| Author | Message | ||
| hb3
Intermediate Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 118 Registered: 2-2005 |
Bet this one's been asked before... What's the best combo amp right now -- lightweight, portable, but superior sound quality? Anyone tried the new Trace Eliot stuff? | ||
| hb3
Intermediate Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 119 Registered: 2-2005 |
Or the Eden Metro? | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1252 Registered: 3-2004 |
It's hard to answer your question since it is so subjective. Best combo amp for what purpose? At what price? I have an SWR Baby Blue II setup that I think is the best combo amp for rehearsal and back yard gigging volumes. It wouldn't cut it at a bar gig, though. I have a Super Redhead as well. It generates much more volume, but doesn't quite have "the tone" for me. Before I got the SWR, I tried out an Eden Metro. I liked the tone, but not the construction. Maybe it had been abused in-store, but the giant magnetic coil in there had been broken free of its mooring and trashed the whole thing. I also had the opportunity to A/B the Super Redhead against an Ashdown of similar size. The Ashdown was just so much sweeter and warmer to my ears. I haven't tried the combos, but I really like my iAmp 800 head. I suspect that they are very nice and worth trying. Finally, if your interest in a combo is just to have a compact rig, take a look at the Schroeder cabinets. They have a 2x12 (1212) and a 1x10 plus 1x12 (1210) cabinet that are both great for blues/rock at a bar gig level. They're both extremely small and the neo-driver versions are in the 30lb weight class. Couple one of those with one of the 5lb heads that are out there now and you have a great portable rig. If you aren't up for the really expensive heads, check out the new Eden that feeds most of 300 watts into 4 ohms at a weight of 3.8 lbs. List price $899. I would expect that they will come out with a light combo based on this head over the next year or so. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4120 Registered: 5-2002 |
Several people in the club have spoken highly of Eden Metros. | ||
| studiorecluse
Junior Username: studiorecluse Post Number: 34 Registered: 11-2005 |
Nemesis NC210, 250 watts, 2x10" + horn tweeter, EQ, compression. My son has had one for about 6 years, including 2 1/2 on the road, and it is a workhourse. The sound is remarkable for such a small package. Lower bass than the 4x10 version. Check it out. http://www.eden-electronics.com/Nemesis/indiv/nc210.asp | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 906 Registered: 9-2002 |
Boy, this is so subjective . . . I decided I'd have one of these 210 combos. Tried the Mesa Venture (too hard sounding), the Fender Bassman 400 (good for the price, but not THAT good), and the Super Redhead (sounded too SWRish, too much top end), and the Eden Metro. Played it for five seconds and bought it. It just hit me right. Two channels (SS and tube), a big enough, vented cabinet to handle a four string on its own, and EDEN builds their own drivers. Don't use the enhance, the onboard compressor is actually more like one of those 'speaker saver' limiters. Separate effect loops for each channel, tuner out, fan-cooled, footswitch included with casters. I like the tone, and I've never seen a set of cut/boosts where small changes make BIG shifts in the tone. I run basically flat with a little bass boost. It was big enough for four-string, but pushing low Cs was a bit much for a cabinet the size of a fat Twin Reverb, so I added an Eden D115xlt and now the low B-string notes fill out beautifully. Eden loads the Metro 10s to 8 ohms, so you can add two more 8 ohm bins to load it to 720watts @ 2.6 ohms, a BUNCH for a combo. And Eden makes every conceivable cabinet for their heads: 2,4,6,8-10s, 1 or 2-12s, 1 or 2-15s, and a single 18. The one thing I can say about Eden, is that across their line, they all seem to have been built and designed by somebody that really understood what bass was supposed to sound like. For smaller still, I want my next setup to be their DC112xlt/112xlt stack. There are LOTS of amps out there. I was fortunate that here in Nashville I could go from one store to another and actually try each one with my ALEMBIC. I can't give you any better advice than to do just that, but I'm very happy with my Metro stack. J o e y | ||
| lbanks
Junior Username: lbanks Post Number: 49 Registered: 7-2003 |
I've sent a holla' out for the Peavey Bam 2x10. Loud and flexible, though, a little weird dealing with the Models, at first. | ||
| richbass939
Senior Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 683 Registered: 11-2004 |
