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Post by spellcaster on Dec 12, 2021 1:47:13 GMT
I guess if someone had asked me years ago what the future of music gear would be, I wouldn't have guessed that smaller amps would be in favour and big ones, in many cases, shunned. I always wanted bigger stuff because it sounded better. I started to see the advantages in down-sizing about a year ago and began to sell off the bigger stuff.
My first PA was a Traynor board with a mono'd Bryston 4B power amp, 15" 4560 pro bottoms and huge JBL horns. When I decided to buy another system last year, I chose a Fender 2 x 300 watt Fender system with two small tripod-mounted two way speakers.
I loved the sound of my 70 Twin Reverb head with the 68 Dual Showman 2 x 15" JBL cabinet, but it was just too big to haul around, so last year, I replaced the Fender cabinet with a single 15" Altec 418 box.
I used to play bass through a bi-amped Peavey Mk III head with a 2 x 10" Peavey Scorpion cabinet and two 1 x 18" Peavey Black Widow boxes. I replaced that with a Fender Rumble 150 head and a JBL roadbox with 2 x 15" K-140's. I got tired of needing to borrow a truck every time I had to move the cabinet, so traded down to an Ampeg Portaflex 2 x 10" box.
The current gear, photographed here about a year ago just after I acquired it doesn't have the larger than life character that I got from the JBL's, but therre's a lot to said for being able to move all my gear at once in the back of my Nissan Micra.
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 12, 2021 2:26:35 GMT
Big and bad amps are cool but as one gets older the weight is a real killer. Not to mention the space in your car. I remember gigging with big amps long ago and I must admit that as I get older I keep trading to increasingly smaller and lighter amps.
I probably said elsewhere that as a real tube snob I would never have dreamed to go solid state for my gigging amp, but man am I glad that I did. I didn't go smaller than a 12" cab, but I must admit that the 6" cabs I see that come in a gig bag do look tempting
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Post by infant on Dec 12, 2021 3:58:33 GMT
One of the reasons I bought the Katana 100….32 lbs with built in effects. The effects controller weights a couple of lbs and fits in the back of the amp. I really wish the guys in my band would downsize. Especially our drummer….it would give us so much more room on the stage. We aren’t Rush and therefore I don’t think he actually needs 7 cymbal, a set of roto-toms and dual floor toms. We are just playing at bars….with a tiny stage….and 4 or 5 other guys trying to fit on it….with their own equipment (which in some cases could be downsized too). I’ve tried to say something but the drummer is the brother in law of the two horn players and the keyboard player. So it goes over like a lead balloon.
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Post by zontar on Dec 12, 2021 10:29:47 GMT
Big and bad amps are cool but as one gets older the weight is a real killer. Not to mention the space in your car. I remember gigging with big amps long ago and I must admit that as I get older I keep trading to increasingly smaller and lighter amps. I probably said elsewhere that as a real tube snob I would never have dreamed to go solid state for my gigging amp, but man am I glad that I did. I didn't go smaller than a 12" cab, but I must admit that the 6" cabs I see that come in a gig bag do look tempting Ii don't feel old, but have other reasons for wanting lighter amps. That's the main reason I am considering parting with my garnet Stencil bass amp--it is tubes. Basically 30 pounds or less is my ballpark. And the map I love playing the most at this time is my Orange Micro Dark --which is a 20 watt head that weighs under 2 pounds (Hybrid tube/solid state) And I sue a small cab that si actually formerly an amp that I bought with just the cab & speaker (The rest had been removed) for almost nothing.It's light as well--and I love the sound. For bass my Fender Rumble amp is 18 pounds. And it does what I need it to do. |
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Post by laristotle on Dec 12, 2021 11:30:01 GMT
I have the Kat 100 (MK1)as well. Bought it years ago when they first came out.
I'm not one for effects much, but I didn't want to fall into the pedal rabbit hole. Since I play bass mostly, I've barely used the Kat. I've spent more time with it hooked to the computer tweaking the effects as apposed to playing through it. The speaker's not broken in yet. This is pretty much a novelty for me. lol
My history of amps went from two Marshall half stacks, Hiwatt half stack (not all at the same time) to a Marshall 112 combo, Traynor Ironhorse (with 112 cab), Traynor 1/4 horse and previously mentioned Katana.
