• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Downsizing my rig - anyone done it?

NZBassman

NZBassman

Jan 25, 2007
5,939
11,469
Auckland, New Zealand
#1
I'm toying with the idea of downsizing my rig to a smaller combo
currently I have an Ashdown EVO 900 III and running that through a Warwick 4x10
the 4 x 10 is not getting any easier to lug around, but my rig does sound pretty good
We have a decent PA and I always DI the bass to the desk and it sounds great out front.
So I have no real need for a big rig....

I'm looking at a 300w + combo - preferably one that can handle an extension speaker

my main concern is I won't have enough volume on stage to play with and will miss my rig (I will be selling the rig as I can't afford to buy a new amp unless the old one gets sold)

Has anyone 'downsized' their rig successfully? did you miss your old set up?

any advice will be helpful
 
  • Like
Reactions: rickwebb
#2
Yes. But it will cost you - particularly the cabs.
I went from an Ashdown ABM500 + Epifani 4x10, then two 2x10s - to a Bergantino CN112 + CN210 + Genz Benz Shuttle 6.2. I can carry my entire kit in one load, no problem (head fits in my gig-bag pocket!). Those cabs were *spend* but so much easier than my Epis'.

I'm not a fan of Combo amps as you can't mix cabs with different heads - but to each their own.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Munjibunga
#3
Back in 2011, I sold a 75 lb rack (pre-power, etc.) and an Avatar B212 (about the same 75 lbs or so) in favor of the compact, class D neo stuff. Wow! it performed excellent but I was moving it every weekend. No fun at all.

My criteria now is lightweight and compact dimensions. So class D and neo is all that I'll consider as long as I have to load it in and out of my car. And Wow! performance is excellent, I gig with the typical loud type of band.

Now, I run 500-600w into 4 ohms (either a standalone 212 or 115 pair). No single component weighs more than 40 lbs or is thicker than 15" depth. It all fits into a Honda Civic coupe.

There are quite a few things out there like that from Carvin, GK, Fender, Ampeg and more. So yes, downsizing in weight doesn't mean sacrificing performance.
 
#4
I'm in the process of down sizing as well. I'm getting rid of my Ashdown ABM 500 and Ampeg 410/115 cabs. I went with the hated TC Electronics rh450 and rs212. The head sounds killer through the 410 cab. The rs212 should be in this week so I should be able to compare the volume to see if I need to add another cab or not.
 
#6
No, sorry, I've never downsized your rig.

:D

I do have some downsized rigs, though. I may be a tube snob, but I'm almost 54! So I use a V4B or B-15N most of the time instead of an SVT, and a couple 210av's or B-15 repro cabs instead of an 810. I also have a couple micros and little low powered SS combos. Got the big stuff still and trot it out gladly when conditions are favorable for schlep and stage size, but it's hard to do so on a regular basis playing one-nighters.
 
#8
NZBassman said:
I'm toying with the idea of downsizing my rig to a smaller combo
currently I have an Ashdown EVO 900 III and running that through a Warwick 4x10
the 4 x 10 is not getting any easier to lug around, but my rig does sound pretty good
We have a decent PA and I always DI the bass to the desk and it sounds great out front.
So I have no real need for a big rig....

I'm looking at a 300w + combo - preferably one that can handle an extension speaker
Click to expand...

Absolutely! Three years ago I had a Sunn Coliseum-300 amp and two cabs - a big Peavy single 15 and a 4x10. The lightest of these was 40 pounds, and that was the amp. It was a KILLER to move that crap around. The single 15 was more than 60 pounds and the 4x10 was more than 90 pounds.

Then I tried a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0 on a 12" Shuttle speaker. Incredibly powerful combination, and I found true love! I sold all the other, heavy gear - and gained MORE power in the Genz amp.

Now I have a Genz Shuttle 6.2 docked on a 12T speaker cab (36 pounds total) and a separate Genz 2x10 cab (32 pounds). Peak power from the amp into that pair of cabs is 600W and I can grab one in each hand and carry them into a venue. The secret is that I don't even need the second cab...the 12" is so darn loud that I can blow myself off the stage with it.

Don't worry and don't look back. Class D amps and neo cabs are the smart way to go for those who don't need back trouble.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: samson3382 and theduke1
#9
I downsized from 2 fantastic sounding but spine crushing Mesa Boogie Road Ready cabs to an Epifani 410 (which was great), then to a Berg AE112 and AE210 (which was better), then to 2 AE112's (even better). I kept the same amp, a Thunderfunk 550.

I'm now using a CN212. I wish I'd made this move years before I did.
 
#10
I resisted for as long as I could but after a knee op and back issues, I finally saw the "light" .
Sold my awesome but still heavy DNS410 and D410XLT and one of my Eden WT Amps. Still have 2 Eden amps and my old Traynor YBA1-A that are all well over 20 lbs but got a Streamliner 600 and a GB Neo 112X and 3 ML112's. Now I only bring what I need and it's way easier all round. One cab and an amp live in the studio.
If I need more than 2 112's, I bring the WT800. But that is rare these days.
The STL 600 and an ML112 (or 2) is all I need most days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TAZ
#12
IMO/IME, its a pretty natural transition for players who don't want, or really need big stage rigs, and have solid FOH support.

