Everyone's downsizing these days..

[Mudfuzz]

In celebration of all this down sizing I when out a bought another big tube amp

 

[protoz]

I have a small car now so I can't take my 2x15 cab with me to a gig even if I wanted to. I am using my 1x15 and PA support to keep up on a metal band. I might pick up a pair of 2x10's so I can try to fit them into my car separately.

 

[levis76]

That's why I love Mesa. Even with all the other amp manufacturers going overseas with smaller and lighter gear and day glo colors, Mesa still makes their gear right here in the US and it's still black and chrome. Oh, and it sounds good too, but who really cares about that, it's all about image, right?

 

[PlanetEarth]

But hey no offense and to each there own.

Then why ask the question in the first place?

Smells like fish to me....

-PE

 

[tdogg]

Im with ya "I play Metal" All the way!
I would challenge those guys with a Micro head and a couple of 1x10 cabinets to try to even tell they are playing while standing next to this!

if someone stood that close to 4 marshall tube stacks, even at 50% volume, their ears would bleed.

ANYWAYS.....
i used to haul around an SWR 8x10 (212 pounds), but i have since wised up. the only time i used that cab to its full potential was at an outdoor ampitheater with a wimpy PA. and that was competing with a mesa dual rectifier stack. right now i have a 4x10, and im looking to replace it with 2 smaller cabs. seems to me that if you need a gigantic rig, youre probably playing big venues and can afford a roadie. work smart, not hard. also, as my playing has matured, my EQ settings have gotten flatter and flatter, eliminating the need for cabinets that can produce 32hz at 105 Decibels. just my $.02

 

[lomo]

That's why I love Mesa. Even with all the other amp manufacturers going overseas with smaller and lighter gear and day glo colors, Mesa still makes their gear right here in the US and it's still black and chrome. Oh, and it sounds good too, but who really cares about that, it's all about image, right?

I love both micro and macro gear, especially Mesa, but they are definitely an outfit every bit as much about image as other companies. Micro gear sells because it's light and sounds as good to many players and most audiences cannot tell the difference live, NOT because of image. Big stuff can also float yer boat, but IMO there is nothing more about image than 810s and SVTs (which also sound great). Dig Aerosmith using in-ears and having massive stacks on stage.......turned off. That says it all. Play what you like, it's mostly pretty great.

 

[ataraxia]

Im actually doing the opposite. Im going bigger. I have a current Hartke 4.5xl which is a 4x10 with a little mark 800 tube. I play in a death/black metal band. This entails a loud drummer, two 7-string guitarists often playing In drop A, Keyboards and vocals. I would agree with the OP on this one. For some genres of music, downsizing works quite well im sure. Death metal perhaps isn't one of them. I however will probably end up with a cab bigger and more powerful than my 4x10 but lighter as the Hartke XL series are awful heavy.

Awesome to see a friend on here, Antares is amazing and I can't wait to share the stage with ya again.

As sweet as it is to play through an 8x10 or 2 4x10s stacked up I don't think it's really worth the hassle in moving it or in pissing off some sound guys. I was playing with a 650 watt nemesis head into a 2x12 and a 4x10 avatar stack and it was just total overkill no matter where I took it I never raised the master volume over 1/3. It was fun and it felt and looked cool, but it just wasn't needed.

I play bass in a thrashy metalcore band with 2 loud guitarists and a drummer ( Link Removed ). I cut it down to a 400 watt line 6 head and the avatar 4x10 cabinet. Nice and lightweight, but doesn't look like a toy... and I definitely get all the tone and volume out of it that I need. Even at 1/3-1/2 master volume, It is loud enough to cut through and I can definitely feel the thump.

 

[Lunchbox4u_6]

I just downsized and I've never been happier...Thunderfunk 550B and 2 Aggy DB112 (in monster green). Amazing tone.

 

[JimmyM]

As sweet as it is to play through an 8x10 or 2 4x10s stacked up I don't think it's really worth the hassle in moving it or in pissing off some sound guys.

sure it is

but i do have a couple smaller rigs, so sometimes it's not worth the hassle. generally, i don't find the 810 to be THAT much of a hassle.

 

[RickenBoogie]

In celebration of all this down sizing I when out a bought another big tube amp

Me too. And amazingly enough, all this new micro stuff has driven prices down on the bigger stuff. Bingo, it's a win.