Bass wise, I started with a Fender BXR300 combo. It was nice and loud, but at 80 lbs, it had to go. I currently own a Markbass 115 combo and Traynor SB115 combo. Both nice n' light.
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 12, 2021 14:41:01 GMT
Big and bad amps are cool but as one gets older the weight is a real killer. Not to mention the space in your car. I remember gigging with big amps long ago and I must admit that as I get older I keep trading to increasingly smaller and lighter amps. I probably said elsewhere that as a real tube snob I would never have dreamed to go solid state for my gigging amp, but man am I glad that I did. I didn't go smaller than a 12" cab, but I must admit that the 6" cabs I see that come in a gig bag do look tempting Ii don't feel old, but have other reasons for wanting lighter amps. That's the main reason I am considering parting with my garnet Stencil bass amp--it is tubes. Basically 30 pounds or less is my ballpark. And the map I love playing the most at this time is my Orange Micro Dark --which is a 20 watt head that weighs under 2 pounds (Hybrid tube/solid state) And I sue a small cab that si actually formerly an amp that I bought with just the cab & speaker (The rest had been removed) for almost nothing.It's light as well--and I love the sound. For bass my Fender Rumble amp is 18 pounds. And it does what I need it to do. I don't feel old either but I've thrown out my back enough times to know my back certainly doesn't feel young after lugging heavy arms around... |
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Post by Bill h on Dec 12, 2021 23:19:51 GMT
I had a marshall monobloc 100/100 for a long time, it was a rack mount and I had an mp-1 preamp, power cleaner and wireless in there with it, it weighed a ton. I think it weighed more then the 4x12 1960 marshall cab it sat on. It was a back breaker and way more amp then I needed most of the time but it sounded awesome. I’m in combo land now.
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Post by Sgt Rock on Dec 13, 2021 1:20:19 GMT
sounds to me like all you "not so young guys" need to get some "roadies". ha ha ha  yeah, I'm in the same boat as well. that major hernia that I had last year has gotten me to rethinking things. I'll be 70 in two weeks. |
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Post by infant on Dec 13, 2021 1:47:38 GMT
We used to have roadies in my old band in the 90s. But that’s when we were playing at weddings and making $1800-2000 per gig. Can’t afford roadies when we make less than $500 doing bar gigs so it’s easier to buy lighter equipment.
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 13, 2021 1:51:30 GMT
sounds to me like all you "not so young guys" need to get some "roadies". ha ha ha yeah, I'm in the same boat as well. that major hernia that I had last year has gotten me to rethinking things. I'll be 70 in two weeks. Luckily I do get help carrying stuff, but the reduced weight and space really makes a big difference. Sadly, although my Dr. Z is clearly a better sounding amp than my SS it weighs twice as much and the cabinet is much bigger and doesn't have 2x XLR inputs. And my Ampeg V-4 with the 212 cabinet hasn't left my house in probably 10 years now. Just too big to gig with and weighs a ton |
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Post by Bill h on Dec 13, 2021 2:08:41 GMT
There are some back breaking combos out there to with the fender twin near the top of that list.
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Post by infant on Dec 13, 2021 4:03:21 GMT
I feel that Twins are way too big for a bar gig but they are good for outdoor gigs That’s why Deluxe /Princeton Reverbs are so hot nowadays. Same goes for the Blues Deluxe/Jr amps….these are all good 15-40 Watt tube combos that weigh between 35-50lbs. However, a 100 Watt Class D SS amp will weigh under 35 lbs. gives you lots of power to spare. They are also starting to sound really good too….so good that in a band setting with drums, bass and keyboards, 99% of the people won’t be able to tell the difference between it and a tube amp. Like DB, I’m a tube snob too but I’m really surprised by these new SS amps.
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Post by spellcaster on Dec 13, 2021 4:39:49 GMT
I'm still a fan of the Twin Reverb....It's the reference amp by which all other clean guitar amps are measured. And, yeah, a lot of guys think Deluxe Reverb's are the hot ticket for guitar these days (and I'd love to own one!) but talk to any steel guitar player and they'll tell you the Twin Reverb's as good as it gets for them. But, you're right...They're damn heavy. I cut mine down to a separate head and speaker cabinet, but that head still weighs about 50 lb. and it's a tank to haul around.
