zeronyne Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 I was having a discussion with some ex-members of the Lowdown, and an interesting subject was mentioned that I thought we might discuss. I was buying a synth at my local Guitar Center, and I happened to spot a very inexpensive Ibanez 32" scale bass. It was THIS ONE. It sounded amazing, and neck felt completely raw. It had huge bottom end and it only cost $300. How did I know it had huge bottom end? I played it through THIS with a matching 2 x 8" cabinet. The thing is only rated for 200W into 4 ohms, but it was LOUD. I mean it filled the entire area with warm bass. I daresay it could handle anything up to a situation where the bass would go DI anyway into the PA. So what gives? Have things gotten that much more efficient in the past decade? I'm not saying this little rig would blow away an SVT fridge, but the Trace Elliot felt very well-designed. Its price also indicated that while it was small, it was meant to be taken seriously. Quote "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flemtone Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 I'm a huge fan of Trace - played thru a TE rig for a few decades until it was just too darned heavy to drag around. Now on a Markbass LMII and a 1x15 but a 2x8 I had never considered. Now I know why I've been saving my gig money. It looks well worth checking out. As far as the Ibanez, that's a sweet looking fish. When I was playing thru the TE rig, I was playing an Ibanez fretless Roadstar that the band and family had bought me for my 30th birthday. Together, the sound was huge and I'm a real bottom-end player. There wasn't anything that rig couldn't handle. Unfortunately, my spine said otherwise. Good thread, bruddah. I'm not sure my sweetie would agree but every once in a while a new toy or two is required. If I pull the trigger, I'll sneak it in under my coat. Quote Play. Just play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzilla Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 A friend of mine was telling me the other day that he had just bought the TE ELF; loved it, and was looking to get the matching cabs. His main rig is a Markbass, also a modern and powerful amp; but he said for smaller rooms it's a bit too much, and the TE is just right. The ELF caught my attention when it came out; but in this day of inexpensive Class D power, I wondered why they would only do 200 watts. I'd think the benchmark of 300 watts would make it be taken a bit more seriously and open up the market to them some more. But if it's super efficient and loud at that "low" wattage, them hallelujah! Glad you liked the bass; but it doesn't appeal to me. I played an outdoor gig on Saturday. I was asking the guys in the band if I needed to bring an extra cab to go with my Phil Jones Bass Six Pack. With the PA support (great QSR subs) I was told I wouldn't need it. They were right. I had my volume at about half, and it was nice and full on its own, even more so with the PA. The sound guy loved it. Quote "Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion) NEW band Old band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted June 12, 2019 Author Share Posted June 12, 2019 Glad you liked the bass; but it doesn't appeal to me. Yeah, I would never buy it because it's ugly to me, but there is no denying that it played really comfortably. I'm starting to realize that I should have stayed with 4 strings...sigh. I also thought 300 would have been ideal for the Elf, especially since the head and cab will set you back a clean $1000, but I think I need to go back and A/B it with the Markbass stuff at the same price point. Quote "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 I've always been impressed with the quality of Ibanez basses, across their product and price range. Their cheap basses just seem to be consistently better in terms of build and components than competing instruments. And with increases in efficiency and the evolution of Class D amps, it's an exciting time for bass players. That being said, My 45-pound Eden rack and 100-pound 4x10 still sound like total thunder. Quote "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 So for amps like the Elf....Has anybody tried using something like it as power for a small front end PA with passive speakers? I'm thinking my solo act. Powered speakers require power cables and mic cables, and then the master volume is out of reach. I don't need the 7 band EQ and on board FX on my powered mixer. And for bass gigs I could lighten up just as well. Is the output of these babies flat if EQ is set flat, or are they boosted/tweaked for bass use? Quote Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff beer Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 After years of hauling around 60 - 80 pound 410 cabs I now have a Markbass mini CMD (112) plus extension cab...26 and 29 pounds respectively. I can load in and out in one trip if I just take the combo without the extension cab but I usually take both. I also just sold a 98 pound Garnet combo to a drummer friend who likes vintage gear...I used to haul that beast to practice and gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted July 9, 2019 Author Share Posted July 9, 2019 Is the output of these babies flat if EQ is set flat, or are they boosted/tweaked for bass use? Paul, the Elf doesn't have en effects loop, so you definitely have to go through the pre, and that would definitely color the signal and also massively reduce the headroom. Quote "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 I almost pulled the trigger on a Ibanez GSRM20 Mikro Short-Scale Bass a few weeks back. Even at $180 I couldn't justify it given the amount of playing I've been doing lately. Many months back I bought a TC BG250 (250w 2x10 combo). I like it. It has a bunch of sounds courtesy of it's effects system that is controlled by an app but thinking back, maybe I should have gotten something simpler. Quote If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 Paul, the Elf doesn't have en effects loop, so you definitely have to go through the pre, and that would definitely color the signal and also massively reduce the headroom. Thanks. Quote Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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