Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: keith_h on July 17, 2021, 09:09:24 PM
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Glynn's post got me thinking (which is always a bad thing according to my wife). I have been thinking about a small practice amp to take with me when I am traveling or camping.
I saw Glynn's post about the Blackstar Fly and it looks interesting. I have also come across the Phil Jones Micro 7 which meets my size and weight criteria. I was wondering if anyone here has given it a try or if they know of any other portable amps that are 12" cubed or under and ~15 lbs or less they would recommend? My upper price is $300. I'm not expecting super high fidelity but want something that sounds good and can handle playing dynamics. I'm not looking for loud but it would be nice to be able to keep up with an acoustic guitar or two around a campfire.
While I'm here I would also be looking to leave my hardshell cases at home in favor of a lighter gig bag. The Series 1 will be staying at home but I would be taking either my fretless Orion or Brown Bass. I haven't thought about a price limit yet. Any recommendations?
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While I'm here I would also be looking to leave my hardshell cases at home in favor of a lighter gig bag. The Series 1 will be staying at home but I would be taking either my fretless Orion or Brown Bass. I haven't thought about a price limit yet. Any recommendations?
Sure; as always - don't!
But if you really must, Bill's bag I mentioned in Glynn's thread is the least inadequate one I've seen yet; not quite enough to convert me from my hardshell fanaticism, but really not bad for what it is. Not as good as a real case, of course, but I think it's the first one I've come across that's better than a chipboard case.
You would, however, have to inquire of Brother Panzer his own self as to what, exactly, it is, as I thoroughly disremember.
Peter
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While I'm here I would also be looking to leave my hardshell cases at home in favor of a lighter gig bag. The Series 1 will be staying at home but I would be taking either my fretless Orion or Brown Bass. I haven't thought about a price limit yet. Any recommendations?
Sure; as always - don't!
But if you really must, Bill's bag I mentioned in Glynn's thread is the least inadequate one I've seen yet; not quite enough to convert me from my hardshell fanaticism, but really not bad for what it is. Not as good as a real case, of course, but I think it's the first one I've come across that's better than a chipboard case.
You would, however, have to inquire of Brother Panzer his own self as to what, exactly, it is, as I thoroughly disremember.
Peter
Keep in mind this is not being thrown in the back seat of a truck, trunk of a car let alone being carried on an airplane or other public transport. It is traveling in relative comfort in a travel trailer on a 10" gel foam mattress. In fact it is probably in a safer environment than at home where a 10 month baby can show their surprising speed and ability to open the most complicated baby deterrence devices in existence.
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The bag Peter is referring to is a Roadrunner Highway Premium. Incredibly protective for a gigbag, while still being light and convenient. $99.99 in all the usual places. I got mine for less as a Stupid Deal of the Day. Reunion Blues also makes high quality protective gigbags.
Bill, tgo
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Thanks Bill I'll give them a look. Reunion Blues was one of the companies I was looking at. I need to get some measurements of my Brown Bass but suspect its size might better fit a guitar bag over a bass bag.
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Just thought I'd update with my results for the Phil Jones Micro 7. I am not impressed and have returned it. It did have good tone for its size as long as the volume was kept turned down to a little below voice level. With any type of volume and bass set midway or higher the E string would distort. By cutting the tone stack I could get more volume but the sound the instrument while ok was flat. I might have played around with it longer to see if I could improve things to the point I could use the amp playing along with an acoustic guitar but it had a loud buzz around 100Hz and 200Hz. I didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure out what it was but from the little time I did spend it seemed that the cabinet itself was resonating. IMO even if I could have worked out a reasonable tone and volume setting it isn't worth the just under $300 price tag.
So back to the drawing board.
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I believe Blackstar makes a bass version of the Fly. We’re talking MUCH smaller and lighter than 12” cube and 15 lbs. Smaller than the lunchbox you brought to grade school. I have no experience with the bass version, but the guitar version has amazed everyone who has tried it. It’s great for practice and sounds good enough and loud enough to do some busking or playing with acoustic instruments.
Bill, tgo
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The Trace Eliot Elf with a 2x8 or 1x10 cab and a Transit B pedal would be a nice setup for this. There are out on the used market at a pretty reasonable price these days
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(Re:- I believe Blackstar makes a bass version of the Fly. We’re talking MUCH smaller and lighter than 12” cube and 15 lbs. Smaller than the lunchbox you brought to grade school. I have no experience with the bass version, but the guitar version has amazed everyone who has tried it. It’s great for practice and sounds good enough and loud enough to do some busking or playing with acoustic instruments.
