer combos because they work well for the kind of gigging I do, are easier to transport and set up, with less things to go wrong.
My Rumble 500 combo with 210 extension cab is more than loud enough for my needs. In fact, I hardly ever need to break out the extra cab.
My Rumble 500 combo with 210 extension cab is more than loud enough for my needs. In fact, I hardly ever need to break out the extra cab.
I love combo's but unfortunately there is no combo that produces the sound I want. So I use the next best thing; amp and cabs.
The Quilter amp provides the sound that I dig without having to use a tube amp. The best compact cabs are PhilJonesBass, so this combination is my go to set up. It's compact and modular - I can choose to bring whatever cab configuration that is needed for the room. In case of FOH I many times use just the 4x5 tilted in front of me as a personal bass monitor.
The Quilter amp provides the sound that I dig without having to use a tube amp. The best compact cabs are PhilJonesBass, so this combination is my go to set up. It's compact and modular - I can choose to bring whatever cab configuration that is needed for the room. In case of FOH I many times use just the 4x5 tilted in front of me as a personal bass monitor.
I had a Peavy 300 combo years ago when I played in a punk rock band, because that's all I could afford. Some of you had one too, because there was always one around for sale used back in the day. Damn loud for a basement gig.
For me - obviously there's the convenience of having the whole amp in a single box. One less step to set up, and I'm rarely in gig settings where I need a bass stack.
But the other critical thing is that, some years ago, I started bi-amping, splitting an octave-up signal to send to a guitar amp. It helps a lot to fill in the frequency range when the guitarist solos (and it's just him, me and a drummer). I actually bought amps checking the width dimensions so that they could sit neatly one on top of the other...
For bigger stages, and where there's more instruments so I don't need to fill under guitar solos, I sometimes bring a vertical 4x10 stack...
But the other critical thing is that, some years ago, I started bi-amping, splitting an octave-up signal to send to a guitar amp. It helps a lot to fill in the frequency range when the guitarist solos (and it's just him, me and a drummer). I actually bought amps checking the width dimensions so that they could sit neatly one on top of the other...
For bigger stages, and where there's more instruments so I don't need to fill under guitar solos, I sometimes bring a vertical 4x10 stack...
Same here, i've owned every expensive tube rig out there and ended up with an old polytone mini brute III. Loud as heck, love the sealed 15" sound, has a little drive when cranked or pushed, and light as a feather. I prefer all in one combo's less to carry, less to connect, just less. I have an extension cab i'll plug into the combo if i need it.
Combos can be great, and with extension cabs can be a very versatile gigging solution.
My primary interest in combos was to facilitate setup and tear down; the ugly part of gigging. The weight thing generally is a lesser concern. I can get boxes at 50 pounds or so in and out of the vehicle, and on /off the stage surface without much sweat. There are wheels for the rest.
I do still have a GK MB150E112, and recently acquired the matching MBX box. A bit on the oldish side, but still very functional for rehearsals and the odd coffee house gig, which seems to come up less often now.
I was gigging a GK Legacy 112 / Neo IV Ext cab until this past Spring; a VERY capable and versatile back line rig. But, I was also needing to drag a vocal monitor around for stage monitoring. Perhaps an oddity of some of my gigs.
I was initially using a QSC K10.2 as a monitor; then switched to a stand mounted Behringer monitor, just to conserve stage space. So, the K10.2 was kind of sitting around the rehearsal space. I tried putting my preamp / DI’s into it several times with less than impressive results. But, this Spring, I put some actual effort into understanding how to properly feed the QSC input module with a preamp signal.
Turns out that with the correct input settings, that little 10” box puts out an eye opening amount of solid clear bass tone. And, with two input channels, the single box doubles as both vocal monitor AND bass stage rig. Big schlep / setup / tear down win.
So, one thing I did was flip the Legacy combo & Ext cab, and pick up a QSC K12.2; and for one thing, the K10.2 stacked atop the K12.2 is every bit as impressive as the Legacy stack, when I need a backline stack, but no monitor.
My next step has been to work on my preamp / DI pedal boards; because my other pet peeve has been sending different sounds to the stage / backline vs to the FoH. I used to just take whatever signal the combo DI was sending to FoH as good enough. But, it also bothered me that I was spending time and money on my stage sound, and settling for whatever the sound engineer decided for FoH. Especially when the audience is mainly hearing FoH.
My current preamp boards, using mainly Tech21 or Sushi Box DI’s, produce reliable and similar sound for both FoH and for stage / backline. I do still have two Mesa subway stacks and a couple of power amp choices for bigger backlines, if needed.
Here is an example of the tone I’ve been using:
Of course, the powered cabs are NOT combos. But, the setup / tear down factors are pretty roughly the same thing. My preamp boards are small and don’t add to the schlep. The board in that video is running on a rechargeable power bank, and doesn’t even need to be plugged in at the gig, other than signal cables. So, I’m off on that siding for the foreseeable future.
Enjoy the journey.
My primary interest in combos was to facilitate setup and tear down; the ugly part of gigging. The weight thing generally is a lesser concern. I can get boxes at 50 pounds or so in and out of the vehicle, and on /off the stage surface without much sweat. There are wheels for the rest.
I do still have a GK MB150E112, and recently acquired the matching MBX box. A bit on the oldish side, but still very functional for rehearsals and the odd coffee house gig, which seems to come up less often now.
I was gigging a GK Legacy 112 / Neo IV Ext cab until this past Spring; a VERY capable and versatile back line rig. But, I was also needing to drag a vocal monitor around for stage monitoring. Perhaps an oddity of some of my gigs.
I was initially using a QSC K10.2 as a monitor; then switched to a stand mounted Behringer monitor, just to conserve stage space. So, the K10.2 was kind of sitting around the rehearsal space. I tried putting my preamp / DI’s into it several times with less than impressive results. But, this Spring, I put some actual effort into understanding how to properly feed the QSC input module with a preamp signal.
Turns out that with the correct input settings, that little 10” box puts out an eye opening amount of solid clear bass tone. And, with two input channels, the single box doubles as both vocal monitor AND bass stage rig. Big schlep / setup / tear down win.
So, one thing I did was flip the Legacy combo & Ext cab, and pick up a QSC K12.2; and for one thing, the K10.2 stacked atop the K12.2 is every bit as impressive as the Legacy stack, when I need a backline stack, but no monitor.
My next step has been to work on my preamp / DI pedal boards; because my other pet peeve has been sending different sounds to the stage / backline vs to the FoH. I used to just take whatever signal the combo DI was sending to FoH as good enough. But, it also bothered me that I was spending time and money on my stage sound, and settling for whatever the sound engineer decided for FoH. Especially when the audience is mainly hearing FoH.
My current preamp boards, using mainly Tech21 or Sushi Box DI’s, produce reliable and similar sound for both FoH and for stage / backline. I do still have two Mesa subway stacks and a couple of power amp choices for bigger backlines, if needed.
Here is an example of the tone I’ve been using:
Of course, the powered cabs are NOT combos. But, the setup / tear down factors are pretty roughly the same thing. My preamp boards are small and don’t add to the schlep. The board in that video is running on a rechargeable power bank, and doesn’t even need to be plugged in at the gig, other than signal cables. So, I’m off on that siding for the foreseeable future.
Enjoy the journey.
