Were you happy after downsizing?

[Winfred]

Originally Posted by zachoff

I'm wondering what kind of music you guys play now vs then with your smaller rigs.

The big rig back in the 80's was hair band stuff. Mostly metal and hard rock. Now all I play is dance music from the 60s to the 90s. The typical cover band --making women dance and drink music--.

It was all fun and games when I was in my twenties. Now I'm almost 50, and my hearing ain't what it used to be.

[Mastermold]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I do mostly 50's, 60's and 70's rock and R&B now and an occasional 20's-30's-40's jazz gig, though I also do sub work playing a lot of different stuff. Back in the day (late 70's-80's), I was playing mostly hard rock though I did do some top 40 and jazz and even did an Elvis gig occasionally.

I wish I had the energy to do a string of one nighters using an SVT/810. I've tried many times over the past 3-4 years to do it. I'm OK for a while and then I'll tweak my back or have an extremely difficult load-in or out. Even the B-15 requires more effort than it used to. Part of it's my fault for being derelict in keeping myself fit lately, but that's how it goes. So now I bill myself as the world's worst raging tube snob and I'll show up to many gigs with small stuff. But I don't like it, though sometimes I do. A lot.

Is it the SVT or the cabs that give you trouble? (Seems to me you could get by pairing up a few 210s with an SVT if it's the 810)

[bobe]

my back and body are happy to downsize to my markbass rig. It helps with my tendonitis and if I want I can still have whiners tell me to turn it down. So it is a win win

[derrico1]

I went from being an SVT and 810 guy to playing mostly 410s to more recently playing almost all my bring-your-own amp gigs with either a Walkabout combo (or two) or else one of several heads or rack rigs through either a Schroeder 21012 or a Bergantino AE212.

These days, I'm generally not trying to sound like I'm playing a SVT & fridge, so I don't miss hauling the load. That I can carry either the Schroeder or Berg with one hand is just gravy.

[azureblue]

I went down to a GK MB212. I rarely run it with the two VC's above 10:00, even in a "blues" rock band. If I ever needed more, I'd just get another one and stack them - 1000 watts, 4 -12's and a total of less than 80 lbs...

[Bunk McNulty]

4x10s with neodymium magnet speakers: Cut 50 lbs. off weight.

Biggest proportional change was going to a 5 lb. Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0 from a MusicMan HD 150, which weighed about 40 lbs. I love being able to carry my amp in a computer shoulder bag.

[powmetalbassist]

Went from a 700 watt peavey head, 118 and 210 Eden cabs and a 6 unit effects rack. Basically realized it wasn't worth the bother to carry over 150lbs of gear anymore \(and I'm only 30). Was hard to do the switch at first but got over it once I went from 150 lbs to 50lbs total (head, cab and pedal board effects) Wish I'd thought of this 5-10 years ago!

I also play the hard rock/metal scene. People see me walk in with a little 3.8lbs head and look at me like I'm nuts. They here me play and see me tear down without the extra grunting. Their tune usually changes.

[jeffbonny]

Amp-wise I have to admit I've never been as happy with the class D stuff as with amps sporting fist sized iron transformers. I'm not going to go back to an SVT like I would in a perfect world but I am keeping my eyes open for something a little less bulky like a V4B.

Neodymium speakers on the other hand are a real gift to my aging back. Even those though I seem to prefer the sound of in heavier built cabs.

[SactoBass]

Gremson:

It seems that the majority of TB'ers who have downsized are glad they did. I think that's cool. I like to see people happy.

Just like zachoff and Mastermold (posts 47 and 48), I tried the lighter smaller stuff, and it just didn't ring my bell, tone-wise.

Everyone has different priorities (which is cool), and my top priority is tone. For me, tone is more important than schlep convenience. When I'm getting a satisfying tone from my rig, I enjoy playing more. I have found that my 85 pound (ouch) Ampeg SVT-II non-pro into my 100 pound (ouch) Bergantino NV610 has a tone that speaks to me like no other amp rig (and I have owned a plethora of bass amp rigs over the past 40 years of bass playing). That particular rig also provides a certain "feel" that I don't get from other rigs (maybe it's the tube power section and the iron transformers).

Input from TB is valuable, but only you will be able to determine if you will be happy by downsizing.

Whatever you end up doing, have fun with it!

[will33]

I've sort of downsized in steps from full stacks (15's, 410's, 210's or some combination thereof) down to a pair of 12" neos. No regrets here, for what I do it makes plenty enough noise. Fills typical bar rooms, can cover a pretty large stage with PA support and doesn't sound "small".