Bill, tgo)
Not sure if you saw my original post about the bass version but I have it + the "extension" cabinet and together they are excellent. Used it last night for an outside Morris dancing practice session with Hofner violin bass against two melodians and some months ago I used it outside with a Fender ABG against two melodians and an acoustic guitar. Great for folky type sessions - not the same as my Alembic plus 500w GenzBenz and Genzler amps and Berg or Genzler cabs gigs but for the purpose good value for money (£99 in UK).
Glynn
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The Trace Eliot Elf with a 2x8 or 1x10 cab and a Transit B pedal would be a nice setup for this. There are out on the used market at a pretty reasonable price these days
Thanks for the suggestion. That is getting into a bit more than I want to carry and the prices I've seen even used are higher than my original under $300 and the higher prices for what I'm looking at now. I have more about that below in my reply to Bill.
I believe Blackstar makes a bass version of the Fly. We’re talking MUCH smaller and lighter than 12” cube and 15 lbs. Smaller than the lunchbox you brought to grade school. I have no experience with the bass version, but the guitar version has amazed everyone who has tried it. It’s great for practice and sounds good enough and loud enough to do some busking or playing with acoustic instruments.
Bill, tgo
I've done some rethinking and decided I will probably need to up the amount I wish to spend and go up on weight a bit to find a combo with the sound I'm looking for. I've seen some 1x10 combos that come in under 15" cubed and are in the 20 - 25 lb range going for about $450. While I want light weight 5 - 10 pounds more isn't really a major issue since I have around 750 lbs of cargo capacity left in the travel trailer and about 2200 lbs of spare towing capacity in the truck. Physical size is more of my concern as the area where I plan to stow the amp when not in use is a 16" wide strip between the bed platform and trailer wall.
One other thing that came to mind as I was reevaluating what I was looking for was even though I haven't played out in ages and likely won't be I usually have full PA support. These smaller amps would let me setup to use them as a personal monitor and have the extension speaker for the drummer or the people across stage to use as a monitor. I'd let the PA do the heavy lifting rather than my back.
Currently the two that standout to me are the G-K MB110 and the Markbass CMD 101 Micro 60.
The G-K appeals to me a bit more because it has a 4 band tone control which will allow me to roll back the upper and boost the lower mids to scoop the sound better. It is also a little smaller and about 4 pounds lighter. It also has the ability to select pre or post for the DI. A drawback is you can only add powered extension speakers which I don't currently own so this becomes a potential added cost down the line.
The Markbass has a 3 band tone control with separate gain and master which might help with balancing the bass and something on the Aux in. There is a tweeter which I could live with or without. The Markbass also has the advantage of being able to add another passive speaker so with it I can use any one of my current speakers. They both sell for $449 but for the Labor Day holiday one of the larger online retailers has the Markbass for about $70 less. The ability to add another passive speaker and lower price has me leaning to Markbass.
Enough rambling I need to locate the granddaughter as she has gone quiet which usually means she is getting into trouble.
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I believe Blackstar makes a bass version of the Fly. We’re talking MUCH smaller and lighter than 12” cube and 15 lbs. Smaller than the lunchbox you brought to grade school. I have no experience with the bass version, but the guitar version has amazed everyone who has tried it. It’s great for practice and sounds good enough and loud enough to do some busking or playing with acoustic instruments.
Bill, tgo
I've done some rethinking and decided I will probably need to up the amount I wish to spend....
There is a Blackstar Fly 3 (which, based on having played through Bill's skinny-string version, I would expect to blow you away) on Reverb for $72. And one with the extension cab like Glynn's for $120. Give it a shot - worst that could happen is that you get all your money back on resale.
Enough rambling I need to locate the granddaughter as she has gone quiet which usually means she is getting into trouble.
Oh, yeah - run! I don't which would scare me more by being quiet; grandson #1 at 9, the granddaughters (#5 & #6) at 2.5 or one of the ones in between. If it's any combination of them, forget running - I'm calling FEMA.......
Peter (who is, he is quite certain, the most doting Granddude in the world)
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I'm not worried about what to do if I didn't like the Blackstar Fly as I could return it for free. I'm just not going to mess around with another micro amp with tiny speakers. I know what to expect out of a 1X10 and know pretty much any of the amps I've looked at in that style would meet the tone/volume requirements I'm looking for. I did give the Fender Rumble 40 a serious look. It has a great price, controls and features I like and appears to be a solid little amp but it is too large for the on the road storage area in the trailer. That is why I decided I would up what I'm looking to spend and get something a bit more versatile I could use for other situations.
