cab or preamp first?

[schwinginbatman]

So, I currently own a Peavey Bandit 112 and I'm deciding on what to buy to begin my upgrading. While the Bandit is not a great amp, I've gotten to where I have a tone I think is quite good, but I'm looking to upgrade to what I fully want. My band's other guitarist has finally upgraded from a small combo to an Egnater head and cab, and I suppose that now is the time to finally upgrade, especially now that both of my bands are starting to eye venues for gigs.

However, I can only buy one or the other right now. I'm looking at the ENGL e530, but naturally I'll need a cab for it. My Bandit could run one or the other, it has an effects loop so I can run the preamp through the Bandit, and it also has an out for cab. My band's guitarist has said that I should get the preamp first, so I can get the tone I want, but my band's bassist has said that it would make sense to get the cab first, as my tone sounds pretty good as it is, and right now it's more a case of volume than tone, even further, I'm sure that the V30's will make my tone even better than the stock Blue Marvel the Bandit has.

So, should I get the cab or preamp first?

 

[bryan_kilco]

I'd go for the cab if you are looking to gig out soon. 1x12 wong cut it unless it's mic'd through the PA, in which case, you'll quickly learn that a lot of venues dont mic anything or only mic vocals/kick drum.

 

[Joelegend]

Just get a 4x12 cab really. Back in the days i ran the Bandit 112 through a peavey cab with jensen speakers. It slayed alot of marshall tubeheads (ppl here only used marshall and laney mostly with a metalzone or some boss multieffect pedalboard in front of it). Dont underestimate your bandit.

 

[schwinginbatman]

Just get a 4x12 cab really. Back in the days i ran the Bandit 112 through a peavey cab with jensen speakers. It slayed alot of marshall tubeheads (ppl here only used marshall and laney mostly with a metalzone or some boss multieffect pedalboard in front of it). Dont underestimate your bandit.

Oh trust me, I really like the Bandit. Ever since I first demoed it in the shop I loved the way it sounded. For only $300 too! But I've GASed for an ENGL for a long time, and I love the sound of those even more. But I think that the Bandit is good enough to where I can use it as my main tone for a while, which is hwy I'm considering the cab first. It's only $350 for a 2x12 with V30's in it, which seems like quite a deal.

 

[hsnyder]

I 1000% agree get the cab. Your speakers are your tone delivery system from the electronics to the audience. No matter how epic your amp chain is, if it can't be delivered properly you're never going to sound amazing. A peavey bandit into a 4x12 is going to sound much better than a rectifier into a peavey bandit combo.

 

[MattGrave]

I would disagree. If you are gigging you can always borrow a cab of one of the other bands, I have literally NEVER had anyone say no when I've asked to borrow shit (just be sure to ask in advance). I'd say buy the head first.

 

[MatrixClaw]

A 4x12 is not going to turn your low volume amp into some fire breathing world eater.

You will get an increase in perceived volume, yes, but general physics does not always apply, especially when we don't know the specs of the speakers, enclosures, etc. I have had 2x12 cabs that totally eat 4x12s for breakfast in volume, using the same amp. However, the 1x12 is almost certainly going to be lower volume than the 4x12, but honestly, I think your money would be better spent on a better amp (combo, assuming you can't afford a head with a smaller cab), and not a preamp or a cab. The Bandit is a decent practice amp, but plugging a tube preamp into it kind of defeats the purpose, and using a cab that costs twice as much as it did seems sorta silly too, especially if this is for gig use... since the amp is almost certainly going to be mic'd, anyway (ie: stage volume is fairly negligible)

 

[schwinginbatman]

A 4x12 is not going to turn your low volume amp into some fire breathing world eater.

You will get an increase in perceived volume, yes, but general physics does not always apply, especially when we don't know the specs of the speakers, enclosures, etc. I have had 2x12 cabs that totally eat 4x12s for breakfast in volume, using the same amp. However, the 1x12 is almost certainly going to be lower volume than the 4x12, but honestly, I think your money would be better spent on a better amp (combo, assuming you can't afford a head with a smaller cab), and not a preamp or a cab. The Bandit is a decent practice amp, but plugging a tube preamp into it kind of defeats the purpose, and using a cab that costs twice as much as it did seems sorta silly too, especially if this is for gig use... since the amp is almost certainly going to be mic'd, anyway (ie: stage volume is fairly negligible)

This is kind of my point. Let me say for one that the Bandit is by no means a low volume amp. I've managed to overpower a drummer with it, and the volume wasn't even all the way up. Anyway, I'm asking a cab or a preamp not as a way to get around buying a new amp, but because I'm seeing which I should get first to begin the process of getting a new amp. I plan on eventually getting the ENGL, a power amp, and a cab. However, as of right now I can only afford one currently, and it'd make sense for me to get the cab first as a way to not only help my current tone with the better speakers, but also to help with the volume situation in practices until I shell out again for the preamp and power amp.

 

[hsnyder]

for the record i wasn't talking at all about volume, just tone quality. It is a good point though that you can borrow a cab. I'd still go for that first, but your call. Going from a 1x12 open back with a shitty speaker to a potential 4x12 closed back with V30s (or whatever) is gonna be a very large difference sonically. I wouldn't suggest trying to upgrade your amp before you have (or have access to - borrowing, etc) at least 1 decent speaker in a closed-back enclosure.

 

[schwinginbatman]

I did consider that, as at some practices I borrow a friends 6505 half stack. But I'm not really quite sure I want to rely on everyone else for a cab. A lot of the dudes in my local scene are quite cool, but a lot of them I wouldn't want to rely on. If nothing else, I believe that the other guitarist is bringing the cab that I'm gonna buy along to the next practice, that'd probably be a very good time to test it out.