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Post by highdeaf on Dec 13, 2021 18:06:29 GMT
Ii don't feel old, but have other reasons for wanting lighter amps. That's the main reason I am considering parting with my garnet Stencil bass amp--it is tubes. Basically 30 pounds or less is my ballpark. And the map I love playing the most at this time is my Orange Micro Dark --which is a 20 watt head that weighs under 2 pounds (Hybrid tube/solid state) And I sue a small cab that si actually formerly an amp that I bought with just the cab & speaker (The rest had been removed) for almost nothing.It's light as well--and I love the sound. For bass my Fender Rumble amp is 18 pounds. And it does what I need it to do. I don't feel old either but I've thrown out my back enough times to know my back certainly doesn't feel young after lugging heavy arms around...
I take it you're the one that has to carry the .50 cal to the gig? Rough places you play, I presume. 
I peaked at the Mesa Roadster 212 combo. 100+ lbs of 'hard to get your arms around'. When an amp has handles on the sides like a 412, that says something. Something being "you're probably too old to take this out much anymore".
I've got some good options now, from a 50lb combo (Mesa LSS) to a DRRI to either a Mesa TA15 or Kemper and a 112. All much easier to deal with than the old half-stacks and Roady, and sound just as good (maybe better in smaller venues). More and more, the KPA is getting the call because it's so flexible and has so much variety. Twenty pound head, 600 watts of weak-ish class-D power (more like 100 watts of class-AB, but still more than enough) and all the amp profiles you can remember to find while drinking and stomping on pedalboards. It taxes my memory more than the songs we play do.
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 13, 2021 18:47:38 GMT
I don't feel old either but I've thrown out my back enough times to know my back certainly doesn't feel young after lugging heavy arms around...
I take it you're the one that has to carry the .50 cal to the gig? Rough places you play, I presume.
I peaked at the Mesa Roadster 212 combo. 100+ lbs of 'hard to get your arms around'. When an amp has handles on the sides like a 412, that says something. Something being "you're probably too old to take this out much anymore".
I've got some good options now, from a 50lb combo (Mesa LSS) to a DRRI to either a Mesa TA15 or Kemper and a 112. All much easier to deal with than the old half-stacks and Roady, and sound just as good (maybe better in smaller venues). More and more, the KPA is getting the call because it's so flexible and has so much variety. Twenty pound head, 600 watts of weak-ish class-D power (more like 100 watts of class-AB, but still more than enough) and all the amp profiles you can remember to find while drinking and stomping on pedalboards. It taxes my memory more than the songs we play do.
Oops- ha ha. Yeah that library yesterday had some pretty rough customers- glad we played behind chicken wire!  |
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Post by Bill h on Dec 13, 2021 21:00:46 GMT
I take it you're the one that has to carry the .50 cal to the gig? Rough places you play, I presume.
I peaked at the Mesa Roadster 212 combo. 100+ lbs of 'hard to get your arms around'. When an amp has handles on the sides like a 412, that says something. Something being "you're probably too old to take this out much anymore".
I've got some good options now, from a 50lb combo (Mesa LSS) to a DRRI to either a Mesa TA15 or Kemper and a 112. All much easier to deal with than the old half-stacks and Roady, and sound just as good (maybe better in smaller venues). More and more, the KPA is getting the call because it's so flexible and has so much variety. Twenty pound head, 600 watts of weak-ish class-D power (more like 100 watts of class-AB, but still more than enough) and all the amp profiles you can remember to find while drinking and stomping on pedalboards. It taxes my memory more than the songs we play do.
Oops- ha ha. Yeah that library yesterday had some pretty rough customers- glad we played behind chicken wire! Did you play the theme to rawhide while you were behind the chicken wire? |
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 13, 2021 22:31:15 GMT
Oops- ha ha. Yeah that library yesterday had some pretty rough customers- glad we played behind chicken wire! Did you play the theme to rawhide while you were behind the chicken wire? Yeah it was a "mashup" (as they say nowadays) of rawhide combined with the Christmas song by Mel Torme. It started with "canned beans roasting on an open fire....." |
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Post by markr on Dec 22, 2021 22:39:19 GMT
How come I know about Mel Torme?
I have been downsizing my amps in the last few years, my favorite amp is Traynor YCV-20WR. It is a 15 watt tube amp with reverb, effects loop, switchable channels and a balanced DI out.
