Looking for an amp that balances weight and volume

murdocnickles

murdocnickles

Jul 30, 2024
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#1
I don’t know much about amps at all, so forgive me if this question is silly or tedious.
I tend to gig with an SWR workingman’s 15, which sounds great. I grabbed a Peavey MINX 110 for tour so that I could have something smaller for carrying around. The SWR is way too heavy for me, and the Peavey farts on the lowest string way too easily (I play a five string tuned to A).
Is there an amp that isn’t 60 pounds and that can handle the extra low notes without loosing too much volume, or am I asking for too much?

EDIT: I am looking for combo amps for now :)
 
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#2
murdocnickles said:
I don’t know much about amps at all, so forgive me if this question is silly or tedious.
I tend to gig with an SWR workingman’s 15, which sounds great. I grabbed a Peavey MINX 110 for tour so that I could have something smaller for carrying around. The SWR is way too heavy for me, and the Peavey farts on the lowest string way too easily (I play a five string tuned to A).
Is there an amp that isn’t 60 pounds and that can handle the extra low notes without loosing too much volume, or am I asking for too much?
Click to expand...
Many!
I understand you are looking for a combo (not head + separate cab)?
What is you buget?

For affordable, lightweight and loud combos, you can start with Fender Rumble, Markbass, Phil Jones Bass, Ampeg… just to name a few

GR Bass are pricier, but the performance / weight ratio is just amazing (and they sound great too)

Or if you are open to separate amp + cab, Barefaced cabs are also very light, super loud, and they sound great too (paired with a class D amp)
 
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#3
gtirard said:
Many!
I understand you are looking for a combo (not head + separate cab)?
What is you buget?

For affordable, lightweight and loud combos, you can start with Fender Rumble, Markbass, Phil Jones Bass, Ampeg… just to name a few

GR Bass are pricier, but the performance / weight ratio is just amazing (and they sound great too)

Or if you are open to separate amp + cab, Barefaced cabs are also very light, super loud, and they sound great too (paired with a class D amp)
Click to expand...
Thank you the reply! :)

Yes, I’m looking for combo amps for now. My budget is flexible depending on how patient I can be. I may aim for a pricier one down the road. Which of those affordable four are your personal favorite?
 
#4
murdocnickles said:
Thank you the reply! :)

Yes, I’m looking for combo amps for now. My budget is flexible depending on how patient I can be. I may aim for a pricier one down the road. Which of those affordable four are your personal favorite?
Click to expand...

if I was to buy an all purpose combo today, it would be a GR Bass. They have a good reputation because they are so incredibly light weight, but the main reason for me is the quality of their sound. Transparent, very detailed and articulate, massive but tight low-end… (I don't have a GR Bass combo to be honnest, only a 210 cab, but I'm confident from what I read everywhere from customer feedback that the amps and combos are equally good)

I just bought a super small Phil Jones Bass, the Double Four. It's a tiny tiny amp (2 x 4 inch drivers), that I use for practice and accoustic gigs, and it's incredibly light weight, small, and loud for the size. It has a very "transparent" / uncolored sound, think "the sound of the instrument, only louder". I don't know the bigger models, they probably share the same qualities.

I don't like the tone of the Fender Rumble amps, but it's just my taste, they are very well considered here on TB.
Let's say you have to try them first, you may like them… or not, but it's a great value.

Ampeg amps also have their own "backed-in" tone. I ike it, but not everybody does.

Markbass offers a great volume/weight ratio, more affordable than GR Bass (and easier to find and try in a physical store), but I'm not super found of their filters (althought they sound fine with the filter off, IMO), and mostly I just can't stand the yellow design.

Very personal as you can see…
 
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#5
You really have to try some amps. I own a Rumble 500 combo, and it cannot be beat for what you get for the money. But the tone is not for everybody. Another popular combo is the Markbass CMD210 (or so). That amp is 2x the price of the Rumble, and I don't like it at all. It also depends on how loud you want to play.
 
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#7
how loud you need to be? it's just a monitor, right? I think, you're really overpowering that poor 30W amp, that's why it farts out. as you're successfully using the Workingman, I assume around 200W is your ballpark. so:

1. Phil Jones' are tested down to low A. that's probably a BG-450 and an additional C4 cab if you'll need to go louder.

2. MarkBass mb58r 210 or 115. they both go down to 'only' 40Hz, but sound a tad different. 210 is lighter (11kg/under 25lbs), also lighter than the Phil Jones, but arguably very low lows could be better on the Phil Jones.

try both if you'll have a chance.
 
#9
gtirard said:
mostly I just can't stand the yellow design.
Click to expand...
This is from Markbass Website on their Combo's;

MODERN CLASSIC WINNING AESTHETIC
Considered by all as the most beautiful cabinet on the market. ;)

I agree with your recommendations;

Fender Rumble 500 if that's all OP is willing to Spend; 36lb $650

Markbass 58R 102 Pure; 30lb $1050

GR Bass AT CUBE; 18lbs $1599 [if you can find one and only combo they seem to have]

GR also has lightweight WOOD version may be cheaper again if you can find one

Don't know OP location but may be easier in EU/UK
 
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#11
Redbrangus said:
:roflmao:
Click to expand...
I had to check, and… it's true !!!!!

That's killing me.

Look at that… when i search this crazy sentence within the Markbass website in Google, I find 29 occurances of that crap!
I think I'm going to sue them for spreading fake news and insulting good taste, and common sense.

I mean, how can each of these 29 ugly cabs be simulteanously the most beautiful of the market?

