Pub Gig Combo?

[GrayBoy]

Hi All

Only just joined and hope someone can point me in the direction of an answer - I guess it's a common one, but searches came up with nowt.

I'm looking to get my first giggable amp. I'm aiming to use it for pub gigs - anything bigger can go through the PA (is that right?).

Watt wattage should I be looking for - the Wiki says more than a 100?

Anyone got any recommendations for a combo - only got a small car?!

[razze06]

I'd like shamelessly plug the combo i have for sale [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=65852&st=0&p=645176&#entry645176"]here[/url].
I have used it for pub gigs, and it's got a DI out if you want to put it through the PA

[gary mac]

Get more than you think you need. You've always got a bit in reserve then.

A 100 watt combo will always have to work hard in a pub gig setting (assuming you are playing rock with a drummer) it just sounds horrid if you need it working flat out. I would go for 300 watts as a minimum, ideally with the option of adding an extension cab.

[Cat Burrito]

It's all subject to tastes & it depends what your band is like. I play with a quiet band who dabble in folk & bluegrass so a 100w combo is hardly being pushed. My drummer uses brushes a lot too. If I played in a hard rock band with a powerhouse drummer I'd probably push for more wattage. It also depends on your budget.

[munkonthehill]

i have to say that no less than 300watts mate. but it all depends on your band, my guitarist and drummer are loud so the 300watts is a must, however my mate uses an old peavey tnt of mine at 150watts that suits his band.

you will always chase wattage so buy big at all times. I use a 200watt as my inhouse practice and very small gig amp, then i use an ashdown 600h and ampeg 4x10hlf for everything else.

any questions please pm me dude

Edited November 10, 2009 by munkonthehill

[Moos3h]

300w minimum, less than that will struggle to give you enough headroom with all but the quietest of drummers!

[GrayBoy]

Thanks for all the comments. Definitely want to get the right one to start with - save a bit of cash in the long run.

Will need something that'll handle Foo Fighters covers assuming the drummer is putting in the Taylor Hawkins style effort.

Been offered a an [b]Ashdown C110 300 Evo ABM combo for £325 ono[/b] - sound like it'll do me?

Cheers
Graham

[Rowbee]

I had a gig on Saturday and used my incredibly lightweight and portable Markbass SA450 and Barefaced Compact and was told to turn down! It's great though, because I can carry all of my gear to and from the car in one go.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='GrayBoy' post='651109' date='Nov 10 2009, 10:33 PM']Thanks for all the comments. Definitely want to get the right one to start with - save a bit of cash in the long run.

Will need something that'll handle Foo Fighters covers assuming the drummer is putting in the Taylor Hawkins style effort.

Been offered a an [b]Ashdown C110 300 Evo ABM combo for £325 ono[/b] - sound like it'll do me?

Cheers
Graham[/quote]

I assume the C110 300 combo is the 1x10 300w combo... I'm aware of the fact that the combo in question got good reviews when it was released but tbh it is still a single 10" speaker and unless you are using full PA support I'd look at getting a greater speaker displacement if it is going to be projecting your sound without PA. Just my opinion!

[LawrenceH]

I did regular pub gigs quite happily with an Ashdown Electric Blue that pushed out 130 watts into a single 12". Don't worry as much about watts as whether it's a loud combo or not - speaker sensitivity and cab design matter a lot. As does who you play with, as others have said! It takes a LOT more power to get a deep fat reggae tone audible than an up-front mid-heavy Jaco sound.
I'd suspect a 300w 10" combo would be as loud as my Electric Blue, but not much louder if at all. It's enough for me, but then I don't play against (as opposed to with!) Marshall stacks! For those kind of bands, getting them to turn down is a lot better than trying to compete. Any guitarist who claims to need more than a single 12" is lying.

[casapete]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='651207' date='Nov 10 2009, 11:45 PM']I assume the C110 300 combo is the 1x10 300w combo... I'm aware of the fact that the combo in question got good reviews when it was released but tbh it is still a single 10" speaker and unless you are using full PA support I'd look at getting a greater speaker displacement if it is going to be projecting your sound without PA. Just my opinion! [/quote]

+1

Try to go for a 1x15 or 2x10 combo if you can-will save you upgrading when the drummer gets angry............

[Les]

[quote name='GrayBoy' post='651109' date='Nov 10 2009, 10:33 PM']Will need something that'll handle Foo Fighters covers assuming the drummer is putting in the Taylor Hawkins style effort.[/quote]

That's my band that is. Had a similar problem, see this thread [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=61894&hl=Les"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=61894&hl=Les[/url]

If your drummer's loud, ours is, you will need quite a bit of power.

I ended up with 2 trace cabs and a 500watt Hartke amp. Thats just on stage monitoring. It then goes through the PA.Job done.

[Adrenochrome]

Sorry but I really disagree with the opinions above saying you need at least 300watts. My amp only puts out 180w with a single 8ohm cab attached. That's loud enough for medium sized clubs when used with a reasonable 1x15 cab (+ PA support). I regularly gigged with 100w amps BiTD but always with big cabs (eg 4x12) and they were always loud enough, usually without PA support.

[funks-e]

I agree with the above. The Ashdown C110 is a cracking little amp. If you find your self in the situation where a bit more power is needed, add a small cab, poss a 15. Otherwise, as said, send the feed to the PA.
The C110 is 300w 4Ohms and is more than capable.
I have one and am looking for a 15 cab for mine. Google through up this post and so I thought I would join up.

Edited November 11, 2009 by funks-e

[Delberthot]

I've recently gone from a 600w Shuttle and 1212L Schroeder to a Trace 1x15" v-type combo which only puts out 180w on its own and its plenty when I use it as a monitor.