Back in the day it was a Marshall 4x12 and various 50-100 watt heads. I still have the cabinet and a 100 watt 2x12 Tube Peavey amp.
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 23, 2021 2:44:38 GMT
How come I know about Mel Torme?I have been downsizing my amps in the last few years, my favorite amp is Traynor YCV-20WR. It is a 15 watt tube amp with reverb, effects loop, switchable channels and a balanced DI out. Back in the day it was a Marshall 4x12 and various 50-100 watt heads. I still have the cabinet and a 100 watt 2x12 Tube Peavey amp. He was a pretty famous composer/ singer/ actor. "Chestnuts roasted on an open fire" (the Christmas song) was by him |
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Post by infant on Dec 23, 2021 4:47:50 GMT
I don’t mean to hijack the thread but I’m pissed at a local radio station playing Christmas music as they’ve gone politically correct with the Christmas Song by Nat King Cole. They’ve completely removed the lines “Yuletide carols being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like eskimos”. All because of the work eskimos, the completely removed them and spliced the 2nd line to the 5th line. Totally destroyed my favourite Christmas song. I almost feel like calling the station and voicing a complaint with modifying a classic song that was written 76 years ago. This is going way too far now.
Sorry about the hijack. Now back to your regular thread.
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 23, 2021 12:29:25 GMT
I don’t mean to hijack the thread but I’m pissed at a local radio station playing Christmas music as they’ve gone politically correct with the Christmas Song by Nat King Cole. They’ve completely removed the lines “Yuletide carols being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like eskimos”. All because of the work eskimos, the completely removed them and spliced the 2nd line to the 5th line. Totally destroyed my favourite Christmas song. I almost feel like calling the station and voicing a complaint with modifying a classic song that was written 76 years ago. This is going way too far now. Sorry about the hijack. Now back to your regular thread. Wow awful- luckily I have it on CD so nobody can erase nothing! |
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Post by Colchar on Dec 26, 2021 6:35:09 GMT
How come I know about Mel Torme? If you ever watched Night Court, that would explain it. |
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Post by markr on Dec 26, 2021 13:21:20 GMT
How come I know about Mel Torme? If you ever watched Night Court, that would explain it. That's it, for some reason I was thinking Herb in WRKP was a fan? |
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Post by Colchar on Dec 26, 2021 18:03:14 GMT
If you ever watched Night Court, that would explain it. That's it, for some reason I was thinking Herb in WRKP was a fan? Nope, it was Harry in Night Court. The actor who played Harry actually gave the eulogy at Torme's funeral. |
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Post by zontar on Dec 29, 2021 1:12:28 GMT
That's it, for some reason I was thinking Herb in WRKP was a fan? Nope, it was Harry in Night Court. The actor who played Harry actually gave the eulogy at Torme's funeral. Harry Anderson (Who played Harry) was a big Mel tore fan & they wrote that into the character as well. Harry died in 2018 |
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Post by Colchar on Dec 29, 2021 3:14:27 GMT
Nope, it was Harry in Night Court. The actor who played Harry actually gave the eulogy at Torme's funeral. Harry Anderson (Who played Harry) was a big Mel tore fan & they wrote that into the character as well. Harry died in 2018 I had no idea he had died. That sucks. |
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Post by northernboy on Feb 5, 2022 23:48:44 GMT
I've had my share of big heavy tube amps, but for the last twenty years now (with a few other things here and there) my main amp is a nice little Tweed Harvard.
I'm also contemplating getting a higher end modelor and playing through studio monitors or a single 12 cab.
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Post by Die Bullen on Feb 6, 2022 1:08:17 GMT
I've thought about getting rid of my Ampeg V-4 many times, because it is literally so big and heavy that I can't bring it out of my basement. However it is the only amp that I regretted selling so much that I went and bought another one soon after. And now they seem to be getting expensive
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Post by zontar on Feb 6, 2022 7:31:59 GMT
Does this count as downsizing?  |
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Post by allthumbs56 on Feb 9, 2022 15:17:47 GMT
I've got a DSL50 with a 2x12 that hasn't seen a gig in a while. Tired of finding the room - both in the car and on stage. My DRRI with a G12H30 is more than enough anywhere except outside and if there's room I'll bring my old Silverface Princeton Reverb and run them in stereo. These past "covid years" the bars want small and quiet and I've takin to micing the DRRI in pretty much every situation.
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