t_080_t Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Hi. I am sure that there is already a topic on this but just wanted to get a variety of views on lightweight bass combos and which ones people recommend? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Can you be a little bit more specific, how many watts, how much cash you intend to spend, what particular features are you looking for? 1 x 15? 1 x 10? 2x10? Tranny / Valve?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grassie Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Gallien Krueger MB210, 350w, 16kg, £480. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moog Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 AER Amp One - Expensive, but bloody good.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 If you've not got a lot to spend I'd say the Roland Cube 100. There's a review thread for it on BassChat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 [quote name='t_080_t' post='1334417' date='Aug 10 2011, 01:02 AM']Hi. I am sure that there is already a topic on this but just wanted to get a variety of views on lightweight bass combos and which ones people recommend? Cheers[/quote] IME..there is only one... the Markbass 102..add a 15 or 210 and you have a decent rig. On its own, it is the best lightweight around..IMO. I agree that GK ..for example..might have the price break but isn't the same quality, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 [quote name='JTUK' post='1335505' date='Aug 10 2011, 07:17 PM']IME..there is only one... the Markbass 102..add a 15 or 210 and you have a decent rig. On its own, it is the best lightweight around..IMO.[/quote] At those kind of prices (around £950 for the MarkBass 102), I'd be *waay* more tempted to go for the GenzBenz Shuttle STL3.0-10T (£700 or £500 used from a current basschat ad) or the STL6.0-12T (£1,020). If you're after lightweight, the Markbass combo is 20kg, whereas the two GenzBenz combos are 8kg and 14.5kg respectively - that's quite some difference! I don't have a combo, but *love* my STL-10T cab with my TC RH450 for practice & small gigs (I use a NEOX 212T for bigger stuff). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 20kg is still a 1 hand lift without strains & can be had for @ £6-700 from the for sale section here. THe GB is lighter due to the fact that it's a single driver (a 10 or 12) & if you went for the equivalent from Markbass then you'd be looking at similar weights. So IME, the Markbass 2x10 is a clear winner on price, weight, volume & more importantly, sound quality. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Genz stuff, far from it. But when you stick the shuttle combo next to the MB for gigging purposes, there's no contest. That's why I bought the CMD-102P (after mucho searching for what amp/cab combo to go for) A Promathean would be a cheaper option than the Shuttle 10, though I haven't tried one so can't say if they sound better or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk8 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Ibanez Promethean. Don't be fooled by its price. A fantastically versatile combo with a detachable head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 [quote name='sk8' post='1336130' date='Aug 11 2011, 09:48 AM']Ibanez Promethean. Don't be fooled by its price. A fantastically versatile combo with a detachable head.[/quote] +1 Amazing little bit of kit. Probably to most versatile, reliable and affordable combo doing the rounds at the moment. The removable amp head keeps up with most of the current crop of 500W class D amp heads out there too. I won't be without mine for the foreseeable! Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1336011' date='Aug 11 2011, 08:03 AM']20kg is still a 1 hand lift without strains & can be had for @ £6-700 from the for sale section here.[/quote] Not sure I quite agree. Yes, it's nothing like the 60kg of my old Trace combo that I reallly don't miss at all! However, in my middle age, I wouldn't want to be carrying 20kg very far! With my STL-10T cab in one hand, bass in the other, and RH450 in a bag over my shoulder, I no longer need to park right by the venue. That is completely liberating! Agree about the Promethean if on a budget, though, based on the feature set and positive reviews. Only 12.5kg! None of these teenies will stack up soundwise against a bigger cabinet, but nor should we expect them to. What they do do, at ridiculously low weights, is work admirably for rehearsals and small gigs, whilst also getting away with bigger gigs with PA support (or with additional cabs) - all while saving our backs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Being middle aged myself (40), I find it an easy carry with it in 1 hand, my pedal board in the other & bass & bag of wires slung over my shoulder, & I'm no strongman. Fair enough I wouldn't want to cart it around on public transport, but from car to venue it's a doddle & covers most venues that don't have PA support & a good kickback for those that do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 [quote name='eude' post='1336233' date='Aug 11 2011, 11:15 AM']+1 Amazing little bit of kit. Probably to most versatile, reliable and affordable combo doing the rounds at the moment. The removable amp head keeps up with most of the current crop of 500W class D amp heads out there too. I won't be without mine for the foreseeable! Eude[/quote] +2. Of course, a lot is going to depend on your requirements.