The 'Weight Obsession" thread.... (re: gear)

Chad Michael · #1 10-26-2008, 02:17 PM

Hmmm.

Seems that so many here, with G.A.S., are immediately interested in the weight something (amp.... preamp, power amp, head, cab, bass, URB, DB, BG, pedals, racks, picks, strings etc.)

HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH??

Are we all 75 years old?

Do we all have back problems?

Do we all gig @ 5 different venues, 5 days per week?

Does the thought of wearing a 10.5 pound piece of heaven for 45 minutes just ruin the dream for you?

Did we all just realize that we needed (scratch that... REQUIRED) the lightest equipment possible, only because it's recently become available?

Did a huge group of people hesitate to become a performing bassist, on the basis that transporting yesterday's heavy gear was just too labor-intense?

Deacon_Blues · #2 10-26-2008, 02:37 PM

I live in an apartment on the third floor, no elevator. Even though I don't do much gigs, it's not that fun to carry my stuff in and out and run five or six times up and down the stairs with all the stuff I need for a gig. It gets me pretty exhausted and I'm happy I have a relatively light rig. I would never buy a cab that is heavier than my current 4x10, and that one's a lot lighter than standard cabs but it's still pretty much.

Here's what I bring to a gig:

1-2 basses in gig bags (5,5 kg each)
410 cab (29 kg)
210 cab (19 kg)
Active monitor (17 kg)
Gig bag with my 5,5 kg amp, a couple of mics, signal and power cables, a DI, random gig stuff, a multieffect, rack compressor and a tuner (25-30kg)
Mic stand
Music stand
Guitar stands
Music folder

I pretty much bring all that to every gig.

**BullHorn** · #3 10-26-2008, 04:19 PM

I bring two basses (Total of ~15kg for both, including one hard case) and the 210 combo (20kg). That's enough for anything. If the gig is bigger, the soundguy just connects me to the PA, nothing that I have to worry about. :P

fenderhutz · #4 10-26-2008, 04:49 PM

I find the obsession with light gear a bit absurd myself actually.

Like a moth to flame.

IanStephenson · #5 10-26-2008, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Do we all have back problems?

Not yet. Want to keep it that way.

Chad Michael · #6 10-26-2008, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

Not yet. Want to keep it that way.

I can understand if you gig regularly and live on the 2nd / 3rd floor (no stairs) or have an actual hardship in transporting gear...

"Old bass players never die... they just quit gigging because the gear just got too damn heavy"

SteveC · #7 10-26-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Hmmm.

Seems that so many here, with G.A.S., are immediately interested in the weight something (amp.... preamp, power amp, head, cab, bass, URB, DB, BG, pedals, racks, picks, strings etc.)

HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH??

Are we all 75 years old?

Do we all have back problems?

Do we all gig @ 5 different venues, 5 days per week?

Does the thought of wearing a 10.5 pound piece of heaven for 45 minutes just ruin the dream for you?

Did we all just realize that we needed (scratch that... REQUIRED) the lightest equipment possible, only because it's recently become available?

Did a huge group of people hesitate to become a performing bassist, on the basis that transporting yesterday's heavy gear was just too labor-intense?

1. I hope I'm playing at 75.
2. Some of us may.
3. I do 3-4 different venues in a week.
4. I do like my light bass. What can I say.
5. I have been looking for the right combination of light/loud/tone for years. And yes, certain technologies have only recently become available.
6. Transportation can be a bitch.

dinghy · #8 10-26-2008, 07:08 PM

All my basses are 10+ lbs. I don't usually give half a crap about the weight of a bass, unless it's a Warwick. Those things are just lead painted to look like wood.

fdeck · #9 10-26-2008, 08:47 PM

I would turn it around and ask: Why bother with heavy gear?

My view is that lightweight gear is a luxury, but not a particularly extravagant one. It's not even esoteric any more. Lightweight design methods are mature enough that they are quickly becoming the default. Heavy gear is cheaper, but not by a big enough margin to tip the scales for me.

I didn't rush to buy a lightweight speaker. But when it was time to build a new speaker for other reasons, I used the latest technology. I was not in a rush to buy a lightweight head, but one popped up on the TB classifieds, and I bought it on impulse. GAS happens. I would not have bought a new head for any other reason, because I was satisfied with my old one.

I do prefer a lightweight bass. A heavy bass gets uncomfortable by the end of a gig. It could be the fault of my technique and posture, of course. But comfort is one reason why I have not bought a "better" bass than my cheap Ibanez.

Now, about transportation. I don't play in a rock band, meaning that I have no reason to show up hours before the down beat. Setup time is time that I could have spent at home. Murphy's Law seems to dictate that all gigs are affected by some combination of tight schedules, heavy traffic, bad weather, labyrinthine load-ins, tiny stages, low pay, and nonexistent parking. The less gear I have to move, the less time I need to allocate for setup, and for the unexpected. A light rig not only saves my back, but it saves my time.

DWBass · #10 10-26-2008, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Hmmm.

Seems that so many here, with G.A.S., are immediately interested in the weight something (amp.... preamp, power amp, head, cab, bass, URB, DB, BG, pedals, racks, picks, strings etc.)

HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH??

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Are we all 75 years old?

No. Back problems can happen at any age.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Do we all have back problems?

No. And I don't want any.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Do we all gig @ 5 different venues, 5 days per week?

No. I still don't like moving heavy equipment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Does the thought of wearing a 10.5 pound piece of heaven for 45 minutes just ruin the dream for you?

