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Best affordable combos for small 'cocktail' gigs?


Stub Mandrel

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10 minutes ago, leschirons said:

Did a cocktail gig last Sept. I used my EBS session. Kickback design, plenty loud enough. Used a fretless bass and a Bassix EUB.  Sounded cool with both.

Not the lightest combo in the world but good sound, small in size and built like a tank. Got mine on here, s/h. Think it was about £120

Was that the Session 60?

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6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Was that the Session 60?

Yes it is. More than enough volume for that sort of gig. Got a great couple of filter features and brilliant for learning stuff to due to the RCA inputs and silent practice features. I'll be using it at the same venue in about three weeks with an EUB if my wrists allow.

Also handles a low B no problem and has an XLR DI out for P.A hook up. 

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Well it's becoming a bit more academic. Turns out there's a decent PA, the guitarist will be using a Marshall combo,  and a drummer is on the horizon (allegedly). The cafe bar gig has been pulled (for a reason I don't entirely agree with), but there's a paid pub gig in month which gives us five rehearsals, which we will need with 15 songs on the setlist some of which only got agreed last night. We've agreed I'll use the Trace for that, but keep the volume down...

It's all feeling a bit ambitious, but to be fair the musicianship is there and the singer is very good. So I've decided just to do what I'm asked and let the BL do his way.

On the plus side the songs are being heavily re-arranged so it's a mix of original basslines and fitting ones into songs that never had one originally or need it to fill more space (like Nina Simone's Feeling Fine). Turns out they were planning the Marvin Gaye version of Wherever I Lay My Hat, but I must have done OK as they want to do the Paul Young version now!

If it goes pear shaped, I will still have learned whole lot of songs I wouldn't otherwise have played, and most of it will be on fretless which I only ever used for one or two songs in a set in the past.

 

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54 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

On the plus side the songs are being heavily re-arranged so it's a mix of original basslines and fitting ones into songs that never had one originally or need it to fill more space (like Nina Simone's Feeling Fine)

Feeling Good? I've done it based on Muse's version which works well as a three piece....

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2 hours ago, jazzyvee said:

Someone on here is selling a100w Phil Jones Briefcase which would be fine for small gigs. 

I saw that. The future is so cloudy now I'm thinking of alternative routes. It might be a lightweight class D head (Maybe TE Elf) and a lightweight 10" or 12" cab. That way I get an easily portable backup amp that I could also use with my 2 2x12s or 1x15.

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My choice has been a very reliable Carvin MB210 (no longer available). USA-manufactured; company nearly as old as Fender. 16 kilos. This site describes the single 10 inch model which uses the same amplifier as my 2 ten inch combo.

https://kitarablogi.com/2015/05/25/review-carvin-microbass-mb-10/

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  • 2 weeks later...

Today I did a main band rehearsal using the Laney and a single 2x12 as an experiment.

Despite appearing a clone of the TE (similar graphic, pre-shape, parametric EQ) I had to set it up very differently to get a good tone, lots of bass boost and I found I had to use the neck pickup a lot (I mostly use the bride PUP alone on a Jazz). Even with the graphic boosting all frequencies (especially bass)  found myself running at with master volume at about 80%, which is roughly where I used to have it for gigging with two 2x12s. I do vaguely think this was my old rehearsal setup. I normally run the TE on 1 or 1.5!

But, it did sound OK and will be fine as astopgap for small quieter pub gigs.

I'm increasingly minded that the best solution will be a pocket sized 300 or 500W class D as a backup head and a high efficiency 1x10 or 1x12 for small gigs.

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On 07/01/2020 at 12:22, jazzyvee said:

Someone on here is selling a100w Phil Jones Briefcase which would be fine for small gigs. 

Phil Jones kit is made for this, albeit not the cheapest. Done many a low key gig with PJ Double 4 - puts out huge sound for the size, holds their own against cocktail kit drums.. Also serves as great home practice amp. 

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3 minutes ago, Drax said:

Phil Jones kit is made for this, albeit not the cheapest. Done many a low key gig with PJ Double 4 - puts out huge sound for the size, holds their own against cocktail kit drums.. Also serves as great home practice amp. 

Yes, I was going to suggest the PJ Flightcase, but it’s not what I would affordable. Great gear, but at a price: love mine.

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Best small amp head I've tried (and owned for a couple of years now) is the Eden WTX264.  No longer available new but there's been one hanging around on here for a while (may be gone now).  For me the tones thru my BF One 10 are sublime, and I speak as one who gigged nothing but TE stuff for most of my playing life.

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1 hour ago, scrumpymike said:

Best small amp head I've tried (and owned for a couple of years now) is the Eden WTX264.  No longer available new but there's been one hanging around on here for a while (may be gone now).  For me the tones thru my BF One 10 are sublime, and I speak as one who gigged nothing but TE stuff for most of my playing life.

I've got an eye on the Eden but funds limited at the mo...

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