Head and Cabs vs Combo and Extension

[Willl]

I'm currently dragging around an AH300-12 Trace Elliot Head and combinations of 2 Warwick 4x10 and/or TE 1x18 cabs for gigs and (because logistics mean I can't transport the cabs during the week) have a Roland Cube 100 I'm currently using for rehearsals which just isn't man enough for being heard over an enthusiastic drummer and Marshall stack touting guitarist.

SO - probably in an effort to mask GAS as a logical need to change gear I'm thinking about clearing out and getting myself a decently powerful combo plus extension cab. The combo I'm homing in on is something like a Gallien Krueger RB1001 which is sufficiently compact to fit on the front seat of my car during the week and man enough to drive some air for weekends.

I'd welcome thoughts and comments.... and offers of any dusty GKs or similar looking for a new home

Will

[Mottlefeeder]

Looking at your problem with fresh eyes, a conventional amp built into a combo is going to be heavy for rehearsals, and I doubt it will equal a 1x18 plus 2x10 when connected to an extension cab.

An alternative might be a Class D lightweight amp built into an Omni 10.5 for rehearsals, coupled to an Omni 10 for performing. The preamp could be a floor based DI with eq box, by Hartke, sansamp, microbass or Behringer. This practice rig would just about fit in the front of your car, and the complete rig would be more efficient than an average set-up, and would take 750 Watts.

If you have not heard of Omni speakers, they are self build, or commision build, and the Omni 10 is a horn loaded 2x10, and the Omni 10.5 is the 1x10 version.

A more conventional approach would be a Markbass amplifier, with a loud 1x12 for practice, and a completely different performance rig, which sounds a bit like what you already have.

[bass_ferret]

I think there is a epifani combo and extension for sale.

[gilmour]

I seem to remember hearing something years ago about vibration and bass frequencies, and this being why a seperates system is better than a combo. But the guy going on about it was a drummer, and it didn't make much sense. Any thought anyone?

[Willl]

Appreciate the suggestions - thank you

Mottlefeeder. I have been looking at the MarkBass gear and all the positive commentary on the forum, I guess something like a CMD102P could be just the ticket - I'd certainly like to hear one. I hadn't considered self build but that could certainly be an alternative.

bass ferret. An Epifani rig would also be fantastic although I would certainly need to clear some of the current gear out to make some space and budget available!

I guess one of my concerns with the lightweight gear is over it's ability to be properly ballsy. We're a covers band playing rowdy gigs at 40ths and pub parties (and some rough weddings) with at times a pretty loud and rocky / punky set. We have a vocals only pa, so it's down to me to make my own noise.

I recognise I'm probably old school with the Trace-head-plus-big-cabs-mindset but I get a decent and big sound out of it so have some reluctance to make radical changes without some research, hence the request for ideas. As I said in my first post, to some extent this is me trying to find a logic to justify a bout of GAS, if I analyse too closely there are certainly holes in my thinking
.... Now if I could just find that great value 700w lightweight thunderous combo/ rig that we all know we need