Head / cab for home practice

[douglasbass]

Currently I have an Orange 25w combo amp for home practice. It's been a good little starter combo but I'm thinking of replacing it with a head and cab for a 'modular' setup. If I ever gig, I could pair with a better cab, yeah? Also, I live in a house, so I don't need apartment-level wattage.

Ampeg PF-350 or is that overkill? What cab would you pair with it, to start? I'm new to heads / cabs, having only used combos, so even basic suggestions are welcome. I'd like to keep it reasonable all together, $1000 maximum.

 

[gtirard]

There are many options, you can use a class D amp and a single 8 Ohm cab at home for practice, and add a second cab if you gig.

What kind of music do you play?

Do you prefer to match the brand of the amp & cab or you don't care?

 

[MarkA]

Currently I have an Orange 25w combo amp for home practice. It's been a good little starter combo but I'm thinking of replacing it with a head and cab for a 'modular' setup. If I ever gig, I could pair with a better cab, yeah? Also, I live in a house, so I don't need apartment-level wattage.

Ampeg PF-350 or is that overkill? What cab would you pair with it, to start? I'm new to heads / cabs, having only used combos, so even basic suggestions are welcome. I'd like to keep it reasonable all together, $1000 maximum.

Whether the Ampeg PF-350 is overkill or not depends on the cab you're using and the gigs you'd be playing -- it's more than you'd need for a coffee shop through most any cab -- certainly more than you'd need for at-home, solo practice -- but, in general, I'd say no. Most solid-state (i.e. non tube-power) heads can sound pretty consistent through the bulk of their volume range and just about all of them have a volume knob.

If you want to gig, as long as the head and cab(s) are reasonably matched, it's better to have a little more than you need than a little less.

There are many options, you can use a class D amp and a single 8 Ohm cab at home for practice, and add a second cab if you gig.

This approach -- start with a single, 8 Ohm cab and potentially add a second later is a good one, I think, as long as the 8 Ohm cab has the potential to do at least some smaller and medium-ish gigs (whatever that means to the OP) on its own.

I would add that the head doesn't have to be class D -- there are a lot of nice and still fairly compact class AB amps available on the used market for relatively cheap that will get the job done nicely (and some new, though none I can think of at the moment that would leave much money for a decent cab from the OP's budget).

There are some medium-sized, single cab solutions (compact 2x12s, capable 2x10s, etc.) which could make sense (and even make sense in 4 Ohms) depending on the OP's idea of gigging and the amp he'll be using, but your approach offers more flexibility, particularly if one's future gigging needs are uncertain.

What kind of music do you play?

A good question.

OP, there are dozens of routes you could take which could all work well.

A good, solid, 8 Ohm 1x12 (doesn't have to be fancy, but don't cheap out on the cab -- it is often more of a limiting factor than the amp) is a good place to start. You could also go with a 2x10, a 1x15, or even a capable 1x10, depending on how compact you want to be with your rig and the kinds of places you see yourself playing.

If you like the Ampeg sound, I'd look at the SVT 112 AV, the SVT 210 AV, and maybe the SVT 212 AV or one of their Portaflex cabs.

I've played through a 210 AV live a few times -- sounds great (though I've only played it with 4-string, not sure how I'd like it on a low B), would match well with the PF-350, doesn't cost a ton, and slots into most mixes in a very friendly way. One is plenty for home practice and coffee shops and a Blues band with some dynamic restraint in a pub. It will not, IMO, keep up with a hard hitting drummer. Two make a nice, vertical 410 that will let you monitor yourself easily and should handle most bar-type gigs (your drummer could go ahead and get rowdy in that pub), but still would be what I'd consider a medium-duty setup, as far as 4x10s go. (I'd want more in a couple of the louder venues I've played and for some outdoor things.)

You can get two of those cabs and a PF-350 new for $1050 -- 50 bucks over your budget -- from Sweetwater. You could also get the one cab ($700 with the PF-350 or the 200 Watt Micro VR), to start.

