I would like some advice from you, who are more experienced than me for sure
I am looking for a small amp to do some small gigs in pubs or small situations.
I specify that I have a band with friends (and girlfriend) and we would like to go out more for fun than as a job or to earn something (not that i say no to free dinner! ), so our idea was to do small gigs together with other friendly bands in small areas where we live
As maybe some of you have already seen a I have Ricky DIY and we are doing covers of Alternative/Grunge songs (Arctic Monkeys, Strokes, Nirvana etc.).
I really liked orange’s combo, the crush 50, but I don’t know if it’s powerful enough that it holds up to even small gigs (and right now we don’t have the equipment to mic it)
I was also thinking about the crush 100 but I don’t know if 550€ starts to be a lot for a 100w and maybe opt for other brands that maybe cost even less
I would also like an amp that is easy to transport, since of course we are going to be setting up and preparing everything by ourselves in the band.
What do you guys recommend? Hartke, Fender or what?
Thank you all!
Filippo
I know Ampeg and Fender make really light weight 100w combos. Last time I bought a combo amp was in January and I was looking for a smaller amp to take on roadtrips. I was looking at the very small Orange amps and then I tried the Ampeg RB 40. I can’t remember exactly which orange amp, but I want to say it was about the size of a toaster maybe a little bigger. It was heavier than the Ampeg. I also have a Fender Rumble 100 that I have been letting my nephew’s band use for a couple years, it weighs almost nothing.
So, my point is, if I have a point at all… don’t just play them, pick them up too. See how easy they are to move around.
I like my 100W Crush a lot and have found it is louder than most 100W amps. It also comes with a DI out as well (the 50W doesn’t), so in addition to having extra volume, you could also connect to the house when the option is available.
True, I think the Orange stuff is all analog, and the transformers make it heavier than the Ampegs and Fenders.
Hmm. They advertise it as “made with discrete components and not IC’s” but never really state it is Class A or Class B (instead of Class D like the others). It would explain the weight and also verify my opinion that the Orange lines just sound different than others. The weird thing is though they are quite specific about the Super Crush being Class A/B. It would be interesting to know.
To answer the OP of @Otterly_Fil I would recommend the Fender Rumble 100.
At 22 pounds it is light enough to transport easily and most venues requiring a larger amp will typically have a PA system you can plug into. Just my thoughts. YMMV
I’ll take a tour of the music stores in my areas Of course, I’d like to try them out and " pick them up" to see how I feel about them.
I know that sounds like a lot of demands, however, I think I’m pretty balanced in wanting to choose an amp based on what I do
I would also hate to get something too high-end and not even use half of it
I’ve seen some videos and I also like the sound of the Orange! And I think for the genre we do it might also be quite fitting.
I feel, however, that 550€ is a lot for the amp, not that it is not worth it, but that for my pocket it is a large amount of money
If I could find it used that would be great
yep! As always half of the price is for the brand itself, more than the quality of the product (not that orange makes awful equipment)
However, I would like to find a used one to take home
No matter what you decide just make sure you get at least a 100watt amp @Otterly_Fil .
I chose the Rumble 100 for several reasons - the price, the weight, the wattage and the 12" speaker.
I say this because you mentioned in your original post playing in a band and doing small gigs and if you get anything smaller, wattage wise, you are liable to have issues competing with other members of the band and the ambient noise at the venue.
One other thing - Invest in a good set of ear plugs. Hearing damage is not reversible.
I’m a happy owner of a Markbass CMD 121p. It’s great for practice at home, but it’s also capable of blowing your drummer away in a rehearsal studio. It’s very portable and I really like the sound. I haven’t tried it with an extra speaker, but I can imagine that would be awesome, since I’ve played through the same amp that’s in the combo, connected to a 4x10 cabinet, which made my pants flutter. It’s a bit of an investment, but with this combo you’ll be present- and future proof for sure.
I played most of my small gigs with my Ampeg BA-115… If I were ever gonna do it again though, I’d go for a Fender 100 - a ton lot less weight to tote around… Ampeg amps are heavy as hell to be toting around (just my opinion)… Best bet is to find a venue with it’s own sound system, then all you gotta do is tote a couple bass’s, a couple stands, a couple pedals, and a couple cables…
