Why bother with a Light Weight Amp?

[D Aussie]

I mean, I can understand why you would want an entire light weight rig, but the reality is, bass players love and need their wall of sound speakers.

Having a 2kg head isnt going to remove the need for 30kg + speakers, now is it?

Maybe Nexo will come out with something for us.

 

Why compromise in some way getting a light weight head when your speakers still weigh in heavier than Andre the Giant?

[Thunderbroom]

My GB Neo212 weighs ~65 lbs, has wheels, and is EASY to move.

 

I never need more than this cab at a gig.

[bendafender]

Some bands play at lower levels. These bands have learned that not every gig is about having the biggest, loudest, heaviest rig known to mankind.

 

Other bands believe that extreme sound pressure levels cover up all manor of sins.

[LanEvo]

When it comes to weight, every bit matters. Sure, your speakers will probably always be the heaviest thing you bring to a gig. But a light amp, bass, etc. doesn't hurt.

[turcmic]

I use to have an Eden rig : WT400 (15 pounds) with a 410XLT (99 pounds).

 

As I got older, I wanted a lighter cabinet. I bought an Epifani UL310. 47 pounds of pure loudness that feels more like 30 pounds than 47. I bought a GBE750 head (33 pounds) that I put in a SKB case with a 2-space drawer full of cables, tools and you know, stuff. Now the head package is heavier than the cab. Did I miss something?

 

By the way, my new rig kills:thu:

[rikshaw]

my head weighs in at ~30 lbs. it is 900 watts x 2

my 212 cab weighs in around 50 lbs. it is rated at 500 watts.

 

i have an ampeg svt-2 that weighs in at 80 lbs and the svt 610 hlf that is ~ 115 lbs. they don't leave the garage much.

[max maroon]

...I don't mind the weight, I can carry my GS410 easier by myself than with help, it's all balance....I need the exercise anyways....although if it's as icy as it is today this weekend I'll wish i had lighter/easier to carry stuff.

[rummy]

My cabs are a little over 40lbs each. I don't always need both.

[ThudMaker]

My Walkabout Scout 12 weighs about 50 lbs total. Exceptionally loud for its size. Like TBroom, I also have a GB NeoX-212T cabinet. I'm not sure if the band knows what it's doing why anyone would need any more than that.

[PaulyWally]

bass players love and need their wall of sound speakers.

 

Not me. As long as my sound can reach the back of the room, I'm happy.

 

What makes me unhappy, is lugging around a refridgerator for a cab and a microwave for an amp.

 

A friend of mine just bought an 8x10. I just shook my head at him. But... he does like that "wall of sound" and he doesn't mind lugging it around. More power to him!

 

It's just not my cup 'o tea.

[Verlian]

I'm a fairly strong person for my size, and considering I'm a chick....

 

I like the lighter stuff, so I can handle it on my own, I feel like I'd owe someone if I asked for help.

[BeeTL]

 

My GB Neo212 weighs ~65 lbs, has wheels, and is EASY to move. I never need more than this cab at a gig.

 

+1,000,000.

 

The "wall of sound" should come from the monitors.

 

Nothing beats a good sound man and a good PA.

 

By the way, TB, I don't recall specifically thanking you for all of your GB posts/pictures. If I had to single out one member who helped me "see the light" on the GBE 600/Neox212T combo, it would be you.

 

:poke:

[Gruntollio Bass]

Weight of my rig is far less important than how it sounds to me.

 

It's also something that both of my bands love and don't mind lending me a hand when it comes to lugging it because it puts a smile on thier and my faces everytime I set if up and crank it.

 

I can easily handle it on my own if I need to though, but if someone wants to grab a side of one of my cabs to help me up stairs, I'm not going to knock them back.

At Home we have a flat load from carpark to the lift so it's even less of an issue for me going home as everything is on casters.

[Kerouac]

If every place had a decent PA, I'd be all over a POD straight in. Most band play louder than necessary... metal bands especially. I have ear plugs just in case I do nail this audition.

[T. Alan Smith]

 

I'm a fairly strong person for my size, and considering I'm a chick.... I like the lighter stuff, so I can handle it on my own, I feel like I'd owe someone if I asked for help.

