Small bass combos?

[Leen2112]

Hello folks, 

I am looking for a small easy to carry combo. I have recently joined a new outfit who tend to do more open night kind of gigs opposed to full on shows. My trace and Ampeg set ups are too big so i was looking at something like the Ashdown AAA 15 watt or the Ampeg BA-108 20 watt. Both are well priced as i don't really want to spend too much on what will be a third choice amp! Any folks got experience in small gigs with either or is there more out there i've not found?

[BrunoBass]

I’ve just picked up an Ashdown 30 watt AAA for small gigs and low volume band rehearsals, it’s perfect. Sounds decent enough and obviously small and relatively light. Power wise it’s sufficient for very small gigs but I think it would struggle against a drum kit played even moderately enthusiastically. Only £20 off Gumtree too, there are bargains to be had if you’re lucky!

[gjones]

I bought a Fender Rumble 100 V3 recently, secondhand. It cost me £165 and it's incredibly light (you can pick it up with your pinkie). I played through it at a blues gig, in a crowded bar, 3 weeks ago and it kept up with a , reasonably, well behaved drummer, a keyboard player and a guitarist, playing through a 50 watt valve amp. I was told it put out a good bottom end out front.

I usually take my GK MB500 and my Barefaced Compact to that gig.

 

It's as small as a practice amp but it's definitely loud enough to gig with. 

[ambient]

There’s a Phil Jones double 4 combo in the sales section. I used one for a couple of years at various gigs.

[Dan Dare]

1 hour ago, ambient said:

There’s a Phil Jones double 4 combo in the sales section. I used one for a couple of years at various gigs.

Won't cope with a drummist, even a well-behaved one.

[Leen2112]

1 minute ago, Dan Dare said:

Won't cope with a drummist, even a well-behaved one.

Believe it or not our drummer is possibly the quietest drummer ever heard........or not .......really.

[ambient]

6 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

Won't cope with a drummist, even a well-behaved one.

It will.

I did dozens of gigs with drums, brass, keyboards. Also several gigs in an at times very loud experimental/ambient ensemble. 

[Dan Dare]

8 minutes ago, ambient said:

It will.

I did dozens of gigs with drums, brass, keyboards. Also several gigs in an at times very loud experimental/ambient ensemble. 

I disagree. I have 2 PJB C4s, plus a 4B, which I use with an AG700 (the number depends on the size of the job). A single C4 struggles to keep up with anything but the gentlest drummer and won't project far into the room, so a Double Four simply won't cut it.

[Dan Dare]

In response to the original question, Rumbles are good for the money. If you have deep pockets, look at AER. 

[leschirons]

Itried out a friends EBS classic session a little while ago. Well impressed for about 30 watts. Really lovely sound,, light and easy to manage. Think they do a 60watt too but sounds like the 30 would do you. Think he paid about £150 new so who knows secondhand, maybe £100?

[Dan Dare]

11 minutes ago, leschirons said:

Itried out a friends EBS classic session a little while ago. Well impressed for about 30 watts. Really lovely sound,, light and easy to manage. Think they do a 60watt too but sounds like the 30 would do you. Think he paid about £150 new so who knows secondhand, maybe £100?

Good call.

[ambient]

44 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

I disagree. I have 2 PJB C4s, plus a 4B, which I use with an AG700 (the number depends on the size of the job). A single C4 struggles to keep up with anything but the gentlest drummer and won't project far into the room, so a Double Four simply won't cut it.

But it has 😁, maybe I was imagining it.

Have you actually tried a Double 4? They are I agree quite fussy where they're placed, but they are very capable little combos.

Edited March 30, 2018 by ambient

[Elfrasho]

Carvin mb10. I've got one, amazing wee amp and sounds expensive!  Small enough as a one hand carry, I've taken it onto buses and trains. Loud enough for small intimate gigs, or as a monitor. It can also be connected up to an extra ext cab to get more air moving! 

[Len_derby]

I've got a Roland Cube 100w. It's served me very well in that kind of situation for years. If you're near Derby you're very welcome to come and give it a try.

[stu_g]

Ive got the old fender rumble 100 with the red lights that flash and it seems pretty good so far at band practise,i also have a swr workingmans 12 which i havent had a chance to play at a rehearsal yet.

