TC Electronic introduces ComboClassic bass amp
(Dave Molter | Posted 2010-01-18)
Most bass players are looking for a combination of power and portability in a rig, and the new ComboClassic from TC Electronic delivers both. Although not a household world like Ampeg, TC Electronic is endorsed by no less a bass luminary than Francis Rocco Prestia of Tower of Power, whose tight, funky old-school bass tone is widely heralded. (Prestia helped to develop TC's Staccato51 bass head.) The ComboClassic uses a 450-watt amp based on TC's RH450 head and is matched with two, 10" Eminence speakers and a 1" tweeter in a small cabinet that includes a pull-up handle and wheels for portability and easy transport in a car trunk or back seat.
Although it's a transistor amp, the ComboClassic offers a TubeTone™ control section that allows a warm tube sound, and its SpectraComp™ is unique. Most bass compressor favor the signal from the bass's lowest string. TC Electronic promises that SpectraComp™ will average signals, applying even compression to all ranges.
The amp delivers an impressive 450 Watts and can be removed form the cabinet to power other cabs (TC offers 112, 21 and 410 cabs) or to be used with headphones for at-home practice. Front. Its 1/4" input accepts active or passive basses, and back panel features include an XLR direct out with pre/post preamp capability, tuner out, effects in and out and combination 1/4"/Speakon cabinet connection. Front panels controls include Gain, SpectraComp, Bass, Lo-Mid, Hi-Mid, Treble, TubeTone and Master knobs along with Mute button, and peak limiting and Compression level LEDs.
Reviews of the 450H head and demo clips on the TC site (http://www.tcelectronic.com/ComboClassic.asp) indicate that you can expect tight, old-school tone for the ComboClassic. MSRP price is around $1,800 USD.