 

 

Hey, I'm a dood and I totally understand where your coming from. I'd love to have an 8x10 cab or a 2x15 cab, but I feel I should be able to do load in/out, stairs, etc, the whole 9 yards...by myself. Besides, I've yet to actually own a car that cabs like that would FIT in w/o tearing it up.

 

I bought my lightweight amp to complete my rig...a rig that started out as a simple quality combo to do coffee house(and the like) gigs. But I couldn't get this kinda sound in a combo. I sure as hell pulled it off with separates, that combined, are just as light(if not lighter) and take up just as much(if not less) space as a combo.

THAT'S why I bothered with a lightweight amp.

 

 

That said, I'll prolly do the reverse for the next rig I put together for larger scale gigging. I'll get an all tube head, but cabs w/neo drivers.

[Darkstorm]

I'll take going thru a venues PA anyday over lugging around seperate system. Useing venues Pa gives greater sound coverage then most seperates and as long as your signal to Pa is your ready for recording one, alls great for best hifi sound with many advantages over seperate rig.

[REMUS]

I'm not bothered about size/weight (as long as it has castors), just how it sounds.

 

When you start breaking past 1kw RMS, you need to start asking yourself why you need it...

 

I fully intend on getting a 6x10/8x10 cab again in the future, but only to use where the 700RB-II and GS112s arn't suitable... not replace it.

[willsellout]

I just like {censored} that's easy to move. Most heads don't bother me, but cabs have to be manageable and be able to fit into my honda. Heads even at their heaviest are more manageable that a big bulky cab.

 

 

Dan

[basste]

My GK 700RB115 combo weight 77 pounds, i can carry it myself. And it has got wheels, caddy handle, super easy to move. And all i need is here. No other cab.

[Mytola]

I would like to have a huge rig full of 8x10"s and big racks, but not unless someone ELSE was transporting it and rigging it up and down. Going direct is so much better when I have to carry all the stuff around myself. I would like to have a combo with me just as a monitor though, but a tilt-back 2x10" combo like the Markbass CMD 102P should work well for that.

[One Bad Monkey]

 

bass players love and need their wall of sound speakers.

 

 

Not me. If anything, I was pissed off more with my GK/Aguilar rig because I had the db pad on, and the thing was at 1 for volume and I was told I was still too loud. I would rather have an amp I can have the volume up at least halfway and get the tone I want instead of breathing on the string and being told I'm too loud. In my new rig, I have that in spades. The fact that the head is 3 pounds and the cab is 24 is just a bonus.

[Fran da Man]

When your back becomes as damaged as mine...you'll understand the "full meaning" of lightweight.

[WynnD]

Small indoor gigs I take a Hartke kickback 10.

Outdoor gigs, I take a Hartke 3500 with both a 4-10 and 1-15 cabinets. Sure miss the Acoustic 301 cabinet I used to have. Ran that one with a 70 watt Sunn tube amp. Sounded so sweet.

 

I'm still moving heavy stuff, but not as often and with a good hand truck.

[Pickdust]

I've humped my Peavey 410 and 115 around by myself for years (still do). They weigh a ton. All I got for my troubles was a ruptured disc in my lower back..............and a sh#t load of pain in my right leg. After surgery and recovery I have faithfully use my bestest buddy Mr. hand-truck.

 

A lighter rig would be cool but:

1) I already have a system for moving my stuff;

2) I really don't want to buy more stuff;

3) I have too much stuff already;

4) I really like my sound with my antiquated (not vintage) gear; and

5) I am old....er........and tend to resist the new-fangled idears of you young whipper-snappers.

 

But........ya know........rock on..........grumble ....grumble......

 

PD

[Fran da Man]

I've humped my Peavey 410 and 115 around by myself for years (still do). They weigh a ton. All I got for my troubles was a ruptured disc in my lower back..............and a sh#t load of pain in my right leg. After surgery and recovery I have faithfully use my bestest buddy Mr. hand-truck. But........ya know........rock on..........grumble ....grumble...... PD

You too huh? i've already had a microdesectomy and a decompression operation back in 97, now it's progressed to a point of them wanting to remove the L-4/L-5 and L-5/S-1 discs and do something else to the T-12/L-1, they are kind enough to let me keep my (not too bad) L-2/L-3 disc. I have yet to tell them my cervical area is going also...i'm just letting it do what it's going to do, i'm in no big hurry to hop back on the table; if you know what i mean?