What would be a good lightweight head for gigging with a classico?

[jazzyvee]

I have a classico and at the moment im using a 100w, PJB Briefcase for home practice but at some point i would like to gig with it and get a lightweight bass head that is good enough quality and small enough to make an easy carry to a gig. I have a lightweight Barefaced Big Baby II bass cab which is described as a FRFR cab so i think that should be ok to use since i have been to a few gigs and seen acoustic double bassists using one but didn't clock what head they were using but they were small. What are you guys using or could recommend to try, maybe a combo? What sort of power output should i be looking for?

[jacko]

I can't comment on the classico but I'd recommend listening to some Markbass heads. They're very clean and can complement the 'alembic' sound very well.  I have an LM800 that I carrry everywhere in case my Mesa head craps out but I also use it a lot with my NS upright or with the magnetic pickup I have on my double bass. It's powerful enough to drive any of my cabs but for upright I prefer to pair it with a markbass traveller 123.
Saying that, most of the double bassists I've seen live kin the last couple of years (and close enough to see their set ups) have been using EA amps.

Graeme

[rv_bass]

Walter Woods amps...I have one and love it...

https://doublebassguide.com/?p=144


Ron Carter uses Epifani small amps...

https://www.epifani.com/


You might also want to check with geepee and see what amp he uses with his Classico, I think he uses a Barefaced cab as well.

[hammer]

If you like your briefcase why not stick with PJB. They have three heads that are about as light a you can get for the power and quality of sound. The M500 has a built in equalizer if you don’t want to take your Alembic preamps. The one I have used is the BP 800 which at a little less than 6 lbs puts out 800 W into 4 ohms. I don’t have a Classico but use it to amp an acoustic bass guitar utilizing just the top half of my PJB rig. It’s sounds like what you expect from a PJB piece of equipment...clear, neutral tone that lets the instrument and your playing shine through. From what I’ve heard they also have a smaller unit not available in the U.S. (last time I was on their site it indicated Euro only). It’s about half the power but weighs less than 3 lbs.

[timplog]

really enjoying the Mesa D800+
using FX-1 and SF-2 and some assorted pedals into 2 Markbass 12” cabs
awesome clean amp stable into 2 ohms if needed and some nice “power limiting” options with the back panel 2 or 4/8 ohm switch.
maybe 6 Pounds
ymmv of course.
cheers

[edwardofhuncote]

I can't remember- did you sell your WalkAbout, Jazzy? I know some upright players like them for the parametric equalizer section.


I really prefer my Acoustic Image Clarus for upright bass. It is light, powerful, nice DI section, 2ohm capable, can drive two cabs. I would love to know how it would perform with an Alembic Classico.

[jazzyvee]

No I decided to keep that walkabout, it's a great amp. I did use it this summer for a few outdoor rehearsals and a couple of indoor ones before covid lockdown happened but didn't really get time to fiddle with the settings enough to get what I thought was an authentic DB sound. It certainly sounded ballsy but didn't have that woody sound.
It might sound like I'm fussy but I would like something much more compact in size and weight to make carrying from the car a one trip journey.

[edwardofhuncote]

No, I get it... a double bass is a very hard thing to emulate. A lot of the motivation for an instrument like a Classico is because they are such a major PITA to amplify. You'll get there... you already know what your ears want to hear. Goofy as this might sound, I can get closer to an upright sound with a Guild Starfire and an SF-2 than with my Custom. But that's just me. 

[jacko]

For a single handed carry I'd stick with Markbass. The CMD 121 H has 300 watts and a horn rather than a tweeter.  Light enough to carry in one hand and has a pretty versatile EQ.  I only have a split head / cabinet as I like to carry the head around for emergencies.

Graeme

[StephenR]

Another vote for Acoustic Image products, they were designed by a double-bassist for just that application. Number of options available, especially if you plan to use your Barefaced BBII for a speaker cabinet (probably an excellent choice). One thing to keep in mind with some of the Acoustic Image combo amps is that they can only be used with a four-ohm extension cabinet. I don't think the standalone AI amp heads have that kind of limitation. I own an AI Coda R combo amp and one thing I love is the notch filter, makes it really easy to negate the effect of a boomy room. The Coda is one amp, though, where you can only use a 4-ohm extension cabinet. When I got the Coda R they hadn't started making the Ten2 combo amp or I would have definitely gotten one of those. IMO the AI products are a better choice for amplifying any instrument with acoustic properties than a conventional bass amp, but naturally that is based on what I like to hear.