Members flip333 Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Hi, I'm 46. I've played bass since I was 20. Took a few years off for family, job and, other pursuits. I bought a Yamaha 115 when I was 20. (30watts output). This is barely OK for practice and small jams/gigs. Played a gig as a bass player a couple weeks ago. I primarily play guitar now. My Yamaha was farting out...it was not enough. Went to the music store and played a : Peavey TNT 150watts: Good sound at decent levels before pooping out. Heavy. Ampeg head with Ampeg 4 x10. Good sound, tighter, punchier than TNT. Even more volume than TNT. Heavy. Ampeg BA115. Noisey. least volume with 100watts. Nice modeling tones for variety. Better than my Yamaha 30watt. Better tonal control. Light! Peavey 700 watt touring head with Peavey 4 x10 cab. Far and above the best sounding, loudest, deepest rig. Could not make it poop out. Clean and rich as loud as I could stand it. (and the store employees) Damn heavy. Well, I went home. Played my Yamaha....by itself its weak. But, I put it through my rehearsal PA through a DI box with 500 watts and Drive rack PA crossover plus separate DBX 200XL comp. Two mains and two subs. It was plenty loud... rivaling the Peavey 700 rig. The DRPA also has a sub harmonic synth that adds a bit of growl if I feel like it. I am probably just going to get the Ampeg BA115. Light and hopefully OK for small gigs. Any ideas or thoughts? I am liking little gigs because the PA stuff is a PITA. Does anyone else use a small bass amp that you just put into a PA for bigger gigs? Other things to consider? Also, I will check out a Crate 200watt amp at the other store. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 That 700w Peavey with the Peavey 4x10 is a pretty solid choice. It will definitely bring the pain if you need it to. Don't bother with the Ampeg BA115, the other Ampeg set up would probably do you right, but I personally prefer Peavey to Ampeg, and the price difference will probably make the Peavey rig a way better deal than the Ampeg anyway. The one major advantage to having heavy gear is it won't float away in a stiff breeze. Keep that in mind... C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Aussie Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 yes, we do. Dont forget to consider the Eden Nemesis Range. 250w you can carry in one hand including speakers. Middle age sucks, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jannda Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Depending on how much you want to spend and what type of music your playing there many different ways you can go but I would recomend a head cab set up as apposed to a combo just for the versitility aspect. 30 watts is not even a good practice amp IMO but it will work. 700 watts is more than you will ever probably need so some where in between works for me I use an AMPEG 350 head and a118 and or a 115 ussually or a212 and either of the two others. I would say some where in the 150 -350 watt range is what you should look at and 200+ being preferd. As far as speakers go it's up to you but I would look at something with 12s or 15s instead of 10s but thats just me. Some other amps you should look at are fender ,york,ashdown and sunn if you can find a good one. but ampeg is a good choice mabe not the BA series though. and then there is always behringer but you won't fin a lot of love for them around here but they aren't that bad but don't get a behringer cab what ever you do they suck big time but avatars are nice as are ampeg cabs good luck and have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flip333 Posted October 24, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 I looked at the Avatar site. Those 2 x10 cabs are priced well and handle 500watts. I have an extra power amp that puts out 500 watts into 8 ohms. Maybe a preamp with one of these would work for me. I just read the other thread regarding preamps and power amps.... Light. Hopefully loud enough for small gigs.... you know, a small bar with a vocal only PA set up. How about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jannda Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 That would word work but you still might want some larger speakers a 410 or 212 or a 115. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flip333 Posted October 24, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Their 2 x12 cab is only 56 pounds. I re-read your post and see you (jannda) prefer the 2 x12's over a 2 x10 cab. Thanks, these are the things that are great to learn about from other's experience. My middle age back can handle 56 pounds, and I can use a dolly. This choice is making economical sense too for me. I'll look at bass pre-amps. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jannda Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 I'm not really a big fan of 10" speakers by them selfs they work better in combanation with other speakers and a + to useing bigger speakers is more acerge the larger the speaker area the better your sound coverage you can sometimes get by with less power and still have the same or close to the same volume level not always but I have found this to be true in most cases, and it looks cool:D. but It's just a personal preferance some people swear by 10s and thats all they use and get by just fine. But IMO the more speaker area you have the better but thats like saying the more strings you have the better some people like 5 sring basses some like 8 or 12 I prefer 4 myself but they all work it's just a matter of what works best for you. sometimes it takes a little experamentation to find out what you really like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SB Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Yep, sounds like you're gonna need a pre-amp with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by Crescent Seven That 700w Peavey with the Peavey 4x10 is a pretty solid choice. It will definitely bring the pain if you need it to. Don't bother with the Ampeg BA115, the other Ampeg set up would probably do you right, but I personally prefer Peavey to Ampeg, and the price difference will probably make the Peavey rig a way better deal than the Ampeg anyway. The one major advantage to having heavy gear is it won't float away in a stiff breeze. Keep that in mind... C7 Agreed on all counts - I, too prefer Peavey to Ampeg - I know that's blasphemy to some, but that's just how I see it... For one thing, a musician's dollars stretch ALOT farther with Peavey than they do with Ampeg - and I also prefer the tones of *most* Peavey bass gear over that of Ampeg... A used Peavey Combo 300 can be had somewhat cheaply - and just might suit your purposes - although it won't be light, either... I use one for applications smaller than what my main rig is suited for - it, and a DI box will cover ALOT of situations... A cheaper alternative to the 700 watt/410 rig would be an older Mark III and a 410 TX - it'll still be somewhat heavy, but will handle most situations very well, *could* be had for around $300, will sound good - and will be stone reliable... When it comes to bass gear, you can have good sound/performance, light, or cheap - but never all three... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by jannda I'm not really a big fan of 10" speakers by them selfs they work better in combanation with other speakers and a + to useing bigger speakers is more acerge the larger the speaker area the better your sound coverage you can sometimes get by with less power and still have the same or close to the same volume level not always but I have found this to be true in most cases, and it looks cool:D. but It's just a personal preferance some people swear by 10s and thats all they use and get by just fine. But IMO the more speaker area you have the better but thats like saying the more strings you have the better some people like 5 sring basses some like 8 or 12 I prefer 4 myself but they all work it's just a matter of what works best for you. sometimes it takes a little experamentation to find out what you really like. Yeah, a 210 by itself won't get it done for me - atleast not without PA support... Either a 410, or a 210 + a 115 or 118 is a minimum for me, unless I have PA support - and even in a case like that, I'd rather have a 115 than a 210 - although that's certainly subjective... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flip333 Posted October 24, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 I've heard 2 x10's sound pretty good at little bar gigs. I've never played through one... just 1 or 2 x 15 cabs. A sub harmonic generator sounds good to me. The live sound guys don't like them over the whole mix... but I sure like the low octave sound like a Drive rack PA or a Peavey Kosmos produces. It adds a nice growl to the tone. That Peavey 700 touring amp has one, and it really improves the tone to my ears. How about you guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by flip333 A sub harmonic generator sounds good to me. The live sound guys don't like them over the whole mix... How about you guys? None for me, thanks... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Markee Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 flip, I'm with ya on the weight issue. The problem as you'll discover is lightweight rigs generall cost way more than the garden variety rig. The jury is still out for me as to speaker configuration but man-O-man I'm leaning towards Shroeder cabs or at least cabs with Neodynium speakers installed. For a combo I think it would be hard to beat the Nemesis for power to weight to price ratio. Tone, on the other hand, should be a primary concern as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T. Alan Smith Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by flip333 Peavey 700 watt touring head with Peavey 4 x10 cab. Far and above the best sounding, loudest, deepest rig. Could not make it poop out. Clean and rich as loud as I could stand it. (and the store employees) Thanks. You just answered your own question here. ...and yes, I've owned Peavey gear with much success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike fitzwell Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 I had the BA-115 in the past. Nice little combo with small gig capability. Depending on the model of Ampeg head and cab, it'll get the job done if you dig the tone. Peavey? You'll never catch me with any piece of bass gear that says Peavey on it. Ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members frunobulax Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 when i got back into playing playing, i was still of the mindset that big is better. one gig beat that notion out of me. i do not want to be moving big heavy cabs anymore. look at two quality 1x12 cabs. one will handle a gig where you're going to go through the PA anyway. two will be perfect for when you need your rig to fill the room. i have Bergantinos, but there are other choices out there. and quality small bassgear does cost money. then look for an amp you like. you'll hear a lot of people talking up GenzBenz, and that's for a reason. it's great gear, with quality people standing behind it. they make an 8 lb amp (the NeoPak) that pushes 350w at 4ohms. and it has that Genz Benz tone. get out there and play a lot of gear before making your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BigPigPeaches Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 You have stepped into one of the great controversies amongst bassists: large rigs vs. small. As you noted, a combo will be adequate for smaller gigs. Anything larger, and you have the option of letting the PA do the work for you. A lot of sound men will tell you that a louder stage rig actually makes the gig sound worse because you are competing with the PA. I am beginning to agree with this. Bear in mind that I am currently running a 1000-watt Ampeg B4R into anywhere from two to ten 10-inch speakers. But more and more, I'm just using a 210 as a stage monitor and letting the sound man do the rest of the work for me. So really, among your choices, I would go with the Ampeg. It's affordable, portable, sounds good, and pretty damn reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ezstep Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 I'll second or third the notion to skip the BA115. I have one, and it is good for small gigs and practice only. The ergonomics department was on vacation when they developed it, though, and it will definitely become heavy since it has only one strap on top. It is simply too bulky to tote any length. The weight, the limited volume, the limited tones - in my opinion, the "cons" outweigh the "pros" when gigging with this amp. The Peavey will last forever. Never buy a Peavey thinking that you will upgrade to something else when it breaks. Twelve years later you will still be waiting for it to break. It won't. Get the Peavey rig and a $30 dolly from Home Depot to carry it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 72Rick Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by T. Alan Smith You just answered your own question here. ...and yes, I've owned Peavey gear with much success. I agree with "T"! If it wasn't for the B-15R 2-15 Stack, I would never have been motivated enough to replace my 800w Max & 412-TFX. That little Half-Stack could Arc-Weld and Chisel Granite! Now, I have no issue at all with Ampeg tone. I'm certain if I had a SVT4Pro & PR410HLF that it wouldstill be "My Tone", not some Brand Tone that you'd hear. But, that pair is $2350.00! Nice huh! I'm sure it would be deadly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RSBro Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 I have a 1210 cab for sale that'll easily rival the sound of any 410, but weighs in the 50-ish lbs. range... Cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thumper Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by D Aussie yes, we do. Dont forget to consider the Eden Nemesis Range. 250w you can carry in one hand including speakers. Middle age sucks, eh? +1. I had a Nemesis 112P combo for my main amp for years. 200 watts, lotsa nice features and a one-hand carry to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrestiaRules Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 if you already have a poweramp you like and $$ is an issue just grab a cheap decent sounding pre-amp like a TubeWorks Blue Tube or that Peavey tube pre that was floating around on a thread the other day and the 2x12. Inexpensive and should handle any gig you come across. Maybe even grab a NEO 2x12 to keep it light. that Peavey rig would be sweet though... another thought might be the Ashdown Electric Blue combo....pretty small reasonably loud for smallish gigs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by mike fitzwell Peavey? You'll never catch me with any piece of bass gear that says Peavey on it. Ever. Your loss - just out of curiousity, have you ever actually PLAYED through any Peavey bass gear, and if so - what was it??? FYI - the guitarist in one of my bands has an Ampeg Classic cab that has 4 10s and an 18 in it, pushed by an Ampeg solid state amp(B2RE, I think) - and my all Peavey rig kicks the crap outta it - even by his own admission - and cost me WAY less than half what he paid for his Ampeg rig... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted October 24, 2006 Members Share Posted October 24, 2006 Originally posted by ezstep I'll second or third the notion to skip the BA115. I have one, and it is good for small gigs and practice only. The ergonomics department was on vacation when they developed it, though, and it will definitely become heavy since it has only one strap on top. It is simply too bulky to tote any length. The weight, the limited volume, the limited tones - in my opinion, the "cons" outweigh the "pros" when gigging with this amp.The Peavey will last forever. Never buy a Peavey thinking that you will upgrade to something else when it breaks. Twelve years later you will still be waiting for it to break. It won't. Get the Peavey rig and a $30 dolly from Home Depot to carry it. A set of casters on the side of my 410 TXF has made life MUCH easier with it - that way, I can roll it to it's destination, then rotate it 90 degrees onto it's feet... +1 on the Peavey lasting forever - best bang for the buck going, IMO... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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