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Back up amps?


redbandit599
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Hi all

Thinking that it may finally be time to free up some space and move on my venerable Ampeg SVT140TC 410 combo that I have kept as 'back up' (how can you get emotionally attached to a black box?)

Anyhow - what have you guys got for back up out there? Cheap, light, gig able with a bit of drive and effects loop - ideally able to get down to 2 ohms .

Cheers

J

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[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1474441755' post='3137985']
Not all that many amps can go down to 2 ohms, so that will be your limiting factor probably.
I have a Little Mark 2 as my back up. I can get a great sound from that, although i don't use overdrive.
Super lightweight and they go for really cheap second hand at the minute
[/quote]

The above +1 - cheap/lightweight/2 Ohm capable don't seem to go together... maybe the bass block 800? but depends on your definition of cheap..

Edited by markstuk
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A BDI21 through the PA saved my bacon on one occasion.

You might also want to ask yourself why you need an effects loop. These are intended for line level devices and most stomp boxes are instrument level devices. If you do need a loop it needs to match your main amp for serial or parallel, otherwise it may not do what you expect.

Knowing that you run EBS cabs I would suggest a Reidmar.

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yep my DHA box into the PA has saved my bacon on a couple of occasions so I don't see the need for a backup amp. Also rather ominously I used it last week with an active 18" sub and our new(ish) tops as a space saving exercise as the stage was so small (ie between the pool table and the loo) and the landlord said how much better the overall sound was, so the Ampeg gear may have to stay in the garage!
Back on topic, a GK fusion?

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Yeah - I'm thinking that the DI into the PA route may be the alternative fail safe - we've got a good PA (RCF 15's) but don't run/need any subs so I tend to stay out of it. Just not sure about bass frequencies coming out of a head/chest height pa.

I've already got a VT Bass on my board - not the DI version - is there any reason why I couldn't use this straight into PA?

Edited by redbandit599
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My back ups are a Hartke LH500 (350 watts @ 8 ohms; 500 watts @ 4 ohms.) and an Ampeg PF-350 (250 watts @ 8 ohms; 350 watts @ 4 ohms.).
The Hartke isn't "lightweight" like a Markbass, Aguilar Tonehammer or a Gallien Krueger MB head. It's not Valve amp heavy though and is a damn good amp!
The Ampeg is light and sounds lovely, but is better for recording and practice to be honest (Conversely, you need a full 4 ohm stack to get the most poke out of it!)
Don't really use either now though. Probably should make sure they go to good homes!

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I have an EBS Reidamr 250 as a back up. I was playing with it last night just out of bordem and forgot how good this is. I may be using it on more small gigs in future.

If its just a back up though I guess any of the light weights will do as they all have their good points. All have been flavour of the week at some point or other so its down to either personal preference or price.

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I have 2 amps that go to 2 ohms, a Thunderfunk 750 and a Mesa D800, but my main back up for the TH500 is another TH500.

It just made more sense to me that a backup should have the same tone as the main amp and the extra benefit is I can daisy chain both amps and run up to 4 cabs from 4 ohm amps.

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My gigging amp is a Gallien-Krueger 1001RB-II, with an MB500 as backup. Agree with Chris, makes sense to have backups that sound alike and these have pretty much the same tone. If anything the MB is slightly beefier, but less defined, easily sorted with eq though. Defected from Aguilar recently for a change, as the combination of my Aggies and my new Barefaced Retro cabs was a bit too vintagey, need some upper-end bite and the GKs do that nicely.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I use a Trace Elliot AH-300 SMX to gig. I take an Ashdown miBass 550 as back up. I find it is just loud enough to get me out of trouble and it is very small and very light. But I do have a second Trace Elliot head, so the Ashdown miBass is for sale in the classifieds for a ridiculous £150, if you are interested... :)

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[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1474454457' post='3138090']
My gigging amp is a Gallien-Krueger 1001RB-II, with an MB500 as backup. Agree with Chris, makes sense to have backups that sound alike and these have pretty much the same tone. If anything the MB is slightly beefier, but less defined, easily sorted with eq though. Defected from Aguilar recently for a change, as the combination of my Aggies and my new Barefaced Retro cabs was a bit too vintagey, need some upper-end bite and the GKs do that nicely.
[/quote]

And the above has now changed, I still couldn`t get what I wanted from my BF Retro cabs even with the sharper GKs, so have a BF Big Twin 2 on the way, and am going back to my Aguilar Tonehammers.

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[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1475395212' post='3145522']
My backup is a Genz Benz Streamliner 600. We put the vocals through it once when the PA failed and it coped extremely well.
[/quote]

And mine is the 900. I don't take it out as a backup though, it generally sits in the cupboard.

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My backup amp is a spare PA amp, that way it is a backup for the PA or the monitors and it saves the trouble of carrying a spare for everything. If a gig is out in the middle of nowhere I usually have a spare PA speaker which can double as a monitor or bass speaker.

In the end it's probably enough to just have a plan of what you will do at a gig when something goes down, DI into the PA is going to get you through and some sort of box to do the pre amp and tone shaping could also be a good idea depending upon what else you work with.

At home I have my old Hartke 3500. There's backup and backup, if something goes down on the night you just need to keep going and so long as you can make a noise which isn't too awful it should be fine but you wouldn't want a week or so out whilst an amp was being repaired so an old but decent amp is always worth having around.

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I carry a Crate Powerblock - 2x75 watts stereo @ 4Ohms or 150 watts into 8 ohms mono.
Doubles as a spare guitar amp, with just about enough for bass at a push
and very portable / small.
As a couple of posts have already mentioned, Behringer BD121 is a no-brainer too.

Edited by casapete
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  • 2 weeks later...

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