You mean 3 45-60 minute sets? Yes! I had a 14lb Marcus Miller bass that I gigged once. Traded it away immediately! There is no reason any professional grade bass should weigh more than 9lbs, IMHO!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Did we all just realize that we needed (scratch that... REQUIRED) the lightest equipment possible, only because it's recently become available?

No. Been longing for lightweight equipment my whole life going back to the days of lugging 2x15 cabs and tube heads!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Did a huge group of people hesitate to become a performing bassist, on the basis that transporting yesterday's heavy gear was just too labor-intense?

I doubt that. If we had to, we'd do it. However, we have a choice now!

Chad Michael · #11 10-26-2008, 09:59 PM

Yes, we do have a choice.

Option #1:

Piece of exquisite sounding equipment (bass, amp, cab, etc) that that is yesterday's news, is a bit heavy, and can be bought for 20 cents on the dollar.

Option # 2:

Flavor of the week neodymium, carbon fiber, balsa, switching amplifier, with aluminum wiring and helium filled flux capacitors. It'll cost ya .... but that's what credit is for mate. Who needs a retirement, or a house..... this shizzie practically floats and sounds phat.

Ok, maybe I'm just stirring the pot here but it was asking me to stir it. I pray to the musical heavens that my bass playing will always be more important than the force of gravity. Did the force of gravity increase recently?

jezzamac · #12 10-26-2008, 10:41 PM

It's not my back; it's my knees.

After years and years of lugging heavy gear without any prospect of an alternative, I think the novelty of light, convenient and excellent sounding gear inspires joy (in my case, Markbass CMD121P). It used to be that light = nasty, now we can take pleasure in good light gear. I still keep my old 4x10 which I connect to the Combo for a really awsome sound but I usuallly play small club gigs for which the combo is ideal by itself.

If the weight of your gear does affect your bass playing (through pain or weariness) then it is reasonable to have lighter gear.

Let me tell you ... the decline progresses rapidly once it commences.

Yours in infirmity.

Munjibunga · #13 10-26-2008, 11:14 PM

Let's see ... do I want to take 750 watts at 50 pounds, or 1,200 watts at 8 pounds? Hmmmm ... I just don't know. Of course, I'm only 60, so I can take either one, no problem.

Seriously, it depends on the load-in for me. If it's a mess, I'm taking somethin light. If I can back my car right up to the stage, it's big.

Stumbo · #14 10-27-2008, 01:18 AM

With the price of gas causing a lot of people to buy smaller cars, the small,light weight stuff will fit in a small,lightweight car with no problem. Reducing expenses ncreases your profit on each gig. Makes cents to me.

It's also fun to blow people's minds with these small rigs putting out a ton of low end. Kinda like a little guy dunking a basketball. What was the guy's name, anyway?

dmq89 · #15 10-27-2008, 08:34 AM

bimplizkit - When you develop finger, arm and shoulder problems from throwing a heavy chunk of lumber over your shoulder for 3-4 45 minute sets per night 4-6 times a month for 16 years, I'm sure the answer to the question becomes obvious!

I personally have to search for lighter instruments, padded straps, x style straps, as a result of big heavy basses putting excess weight on my shoulder, as well as straps digging in from the weight of those basses.

I'm not a small guy (5'11, 300lbs) and I can handle the weight; however, I've developed pinched nerves IN MY SHOULDER that make my fingers go numb if I stay strapped up for too long. This is a direct result of those big heavy basses.

Don't want to come across as ignorant here, but what does it matter? Go ahead and play what you want. But we all get older eventually and have to take care of ourselves. Be careful.

My b!tchy "old man" .02.

AlembicPlayer · #16 10-27-2008, 08:39 AM

I buy gear based on tone and reliability, not weight.
It doesn't matter to me what the weight is, I am strong and can move mountains, so moving gear is not an issue.

DWBass · #17 10-27-2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlembicPlayer

It doesn't matter to me what the weight is, I am strong and can move mountains, so moving gear is not an issue.

Give it time, brutha....give it time!

AlembicPlayer · #18 10-27-2008, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWBass

Give it time, brutha....give it time!

I hear ya..
just saying, I didn't get into the music business to avoid lifting heavy objects. I accept it as part of the job. I have been a sound tech for a major sound company for many years and moving, loading and unloading gear is part of the job. Wheels, hand trucks, and stage hands..gotta love em!
I'm half a century old and still strong, but I hear what your saying..

It helps to stay in fit!

mjolnir · #19 10-27-2008, 09:16 AM

Though I have a rig (head, cab, and a single bass) that weighs in at over 200 lbs. that I am immensely happy with, I can understand the appeal of shaving off a few pounds for the sake of saving one's back. I've lost count the number of times I've dragged my 810 up a flight of stairs and cursed the day I ever bought the thing...

brianrost · #20 10-27-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bimplizkit

Do we all gig @ 5 different venues, 5 days per week?

I play up to 4 a week. On a "slow" week it'll be only 2. Load-ins and parking vary quite a bit. Every once in a while I have to ride the subway

Stage space is often at a premium.

Quote:

Does the thought of wearing a 10.5 pound piece of heaven for 45 minutes just ruin the dream for you?

I usually play 3-4 hour gigs.

Quote:

Did we all just realize that we needed (scratch that... REQUIRED) the lightest equipment possible, only because it's recently become available?

No, I've been using lighter gear for years. Started using an AMP 420 (about 20 pounds) with a 1-12" cabinet back in 1988. I sold my last large cabinet (a 4-12 Bassman) in 1980. I've used nothing larger than a 1-15" since then.