(Re. the 350 vs. the Micro VR, you might find this of interest: Ampeg Micro-VR vs PF-350)

I've not played the 112 AV -- it's rated for 300 Watts, as opposed to the 210 AV's 200 Watts, and, per what I've read on TB, should have some more oomph in the low end. It's also got an adjustable tweeter, so you should be able to get some more crisp and extended top-end, if that's your thing. The cab is low and wide, but you could set it on its end to make it narrower and taller, which you might find beneficial in some situations. It's $550, as opposed to $350 for the 210 AV. (The 210 AV also matches nicely with the Micro VR head.)

If I were to pick up one of those, I'd probably go with the PF-500 ($450) rather than the 350 ($350) for a little more dynamic headroom with a possible, eventual stack (the two cabs would be rated for 600 Watts, combined, at 4 Ohms, which should match nicely with the head's 500 W @ 4 Ohms). One of those cabs and a PF-500 would be a grand, even, new.

There are fancier and less fancy (but still capable) options you could look at -- if you're willing to consider other brands (tone and music preferences will help people guide you), mix brands between amp and cab, and/or look at the used market, options increase dramatically.

Most will be a pretty significant step up from your practice combo.

 

[el murdoque]

Most bass amps have a master volume. This can be used to keep the volume down ;-)
However, some heads and some cabs need a bit of juice flowing to wake up properly.

When you focus on home practice, you want something that sounds good at bedroom volume.
When you focus on gigging with it, you want something that sounds good at gig volume.
Luckily there are amps that can easily do both.
My approach would be this:
I'd check what the loudest application would be. Let's say playing rock with a loud drummer.
I'd decide on what the speaker config would be in that scenario. Let's say 410.
I'd then split that speaker config (if possible) into two halves. With 410 it's easy, that's 2x210.
That's what I'd be looking for then. You can use half of your speakers at home then, but double up for when you need loud. You can also start buying one cab and adding the second when needed.

 

[douglasbass]

There are many options, you can use a class D amp and a single 8 Ohm cab at home for practice, and add a second cab if you gig.

What kind of music do you play?

Do you prefer to match the brand of the amp & cab or you don't care?

Thanks. I play reggae, soul music. I'm okay with mixing brands; I'm not tied to any one brand.

 

[MarkA]

Thanks. I play reggae, soul music. I'm okay with mixing brands; I'm not tied to any one brand.

What kind of bass(es) do you play? Any with a low B? Are you okay with shopping used gear, or do you prefer to keep it new? Is compactness of the rig very important to you?

 

[douglasbass]

Whether the Ampeg PF-350 is overkill or not depends on the cab you're using and the gigs you'd be playing -- it's more than you'd need for a coffee shop through most any cab -- certainly more than you'd need for at-home, solo practice -- but, in general, I'd say no. Most solid-state (i.e. non tube-power) heads can sound pretty consistent through the bulk of their volume range and just about all of them have a volume knob.

If you want to gig, as long as the head and cab(s) are reasonably matched, it's better to have a little more than you need than a little less.



This approach -- start with a single, 8 Ohm cab and potentially add a second later is a good one, I think, as long as the 8 Ohm cab has the potential to do at least some smaller and medium-ish gigs (whatever that means to the OP) on its own.

I would add that the head doesn't have to be class D -- there are a lot of nice and still fairly compact class AB amps available on the used market for relatively cheap that will get the job done nicely (and some new, though none I can think of at the moment that would leave much money for a decent cab from the OP's budget).

There are some medium-sized, single cab solutions (compact 2x12s, capable 2x10s, etc.) which could make sense (and even make sense in 4 Ohms) depending on the OP's idea of gigging and the amp he'll be using, but your approach offers more flexibility, particularly if one's future gigging needs are uncertain.


A good question.

OP, there are dozens of routes you could take which could all work well.

A good, solid, 8 Ohm 1x12 (doesn't have to be fancy, but don't cheap out on the cab -- it is often more of a limiting factor than the amp) is a good place to start. You could also go with a 2x10, a 1x15, or even a capable 1x10, depending on how compact you want to be with your rig and the kinds of places you see yourself playing.

If you like the Ampeg sound, I'd look at the SVT 112 AV, the SVT 210 AV, and maybe the SVT 212 AV or one of their Portaflex cabs.