Granddaughter is 11 1/2 months old and lives with us. She has been walking for about month now. That is the problem. No matter how much I pushed her down she tried to stand up anyway. Well she's reached the point where she has learned how not to be seen especially when she is interested in the floor vents for the central air. Fortunately I own an endoscope for periodic inspections of said vents but I'll admit I'm a bit trepidatious over what I might find.
On a different note we are going to be up that way in early October to see the wife's family. Her dad in particular due to onset of dementia. When we go we park the trailer in Union and drive into St. Charles where her folks live. I'm not sure of how much free time we will have but was going to give you a holler if I had a chance after we arrived to say hello and maybe drink a beverage or two of your choice.
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Have you looked at the TC Electronic BG250 stuff?
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Have you looked at the TC Electronic BG250 stuff?
Yes I did. The BG250-208 in particular but it is too tall for the storage area it needs to fit in. The others were also too large.
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maybe a small head and fab up a small custom cabinet if none of the available combos end up working in the space?
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I went ahead and ordered the Markbass. It is under 15 inches cubed so will fit the area and with the holiday discount was $382 before taxes and free shipping.
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Barefaced One 10 cabinet (8 ohms) is small and light. Not the quality of Berg. and Genzler but good enough for the weight at 16 lbs and £419 UK. I team it with a Genzler Magellan 350 (175 w at 8 ohms ) but it doesn't like the GenzBenz Streamliner at 500 watts into it - despite the Barefaced claims!.
Glynn
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I'm not worried about what to do if I didn't like the Blackstar Fly as I could return it for free. I'm just not going to mess around with another micro amp with tiny speakers. I know what to expect out of a 1X10 and know pretty much any of the amps I've looked at in that style would meet the tone/volume requirements I'm looking for. I did give the Fender Rumble 40 a serious look. It has a great price, controls and features I like and appears to be a solid little amp but it is too large for the on the road storage area in the trailer. That is why I decided I would up what I'm looking to spend and get something a bit more versatile I could use for other situations.
Granddaughter is 11 1/2 months old and lives with us. She has been walking for about month now. That is the problem. No matter how much I pushed her down she tried to stand up anyway. Well she's reached the point where she has learned how not to be seen especially when she is interested in the floor vents for the central air. Fortunately I own an endoscope for periodic inspections of said vents but I'll admit I'm a bit trepidatious over what I might find.
On a different note we are going to be up that way in early October to see the wife's family. Her dad in particular due to onset of dementia. When we go we park the trailer in Union and drive into St. Charles where her folks live. I'm not sure of how much free time we will have but was going to give you a holler if I had a chance after we arrived to say hello and maybe drink a beverage or two of your choice.
Yeah, I'm sort of amazed I'm speaking up for the Fly myself; I tend to think that 10s only belong in a bass rig on top of 15s or 18s - I want to feel an air column, ya know? - and a 15 is my preference for guitar. But Bill's just completely blew me away; if you had told me before hearing it that a 3" speaker could sound for anything, I would have quoted the immortal Dick Martin: "I laugh on your mustache; HA!" But it sounds seriously good (as Bill said, the only micro-amp that's an actual amp, and not a toy).
We're planning to head to Denver to hang with grands #1 & #2 in October, but I don't know which week; by all means,[/size] give said holler, and if we're in town we'll lift a few (and/or, if you are so inclined, set something on fire).
[/size]Peter
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Peter,
I'm surprised to see someone else that likes 15 inch speakers for guitar. I've always preferred the sound of playing, I use the term loosely, my guitars through a D130 or K140 cabinet.
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Peter,
I'm surprised to see someone else that likes 15 inch speakers for guitar. I've always preferred the sound of playing, I use the term loosely, my guitars through a D130 or K140 cabinet.
We are everywhere! Stevie Rave On played through 2 '64 Vibroverbs (basically a 1X15 Super Reverb); alas, the only year they made them, except for a modded "reissue".
Peter
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O.K., you guys certainly got me thinking. Then I remembered that the former “Jerry” in Sonicus’ Dead band also played through a 15 and it sounded quite good. So I checked out reverb today and pulled the trigger on a 1x15 loaded with an Eminence 1518. It’s supposed to be similar to a JBL. We’ll see.
Bill, tgo
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O.K., you guys certainly got me thinking. Then I remembered that the former “Jerry” in Sonicus’ Dead band also played through a 15 and it sounded quite good. So I checked out reverb today and pulled the trigger on a 1x15 loaded with an Eminence 1518. It’s supposed to be similar to a JBL. We’ll see.
Bill, tgo
We await your report with baited breath (that's what we get for eating worms.....)