My drummer is very loud and uses a Premier Signia which is a loud kit so I think that if you need a 500w amp and 2 cabs when you have a PA (as opposed to just wanting them to look cool) then you're far too loud. I've never played with my amp behind me - always on a cab stand so it points right at me, that way I can hear it properly instead of rumbling down at the back of my ankles.

I've personally never seen the point of having your gear behind you low down so that you can't hear it properly, probably stems from the olden days with no pa support where it had to be there for you and the audience to hear it but when there is a pa then a cab stand is definitely the way forward.

I use an extension cab when playing pub gigs with no pa. That sits behing me but only so its pointing at the audience.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Delberthot

[farmer61]

[quote name='Moos3h' post='651008' date='Nov 10 2009, 08:31 PM']300w minimum, less than that will struggle to give you enough headroom with all but the quietest of drummers![/quote]

+1. See signature below for my thoughts on the matter. You never know when a pub gig will turn into a private gig in a larger venue.

[Les]

There you go GrayBoy. That should have cleared everything up for you. You can manage with either 130watts, 150watts, 180watts, 300watts, 450watts or 500watts.

It's a bit of a minefield. Delbert makes a good point about placement and direction of your speaker/combo, used to put my 4 x 10 side on across the stage when I played in club cabaret bands, now we only play pubs and I can only think of 3 this year that have had a "stage" using the term loosely, and none of them had enough room to place the cab like that.

The other thing with pubs is that quite often your much closer to the drummer than you would choose to be if you had a biggish stage to play on. Maybe that has a bearing on things.

Assuming from your original post that you have PA enough to go through then your requirements are to get over the drummer to your satisfaction not fill the room with your own amp.

Where are you located ? I'm in the north west and have a Trace AH150 and Trace 4 x 10 that you'd be welcome to try before you splash your cash.

Les

[GrayBoy]

Cheers Guys! Sounds like the reason I couldn't find a definite answer is 'cos there isn't one!

Interesting comments though - giving me some good background.

Will probably go for the Ashdown C110 as it seems like a good deal. Thanks for the offer of a tryout. I'm in Dorset so bit of a trip! Also appreciate that it's difficult to test loudness outside of a performance environment. Used to have a 15watt Park for the guitar and thought that was plenty loud enough - so what do I know!

Glad that Google have picked this up as well

[bassmansky]

for £325 you should be able to get a s/h 500w 2x10 ashdown abm combo,which would be better imo.

[Moos3h]

I doubt that anyone is saying 'OMFG GET 10001kW' for a laugh here. I am a regularly gigging bassplayer and can only tell you of my own experiences, which are that I would personally recommend 300w and above for peace of mind. You MIGHT be able to get away with half of that, but driving solid state amplifiers hard all night is not a generally great idea.

As someone said above, efficiency is king. I sound far louder with an Eden 4x10 and a 300w GK head now, than I did with a 4x10 AND a 15' from a 600w head. This is because the Eden is incredibly efficient. There are times I still wish I had the 15, not for the volume but the uber-lows, but then I get over it and play some music.

The same is also true for power amps - sadly some amps just seem louder, regardless of wattage. Anyone that has owned an old Peavey will know what I am talking about here. Likewise, some people have been dissapointed by the massive wattages claimed by some digital amps (i'm thinking Ashdown Superfly and Little Giant here).

It's not always about having what will just do it and scrape by, having some power in reserve is a seriously good thing.

Some people may say 'you never need that much power on stage', however it's my experience that not all bands and venues have a PA capable of having bass guitar through it (and the monitor mix), nor would always want it. Everyone's setup is likely to be different, so it makes sense to go for something, if practical, that will exceed your requirements, not just meet them.

* Edited to attempt to make me sound less of a prat *

Cheers.
James

Edited November 11, 2009 by Moos3h

[Delberthot]

[quote name='Moos3h' post='651786' date='Nov 11 2009, 05:11 PM']Oh and to the smartarse who says 'you never need that much power on stage' should get with the real world and realise that not all bands and venues have a PA capable of having bass guitar through it (and the monitor mix), nor would always want it. Everyone's setup is likely to be different, so it makes sense to go for something, if practical, that will exceed your requirements, not just meet them.

Cheers.
James[/quote]

Am I the smartarse you're referring to?

[Moos3h]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='651823' date='Nov 11 2009, 05:46 PM']Am I the smartarse you're referring to?[/quote]

Sorry matey, was meant figuratively and not personally - no offence intended (and shall edit!)

[lojo]

I have used my SWR workingmans 15" combo which I think runs at about 100w without an extension cab

However this was with a fairly low volume jazz band

I now play covers with some full on guitarists and a loud drummer and the combo does'nt even cut it at rehearsals!

So as someone else said 300w + if you wish to hold your own in a loud pub/club band if you dont always have a pa to go through

Not very technical advice, but from experience

[lojo]

[quote name='jmsjabb' post='651921' date='Nov 11 2009, 07:58 PM']That is cheap. Where have you seen these?
Most 500s seem to be in the £400s. The Mag range will be cheaper, but then it is the MAG range, not the ABM[/quote]

beware the mag range if your going to push it, I brought a mag head and 2 cabs earlier this year and sold it at a loss after one pub gig

perhaps its ok with you are not going to drive it that hard

[jezzaboy]

Playing in a pub with a loud drummer? Get as BIG AN AMP AS YOU CAN AFFORD!!!! Even if it just to pi*s off the guitarsit and vocalist, it`s worth it!

For a few years I used an ashdown mag 300 with the 15" speaker. It was loud enough for any where I have played and you can be heard over a loud drummer. But opinions on bass amps on here are like ars*h*les-everybodys got one! Including me.

Jez