I've played through a 210 AV live a few times -- sounds great (though I've only played it with 4-string, not sure how I'd like it on a low B), would match well with the PF-350, doesn't cost a ton, and slots into most mixes in a very friendly way. One is plenty for home practice and coffee shops and a Blues band with some dynamic restraint in a pub. It will not, IMO, keep up with a hard hitting drummer. Two make a nice, vertical 410 that will let you monitor yourself easily and should handle most bar-type gigs (your drummer could go ahead and get rowdy in that pub), but still would be what I'd consider a medium-duty setup, as far as 4x10s go. (I'd want more in a couple of the louder venues I've played and for some outdoor things.)

You can get two of those cabs and a PF-350 new for $1050 -- 50 bucks over your budget -- from Sweetwater. You could also get the one cab ($700 with the PF-350 or the 200 Watt Micro VR), to start.

(Re. the 350 vs. the Micro VR, you might find this of interest: Ampeg Micro-VR vs PF-350)

I've not played the 112 AV -- it's rated for 300 Watts, as opposed to the 210 AV's 200 Watts, and, per what I've read on TB, should have some more oomph in the low end. It's also got an adjustable tweeter, so you should be able to get some more crisp and extended top-end, if that's your thing. The cab is low and wide, but you could set it on its end to make it narrower and taller, which you might find beneficial in some situations. It's $550, as opposed to $350 for the 210 AV. (The 210 AV also matches nicely with the Micro VR head.)

If I were to pick up one of those, I'd probably go with the PF-500 ($450) rather than the 350 ($350) for a little more dynamic headroom with a possible, eventual stack (the two cabs would be rated for 600 Watts, combined, at 4 Ohms, which should match nicely with the head's 500 W @ 4 Ohms). One of those cabs and a PF-500 would be a grand, even, new.

There are fancier and less fancy (but still capable) options you could look at -- if you're willing to consider other brands (tone and music preferences will help people guide you), mix brands between amp and cab, and/or look at the used market, options increase dramatically.

Most will be a pretty significant step up from your practice combo.

Great detail! Thanks. I play a 4-string with flats, and would be doing coffee shop gigs, maybe the occasional pub one. Nothing more than that. I'll take a look at Sweetwater since I've purchased from them before. I can't remember how I came across the PF-350 but I do have that in one of my wish lists there.

 

[douglasbass]

What kind of bass(es) do you play? Any with a low B? Are you okay with shopping used gear, or do you prefer to keep it new? Is compactness of the rig very important to you?

I have a 4-string Fender Jazz as my primary (strung with flats), and a G&L with a single humbucker (also with flats). None with a low B. I'd prefer new but open to quality used gear. Compactness is not that important as I'm not traveling around, currently. Thanks!

 

[MarkA]

If you're playing fours with flats in coffee shops and the occasional pub and not looking for the super-deep end of the Reggae tone spectrum, then, for the kind of music you mention, I think you could do a lot worse, among readily available new cabs, than a pair of the 210 AVs - one for coffee shops and practice, two for most other, medium-to-loudish stuff (even when one will cut it - better to run the rig easy than to push a single cab, plus it'll be easier to hear with the second cab up high and two cabs will sound more full and give more percussive thump than one at the same volume, which will make your job and the drummer's easier, in terms of locking in and you not having to dig in hard).

The 210 AVs are sealed - they don't go very deep or super high but they're articulate and, the few times I've played through them live, they just seemed to slot easily into traditional Rock, Blues, and R&B mixes with very little fiddling.

They're definitely colored-sounding cabs - you'd never use a pair for studio monitors - and, even in a smallish pub, when the volume started to creep up and the guitars, keys, and drums started to get louder, I felt that a single cab strained to keep up.

They're medium-duty, 200 Watt 210s. Not the loudest cabs in the 2x10 format. If you like to boost the bass a ton, they might not be the best cabs, either, but I had fun playing through them (and I typically play through a few different fancy, "boutique" cabs) and think they'd be a natural, easy fit, tonally for the kind of stuff you're talking about. (My experience playing through them, btw, was at a few different jam sessions - just happened to be what the house band players brought each time.)

As far as heads go, I am less familiar with the PF stuff - I imagine the 350 would be a good fit with those cabs, but I could also see something like an Aggie TH-350, an old GK 400 RB, or any of a number of compact amps working well.

There are a lot of other cabs that could work well -- and go louder -- and you should look into them -- but your intended use seems, to me, to be what the 210 AVs are targeted at.

