Ba55me15ter Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Taken a punt on one of these little combos. I'm an advocate of the wedge shape, especially on small stages when I'm invariably DI'd. It lacks a few features in the amp section but I'll often run a VT Deluxe in front of it anyway. The 500 watts is actually peak, 250 RMS, which should be plenty even if it is annoying marketing. First impressions are very good. Basic tone is deep and smooth. At low levels with the mid control backed-off slightly and a touch of extra treble I get what is to my ears a sound that resembles my Phil Jones Briefcase (which I love!) with slightly more bottom end - a great start! There is slight whine noise from a fan, but nothing you would notice in a live setting. It might be slightly annoying in the studio though. You can disconnect the internal speaker if you want to use a different cab. I'll be using it in anger next Wednesday in a guitar / bass / vocals trio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Used one of the older (heavier) Kickback 12 amps for years - great piece of kit. Handled pub gigs with ease and the tiltback feature was great for personal monitoring when used with a PA. My cat absolutely destroyed the carpeted finish once however. Do they still have it, or is it vinyl now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Have to say I'm extremely interested in one of these. I'd like to see a bit more in the preamp, even just the addition of low mid and high mid, but I guess you can drive it with a preamp pedal like you do. Currently using two compact 1x10 cabs, I find I'm missing a bit of thick effortless low end, does the single 12" really kick out a nice bit of oomph? Looking forward to hear how you get on with it in anger! Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 (edited) The EQ section is actually really effective with well-chosen frequencies to my ears. In particular the Mid is at 700Hz nicely removes mud for a modern hifi sound. I'd be happy to use it without an additional preamp on big gigs where I'm DI'd were it not for the fact the DI is pre-EQ (and not switchable) - minus points there. Small bar gigs though it'll be perfect. Edited October 10, 2016 by Ba55me15ter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 And yes, it's a nice vinyl covering now and also very light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 yup eagerly waiting for the 'anger' review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 [quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1476093016' post='3151094'] yup eagerly waiting for the 'anger' review. [/quote] Me too, I hope it's quite furious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 [quote name='eude' timestamp='1476093070' post='3151095'] Me too, I hope it's quite furious! [/quote] if it's just 'mildly miffed' I'm gonna be well disappointed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 Oh dear, it's not exactly gonna be Megadeth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Well, that was fine. I barely had the volume on 1 and it was filling the room. Overall tone was full and rounded. Super-portable, minimal hassle, no regrets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 How does the 'amount' of sound compare to your MarkBass and Barefaced setup? As room filling, or a bit more middley/boxy sounding? Cheers, Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) Not boxy, but inevitably a little more lower-middy compared to the deep thunder of the S12T. Still a full sound though. Of course the room had a lot to do with it too, so I'm not going to draw too many conclusions from the one gig. I have a full 9-piece band gig a week on Saturday when I'll be using it in 'monitor' mode beside a drum kit. I usually run my Mark Bass SA450 flat with just a tad of VPF and VLE, so I've managed to buy a secondhand Super Booster pedal which has the VPF/VLE filters built-in. I'm going to run the DI to the PA from that and of course also into the Hartke. That makes for a super-flexible rig as I can use the Hartke EQ to adjust my on-stage sound independently of the FOH for maximum clarity (not that you have a choice with it being a pre-eq DI). I still have the VT in my chain for dirt on appropriate numbers too. Gonna need a bigger pedal-board though! Edited October 13, 2016 by Ba55me15ter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) Loved the older Kickback 12 combos (non lightweight) Proper tone and great in an orchestra pit where the tiltback feature meant it could run at minimal volume and still sound good! Edited October 13, 2016 by acidbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted October 23, 2016 Author Share Posted October 23, 2016 Oh dear, this was a gamble that didn't pay off unfortunately. Last night's gig was a wedding do in a reverberant room. I was stood next to the drummer as usual. Unfortunately the KB12 just couldn't keep up and I was struggling to hear myself all night. I was wondering if I was standing in some kind of dead spot as there was a wall behind me, but I tried moving around a bit to no avail. Darn it. Looks like I should be able to return it and I'm only down the cost of shipping. Be aware, this is not a loud amp though it sounds great at low volumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 I've gone for a Mark Bass 102P combo now. Twice the price - twice the quality? Stay tuned... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted April 10, 2017 Author Share Posted April 10, 2017 Yes. [attachment=242720:102P.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 [quote name='Ba55me15ter' timestamp='1478532662' post='3169654'] Twice the price - twice the quality? Stay tuned... [/quote] Half the weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ba55me15ter Posted April 10, 2017 Author Share Posted April 10, 2017 The MarkBass is heavier (20Kg versus 13Kg), but it's still a pretty easy one-handed carry which means I'm a one-trip pony from the car. For me this is a pretty-much perfect PA-supported rig for small stages (ie. most function work). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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