What's your amp rig?

[Guinness21]

Have a stingray and just started thinking about upgrading my amp setup. There are so many people giving contrasting advice on other bass forums, I thought I'd come here where I know people are playing the same/similar bass to me. I want to know all the gory details! (micro/tube head, size cab, brands, etc.)

 

[ksandvik]

My advice, MarkBass head + 4x10 MarkBass cab. Or Gallien Krueger MBFusion + 2x12 or 4x10 cab. TC Electronics is good, Ampeg, too, Aquilar. Hard to not pick a good bass rig with all the modern designs. But try to get at least 300W amp and a good sounding cab for stage use.

 

[mr.nylon]

I'm running a MM StingRay 4H through a Fender Super Bassman / Ampeg SVT-410HLF. It really kicks. The Super Bassman head is a 300 watt tube monster. It can be set for 8, 4, or 2 ohms. It has a foot switch, to switch the two channels. The Fender Automatic Bias system, monitors, and allows adjustments of the tubes. It looks good with the Fender 60's Blackface front panel. 65 Pounds, made with 7-Ply 5/8" Meranti Plywood.

The Ampeg, is a Heritage series American made cab, with US Eminence speakers. 76 Pounds, made with 15mm Birch. 500 Watts RMS, 4 ohms. It peaks at 1,000 watts. The Ampeg also has a 1″ Eminence APT:50 HF driver, with a full L-Pad level control. Frequency response: 28Hz – 18kHz. Max SPL: 125dB. Sensitivity: 98dB. The two match up very well.

 

[Golem]

`

I use the smallest lightest gear possible.

Don't really know the model names, but
MarkBass and Acoustic Image brands do
most of the job.

 

[Guinness21]

Properly jealous of the super bassman! Interesting you mention the gk ksandvik, I was looking at it but people on talkbass were telling me it's too bright. Had bee looking at a markbass head - the little mark tube 800.

 

[five7]

Tech 21 VT bass, markbass lmtII and an aguilar GS 410
Had a markbass lmt 800 with a markbass 108, killer rig but too big for the band I am in now.

 

[73jbass]

Currently using a Mesa Boogie M6 Carbine with a Mesa Traditional 610. Been using it for about 6 months and couldn't be happier. Its a perfect match.

 

[ksandvik]

Properly jealous of the super bassman! Interesting you mention the gk ksandvik, I was looking at it but people on talkbass were telling me it's too bright. Had bee looking at a markbass head - the little mark tube 800.

The GK MB500/800 are IMHO bright but the MB500Fusion has a tube pre-amp that rounds the sound nicely.

 

[sanderhermans]

My rig is in my signature. I like it alot and i can get a variety of sounds from it. Down side is its pretty heavy.

 

[nervous]

Markbass CMD 102P

The questions is easy, just tell you what we all currently use. It gets trickier in what will works for you based on your personal needs. Do you have solid FOH support all the time or is your rig going to carry the load of the low end fill in the room? How will you transport it? How much loud do you need and what is your favorite flavor of bass tone?

For me I have been steadily downsizing over the past three years, going from the ridiculousness of a Mesa M9 and Powerhouse 1000 setup to what I have right now, a Markbass CMD 102P combo. Big swing but at every step along the way I had some really great gear of many brands from high to what some might consider low end. And there has been a lot of turnover for me. The best and most flexible setup until right now had been the GK MB500 or MB800 paired with a single or two Avatar B210 Neo cabs, vertically stacked. Wrinkle your nose all you want at those cabs, and toss around how great they are "for the price" but find me USA made can with quality drivers that sound this good and work as hard. You'll be hard pressed price caveat or not. I also paired them with a TC BH250 head and that was a fine pairing as well. Having a pair of 2x10 boxes gave me great flexibility in what I need to take to a job.

But I have recently fallen in love with the wedge or monitor concept for personal monitoring in a live situation. It's aimed at you and is not hitting you in the ankles or knees. Hence the MB CMD102P. This a great sounding combo with surprising low end extension The pics tell the story in how I use them. And I can still add another cab if the job requires. But since everyone else in the band gets my sound back through their floor or in ears and I don't muck up the room sound by adding a lot of unneeded low end noise.