 

[micguy]

A modular rig is, done right, a very flexible thing. As every head has a volume control, you only need one good head (OK, maybe a spare if you're gigging). You shouldn't size that power wise for at home use, you get one that'll work at your biggest gigs, and then just turn it down at home. One head, a couple of good cabinets, and you're done. Your "practice amp" uses one of the cabinets, your "gig rig" uses 2. This isn't really that hard.

 

[57pbass]

I’ve been using this for home practice.
Quilter and a Bag End S10.
Perfect for home use and the head has the headphone input jack on the face of the amp so it makes it easy to access for late night practice.
I purchased the Bag End used here on Talkbass and have a second that I purchased directly from Bag End.. NOS.

 

[Stewie]

I was running a PF350 on top of one or two SVT 15E cabs for a while. It was plenty loud with 2 20 watt tube guitar amps and a 15 watt harp amp. It was fine, never turned it up past noon.
I was toying with the idea of grabbing a Portaflex 1 15 cab, but went with an Ampeg Rocket 210 for ease of transport.

 

[EXCAV8]

I've owned an Ampeg head, and and two Ampeg combo amps. All three were no good for me for various reasons. The head was brand new and malfunctioned, the small combo was weak, and the large combo was even weaker and thin sounding. Really weird. I think I may have just gotten some stinkers, but these days I'm quite happy with my Fender Rumble 500 and matching extension cab.

 

[Engle]

From personal experience, I would recommend a GK MB200 or 500 over the PF350. I have a PF350, and like the sound. It does work well with one or two 210AVs, but mine isn’t reliable enough to take out anywhere. And the one my friend owns died recently.
Your results may vary, of course.

 

[CallMeAl]

I have the PF350 and it’s fantastic. I pair it with a Markbass 12”, but if I was starting from scratch I’d get the obvious portaflex cabinet to match.

Though if gigging is your goal I’d shoot for 500w and a 115 or 210. I have the Markbass LMIII and it kinda blows the PF350 out of the water, the PF is just for rehearsals. I also have a pair of 112s but they’re selected specifically for my fairly low volume bands. I like 210 for an “all purpose” cabinet…. Or like you mentioned; start with a 112, see where it takes you, go bigger later.

edit: the “2 matching cabs” idea is my preference. One for small uses, 2 for big.

 

[iiipopes]

Whether the Ampeg PF-350 is overkill or not depends on the cab you're using and the gigs you'd be playing -- it's more than you'd need for a coffee shop through most any cab -- certainly more than you'd need for at-home, solo practice -- but, in general, I'd say no. Most solid-state (i.e. non tube-power) heads can sound pretty consistent through the bulk of their volume range and just about all of them have a volume knob.

If you want to gig, as long as the head and cab(s) are reasonably matched, it's better to have a little more than you need than a little less.



This approach -- start with a single, 8 Ohm cab and potentially add a second later is a good one, I think, as long as the 8 Ohm cab has the potential to do at least some smaller and medium-ish gigs (whatever that means to the OP) on its own.

I would add that the head doesn't have to be class D -- there are a lot of nice and still fairly compact class AB amps available on the used market for relatively cheap that will get the job done nicely (and some new, though none I can think of at the moment that would leave much money for a decent cab from the OP's budget).

There are some medium-sized, single cab solutions (compact 2x12s, capable 2x10s, etc.) which could make sense (and even make sense in 4 Ohms) depending on the OP's idea of gigging and the amp he'll be using, but your approach offers more flexibility, particularly if one's future gigging needs are uncertain.


A good question.

OP, there are dozens of routes you could take which could all work well.

A good, solid, 8 Ohm 1x12 (doesn't have to be fancy, but don't cheap out on the cab -- it is often more of a limiting factor than the amp) is a good place to start. You could also go with a 2x10, a 1x15, or even a capable 1x10, depending on how compact you want to be with your rig and the kinds of places you see yourself playing.

If you like the Ampeg sound, I'd look at the SVT 112 AV, the SVT 210 AV, and maybe the SVT 212 AV or one of their Portaflex cabs.