 

[bazzanderson]

I downsized from a 110lb 6X10 (SWR) to a 65lb 2X12 (EarCandy BassBomb) and from my 24lb GK 1001RB head to a 3.5lb GK mb500 (3.5lbs). Very happy with losing the weight and no real perceivable volume loss (gigs are PA supported) and only slightly different tone. Couldn't be happier although I do at some point see a tube head in my future.

 

[johnk_10]

I downsized one of my gig rigs. instead of taking one of my SVT heads to my gigs lately, i started using this rack head instead:

This rack head weighs about half as much as either of my SVT's. The Demeter tube pre is really clear and punchy, and i can dial its tone anyway i want, the Distressor simulates output tube compression pretty well (it has a setting that sounds like a Urie 1176LN), and the Crown xti2000 is running bridged at 4 ohms @ 2000W RMS. i never thought that i'd say this, but with this rack head, i really don't miss using my SVT much at all (not that i'm ever going to sell it), but my back is a little happier.

 

[sedan_dad]

I've been reading alot of these posts and the feelings folks have over their choice of amp size are strong.
Everyones right! Small amps have a appeal of their own as do the big amps. In different venues each is superior over the other. I believe it makes more sense to have amps of varing sizes than to downsize forever or to just live with a monster.
Just choose the right size for that gig that night.
Mix and match, go micro, go stupid big. What ever the job calls for. You have more than 1 bass, right?

 

[Orco87]

I finally have my rig... dunno if it's necessarily a downsize though, I'm a complete carvin guy but was tired of luggin' a my r600 combo and ls1503. The 2x10 wasn't enough because I couldn't feel the bass but the ls1503 wouldn't get enough wattage b/c of the r600 which I just grew out of b/c of the tone... so now I have my bx1200, and it's paired with my ls1503. Light(er) items then what I was previously lugging around, good for anything I'm doing and will be doing, and I'm super happy.

....just need to get rid of my old gear now.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I have this:

The top is heavy.
The bottom is heavy.

Sometimes I have this feeling like I want to get a smaller amp, and read about how many rave about this and that. Then I try this and that.....and the tone just does not compare to ^^^.

I just sold my 1x15 because I don't gig anymore (for now). The 4x10 has plenty of bottom, even with a 5-stringer thanks to the Legend BP102 speakers in it. Very 1x15-like but more focused and tight.

I wasn't sure which I was going to sell, but I had to sell one. I A-B'ed it with the 1x15 before I sold it, and the 15 was pretty boomy, this was so tight that I made up my mind within 3 seconds of hitting the B.

I may one day get a 2x10 for this...but in NYC, many places have their own speakers, you just bring a head. There's almost no need to have a stack of any kind. Look at the MarkBass NYC cabs... all super tiny because around here, you don't need anything more than that. Either the venue will have it's own speakers or the place will be too small to bring a full sized cabinet if you need one.
I may buy the BX 500 for gigs and leave the SVT at home when the time comes to gig again.

(EDIT: I just spoke to my brother about one of his last gigs, and the venue actually had their own Micro Amp and speakers....sometimes all you need is your bass!)

 

[s_mcsleazy]

ok i used to play in a metal band and let me tell you to get a good metal tone you dont need a 8x10 and 10000000000 watts

i used a fender bassman 50 with a 1x15 ashdown and a 2x10 ashdown and i actually managed to do ok.

ok i did have to mic up to the pa but im really not bothered. my rig isnt small (because micro rigs in the uk are more expencive than 8x10s) but its defo not big.

plus no offence to you but you clearly dont know how to get the most out of your EQ settings if you think power is more effective

 

[fretno]

seems so common people are downsizing so much these days.I guess it's given with the technology out there.
Like people cutting to a single 10 inch rig.What on earth are you playing for that to be enough?(I play loud and heavy music so no offence)

But am I the only one who looooves to wheel in a giant bass rig??(I'm also young and fit haha).Love to look behind me and know I can Level the place if need be.

But serious-why downsize so small to limet yourself so much.I mean...sure my rig is overkill half the time but it's nice to *have the headroom and ability* to rally bigger shows,etc and have all basses covered.Ya dig?

what'd you think?

with a PA you don't even need a rig , but I still like to have something there , so yeah down to a 1x10

 

[eastcoasteddie]

plus no offence to you but you clearly dont know how to get the most out of your EQ settings if you think power is more effective

to whom is this directed?

 

[trunkshope6]

first off what do u guys mean when u have an amp slaved?

 

[Count Bassie]

Downsized:

A small but potent muthur of a gig-rig (not including the laptop/mixer practice jig).