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 The MB 102 Combo will bury the Shuttle combos, purely because its a bigger box, two speakers, and to be fair, the Combo amp inside it LM2/3 is more poweful than the Shuttle 6.0, nevermind the 3.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' post='1336400' date='Aug 11 2011, 01:41 PM']The MB 102 Combo will bury the Shuttle combos, purely because its a bigger box, two speakers, and to be fair, the Combo amp inside it LM2/3 is more poweful than the Shuttle 6.0, nevermind the 3.0[/quote] Indeed, we could almost do with having each candidate plotted against a number of values: cost, weight, and quality (with the latter being the one that's almost completely objective). It's all very well me recommending an RH450 plus STL-10T, but if the budget is only £500, then that's out. Similarly, it depends on how loud the combo needs to go, what kind of music, whether there's PA support, and whether extension cabs can be used. And acceptable weight is all subjective. When I replaced my 60kg Trace combo with a 23kg NEOX 212T, I breathed a sigh of relief. But I'll only shift the NEOX if I have to - for anything else I'll take the featherweight 7kg STL-30T. Heavens, I even moved on my Aguilar GS-112 cab pretty quickly as the 10kg weight was more than the utility it gave me against the competition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I'm using a Shuttle 9.0 with a Shuttle 12T. I've tried the Markbass CMD121P at a local store and i can say for sure that my rig has more bite and is punchier than the MB. The MB sound was too compressed, i had to roll back a bit of lows so i could percieve what i was playing and the general tone didn´t sound natural to my ears. It realy had put me off MB gear... Back to the topic, if i was to recommend a small combo the it would be Promethean! A friend of mine has one, one day i took my rig to his home and we A/B'ed them - WOW!!! I couldn't believe the sound coming from that tiny thing! It had almost the same bite that my shuttle (c'mon we all know that class-D watts are very overated, there's no way i can ever get 900W RMS out of my shuttle without melting it...) and it went lower!!! That 10" cab was putting out more lows than my 12" - due to the porting system, obviously - and it was holding on very well with a B string. I ended up ordering a Promethean cab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rOB Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 [quote name='Alec' post='1336261' date='Aug 11 2011, 11:41 AM']None of these teenies will stack up soundwise against a bigger cabinet, but nor should we expect them to. What they do do, at ridiculously low weights, is work admirably for rehearsals and small gigs, whilst also getting away with bigger gigs with PA support (or with additional cabs) - all while saving our backs![/quote] Well said. They do the job that most of us actually require. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' post='1337352' date='Aug 12 2011, 10:40 AM']I'm using a Shuttle 9.0 with a Shuttle 12T. I've tried the Markbass CMD121P at a local store and i can say for sure that my rig has more bite and is punchier than the MB. The MB sound was too compressed, i had to roll back a bit of lows so i could percieve what i was playing and the general tone didn´t sound natural to my ears. It realy had put me off MB gear... Back to the topic, if i was to recommend a small combo the it would be Promethean! A friend of mine has one, one day i took my rig to his home and we A/B'ed them - WOW!!! I couldn't believe the sound coming from that tiny thing! It had almost the same bite that my shuttle (c'mon we all know that class-D watts are very overated, there's no way i can ever get 900W RMS out of my shuttle without melting it...) and it went lower!!! That 10" cab was putting out more lows than my 12" - due to the porting system, obviously - and it was holding on very well with a B string. I ended up ordering a Promethean cab [/quote] I've never experienced the "compressed" sound you mention. Though I suppose it also depends on what kind of bass you're putting through it. Unless you can really give it some welly, most music store volumes are not gonna really let you hear what an amp sounds like for gigging purposes. I'm now wanting to try one of these wee Ibby combos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1337594' date='Aug 12 2011, 01:25 PM']I've never experienced