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Looking at new combo amps


WynnD

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I'm thinking about getting a new combo amp to play bass with. Only need something large enough to cover small clubs as larger clubs will have the bass going out through the PA. Currently have a Hartke Kickback 12. Used to have an Acoustic 136 a long time ago. So I'm thinking that the amp will have to be physically somewhere between the Kickback and 136 in size. (Both are single speaker units about 100 watts of power.) Maybe just a better speaker for the Kickback? (JBL making 12" bass drivers? Will look that up.) I'm not into shaking the room or playing so deep that you can't actually hear the notes. Suggestions? Any good experiences? I'm not against buying used and expecting to replace the driver. I love the size and functionality of the kickback. When I had the 136 I was much younger and it didn't seem heavy then. (Pretty sure I might feel differently at 61.)

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A quick search didn't turn up anything from JBL. Still, plenty of brands available if you want to go that route. The Kickback 12 does have an external speaker jack so a second cab might give you more output.

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It's never been a question of quantity. I don't play loud and if I just wanted more volume, I've got a 4x10 Sunn cabinet and a 1x15 Hartke speaker with a 350 watt amp. I consider that small outdoor venue stuff. Don't really know why I'm thinking about this. I do remember a few amps that made impressions on me. One was the Bassman 10 with 4x10 speaker setup. The other that really sticks in my mind was the Kasino Snake Eyes. (Except that one isn't small.) I probably should take my bass into some music stores and get a feel for what's out there.

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If there was enough space I'd go with a 15" over a 12" their range for hitting a low 41hz open E root note is much better.

It does depend on the amp however.

 

Personally I'd just sell what you have and get something like an Ampeg Portaflex. Simple design, easy to move and sounds great with just about any bass guitar, after all, they practically invented the electric bass.

 

In 1946, Everette Hull, an accomplished pianist and bass player, organized a partnership with Stanley Michaels under the name "Michaels-Hull Electronic Labs." Their mission was to produce a new microphone pickup that Hull designed. The pickup was fitted on the end of an upright bass and was dubbed the Amplified Peg or "Ampeg" for short

 

In 1949, Hull became the sole proprietor and changed the name of the company to the Ampeg Bassamp Company. Since that time, Ampeg has produced some of the music industry's most innovative and memorable products, satisifying the needs of musicians all over the world. Many of these products feature incredibly unique features and performance capabilities resulting in six U.S. patents under the Ampeg brand name.

 

In 1960, a design engineer by the name of Jess Oliver created a combo amplifier with a chasis that could be inverted and tucked inside the speaker enclosure, protecting the inner workings and increasing the portability of the the amp. Nicknammed the "Portaflex," this amplifier became the standard in bass combos throughout the 60's and 70's.

 

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Is Yorkville dragging out that trade name again? Former Bassplayer had one of their tube bass amps driving an 18" folded horn. (1971?) WebRep

 

 

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What JBL doesn't make anymore is musical instrument drivers' date=' like the E120.[/quote']

Yeah, the 2206H is actually a "woofer" rather than a bass driver. I'd assumed that was what the OP wanted so I didn't mention woofers.

The Gallien-Krueger MB112-II is a 1X12 200 Watt unit that claims to be "ultralight" for $400: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Gallien-Krueger-MB112-II-200W-1x12-Ultralight-Bass-Combo-Amp-108935909-i2296524.gc. Might be worth a look.

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As far as I know, JBL didn't ever make a 12" bass MI driver. In general, though, their MI drivers were almost identical to one of their pro woofers. For instance, the K140 MI bass driver has specs identical to the 2205H driver. The metal dust cap probably gave it a little more high end, but not much. Point being that, where JBLs are concerned, there's very little difference between their MI drivers and their pro woofers. Even the high fidelity woofers were very similar.

