LeftyBassist.com

Hi all I'm looking for some advice for a setup that can be used for live gigs (outside maybe 600 people) as well as home to practice. I'm thinking valve but not opposed to electronic. Not looking for a combo but separate head and cab and something that wont break the bank. At the moment I have a 200W Peavey Max112 combo but I'd like something bigger and am after suggestions and should I steer clear of well known brands made in Asia and only look for ones made in UK or USA.

Thanks Grant

Budget and genre? Do you have other constraints; e.g., size/weight?

For me, Barefaced and Audiokinesis killed my cab GAS completely, but they're not cheap, and they're scarce on the used market.

I found that for amps, however, the biggest and baddest don't make me any happier than something simple and relatively neutral. I have a Traynor YBA-200 and a Genz Benz Shuttle 9.2, each of which I scored used for about $400.

I personally don't worry about country of manufacture, but focus on the reputation of the brand.

Btw, if you like your Peavey, they make both tube and class-d heads that are well regarded and relatively inexpensive. I don't know about their cabs, though.

Im thinking maybe a budget of around $1500 Australian. I'll look here for used and even if I find the head I'm happy to wait for the right cab to come along. Im not into heavy metal stuff of Disco but love Rock & Roll, easy rock, rockabilly, most stuff from Beatles, Eagles, Roy Orbison, Elvis, ub40, matchbox20, black keys, santana, joe cocker, type stuff and not worried about size/weight.

I bought an Ampeg V4b recently, and I'm in love with it. It's expensive, but you might be able to find a used one at a bargain. It's a 100 watt all tube head. I also got the Heritage cab. Again, expensive, but you could easily find a decent cabinet for a lot less.

What are the more commonly available brands in Australia? I hear some USA brands are very expensive there.

Have you looked at the new Mesa WD800 and Subway line of cabs? Not all tube (tube preamp/solid state power) but the tone profile seems in line with what you're after. You might enjoy an Ashdown ABM amp too, but you'd need to look at the used market for a UK made one now.