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Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:54 pm
by The4455
I'm moving to Phoenix, Arizona in September for school and I'll be living in an apartment with two other guys. In terms of gear I was thinking one bass, one guitar, and pedals. As far as amps go I can't take the JC-120, Fender Bandmaster or the Ampeg head with the Peavey 2x15. I was thinking I'd take the Bandmaster head and the 1x12 I have, leave the 2x12 fender cab here and take the ampeg head with me and buy a bass cab in Arizona. I'm also taking my stereo and records so I am also looking for small speakers to take with me. While at the Audio store the owner, who I'm friends with, said I might want to buy a cheap receiver to take with me and leave my nice one at home, because of theft.
So I won't be taking the 1968 bandmaster or the Ampeg with me. I need the ILF apartment/dorm living knowledge, what do I do?
I was thinking I'd buy this in Phoenix:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Acoustic-Le ... 1909601.gc
or one of these and take the 1x12:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Us ... 3221625.gc
What is the above one exactly anyway? I can't find much on that particular one.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Us ... 3207216.gc
Classic Peavey amp, I think yes.
I think I'll just buy a used bass amp there, a cheap Peavey or even Behringer will do.
So tell me ILF what do I do? Keeping in mind that I don't want to make a big investment.
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:05 am
by MEC
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:01 pm
by The4455
Does anyone else have any suggestions

Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:07 pm
by space6oy
i haven't had an amp smaller than a 212 in a long time but a buddy of mine who's a guru (lives off giving lessons, plays in two awesome bands) sung the praises of his ZT lunchbox to me...
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... -combo-amp
not sure about small & cheap but decent for bass though... maybe an acoustic amp?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... -combo-amp
is this just thinking for you playing in the apartment, or would they need to be enough for playing w/ a drummer?
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:11 pm
by The4455
Just in the apartment for practicing and recording. I don't plan on joining a band in Phoenix, but if that happened I have my head shipped there and buy a cabinet.
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:11 pm
by The4455
I was also thinking the smallest Orange terror head for $150.
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:13 pm
by IEatCats
How long are you planning to stay at the apartment? Is it just for the semester, or are you planning to stay summers?
If it's just for the semester, bring a minimal rig with you, and if you find that you really need the rest, grab it next semester (or travel home).
If you're planning on being there more year round, be a bit more excessive, but try to keep your rig small, for the sake of distance.
I'd also say to wait on what you bring, just because you never know how roommates will act around equipment, and it would really suck to have your good equipment with you and find that you're living with people who don't respect your stuff (especially if the bedroom is too small to have a bunch of gear). In my first place, I was lucky enough to have my same small rig, so I could keep it in my room most of the time, but I definitely lived with people that I don't think I'd have wanted a stack in the living room (although eventually there was a drum kit, stack, and 3 combos in the basement that I used as a jam room).
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:14 pm
by space6oy
if i was shopping for decent but cheap small amps those are a couple i'd definitely consider. orange too though i'm not crazy about their combos. i dunno about the break-in theft scenario, w/ three peeps living there i'd hope there wouldn't be much chance of that happening, unless all three of you aren't home often... having had my detached garage broken into a few months ago though i oughta be looking into security cams, could always do that too, imagine there's some cheap options out there, especially for indoors...
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:17 pm
by skullservant
I guess I was lucky because most of the roommates I had in college didn't mind the 2x10 + 1x18 + 1x15 + 4x12 I had in and out of the apartment on a regular basis, or jamming a 120w head through a 4x12 on the fourth floor of a complex. But I did always have an Epiphone Valve Junior to play at night once everyone went to sleep to scale things back.
The Acoustic b200h could get pretty decently quiet around the apartment, and was pretty gigworthy at 200w solid state as well, when I had it
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:27 pm
by The4455
Wow, thanks all around. I'll be in Phoenix until April and then off to do an internship that could be anywhere in the country, so selling or mailing home gear is going to have to be an option for me.
We will all have our own rooms, but my admissions counselor said to me that "The only time you'll spend in your apartment is to eat, sleep, and shower." The campus is open 24 hours and all three if not myself and another will be working part time. That's why I asked about the two used amps in my first post. They are both used, cheap, inexpensive looking, and old. If someone came in and saw a brand new "insert amp here" regardless of what it actually was, the new-looking-ness of it would catch their eye, perhaps.
It's not something I count on happening, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Info on the ones in my first post would be nice if anyone knows what's up.
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:28 pm
by skullservant
Those old Peavey's can be loud as balls
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:32 pm
by Jwar
For bass Acoustic amps are PERFECT! Cheap and they sound great!! You can get a 200 watt combo for like 200 bucks used.
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:44 pm
by IEatCats
skullservant wrote:Those old Peavey's can be loud as balls
I had a Peavey Studio Pro 40 for years, and that thing could keep up with drum kits no problem.
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:03 pm
by Gone Fission
I like my ZT Lunchbox. The Lunchbox Jr. is cheaper and might be a better fit for home/apartment use with its lower wattage. Vox Pathfinder 15, with or without reverb, is also a good contender, especially with the clipping LEDs out.
Re: Taking gear to college/apartment living
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:30 am
by theavondon
I mean...I had all of my amps in my 600 sq ft apartment.