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Was considering an Ampeg Portaflex that was on Craigslist. Tried the amp out, when to guitar center the next day and tried out all of their combos. Mark Bass...... I went with the nearly new Ampeg. I've got extra speakers for outdoors already. (Amp is 300 watts at 8 ohms and 500 at 4 ohms.) I think I will be OK with that. It also fills my smaller is better attitude.

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Looks like you're all set then. I have an Ampeg PortaBass 228, but it's only 200W and no option to plug into an additional cab. It works OK for practice since I can also run it through the P.A., but I wouldn't trust it at a gig w/o P.A. support. Not quite enough suds.

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Personally not into the louder is better group. I'm expecting the second cabinet might be put on the other side of the stage. I'm considering changing out the speaker in my Hartke 115 transporter cabinet. I have a RCF-L15P530 speaker rated 350 watts and 99 db spl. Better specs than the Hartke. Will try it and see what happens. (Probably take an afternoon of my time.) My other option that I've already tried is a Sunn 410 cabinet rated 300 watts. (Pretty much the minimum for running outdoors without going through a PA.) The Sunn box was pretty good. (A bit warmer sounding too.) All my bass heads have XLR outs for a mixer. (We will have some subs available on the PA in addition to a pair of 215/horn JBL cabinets.)

 

 

 

 

 

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Back when I owned an Acoustic 301 cabinet, I drove it with a borrowed 70 watt Sunn tube bass amp. Outside of needing a van to haul it around in, I liked the sound. Wish I still had that 301 cabinet.

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I have the 350W version and its a neat little unit. The only thing you have to watch out for them is be sure the heads fans don't get blocked. They are class D heads and its important the fans keep the components cool. In extreme conditions pushing the head, (probably everything cranked to max) they have a thermal protection that will shut them down till they cool. If you're like me you rarely run an amp with all the knobs maxed so its likely a non issue.

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That Bass One is interesting. And no, I never run any knobs full up. I got into playing bass because we couldn't find a bassist who was available, and didn't play too loud or too deep. (Room shakers.) Within 6 months of buying my first stringed instrument, we were gigging 5 nights a week in three clubs. People would come in and rarely leave before the band was done. (Always ending up with a very full house.) My first bass was a Fender Precision Fretless, natural finish with a rosewood fingerboard. Was playing it through an Acoustic 136 bass amp. Wish I had both today. I modified the P bass and could get 9 different sounds out of it. (6 were particularly useful.) Sold it in California and it has an additional knob on the pick guard. I would pay a premium to get it back. (If I could find it.)

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I had an Acoustic bass head back in the earley 70's that had the blue label logo on it. It was a loud sucker. I think I had an Acoustic PA head that was just plain awful. I think it might have had a fault in it some place because it should have been a 150W head, but I doubt if it out much more then 30W. I also had a Standel bass amp around that time for a short while which had the knobs on top that was pretty neat.

 

I thought about converting my Precision into a fretless. I don't think It would make me want to play it much more then I do now. Its a great sounding bass and all, but that one is really heavy and other then recording I don't use it much. I play my short scale Gretch the most because its light and versatile. I have been wanting to get a Hoffner type bass, either a good knockoff or the real thing. I'm pretty much done with cinder blocks. My back cant take that weight any more after 45 years and I don't want to accelerate the disk problems I already have.

 

 

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That Bass One is interesting. And no' date=' I never run any knobs full up. I got into playing bass because we couldn't find a bassist who was available, and didn't play too loud or too deep. (Room shakers.) Within 6 months of buying my first stringed instrument, we were gigging 5 nights a week in three clubs. People would come in and rarely leave before the band was done. (Always ending up with a very full house.) My first bass was a Fender Precision Fretless, natural finish with a rosewood fingerboard. Was playing it through an Acoustic 136 bass amp. Wish I had both today. I modified the P bass and could get 9 different sounds out of it. (6 were particularly useful.) Sold it in California and it has an additional knob on the pick guard. I would pay a premium to get it back. (If I could find it.) [/quote']

 

What modifications did you make to a P bass that gave you nine different sounds?

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