cheapest bass rig?

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:19 pm

can i get away with a combo amp? for small rooms and bars?
i've never owned a real bass amp i've only played bass in practice spaces that have serious shit that I cannot afford and could never carry on the subway or in a taxi

and i've read that bass amps need like ten times the wattage to match a guitar amp for loudness?

George · Post by **George** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:33 pm

ashdown blue combo or stack ~300W should cover it

i have a laney 300W 1x15 solid state combo and it's great. probably wouldn't want less than that for a solid state.

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:35 pm

George wrote:ashdown blue combo or stack ~300W should cover it

i have a laney 300W 1x15 solid state combo and it's great. wouldn't want less than 300W though really

thx george

George · Post by **George** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:37 pm

and most definitely a magna cart or similar

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:43 pm

note to self: steal one of those carts from work

Concretebadger · Post by **Concretebadger** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:44 pm

I picked up one of these from Clas Ohlsen (there may not be branches where you live, but that lank will give you an idea)...that sort of thing is *perfect* for carrying a combo amp or speaker cab. They're sooo useful.

As far as amp wattage goes, bass amps seem to be between 40w for a practice amp and 400w for the full-size performance rigs whenever I've seen them on sale in stores, so I figured a rule of thumb would be four times the wattage of an equivalent guitar amp. Alternatively, you could just get a Sansamp-style D.I. box and run it into the PA.

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:53 pm

Concretebadger wrote: Alternatively, you could just get a Sansamp-style D.I. box and run it into the PA.

does that really sound ok? obviously that would be the BEST solution if it sounded ok but I am worried that it would sound horrible through some PA's and ok through others...

avj · Post by **avj** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 7:02 pm

brainfur wrote:
Concretebadger wrote: Alternatively, you could just get a Sansamp-style D.I. box and run it into the PA.
does that really sound ok? obviously that would be the BEST solution if it sounded ok but I am worried that it would sound horrible through some PA's and ok through others...

What kind of music is it that you're playing? A 300-watt combo probably isn't going to cut it live for loud music, which means you'll be DI'd to the venue's PA anyway and using the amp as pretty much a monitor.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 7:36 pm

yeah, unless it's a tiny room the bass amp will probably always be DI'd.

my combo is broken at the moment and i gigged with one of those behringer sansamp clone pedals for a couple of nights and it sounded fine. different if you're used to playing through an 8x10 with trousers a-flappin', i guess, but i only really see touring musicians use those.

Viljami · Post by **Viljami** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:08 pm

What the others have said, if you're only playing smaller rooms, then a combo (or a Laney RB-9, wink wink nudge nudge that I have and was solid). But, since if you're really on a tight budget I'd recommend a Sansamp, since it is a very useful peace of gear even on bigger stages.

Minty · Post by **Minty** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 1:31 pm

I would never recommend getting a bass combo...unless you play in a quiet band, I guess. Pick up an old Peavey 2x15 cab, a sansamp and the cheapest head you can find...

avj · Post by **avj** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:07 pm

Minty wrote:I would never recommend getting a bass combo...unless you play in a quiet band, I guess. Pick up an old Peavey 2x15 cab, a sansamp and the cheapest head you can find...

Yeah, a 2x15 is a breeze on the subway or taxi as mentioned in the original post.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:47 pm

All a bunch of hooey gentlemen. Few years ago I bought some cheap little 100w acoustic bass mini stack that had like 1x12. Thing was a MONSTER. we used it at shows and when the cab busted we started running it through a 4x12 and it sounds EVEN MORE MASSIVE. the cab is real small and light. If other bands got a cab yr good to go. Ran me like 300 bucks I think.

This amp never gets turned up past 2 or 3 for practice any any higher than that you could feel it in your chest.

Again this shits 100w solid state.

h8mtv · Post by **h8mtv** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:38 pm

I have always liked any of the Roland combos for loud, clean, and compact. I have a little "spirit" combo that is amazingly loud for its size. I think I paid $120 for it.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:48 pm

I played 300W combos for over a decade, and they tend to work fine... Don't get anything less than 300W, though, it just won't cut it, even in a small room.

SansAmp is a good choice, but it really depends on the venues you're playing. Most of the venues I've played haven't had adequate monitoring on stage to allow only DI; you need an amp for hearing yourself on stage, if nothing else. Some venues DO have good monitoring and competent sound guys... but you can't count on it. In any case, a SansAmp plus a decent combo is a great option, and recommended.

I haven't been in the market for a new bass combo for over a decade, so I'm not sure what's really available and at what prices... but when I was looking at heads/cabs, the Ampeg Portaflex 210HE with either the PF-300 or PF-500 head were really appealing. Not too pricey for what you get, and super portable. Since the head will mount to the cabinet (and flips inside for transport) it's the best of both worlds between a head/cab and a combo; super light and super portable with good sound.
I know that not the cheapest, but it's a solid option, I think.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:59 pm

i've played through one of those portaflexes, it was pretty cool.

Minty · Post by **Minty** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:03 pm

avj wrote:
Minty wrote:I would never recommend getting a bass combo...unless you play in a quiet band, I guess. Pick up an old Peavey 2x15 cab, a sansamp and the cheapest head you can find...
Yeah, a 2x15 is a breeze on the subway or taxi as mentioned in the original post.

I've done both of those scenarios before, and I'd still take that over a combo...

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:09 pm

I wouldn't move a 215 with a private van if I could help it... let alone in a taxi or on the bus

Minty · Post by **Minty** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:20 pm

Moving a 2x15 really isn't that hard, I mean, it has wheels! And even when you get to a staircase, the Peavey is just about light enough for one person to lift.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:25 pm

Minty wrote:Moving a 2x15 really isn't that hard, I mean, it has wheels! And even when you get to a staircase, the Peavey is just about light enough for one person to lift.

The bold is pretty important. Many of the venues I deal with are up stairs... ground-level venues are a bit of a luxury around here.
Also, any 215 I've used has been too big to readily fit in anything other than a decent sized hatchback (with folded seats) or a truck/van. If you have other gear to move, it's a tad silly.