That said in the spring I plan to experiment with full time in ears and won't need an amp at all if that works out. But you have to know what you need and what sound you prefer to help narrow your choices. I like bright bouncy and clean, others like more warm and 'vintagey' so there's a lot of space between those two camps.

 

[nervous]

Properly jealous of the super bassman! Interesting you mention the gk ksandvik, I was looking at it but people on talkbass were telling me it's too bright. Had bee looking at a markbass head - the little mark tube 800.

They are not 'too' bright. I have had the 200, 500 and 800 and use a 200 series combo for rehearsal. These cliches get tossed around and propagated for no good reason. They have a vary capable eq section that allows a wide range of sounds and very often what comes out has a lot to do with whatever bass is connected. To pigeon hole these to a narrow tonal range is unfair. Now, if you like fat, tubey, hairy and warm then you should probably find a fusion or hybrid head with a tube. And, IMHO, the TC amps do that sound well with tubes.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

I use the Aguilar TH500 head with one or two DIY 1x12 cabinets. (Previously I had the TC RH450 with a pair of TC112 cabs.)

The cab was designed in this TalkBass thread:
Another DIY cab thread. Loud, Small, and Cheap. 22 pounds that pounds. | TalkBass.com

I love having a pair of 21-pound cabinets that are plenty loud. In the attached photos, you can see that they are 15"w x 15"d x 17"h.

 

[Guinness21]

Ok nervous, I'll provide a bit more info. I don't always have front of house support, but I am thinking of getting a di pedal. Play small to medium gigs, from pubs to decent size clubs and the occasional outdoor gig.

Not sure whether I should get a 2x12, 4x10 or stacked 1x15s. The 2x12 I was looking at is the bergantino cn212 which is excellent and very light but very expensive - to the point that I'd have to use my small 75w for a while longer. The 4x10 would probably be the cheapest option but the most difficult to move around by myself. It's a bit different with the 1x15s, it really depends on the brand - some have casters like ampeg, but some are probably heavy (Orange spring to mind). I think it would be quite expensive doing it that way, and I'd be worried about damaging a cab if I just used one at practices.

I'm definitely looking at micro heads. There are a number of contenders:
-Orange terror bass
-Aguilar tone hammer
-Markbass little mark tube
-Ampeg pf800
-GK MBFusion, after hearing a wide variety of sounds are available.
I'm fairly sure any one of these 5 would suit. I know you can always add a dirt pedal, but I think I favour the vintage-voiced amp. 500w is absolutely plenty, but I've been told these amps benefit from the extra headroom, so I'd probably go for an 800w. Problem is it's unlikely I'll get to try the ampeg or gallien krueger

 

[OldManMusic]

This did the trick last night in a 300+ seat hall. Markbass CMD 121P with a NY 151 ext cab. Boom baby. The CMD has the built-in DI. I wouldn't say it would push past a Wall O' Marshalls, but for rock gigs I always have plenty of headroom.
Sorry for the grainy cell pic, but you get the idea.

 

[ksandvik]

800W is nice, but a 500W with two cabinets is so mighty loud on-stage that most of the band members will ask you to turn the rig down. Add PA support and you are all set for even big stages.

 

[Guinness21]

800W is nice, but a 500W with two cabinets is so mighty loud on-stage that most of the band members will ask you to turn the rig down. Add PA support and you are all set for even big stages.

Fair enough. A lot of people have reported problems with the ampeg pf500.

 

[five7]

This did the trick last night in a 300+ seat hall. Markbass CMD 121P with a NY 151 ext cab. Boom baby. The CMD has the built-in DI. I wouldn't say it would push past a Wall O' Marshalls, but for rock gigs I always have plenty of headroom.
Sorry for the grainy cell pic, but you get the idea.

I see you had my SR5 out for a show, lol.
Folks I have heard this rig and it sounds fantastic!

 

[Dr Stankface]

Kustom KXB500 into a Genz Benz NeoX 212T. All the rig I'll ever need.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OldManMusic]

I see you had my SR5 out for a show, lol.
Folks I have heard this rig and it sounds fantastic!

I forgot to ask permission...

 

[danny-79]

See signature.

Coming soon Orange Terror and a second 4x10 of the same to complete that set up