Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: gtrguy on November 25, 2010, 01:27:08 PM

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: gtrguy on November 25, 2010, 01:27:08 PM

I am tired of lugging my rig out to practices 4 times a week and am looking for a small self-contained bass amp that can play loud enough with a band.  
 
I have been playing a SWR working man amp at a church I play at that has a single 10 that seems pretty good. It also has a line out that goes into the house mix. Anyone have other thoughts on what might work?
 
I suppose this topic has popped up before. I know a pro who uses a small SWR with a sadowsky belt pack size pre that sounds very good. He travels all over with it.
 
Thanks,
Dave

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: adriaan on November 25, 2010, 01:30:42 PM

I've always liked the WM 12, which has a higher wattage than the 10 version - 120W (160W with an 8 ohm extension speaker).

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: 88persuader on November 25, 2010, 05:06:02 PM

Pricy but Markbass has several small combos that would work great for rehearsal and weigh very little.

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: hankster on November 25, 2010, 05:09:28 PM

Galien-Kruger combo with a single 12.  Clean, loud, versatile workhorse.  A bit pricey, but worth it.

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: sonicus on November 25, 2010, 05:54:54 PM

I have an old Gallien-Kruger MB150E , it has a single 12. It is Quite amazing.
http://www.gallien-krueger.com/products_mb_series.html (http://www.gallien-krueger.com/products_mb_series.html)
 
    I use it when I am not using my  rack rig

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: crobbins on November 25, 2010, 07:06:45 PM

I like the Markbass amps.

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: sonicus on November 25, 2010, 07:21:24 PM

Michael Manring seems to like the Markbass gear  as  well .  That's what he had the last time I saw him . He told me that they were great for flying around to his gigs .  He  sounds great with his little rig. But then he is always a treat for me to hear ______and see live _____

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: room037 on November 25, 2010, 08:53:08 PM

For practice ? no giging ?
I prefer Phil Jones Bass Briefcase or Bass cub.
Briefcase has clearness sounds at room, but if you play at open back space, you want more lowend.
Bass cub sounds are rough than briefcase, but it has 2ch with phone-3pin conposite input and AUX in.
These specs are very useful for multi instruments with MP3 or singing etc...
 
If you want to play with these amp at gig, Please keep a channel of Mixer for DI out.
Both amps are 100W power.
 
Eiji

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: sonicus on November 25, 2010, 10:29:22 PM

I recently checked out a Phil jones Briefcase , I thought that the articulation was very good, I agree with Eiji regarding connection via the DI out for a gig.

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: jazzyvee on November 25, 2010, 11:07:25 PM

I've had a Phil Jones Briefcase for a good few years now and it's a great little practice amp. I've not used it live for bass yet but have used it many times mic'd up for a guitar gig when my Fender Twin was in for service. Not perfect sound for electric guitar but useable if you are playing clean. Alembic guitars seem to sound better through them than passive strats I think.
 
It is however great with electric acoustic guitar.  
 
Jazzyvee

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: white_cloud on November 26, 2010, 03:30:33 AM

TC Electronic BG500. Affordable, very loud and sounds fantastic.
 
I love mine.

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: David Houck on November 26, 2010, 06:08:08 AM

John; Slawie was asking about the TC Electronic RS210 in this thread (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=17849).  TC seems to be moving into the bass world.

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: Glynn on November 26, 2010, 08:35:27 AM

I heard a TC Electronic rig at Bass Direct, Warwick UK two weeks ago.  It was good but not in same league as when the bloke with a MM Stingray went through a Genz Benz Shuttle and a Bergantino 210.  The TC amp also looked over complicated.  However, when I tried my Alembic Orion 4 through the GB/Bergantino set-up, the results were not as impressive as my MarkBass or EBS stuff.  I guess for one cab I like a 15.  For practice and gigs I think my Markbass Mini CMD 151P combo still is brilliant - 40lbs and 18 cube but you need to shell out about ?1000 over here or ?800 for the lighter 12.

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: jazzyvee on November 26, 2010, 10:46:53 AM

Hi Murray, I've been to that bass direct place a few times and they have a lot of interesting basses there. However I've only bought strings there and a case for my mesa boogie walkabout. On that subject one of the Mesa walkabout Scout combo's would be a great small practice amp.
 
Jazzyvee

Title: Recomendations on small practice amp?
Post by: benson_murrensun on November 29, 2010, 10:59:31 AM

I really like my SWR Strawberry Blonde for sound and portability, but I don't think it would hold up for bass with a drum kit nearby... 80 Watts and a single 10 speaker.