the "compressed" sound you mention. Though I suppose it also depends on what kind of bass you're putting through it. Unless you can really give it some welly, most music store volumes are not gonna really let you hear what an amp sounds like for gigging purposes. I'm now wanting to try one of these wee Ibby combos! [/quote] Belive me, the Promethean has a way better sound than the MB (IMO of course). I tried the MB with a Geddy and i couldn't get over the fact that after the first notes with a flat EQ (not 12.00 on the VLE and VLF!) i thought the sound was too muddy for my likings. I realy don't like too much bass on my sound, i like a hi-fi'ish sound with some personality on the low mids - muahh! - and MB gear doesn't fit my bill. The compressed sound i was refering to could also be some sort of a mid/high scoop with flat EQ... The Promethean was another story. Smoother than the Shuttle but retaining most of the true bass sound and with just a tiny bit of compression on the highs, enough to keep your sound from becoming too harsh, no control on the tweeter but it didn't needed any, a great balance between the tweeter and the driver. What i liked best was the cab design, a lot similar to a sub and the front porting realy kicked out some serious bass! I can't tell anyone to buy without trying but i can asure you that everybody who tries it will be very surprised Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 I've never tried the MB 121, but muddy is not something I would have thought could be associated with MB gear? I do like a very bassy sound (it is a bass after all ) & if it's too bassy, I can turn the bass down a bit. The only complaint I've really heard before is that the MB heads are too HiFi (the opposite from what your experience has been). I know some basses don't suit some amps though, so this might have been one of those situations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 (edited) Just seen a band this eve, bassist using a Markbass CMD 103H [url="http://www.markbass.it/product_detail.php?id=38"]http://www.markbass.it/product_detail.php?id=38[/url] Not the lightest of combos around (63lbs) but did it sound good! Guy was putting a Ricky through it. I`m always impressed by the sound of Markbass gear when I hear other bassists using it, Never actually tried it myself, so can`t comment from a users perspective. Edited August 13, 2011 by Lozz196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Dean Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I have the Mark Bass 121H I tried it against the 121p & for the the 121p to get the same sound you really needed an extension cab . @ 39lbs I really don,t need anything else for pub gigs . There is loads of volume & to get a muddy tone I have to work the eq.I,m very pleaed with it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janmaat Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Still advertising the Minimark - just because it's REALLY light, and you can still add a cab. It fits into hand luggage... I walk it like a hand bag. Of course, bigger speakers - bigger sound. But if all you want is a stage monitor, and if you are playing double bass, then not having a big box make the fine but distinctive difference of being able to carry both instrument AND amp without strain on the back. As much as I adore the shuttle and so on, just the fact that they are sort of cube shaped makes it hard to imagine carrying them in on hand easily which you can with something even smaller that doesn't bang on you knee. So it all really depends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 [quote name='Lozz196' post='1338373' date='Aug 13 2011, 02:30 AM']Just seen a band this eve, bassist using a Markbass CMD 103H [url="http://www.markbass.it/product_detail.php?id=38"]http://www.markbass.it/product_detail.php?id=38[/url] Not the lightest of combos around (63lbs) but did it sound good! Guy was putting a Ricky through it. I`m always impressed by the sound of Markbass gear when I hear other bassists using it, Never actually tried it myself, so can`t comment from a users perspective.[/quote] Now, I always want to like the stuff and love the MB102 Combo in rehearsal but I gigged it and it was a let down. So, not sure about the LMll at the higher sound levels.. it didn't 'amp' as well as I would have hoped. As for Markbass users, never heard one ( a rig ) to convince me..the tone doesn't travel well. Only guy I know who gets a result out of one uses the amp only and Epi 12"..reckons they are tighter....!!! And if you know Epi, their cabs are typically pillowy, IMO...so that speaks volumes to me. Of course, the consistant is the amp in all this...so maybe Markbass amps don't have the push out front and the cabs are indeed fine. Anyway, the upshot for me was..nice kit, well put together, good brand ethic from my POV but .........err...No..!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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