Although, if I claimed it was still "all that" compared to standing in front of a big rig with a tube amp on top, I'd be a damn liar.

Haven't gone to the micro amp thing yet though and don't really care if I do. I equate carrying my SS amps to be about like carrying a briefcase full of stuff..old men do that everyday. Most tube amps are worth every pound in tone, so no big deal.

I do like carrying the smaller cabs though without having to carry a small sound at the same time.

[Pilgrim]

I have downsized from a Sunn Coliseum-300 (38 pounds) and Peavey 1x15 (71 pounds) to a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0 (total weight for amp and 12" cab is 36 pounds).

I have never been happier with the sound quality, the volume (the G-B is much more powerful than the Sunn) and the portability. Total, complete winner! The Genz Shuttle is louder, has a smaller footprint, is much lighter to move (about one-third the total weight) and has fantastic sound quality. I have 375W peak, and if I add a second G-B Shuttle cab (32 pounds) my output goes to 600W peak.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by jeffbonny

Amp-wise I have to admit I've never been as happy with the class D stuff as with amps sporting fist sized iron transformers. I'm not going to go back to an SVT like I would in a perfect world but I am keeping my eyes open for something a little less bulky like a V4B.

V4B is coming back!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Mastermold

Is it the SVT or the cabs that give you trouble? (Seems to me you could get by pairing up a few 210s with an SVT if it's the 810)

Mainly the cab but the SVT is no picnic either. However, it's less hassle than the cab, so I have used my SVT with two 210av and it sounds great. But it's still in the shop and I've yet to get another one. Holding out for the new V4B to see what it's all about first.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

V4B is coming back!

I would like to see that happen! Any idea when?

The big question from me is, will it have that yummy tone that the vintage 70's V4B's are known for?

[1954bassman]

I am finally starting to accept the fact that I am an old geezer. I am 58 with type 1 diabetes, a weak heart, and I play 4 or 5 times a week. With my congestive heart failure, just carrying in my bass and a gig bag wear me out sometimes.

I very seldom use am amp period. I have a nice small Eden rig (CXC110/WT330/D112XLT) and a larger GK rig (MB500/210/115) and only get them out about 3 or 4 times a year. I actually bought the GK rig just for one of my new band adventures (praise band with guitar, bass, drums, keys, fiddle and four singers). I used it one time, and my friends in the band all told me it was too loud. I used my Eden rig after that.

I did fill in at practice the other night with my brother's band, they are a three piece with a female lead singer, live drums and loud amps. the amp was a GK stack, and it was nice to feel air moving my pants legs again.

So yes, I miss using a big live stack for my bass, but between my age, health, and playing situations, I really cannot justify lugging one around.

[JimmyM]

Hoping for a big V4b/B-15 NAMM announcement but there's no timetable yet.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Hoping for a big V4b/B-15 NAMM announcement but there's no timetable yet.

Cool. Thanks JimmyM. I'm sure there will be quite a few TB'ers keeping their eyes and ears open for this.

[Grateful]

Went from hauling a 60 pound rack case and 98 pound 4x10 (all Ampeg stuff) to a different brand with a 250W 2x10 combo (not nearly enough for all but the quietest gigs) then back up to another brand 4x10 Neo cab with the big box. Still a pain.

Because I like Ampegs and they work for what I do, I now have the PF-500 and a single PF-115LF (the ported, tweeterless cab). Gigged it just last night playing my 5 string with a pretty loud 6 piece band with full FOH support, and it worked great. The cab fits in the back seat of my 4 door import with tons of room to spare, and the amp fits in my gear bag. It's a 1 trip load in. I do not miss the bigger stuff at all.

The plan is to add another identical cab for times with no PA support. I still have the big amp, just in case....

But this is only valid for me. You may be looking for a totally different tone.

[gregbackstrom]

My big-rig is a Michael Pope MPP-1 into a Peavey IPR-3000 into two Bergantino AE 212's. Enormous punch and volume, but incredibly light! What a great time to be a bass player!

[pacojas]

i went small for awhile.

i'm back to the big rig to stay.

my big-rig is based on a 1200w component rack mount system through two 15's. the mini-rig was 500w through two 10's. you do the math! even at low volume shows the big-rig is just super creamy and fat. the fundamental value of every note is so much more obvious. just brutal!!!