Best affordable combos for small 'cocktail' gigs?

[Stub Mandrel]

I tried basses through a Fender Rumble 40, which was very light (18lbs) and sounded much better than older rumbles I've tried and surprisingly loud. I preferred the sound to a Markbass 802, which was more expensive but sounded rather 'clinical'.

What else is there in this sort of price bracket/power level that has the same sort of volume/old fashioned sound? The Orange Crush 50 might be an option (although I hate the 'crunch' setting, I love the sound of my Crush 25 but it's not very loud at all) and I fear the Crush 50 a bit quiet as amps in this sort of range go - plus it's lot weightier (32lbs) than even the Rumble 100 (22lbs) but this is getting a bit large.

Don't suggest more powerful amps as I already have a 150W head and a 300W combo. I want something more portable (the alternative is using the head with a lightweight 10" or 12" cab but it woudl be nice to have a rig I can carry bass in one hand amp in the other).

I'd be interested in any experience of gigging with the Rumble 40/100 and any alternatives people might want to suggest with similar sound.

[Pea Turgh]

The Rumble 100s look nice.  What about the new Ashdown Studio series?  Firmly in the Rumble territory but UK based?  No experience with either though, sorry.

[Pea Turgh]

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Ashdown-Studio-12-100w-1x12-NEO-Bass-Combo/31RA?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzpOehq3P5gIVCrDtCh3tOg55EAAYASAAEgJAhPD_BwE

£299

Edited December 24, 2019 by Pea Turgh

[Stub Mandrel]

Has to be worth looking at!

Correction, looks with hunting one down for a try!

Edited December 24, 2019 by Stub Mandrel

[Phil Starr]

that Ashdown looks a snip at that price. I've been using an old Hartke Kickback 10 for years for this purpose but it's heavy for it's size and an awkward shape to carry. Recently I've been using an RCF ART310 mk 3 which works really well. I've just been plugging the bass straight in but it would also work well with a pre.

I kind of like a combo though so I'm planning to build a lightweight cab where I can drop in a lightweight head and just go. I've just pulled the bullet on a Peavey from Thomann. and there is a decent choice of neo 12" drivers at around £100 at the moment. You are fairly handy so that might be a project for you. 

Edited December 26, 2019 by Phil Starr

[Sparky Mark]

The Line 6 Studio 110 is about as small a single 10" combo there is/was if you can find one. It has lots of tonal variety and a puncy delivery.

Less affordable but a fantastic sounding bigger than it should do option is the GK MB110 combo which only weighs 21 lbs.

[Sparky Mark]

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Edited December 26, 2019 by Sparky Mark
Duplicated reply

[Sparky Mark]

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Edited December 26, 2019 by Sparky Mark
Triplicated reply!

[grandad]

My search for an easier carry led me to a TCE BG250-208. Such a simple convenient little combo.

I liked the amp so much with the Spectracomp loaded that I bought the BH250 head and then a BF One10 should I need a little more power/low end.

Both are lightweight and small footprint.

[chris_b]

For a "cocktail" gig I'd get a good 112 and use the 150 watt amp.

When I do a gig like that I use half of my big rig.

[BreadBin]

37 minutes ago, grandad said:

My search for an easier carry led me to a TCE BG250-208. Such a simple convenient little combo.

I liked the amp so much with the Spectracomp loaded that I bought the BH250 head and then a BF One10 should I need a little more power/low end.

Both are lightweight and small footprint.

I've got a 208 combo as well. Lightweight and portable, but show it an efficient 4ohm cabinet and it's mighty!

[Dan Dare]

Have you a small or class D head already? If so, I'd just get a small, lightweight cab. That's what I've done. No heavier than a small combo and less expense than one.

[Muzz]

I'm in a similar position at the moment - a lot of our gigs these days are smaller bars and pubs, and that's a good thing, as they pay the same as bigger pubs, but the amount of gear we need is much less.

I have a Rumble 100, which is physically perfect as a very small light cube (the smaller gigs, by their nature, have much smaller spaces to set up in), the only issue is I'm pushing it right to it's limit - last gig it was starting to squish...a lot. There's lots out there on the net about lining the cab and fitting a different Eminence speaker, which is around 5db more sensitive (the original speaker is an Eminence, so the numbers will be at least comparable, even if they're not necessarily definitive) and would run me to about £70

The alternative would be something as close as I can get to the size of the Rumble (taller would be OK, as long as it doesn't get wider) but with a little more ooomph. 

I already have the Walkabout and two BF cabs (Compact and Super Twin), but I really want the convenience of a combo.

Tone isn't a major factor - I have the Stomp for the heavy lifting on that front.

Anyone got a suggestion for the Rumble 100...Plus A Bit?

[la bam]

I'd start from fresh and get one lightweight, small, yet powerful amp head. Then a selection of cabs - 1x10, 1x12, 1x15, 4x10 if needed etc.