Peter
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I’ve always liked 12” speakers for guitar, currently use Tone Tubby (Red Alnico and Purple Haze) and like them, and although their cube cab is not micro it is compact, light, and easy to transport.
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I’ve always been a “12” guy, too. My main rig is two 1x12 cabs loaded with JBL K120’s, one of which was reconed with hemp by John Harrison himself. In the last couple of years I’ve ventured into 8” and 10” territory with my Quilters. Both sizes sounded much better than I expected, though I’m sure the Quilter design certainly helps. So I’m curious and keeping an open mind about the 15. This should be interesting.
Bill, tgo
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My first choice would be, as noted, 1X15. Then 4X10, then 2X10, then 1X10.
So of course the onliest guitar amp I currently own is a 2X12.........
Peter (who does sometimes plug a guitar into his bass amp, despite its lack of tubes & reverb, just for the 15" speaker)
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Well Bill I didn't plan for this thread to turn out to have you spending money. :)
I use an old Yamaha B100 head from my 1970's bass rig for guitar. I don't play guitar well enough or often enough to justify an actual guitar amp. I also like the clean jazz guitar tone which this amp does a decent job of doing paired with a 15" cabinet.
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Well Bill I didn't plan for this thread to turn out to have you spending money. :)
I use an old Yamaha B100 head from my 1970's bass rig for guitar. I don't play guitar well enough or often enough to justify an actual guitar amp. I also like the clean jazz guitar tone which this amp does a decent job of doing paired with a 15" cabinet.
My first in-person experience with an Alembic was playing a Spoiler through a B100-115 II; completely changed what I thought "bass guitar" meant. If you should ever want to sell that......
Peter
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I had one of those at one time too. Then needed to be able to keep up with two full 4X12 stacks when playing out. That's when the rig became an Acoustic 370 with two 301 cabinets and the B100 with two single K140 cabinets.
I also owned the PA. It was built by a local builder called Blondella Sound. 3/4" plywood finished in fiberglass and heavy as hell. Fortunately my back was a lot stronger back then and friends of the band were willing to work for beer.
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I used one of these for a classic rock/country bar band I played with for several years. https://www.ztamplifiers.com/old-lunchbox-amp.html
The diminutive size belied the fact that it was a 200 watt amp. The only occasions I found it wasn't loud enough were rather large outdoor gigs, and at that point I just ran direct from the amp to the PA. The early versions of these amps were popular with people like Nels Cline of the Nels Cline Singers and Wilco fame. (https://equipboard.com/pros/nels-cline/zt-lunchbox-200-watt-amplifier) It doesn't look like they still sell the 200 watt version, which is a pity because at 6.5 pounds it was a lot more back-friendly than my silverface Pro-Reverb.
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The Hofner -
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The amp arrived yesterday afternoon. I've had about an hour to play around with it and so far I like it. The tone controls are pretty sensitive and responsive. The mid-range control is especially sensitive so it would be nice if they added high and low ranges to make it easier to tweak in the tone. I am still working on fine tuning the settings but over all it sounds pretty good and I think with a bit more playing time I will hit the sweet spot. The amp is listed as being 25 lbs but feels lighter than that. As to volume it doesn't seismically shake the house like my big rig but it is much louder than anything needed for an acoustic get together. I also think the amp is loud enough to have worked well with a 1X10 extension cabinet in my old dinner/dance band days. As long as the stage volume wasn't excessively loud (but that's why they make plexiglass barriers for drummers isn't it?) it should also work as a personal monitor for when the PA is carrying the load.
Here is a link to the model I purchased:
http://www.markbass.it/product-detail/marcus-miller-cmd-101-micro-60/ (http://www.markbass.it/product-detail/marcus-miller-cmd-101-micro-60/)
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Cool looking amp, Keith. While you’re going smaller, I’m been going bigger. The Weber X-cab loaded with the 15” Eminence 1518 I posted about above arrived and I got to try it out this week at band rehearsal. I plugged it into a DV Mark Micro 50 II amp. The 15 sounded really full, especially the low notes. Next I’m going to try it paired with a 12, and then with a 10. Hey, I gotta do something until indoor gigs start up again!
Bill, tgo
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Yeah, I didn't expect this to turn into a thread to give you GAS. What you heard with the fullness is what I go for in guitar tone. I like that clean round sound though my fingers do their best to make it sound like mush.
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Next I’m going to try it paired with a 12, and then with a 10. Hey, I gotta do something until indoor gigs start up again!
Bill, tgo
I've never had a chance to check one out, but I have always been intrigued by the combo amp Gibson put a few years back that had 1 10" & 1 12".
Peter