transportability of large cabs vs lightweight 4x10

[hgregs]

i'm considering a lightweight 4x10 like the epifani ul2. but i'm wondering if a big 2x15, 6x10, 8x10, 4x12, etc, would be that much worse given that i'm never going up stairs, and the big cabs would most likely have tilt-back casters - so i might never have to actually lift the thing anyway.

i have a 4runner for transportation - and i'm assuming a big cab could be tilted on the bumper in the back for getting it in/out of the truck. a 4x10 would still need plenty of lifting as it wouldn't reach the bumper, and would need to be put on a handtruck if i wasn't carrying it the full distance.

i'm using 2 2x10 cabinets now - and it it's an extra trip to/from the truck, and more cables for hookup to the head. the current setup has to change.

could i get some opinions from gigging players (without roadies) that have experience with both? are the bigger cabs really a pain, or could it actually be easier?



yes - i searched and found nothing. if there are posts out there, please let me know.

[greggster59]

I'm using an Ampeg 610HLF right now. It's 115. lbs but is essentially it's own handtruck with a roll bar and casters and there are rails on the back of the cab that make sliding it into the back of a vehicle very easy. I can manuver the thing in and out of vehicles and single story venues without help. Stairs are another story......

[KJung]

If you are a player who keeps your cab in a van or whatever, and typically plays bar/club type gigs that have close parking and easy access, then the whole lightweight thing is not that big of a deal. A heavy cab, regardless of castor design, etc., will never by 'easier to schlepp' than a lighter cab on castors or whatever, but the difference could very well be trivial.

On the other hand, freelancing in large venues withouth ever having a bandmates help with the schlep or even with lifting the cab up on a 4 foot high stage, lightweight can literally be a life changing experience.

Playing bars with a band that does 'band load ins'... forget about it... buy what sounds good to you at the best price. If it weighs 100 pounds, who cares

[christw]

I loved using big cabs while I could. (GB 610, Ampeg 810E.) I lived in a ground floor apartment, had a 4 door GMC Jimmy, and always had headroom to spare. With a band mate around, there was nowhere we couldn't move those suckers.

Now I live in a 2 floor + basement apartment and have a 4 door Accord and the biggest cab I own is a 410. Why? Anything more is totally impractical.

As an aside, I think it's easier to carry a 120lb 810E up stairs with one person on the towel bar and one lifting under the bottom than it is to move a 100 lb Bag End 410 with two people using the side handles.

No matter what cab you get, I advise having casters under it or adding them. 60-100 lbs of 410 is hard to move with one person dead lifting. They're big boxes!

[Gearhead17]

Originally Posted by hgregs

i'm using 2 2x10 cabinets now - and it it's an extra trip to/from the truck, and more cables for hookup to the head. the current setup has to change.

could i get some opinions from gigging players (without roadies) that have experience with both? are the bigger cabs really a pain, or could it actually be easier?

One extra trip and one speakon cable is making your life miserable? Step back for a second! I recently went from two Mesa 410's to two DNA 210's and life is so much better now. I stack the 210's vertically, can hear myself better, and I can easily scale down to one cab for smaller stages and two cabs for bigger stages. They are only 54lbs each and I can easily handle them without issue. My 96lb Mesa 410's were getting rediculous to carry around by myself at many shows. They were always pointing at my knees and I could not tilt them. Tilting my 210 has resulted in me being quieter on stage and disrupting the sound guy much less than before.

When your band mates are drunk after the show and no one is going to help you with your cabinet, guess who has to do it? I struggled alright with the Mesa 410's, but the 54lb 210's are heaven on Earth. I can get up and down stairs by myself with these 210's. I do not have to ask for help every time. So my band mates can go do whatever they want after the show and I can take care of my own gear.