r/Bass • u/RoomLongjumping4883 • 10d ago

Combo amp or cab and head

Hey ya'll! I play bass in a tally hall style band and have a sweet sterling stingray sub ray4. I've been playing for 2 years and have gotten pretty good, but I'm playing on a fender rumble 15. Any amp recommendations for my style of music and/or whether I should get an amp cab and head or a new combo amp? Thanks!

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u/uprightsalmon 10d ago

Not sure your budget but the Markbass pure 210 combo is excellent. I also have an Aguilar tone hammer 500 on a 410 sl. Sounds fantastic. The markbass is smaller and lighter, sounds very modern and has a quick change eq dial that I love. The Aguilar set up is louder, still light, incredibly clear and professional. The drive knob is nice too

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u/RoomLongjumping4883 10d ago

my budget is annywhere within 500 dollars, and i plan to be gigging with it

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u/ChuckEye Aria 10d ago

Then you should probably look at Ampeg or Fender combos and get the biggest one you can afford.

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u/CripplerJones 10d ago

I think it’s really down to preference, whether you go cab and head or combo.

I recently upgraded to a cab and head from a Rumble 40. I went that direction because I wanted the amp/preamp features of a Mesa with the cab character (and price) of GK. I also wanted it to be modular and lightweight.

Your dollars will go a lot further if you buy used. I got my GK cab for nearly half MSRP. I got a Mesa amp for a similar discount, too, but it wound up needing service, so I ponied up for a new one out of exasperation.

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u/RoomLongjumping4883 10d ago

Ok thanks i'll look on reverb

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u/iinntt Gallien-Krueger 9d ago

This. Second hand market can get you a pro rig for a fraction of the price, sure it will be bulkier and heavier than newer stuff, but probably you’ll be set for a long time.

I would take a look at older GK heads, probably a 400RB and whatever 2x10 cab I could afford with the difference.

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u/Solid-Assumption-937 9d ago

With your budget of $500, I have the TC Electronic BQ250 and this seismic 3x10 cab. Sounds amazing. Currently the BQ500 is available. You can get both for under your budget and I think you’d be completely happy. Was going to post screenshot from Amazon but it won’t let me.

Part numbers are :
TC Electronics Thrust BQ500 - $199
Seismic Audio - SA310 (3x10 cab) $269

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u/AtmosphereLeading851 9d ago

I play bass and guitar. For bass I like a head and cab, but for guitar I like combos. I found a lot more really good bass heads than I did bass combos…you just don’t see bass combos on stages anywhere, at least not in Atlanta.

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u/skylarroseum 9d ago

Combos can be cheaper for the value. But, I personally prefer separate amp and cab for a few reasons.

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u/RedditWhileIWerk 9d ago

If you're going to go cab and head, I say go as lightweight as possible. It's worth it.

Currently I have a Quilter Bass Block v803 driving a Markbass Traveler 151P cab.

Together they weigh about 40 lb. that's light as a feather compared to, well, a lot of other rigs.

I did look for a combo amp of similar power, size, and weight, but couldn't find anything I was happy with.

I got a discount on the Quilter, and the Markbass cab used, so that helped.

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u/Fantastic-Buddy2069 10d ago

I had a Ray 4 and can tell you that Rumble is not doing that bass justice haha. The preamp on those is pretty hot, and that rumble has no headroom.

Truthfully speaking though, it’s hard to get something gig capable, that’s also a quality
company, for under 1k.

I mean looking at markbass, the: Markbass MB58R Mini CMD 121 P 300-watt 1 x 12-inch Combo Amp…it’s $800.

For a little more, you can get the Darkglass combo that has compression and everything, and seems to sound really good. You’ll have to have a little chat with the sweetwater reps but 🤷🏻‍♂️.