Seriously, I'm going to send them an email, to ask them to reconsider this sentence, we'll see what happens… Might be fun

1722371451833.png
 
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#13
Lately Ive been gigging my Fender Rumble 500 a lot. Usually playing reggae with a passive four, but sometimes with an active five.

There are certainly better sounding amps but I find the Rumble 500 to be good enough, especially by the time the rest of the band is playing along with you. It's relatively lightweight and not crazy expensive. Also it is loud enough for most any situation I have encountered. I regularly play it outside with my nine-piece reggae band and have no trouble at all being heard with the volume at 5.
 
#14
gtirard said:
I had to check, and… it's true !!!!!

That's killing me.

Look at that… when i search this crazy sentence within the Markbass website in Google, I find 29 occurances of that crap!
I think I'm going to sue them for spreading fake news and insulting good taste, and common sense.

I mean, how can each of these 29 ugly cabs be simulteanously the most beautiful of the market?

Seriously, I'm going to send them an email, to ask them to reconsider this sentence, we'll see what happens… Might be fun

View attachment 6994385
Click to expand...
I've sent them this email, I'll keep you posted…

1722372740011.png
 
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#15
Markbass 1x12, the 121p Mini CMD is a combo and just had a newer more updated version re-release and is awesome for the money. Weights not much and isn't big at all, it's the top of my list if I have to get something ASAP. You can also look for the last model for a bit cheaper, and also Markbass works with GC and MF so deals are always happening, you can for sure get a good 100 to 200 bucks off your order on a new or used.

Bareface is worth a read but be warn not combos but I think it can still be very good in the long run, they have many compact and small rigs that are beast, and are for me. We have a bit of a cult on here about them and they are great. I highly recommend giving them a look even if you aren't into non-combos, Alex is an awesome good and can guide you.

Phil Jones may be worth a look but they are very very debatable since they just a bit too small for some players.

It will completely depend on venue, other band members gears, playstyle, genre, and if PA or no PA,

Best of luck on your combo/cab search :) !
 
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#17
ihixulu said:
Current GK 115 combos are listed as weighing ~42 lbs so you may want to consider those as well.
Click to expand...
I agree, look at GK combos. I have the MB112-II and it is hella loud for it's size and weight (under 30 lbs I think). No sweat with a low B. Very clear and focused sounding. I have the powered extension cab too and almost never use it, even in some medium rooms w/o PA support. With PA support I never need the ext cab. The GK MBs are loud, and pretty "transparent"--not really a baked in sound like the Rumbles. I prefer this as I can use different preamp pedals for different flavors.
 
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#18
murdocnickles said:
I don’t know much about amps at all, so forgive me if this question is silly or tedious.
I tend to gig with an SWR workingman’s 15, which sounds great. I grabbed a Peavey MINX 110 for tour so that I could have something smaller for carrying around. The SWR is way too heavy for me, and the Peavey farts on the lowest string way too easily (I play a five string tuned to A).
Is there an amp that isn’t 60 pounds and that can handle the extra low notes without loosing too much volume, or am I asking for too much?

EDIT: I am looking for combo amps for now :)
Click to expand...
Not a silly or tedious question. None of us are getting any younger. A Fender Rumble 500 (It's 350 watts, NOT 500- do not let the mfgr or retaillers/advertisers fool you) with 2x10 is 38 pounds. It is a great weight to volume ratio. I can't tell you exactly how loud it gets at distance X to achieve decibel Y, but again, a great weight to volume ratio. It is a combo amp. If you wanted the erroneously advertised 500 watts, the extension cab is a bit less than 38 pounds, if memory serves. FWIW, I've always allowed the possibility of buying that extension cab. Every time I gig with this amp, I reaffirm I have no reason to buy something that almost 100% guarantee will simply sit in my basement collecting dust, unused for that 1% possibility I might feel or have some suspicion I "might need it". Anything more that is needed, that's a bigger gig, and there really should be PA sound support in terms of some decently big mains, if not also subs.
 
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#19
murdocnickles said:
I don’t know much about amps at all, so forgive me if this question is silly or tedious.
I tend to gig with an SWR workingman’s 15, which sounds great. I grabbed a Peavey MINX 110 for tour so that I could have something smaller for carrying around. The SWR is way too heavy for me, and the Peavey farts on the lowest string way too easily (I play a five string tuned to A).
Is there an amp that isn’t 60 pounds and that can handle the extra low notes without loosing too much volume, or am I asking for too much?

EDIT: I am looking for combo amps for now :)
Click to expand...
Dude.... your SWR only weighs 60lbs and would be super easy to install casters and a handle on it. If you like it work around the issue.
 
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#20
murdocnickles said:
I don’t know much about amps at all, so forgive me if this question is silly or tedious.
I tend to gig with an SWR workingman’s 15, which sounds great. I grabbed a Peavey MINX 110 for tour so that I could have something smaller for carrying around. The SWR is way too heavy for me, and the Peavey farts on the lowest string way too easily (I play a five string tuned to A).
Is there an amp that isn’t 60 pounds and that can handle the extra low notes without loosing too much volume, or am I asking for too much?

EDIT: I am looking for combo amps for now :)
Click to expand...

Welcome to TalkBass.

Is there a target weight that you're after? How will you be using this combo amp...as a monitor for yourself or is it for the room?

I'm an Ampeg guy, but In general, the Rumble 500 is a safe choice that gets the job done, and with so many being out there you have a good chance of finding a decent used one at a good price.

Roughly where are you located? We may be able to help you find something locally.
 
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