I really like the sound of my Gallien Kruegers. I have their Backline 100 watt 1x12 for small rooms/quiet gigs. It's not as flexible as some of their others but I can always get a sound I like. I have a GK 700RB 1x15 for louder gigs. It gives you a lot of tone-shaping tools. I can get a lot of different sounds I like. I'm looking around for a 2x10 cab to round it out. I played a few times with a friend's GK 400RB 2x10 combo before I got mine. I loved the sound of it. Even the lower end Backline that I have has basically the same nice tone. I'm really happy with them. Rich PROBABLY FOR SALE SOON: 1977 Rickenbacker 50 Watt 1x15 combo. I like it for what it is but I'm not using it and need to make some space. Let me know if you are interested. http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/14898.html?1110075428 | ||
| smokin_dave
Advanced Member Username: smokin_dave Post Number: 272 Registered: 10-2002 |
I don't know about the best but recently I was on a twin bill and the bass player in the band before me allowed me to play through this... http://www.ampeg.com/ My Rogue 5 just sounded great through it.I would love to have one for myself.All the backline and rental amps I've used this summer so far have been Ampeg with the best being a new 72're-issue SVT.That really made my bass sound great.I'm sold on Ampeg and may have to cough up big dough to get an Ampeg amp. | ||
| smokin_dave
Advanced Member Username: smokin_dave Post Number: 273 Registered: 10-2002 |
Actually that link didn't go where I wanted it to so I'll just tell ya what I played through. Ampeg BA115HP.A great combo amp. | ||
| georgie_boy
Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 75 Registered: 8-2005 |
talking of Ampeg, I've got a 1987 SS150 guitar amp that was made for me by Ampeg (for the British market). Ungigged (home use only). It's sort of black with slight silvery threads through the speaker cloth and the amp front is black with blue on the bottom. I was wondering if anyone can tell me if it is good/bad/indifferent. My guitarist played through it in my house, and fell in love with it, but was upset that I didn't sell it to him. What's it worth?? G Sorry for the slight hijack! | ||
| hankster
Junior Username: hankster Post Number: 48 Registered: 6-2004 |
I swear by my GK microbass combo, for small or even medium sized venues. It is small, light, sounds great with all of my basses (acoustic upright, electric upright, Alembic and Music Man fretted transverses). Most sound techs I work with are perfectly happy with the signal straight from the amp's line out - no direct box needed. Rick | ||
| the_mule
Senior Member Username: the_mule Post Number: 590 Registered: 1-2004 |
The Glockenklang Passenger and Soul combos must be among the best combo amps money (quite a lot actually) can buy. I have the first one, and it definitely cured my amp G.A.S. Wilfred | ||
| box
New Username: box Post Number: 4 Registered: 7-2004 |
Bought a Fender Rumble One hundred about eighteen months ago and have used it for everything, It's been superb but gets a bit thick and Week on a big Rock stage, Recentley tried the Hartke VX3500, Getting one this week. Love at first Note. | ||
| hb3
Intermediate Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 121 Registered: 2-2005 |
Just out of morbid curiosity, how does one acquire a glockenklang in the US, anyway? Choices, choices.... Some of the Ampeg stuff is pretty tempting. As far as what I'm looking for, I'm sick of dragging around a six foot stack and 10 space rack. I've got one of the older Ampeg blue diamond combos -- it's ok, but I'd like something w/ a lot more headroom. | ||
| the_mule
Senior Member Username: the_mule Post Number: 591 Registered: 1-2004 |
"Just out of morbid curiosity, how does one acquire a glockenklang in the US, anyway?" http://www.glockenklang.de/en/distrib.htm Scroll down, there's a USA distributor and several shops that sell Glockenklang... Wilfred | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 506 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have recently bought a Phil Jones Bass, Briefcase combo 100w amp. It's great as a practice amp and has a really good sound with my Alembics even with a low B. I haven;'t used it out of the house yet but would imagine for a small winebar or restaurant gig where you dont need loads of power, it would be fine. It's also designed for housing a rechargeable battery or clipping to a car battery for portable use. Jazzyvee. | ||
| the_mule
Senior Member Username: the_mule Post Number: 592 Registered: 1-2004 |
I have the PJB Briefcase on my wishlist. Great little amp! Wilfred | ||
| gare
Advanced Member Username: gare Post Number: 381 Registered: 11-2003 |
I recently tried out a Mark Bass 102p 2x10 combo. I liked the vintage loudspeaker emulator. You could dial in sounds similar to a B-15,a Showman,etc. It also has a VPF control..more or less a scoop effect. We combined it with a 1x15 cab and it produced a pretty full sound. Also tried the Gallien Kruger 2x10 combo whitch was nice. As Bob mentioned above,Schroeder (and other makers) make airhead cabinets, so you could still combine separates to get closer to what you're looking for. | ||
| bassdr
Member Username: bassdr Post Number: 84 Registered: 10-2004 |
I still like my Peavy TKO- 85W rms with a Sheffield 15" speaker. I use it at church every Sunday and take it to small gigs.It weighs 75# so it is heavy to more. It's real clean and goes well with Flame Koa Essence.Michael |
