Is my bass setup loud enough for gigs?

Question

So I have a Gallien-Krueger 1001RB-II head, which is 700 watts to woofer and 50 watts to horn. The cab I'm using is a Gallien-Krueger 8x10 bass cab. It says Power (RMS); 800 watts, and Power (Program) 1600 watts. So I'm a little confused.

In other words, I have this -

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/GallienKrueger-1001RBII-70050W-Biamp-Bass-Head?sku=482588

and this -

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/GallienKrueger-Goldline-8x10-Bass-Cabinet?sku=486510

Is this setup I have loud enough to play shows?

Answer 1

should be.

Answer 2

it depends on the venue you're playing your show at, but essentially, yes it is.

i've played plenty of small shows with bassists who have used much smaller than that and been fine.

this is around most basic setups that i've seen some bigger bands use.

if you're show is being PA'ed, then this is by far loud enough.

i'd say your set

Answer 3

That is a good setup and a good cabinet match as well.

Nowadays, everybody mike their amps through the PA system if their is one available. Under normal circumstances, that amp should come across but, like I said, why drive it.

Mike it and play safe. The original sound will still come out pure even if miked properly. Some paly on stage with 100watt but miked through a 5000 watt system.

Answer 4

RMS power is what you should not exceed. 700 watts going in to an 800 watt cabinet (if the impedances are matched correctly!) will certainly work.

Peak power is the absolute maximum the cab can handle, and should never be considered except as a measure of how well it can handle power spikes.

An 8x10 cab is a lot to drag around, and 700 something watts is a lot of power. This is quite frankly overkill for a non-mic'd gig, and is ridiculous for a mic'd one. My bassist could use a 100w amp and do just fine for a mic'd gig, as long as the monitors were decent and we were all mixed well.

The only time I could see using a setup like that is an outdoor gig with no PA support for the bass.

I'm just saying... having a heavy rig is murder on the body and a big rig is difficult to transport. Consider down-sizing, or at least having the option to have a smaller cab.... one that has more appropriate power levels, as well.

Saul