Over a long period of time (almost 20 years) I went from 2 x 2x15 rigs, or 2 x 4x10's down to 4x10's and then finally a 300w 1x12 combo (Mesa Walkabout)
Some of that had to do with changes in the gigs I was getting, and some of it had to do with a desire to have less gear to schlep.
In the past 3 years I have actually added some larger cabs back to my options for certain projects, but mostly neo loaded, and with one exception (my Bergantino NV610) they are all under 50lbs.

Plenty of ways to get there including mini/micro heads/lightwight cabs, but don't let the anti-combo folks steer you away from that option if that's what sounds right to you. Plenty of well thought out, pro level combo's will fit the bill nicely. Mesa (Walkabout and M3, M6), Genz (Shuttle combos) GK (MB series), Carvin makes them and so does Fender (Rumble series). In the case of the Mesa and Genz combo's, the heads are removable, so they can be used just like any other amp head, so that adds flexibility to the combo format.

good luck
 
#14
Right now I have 4 gig rigs, from large: mesa powerhouse 1000, medium: ampeg heritage 4 10, to portable: ampeg 15 classic cab, to studio: ampeg b15n. I use an svt 450, mesa400+ or acoustic 370 according to the size and genre of the gig (and how im feeling). Im most comfortable with the heritage 4 10 and svt450. The single 15 ampeg cab with any head is a breeze to move and takes up less space in my car. I used to only gig 4 10s or the mesa powerhouse, but the single ampeg 15 is a blessing loading in and carrying up stairs for some small bar gigs.
 
#16
Biggest: Six-space Grundorf rack (28lbs empty) pre/power over two 74-lb Fender Pro 410s.

Smallest: GK MB500 head over a GK 212MBE cab. (I used a TC Electronic BG500 115 combo for a while which was really nice but was stolen)

Now a 22-lb (don’t laugh) Line 6 Lowdown HD750 head over a ~74-lb Markbass CL152 (2x15).

I still own all this stuff so I guess I can change up whenever I want. :)
 
#19
javi_bassist said:
Why do you say don't laught? I use a Line 6 Lowdown HD400 head over a GK MBE 212 and I love it. I don't like its weight but I love the amp. I want to change to something lighter like Markbass or Aguilar but not for the sound
Click to expand...

Actually I’m also using the HD400, but I just ordered an HD750, from GC used for $199.99 (+ tax/shipping $239,76).

I love this head for the features, and although not as light as the MB500, I don't think it's that heavy.

Apparently they’re not real popular, but that just made it cheaper for me to get. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: javi_bassist
#20
NZBassman said:
I'm toying with the idea of downsizing my rig to a smaller combo
currently I have an Ashdown EVO 900 III and running that through a Warwick 4x10
the 4 x 10 is not getting any easier to lug around, but my rig does sound pretty good
We have a decent PA and I always DI the bass to the desk and it sounds great out front.
So I have no real need for a big rig....

I'm looking at a 300w + combo - preferably one that can handle an extension speaker

my main concern is I won't have enough volume on stage to play with and will miss my rig (I will be selling the rig as I can't afford to buy a new amp unless the old one gets sold)

Has anyone 'downsized' their rig successfully? did you miss your old set up?

any advice will be helpful
Click to expand...

May not help you much for your particular situation but I did downsize and maybe this info can help someone else. I played an ampeg 810 for a long time. But eventually our band got tired of moving big gear and needing a truck or band trailer to move everything. Guitarists sold his mesa half stack and picked up a 5150 212 combo, I sold my ampeg 810e and got the 410he. The 410he has 4 wheels and rolls flat so even though I do have to pick it up to get it in and out of my little car. Once it's on the ground I stack my rack and pedalboard on top of it and roll it all together. I can't see me using less than a 410 personally. Have a cheap 212 at my singers house for jamming there with him playing acoustic guitar but it's not loud enough with the drums and electric guitar. If I was to downsize further Id probably get two 210 cabs to stack them vertically and a hand truck/dolly to load them in and out

Rack wise I have a 4 space rack bag, furman power conditioner, sans amp rbi, and crown xls 1500(1550w @4 ohms and weighs I think 9 lbs) my entire rack weighs maybe 20lbs and cost around $800 if you paid full price and bought everything new.

As far as missing my 810. Not really, I definetly don't miss being forced to own a truck or use the band trailer to move it. My tone didn't change at all as I switched to a cab with the same speakers and use the XLR on my preamp most of the time. I owned 2 410he cabs briefly and was able to fit them in my little car (one in the trunk and one in back seat) but I just didn't need the second cab and sold it. We might play an outdoor gig once ever other year but those shows are rare enough that I'll just rent or barrow an 810 from a buddy for them. the main venues we play now have the pa speakers hanging from the sealing and the subs under the stage, having the subs under the stage Im really happy with the smaller setup because the pa subs give me a lot of the "feel" of a bigger rig. at two of the venues you can actually feel the stage vibrate like a buttkicker pad. Which may sound weird but it feels awesome and they've managed to do it without any noticable rattling or anything. We never play without a pa these days, and often play venues that have side fills that can provide extra bass if need be.
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back