I've played through a 210 AV live a few times -- sounds great (though I've only played it with 4-string, not sure how I'd like it on a low B), would match well with the PF-350, doesn't cost a ton, and slots into most mixes in a very friendly way. One is plenty for home practice and coffee shops and a Blues band with some dynamic restraint in a pub. It will not, IMO, keep up with a hard hitting drummer. Two make a nice, vertical 410 that will let you monitor yourself easily and should handle most bar-type gigs (your drummer could go ahead and get rowdy in that pub), but still would be what I'd consider a medium-duty setup, as far as 4x10s go. (I'd want more in a couple of the louder venues I've played and for some outdoor things.)

You can get two of those cabs and a PF-350 new for $1050 -- 50 bucks over your budget -- from Sweetwater. You could also get the one cab ($700 with the PF-350 or the 200 Watt Micro VR), to start.

(Re. the 350 vs. the Micro VR, you might find this of interest: Ampeg Micro-VR vs PF-350)

I've not played the 112 AV -- it's rated for 300 Watts, as opposed to the 210 AV's 200 Watts, and, per what I've read on TB, should have some more oomph in the low end. It's also got an adjustable tweeter, so you should be able to get some more crisp and extended top-end, if that's your thing. The cab is low and wide, but you could set it on its end to make it narrower and taller, which you might find beneficial in some situations. It's $550, as opposed to $350 for the 210 AV. (The 210 AV also matches nicely with the Micro VR head.)

If I were to pick up one of those, I'd probably go with the PF-500 ($450) rather than the 350 ($350) for a little more dynamic headroom with a possible, eventual stack (the two cabs would be rated for 600 Watts, combined, at 4 Ohms, which should match nicely with the head's 500 W @ 4 Ohms). One of those cabs and a PF-500 would be a grand, even, new.

There are fancier and less fancy (but still capable) options you could look at -- if you're willing to consider other brands (tone and music preferences will help people guide you), mix brands between amp and cab, and/or look at the used market, options increase dramatically.

Most will be a pretty significant step up from your practice combo.

Some years ago I got an Ashdown Tourbus 15 on close out for a ridiculously low price. After adding a small cap across the jack to tame high pitched oscillation (ask me about telling the Ashdown engineer about this another time), it worked well, but without depth. So when the Ashdown 1X12 lightweight cabs were on sale a few years ago, I got one of those to go with it and modded the amp to add an external speaker jack, (the output transistor can handle 4-ohm loads - I looked it up). The setup is now a permanent fixture in my home practice situation.

 

[BOOG]

Currently I have an Orange 25w combo amp for home practice. It's been a good little starter combo but I'm thinking of replacing it with a head and cab for a 'modular' setup. If I ever gig, I could pair with a better cab, yeah? Also, I live in a house, so I don't need apartment-level wattage.

Ampeg PF-350 or is that overkill? What cab would you pair with it, to start? I'm new to heads / cabs, having only used combos, so even basic suggestions are welcome. I'd like to keep it reasonable all together, $1000 maximum.

Spend $800 on a high quality cab and $200 on any used head. Having the high end cab will allow you to play at any realistic volume needed and produce an articulate sound that will let you to really start hearing the differences of different amps when the time comes to experiment further.

 

[MarkA]

Some years ago I got an Ashdown Tourbus 15 on close out for a ridiculously low price. After adding a small cap across the jack to tame high pitched oscillation (ask me about telling the Ashdown engineer about this another time), it worked well, but without depth. So when the Ashdown 1X12 lightweight cabs were on sale a few years ago, I got one of those to go with it and modded the amp to add an external speaker jack, (the output transistor can handle 4-ohm loads - I looked it up). The setup is now a permanent fixture in my home practice situation.

How's that combo sound?

 

[IvanDrummer]

Hi! I am a student with four more housemates. Luckily most of them are musical and they don't mind me practicing on a Genzler Magellan 350 head + 2x112 Aguilar SG cabs.
The tone/sound is amazing. Gain/Volume knobs never go above 9 o'clock - although when slapping, bass volume has to go down to about 25% or even less. When I am at home on my own I push it a bit more, and then the floor starts shaking.....

 

[iiipopes]

How's that combo sound?

Great! And if I do have a small gig, like a U-bass ukulele gig, I can take just the Tourbus 15 or add the cab. And if I have the need, I can push 300w through the cab.