Sold my old-technology heavy amps to someone with the same opinion. Got a Gallien Krueger 210 combo amp. 350 watts at 33 pounds. Never looked back. Did I mention how great the tone is?
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Don't skimp on the Lbs
- Thread starter Bloc Riff Nut
- Start date
This reasoning reminds me of the '80s, when heavy basses were supposed to sound better.
I'm using a class D Crown power amp in to some GK Neo cabs. My "preamp" is a Tech21 VT Bass pedal. This is about as far from heavy as you can get, but it's the most "vintagy" sounding setup I've played through since I used to biamp two Sunn 200S heads in the old days.
You just haven't played the right ultralight gear yet.
I'm using a class D Crown power amp in to some GK Neo cabs. My "preamp" is a Tech21 VT Bass pedal. This is about as far from heavy as you can get, but it's the most "vintagy" sounding setup I've played through since I used to biamp two Sunn 200S heads in the old days.
You just haven't played the right ultralight gear yet.
There's plenty comes out of the North Sea, and although it's another country(England) it's probably only as far away as a small American State.
I love my big heavy 6x10 cab ever since they lightweight trend has started I have been able to get great deals on used big cabs. Id consiter a big cab anything over a 6x10 or 2x15 or 4x12 cab.
I like my bass amps to be tube, but I like my women Class D...in several respects.
Those are the type that get me in solid state.
'Nother point of view: What happens if you trip over the cord of a micro head? She goes flying! What about when you trip over the cord of a mega tube beast? Not much really...
I did not read all the posts in this thread but here are my 2 cents.
There is a point with the weight of a speakercabinet, kinetic energy.
A very light cabinet and neo speaker will not put much of an opposing force against the movement of the speaker.
The only two options to compensate for this, add weight or add a second woofer on the opposite side of the cabinet.
I have build a subwoofer for my bro and for a studio with the 2e solution. The accuracy of the bass was frightening, we heard details in the lowsub range of recordings we thought we knew.
There is a point with the weight of a speakercabinet, kinetic energy.
A very light cabinet and neo speaker will not put much of an opposing force against the movement of the speaker.
The only two options to compensate for this, add weight or add a second woofer on the opposite side of the cabinet.
I have build a subwoofer for my bro and for a studio with the 2e solution. The accuracy of the bass was frightening, we heard details in the lowsub range of recordings we thought we knew.
Personally I just play what I think sounds good. don't think too hard about why (I leave that for my University History Classes) just that it sounds good. If I find something light and it sounds good I'll buy it, if I find a beast and it sounds good I'll buy it.
Thought when it comes to basses I make an exception. I started on Yamaha basses which are medium to heavy, then back in the late 90's I picked up a 70's Ibanez made of oak (my god it weighed a Ton!) I hated Ibanez after that. Then I picked up a more modern Ibanez in the last 2 years (SR400) and realized I had made an assumption about a quality product based on the weight of one item (made 10 years before I was born). Missed out on 10 years of Ibanez quality.
Thought when it comes to basses I make an exception. I started on Yamaha basses which are medium to heavy, then back in the late 90's I picked up a 70's Ibanez made of oak (my god it weighed a Ton!) I hated Ibanez after that. Then I picked up a more modern Ibanez in the last 2 years (SR400) and realized I had made an assumption about a quality product based on the weight of one item (made 10 years before I was born). Missed out on 10 years of Ibanez quality.
'Nother point of view: What happens if you trip over the cord of a micro cab? She goes flying! What about when you trip over the cord of a mega tube beast? Not much really...
I was at an outdoor gig once where high winds blew over the guitarist's two Fender Bassman stacks. They bounced off the stage real good.
At the time, I was playing through a low-lying pair of Mesa Diesel 1x15s, which stayed put. I'm certain that an SVT 8x10 would have met the same fate as the guitarist's rig.
Tripping over a cord bringing down a stack of cabs? I'm not feeling that.
Reminds me of a famous anecdote about Lawrence Olivier speaking to Dustin Hoffman during the shooting of Marathon Man. Hoffman came onto the set having stayed up all night in Central Park, so he'd look beat for the dental torture scene. Olivier looked at him and said: young man, you should try acting, it's MUCH easier
I agree
If a 2x10 works for you well great,sensitivity not that great. Better to just go with a 2x12. and yes with neo it can be just as light and small.
Otherwise if a pair of speakers not enough for you then you got to jump to a larger cabinet. Doesnt matter if its neo or ceramic its just going to be a bigger cabinet, and its going to weigh more.