Amp stays the same, you just choose which cab suits which gig.

I've a 4x10 cab and thinking of a 1x10 for this application. No need to change anything else then.

Failing that, I'm sure pmt have a cracking deal on their own custom made ashdown combos. Around £250.

 

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/ashdown-mag-c110-250-250-watt-combo-bass-amplifier?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwJbVzL3T5gIVmpntCh3LVgZBEAQYASABEgJTy_D_BwE

 

Edited December 26, 2019 by la bam

[Muzz]

I don't think 23kg is a lightweight solution, unfortunately (especially for a 110)...and a combo is what I'm after...

[Stub Mandrel]

There seem to be a lot of ways to get light and portable, but I thing I am really looking at a combo.

Does anyone know if there are comparable figures for loudness anywhere?

e.g if I lined up Rumble 40, Crush 50 and Ashdown Studio 10 (50W) which would be the loudest - I know actual wattages are far from the whole story...

Lots of sales patter about 'acoustic gigs' etc. but these don't really tell me much.

I might just go with the laney and a 2x12 with the volume down for the first gig and see how loud the rest of them are.

 

[Al Krow]

Perhaps worth mentioning the Promethean 3110 

300W compact 10". 5.5/10 for tone / quality of sound IMO on a scale where my MB AC121 Lite combo would have been 8.0/10 and my Berg 212 and Mesa M6 gets 9.5/10. But if your Stomp is sorting out tone / not a major factor then maybe worth checking it out. Just 10kg.

@Muzz totally get that your 100W combo is struggling. For me 250W to 300W is the minimum power I like to have up my sleeve with a full rock band.

[itu]

I use my current rig practically everywhere. If I had some extra, my choice would be that small GK.

[Lozz196]

I think in this case I`d be looking at a lightweight 2x10 or 1x12 - you already have a 150watt head so chuck that and leads/tuner into a backpack, bass in one hand, cab in other, pretty much sorted. My Ashdown RM210 cabs are pretty light, and the 1x12 is lighter still. Have to admit that Ashdown Studio 112 looks like it fits the bill though.

[Muzz]

I think that @Stub Mandrel would be more than covered with the Rumble 100, and it really is very, very convenient and light...

@Al Krow I don't think a 110 is gonna cut it if a 112 isn't no matter if the Promethean is putting more watts into the 10...hence my Plan B to put a more sensitive 12 into the Rumble to squeeze juuust a bit more db out of the Rumble's 100w...  If the 210 Rumble was vertically stacked, I'd be looking hard at that, but that diagonal thing makes the cab too big...ditto a lot of 210 combos...

Edited December 26, 2019 by Muzz

[Al Krow]

@Muzz have to agree with you mate. For me the quality of the cab is critical factor here.

I've gone from being a combo devotee to separates for that very reason.

It's pretty hard to find a combo that will match a BF SC plus any D class head you fancy for quality and overall weight, but obviously there are many combos that will beat those separates on price! 

[Muzz]

Yup, it looks like I've got the industry against me...oh, and physics, too... 🙁😁

[lemmywinks]

I'd be looking at that little £80 Eden cab in the classifieds with a TC BAM200 (£105 from Bax). Super micro setup and the amp would fit in your coat pocket so nothing else to carry.

 

For low volume and home use I've got a TC BH250 paired to an EA CXL110, the amp sounds ok as it is but with the Spectracomp patch it's far beefier and louder than it has any right to be, might be an idea if you need to get the maximum clout from a cheaper mini cab.

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I think in this case I`d be looking at a lightweight 2x10 or 1x12 - you already have a 150watt head so chuck that and leads/tuner into a backpack, bass in one hand, cab in other, pretty much sorted. My Ashdown RM210 cabs are pretty light, and the 1x12 is lighter still. Have to admit that Ashdown Studio 112 looks like it fits the bill though.

Problem is the Laney head is in many ways a TE clone, including the weight... I could get a combo up to 100W for the price of the RM210 that's probably lighter than the head...

I should be clear I'm looking at no drum gig here, plus it's a 'side project' so I don't want to invest a huge amount. Think it will be February before I can invest, anyway...

Ironically I used to have a Marshall JCM800 1x12 cab with a greenback in it, a bit short of deep bass but it worked well, that I gave to my brother.

I thought of (perhaps temporarily)_ rehousing one of my 12" speakers - I have two greenbacks and a pair of Mackenzies but they are all 16 ohm.

A bad thought for a temporary solution, I've got a Carlsboro Colt guitar amp, I could blank off the back and use the clean channel. I suspect that would be enough to get me through the first gig.

[Muzz]

If it's a no-drum gig, then ignore my advice about the Rumble 100: it'd be mahooosive overkill for that sort of gig...