[Guest MoJo]

I have a Fender Rumble 500v3 combo. It's a one hand lift and will go louder than you will ever need. Rumble 200v3's are a great gigging combo too

[jezzaboy]

Plus one on the Rumble 500. I was going to buy a nice cab to use with my LH500 but I played through a Rumble and had to buy it. Super light, powerful and a great sound. I was never impressed with class D amps before but for me, it`s been a revelation. Even the guitarist noticed how good it looked and sounded.

 

It could replace your heavier amps as well and be a one combo solution. 

[dannybuoy]

1 hour ago, MoJo said:

I have a Fender Rumble 500v3 combo. It's a one hand lift and will go louder than you will ever need. Rumble 200v3's are a great gigging combo too

Didn't realise they do a 200 as well. This amp line has to win the award for highest number of assorted wattages! Why they felt the need for 15, 25, 40 and 100 watt versions of the same amp is beyond me, I guess they realised that too as the new digital ones are 40 and 500 only!

Edited March 30, 2018 by dannybuoy

[Dan Dare]

4 hours ago, ambient said:

But it has 😁, maybe I was imagining it.

Have you actually tried a Double 4? They are I agree quite fussy where they're placed, but they are very capable little combos.

Yes, I have tried one. I have owned/still own a fair amount of PJB kit. The Double 4 can be deceiving, because you can place it close to you, even at ear level due to its small size and hear yourself quite well. However, it has very limited projection at any distance. It just doesn't move enough air. I used to have a Flightcase and that didn't do the job in anything other than very quiet, smallish rooms, so a Double 4 certainly won't. As Hiram says above, you need at least a Suitcase in any real-world situation (I use my 4B - essentially a Suitcase minus amplification - with a head for smaller jobs). 

Edited March 30, 2018 by Dan Dare

[lemmywinks]

Depends on your budget and volume needs, I'd look for something that can be wedged back personally as unless it's on some sort of stand those little combos are going to be firing at your ankles. If your budget is lower then have a look for a used Hartke Kickback or one of the A series combos. I've used a Kickback 15 and an A70 for smaller gigs and they were great little things. Not the lightest (especially the KB) but sounded solid, Behringer did a decent copy of it if you need to get down to a budget.

If your budget is higher than a decent powered wedge monitor with a preamp pedal would be my go to option, or if you already have a small amp then just get a nice 1x10 or 1x12 cab.

[Guest MoJo]

49 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

Didn't realise they do a 200 as well. This amp line has to win the award for highest number of assorted wattages! Why they felt the need for 15, 25, 40 and 100 watt versions of the same amp is beyond me, I guess they realised that too as the new digital ones are 40 and 500 only!

The 200 is a 1x15", the 500 a 2x10"

[dannybuoy]

That makes sense, it’s having 15, 25 and 40 options that doesn’t!

[Guest MoJo]

11 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

That makes sense, it’s having 15, 25 and 40 options that doesn’t!

Yes, I agree on that. Just a 40 would have sufficed. I tried the 100 in a local store. That has a 1x12". Great tone but I felt it might struggle against a lively drummer

[Norris]

The Ampeg BA-108 you were looking at is a pretty decent sound for the size/weight/price. I bought my son one as a practice amp. It's never been tried in a gig situation, but certainly should be loud and hefty enough for smaller gigs. My normal gigging amp is a Fender Rumble V3 500 combo - and I think there's been enough recommendations on the thread already for that

[mcnach]

9 hours ago, gjones said:

I bought a Fender Rumble 100 V3 recently, secondhand. It cost me £165 and it's incredibly light (you can pick it up with your pinkie). I played through it at a blues gig, in a crowded bar, 3 weeks ago and it kept up with a , reasonably, well behaved drummer, a keyboard player and a guitarist, playing through a 50 watt valve amp. I was told it put out a good bottom end out front.

I usually take my GK MB500 and my Barefaced Compact to that gig.

 

It's as small as a practice amp but it's definitely loud enough to gig with. 

 

I tried one of those at a gig, it was the provided combo they had and I used it. I was impressed with it. Fender are coming up with some nice bass products these days.