You can try and tell me all day how amazing your 2x10 or 1x15 is. Its light and can handle 600 watts.....I still wont give a krap because i just know how a single speaker or pair of speakers sounds.........BORING
I like the sound of 15's and 10's and its not going to be one 15 and it sure as heck ain't gonna be 2x10 its going to be 8x10 or 2x15.......and no matter what if its low volume or high volume...More speakers just sounds better. so 2x15 or 8x10 sorry no matter what better than a poopy little combo. and even if its neo or ceramic its still going to be big..and heavy.
Best sounding rig ever is a minimum of 4 speakers, and if you wanna actually hear BASS nothing like the sound of all matching 4x15's .....so yes oh my god cry cry wah wah thats 2 cabinets each with 2x15. I can load it really fast....been doing it for years.
Otherwise when philipleonard jumped from 2x10 to 4x10 most likely noticed....holy krap batman 4 speakers really do sound better..than 2.
holy industry standard batman 8 speakers sound better than 4
I like the idea of lite weight equipment, but everyone doesn't like the sound of neo speakers. I have owned a tube amp V4B back in the 70s, and one of the first SS amps that could compete with a tube amp the 370(still have it). If you like the tube sound and feel there is not anything that can compete which means you have to toot weight. If one like thick, fat, punchy low end, and volume then that IMHO means multi speakers, which means weight! I'm not big on the SVT sound, but if that is what you like someone tell me what lite weight amp can give you that same tone and punch! I'm not saying one is better than the other, but you are going to give up one for the other!
It seems amazing to me that with something as subjective as music and bass sound, there can only be "one" good sound, and that it can only come from using equipment of a certain weight or size. Especially considering that the kind of music you play has a lot to do with what kind of bass tone would be considered a good starting point.
The tone that a death metal bassist would be after probably isn't the same as what a modern jazz guy would look for ... and nor, it stands to reason, is the gear he would use to get it.
The tone that a death metal bassist would be after probably isn't the same as what a modern jazz guy would look for ... and nor, it stands to reason, is the gear he would use to get it.
All things being equal more speakers - or more speaker surface area - means "louder". I don't see how how two
identical speakers sound better than a single speaker.
I know squat about the mechanics of how speaker cabinets work but I'm wondering why does the inertia of the cabinet matter as far as the quality of the sound is concerned? And if it does I'd think even a light cabinet has more than enough mass to counter the movement of the moving parts of speaker.
This ^ with one exception........My GK MB's do everything I need them to do and when I'm done, my amp in one hand, my bass in the other and I ride off into the sunset without breaking my back.
IMO.....lightweight gear > sliced bread!
I've been a working bassist for coming up on 30 years now, and I move my amp every day. The lightweight amps that are available now were made for people like me. If you are someone that plays in one venue, or in your basement, then it doesn't matter how big or heavy your rig is, leave it there and love it. For me, every bit of weight reduction is golden. I go to the gym regularly and I lift weights there.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
First off, as much as I make a policy to never ever agree with BogeyBass as a matter of conscience, Hes sort of right on this point. More speakers will always mean more displacement, more volume, and therefore more tone. You may not get why two identical speakers sound better than a single, but if you really think about it, it will start making sense. You get several benefits, additional volume, which means for the same SPL youre asking LESS of each speaker, coupling which gives you better low end extension, and with similar drivers vertically stacked, you reduce any weird wave effects out in the room. My double 15 (matching speaker models) has a very noticeable extended low end over a single cab. Its also a hell of a lot louder, given the same wattage, meaning I can turn my amp down and keep things cleaner (more headroom). Besides, theres something to having a wall of moving air behind you, especially if youre a person who enjoys more than just the sensory input from your ears.
On your second point a WELL DESIGNED WELL BRACED cabinet shouldnt move or walk due to speaker movement. The cabinet itself should be inert. If your speaker isnt wasting energy to vibrate the panels of your cabinet, or walk across stage, then its louder and more efficient. The thought that you might drag the cab across the room by the cord, etc., I guess if youve got a locking jack, you could do that but even with an ultra-light cab, were not talking about 10 pounds, were still in the 20+ (at least!) range.
I have found that light cabs has allowed me to also have a BIG rig a large 2x15 setup, and not one with compact cab design. Its light to move, what with 8lb 15 speakers in it. Its actually given me the freedom to have bigger sound, lower sound, and cleaner sound.
I'll be chuckling at this for a few hours!
I think that technology today is remarkable, I've played gigs, through a laptop, and edirol, hooked up to the pa, and had great, virtually modelled tone, but I'm still a fan of big heavy rigs, (wish I still had my Ashdown stack)
It's the same argument as CD's compared to Vinyl, I'm listening to Catch a Fire now on original vinyl, it probably lower sound quality than my CD copy, but I still like it better! there's just something about lifting up that arm, and putting the disc on, and the little pops and crackles, I just love it.
The same with my amp, I know that my virtual rig is cleaner and has more punch through the PA, but I just love the 'feel' of the big old stack!
