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Go big or go home

#382
theduke1 said:
I’ll be 70 in July and still love to gig. I have gone to a Fender Rumble 500 2x10 combo and have added the Rumble 2x10 extension cabinet for a 4x10/500 watt rig. It moves air my friends. At 39 lbs each easy on the back.
In my 50+years of being a semi-pro musician ( playing from 1-6 nights a week, and a day job) I believe I have at one time or another have own or played through every bass rig known to man. My latest rig is the best one yet.
But this is MVHO
DUKE
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70 w/Rumble Stack... you're in the club! :bassist:
 
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#385
Still lugging g the big stuff, nothing else sounds like it. I can't tell you how many bassist ask me why my bass sounds so good and thiers doesn't, invariably they describe thier light weight low stage volume rig.
 
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#386
godofthunder59 said:
Still lugging g the big stuff, nothing else sounds like it. I can't tell you how many bassist ask me why thier stage sound is crap, invariably they describe thier light weight low stage volume rig.
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My experience is that consistently crappy stage sound usually goes along with crappy bass players. Good players sound good no matter what they play through (within reason).
 
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#387
agedhorse said:
26143975[/URL], member: 68399"]My experience is that consistently crappy stage sound usually goes along with crappy bass players. Good players sound good no matter what they play through (within reason).
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Lol I gotta go with you on this. That said the 1x15 cabs that have been my mainstay always end up being the heavier ones. I’ve bought lighter ones but they don’t stick. My ears keep dragging me back to the old TL-606 I’ve had since the early 80’s and Bag End S15’s. Of all the newer cabs I’ve tried the Berg NV115 is the only one I’ve liked enough to keep. I dig that one enough to be selling the current Bag End.

This isn’t to say it has to be heavy to be good. A lot of people use lightweight amps and cabs because those particular amps and cabs are what really work best for them. The lightweight part is just a perk. I wonder though why everything that works for me weighs a ******* ton? Believe me when I say I wish it weren’t the case.
 
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#388
iAsh said:
Lol I gotta go with you on this. That said the 1x15 cabs that have been my mainstay always end up being the heavier ones. I’ve bought lighter ones but they don’t stick. My ears keep dragging me back to the old TL-606 I’ve had since the early 80’s and Bag End S15’s. Of all the newer cabs I’ve tried the Berg NV115 is the only one I’ve liked enough to keep. I dig that one enough to be selling the current Bag End.

This isn’t to say it has to be heavy to be good. A lot of people use lightweight amps and cabs because those particular amps and cabs are what really work best for them. The lightweight part is just a perk. I wonder though why everything that works for me weighs a ******* ton? Believe me when I say I wish it weren’t the case.
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I have a good idea why. Your personal tonal preference aligns better with the tone profiles of the older gear, not necessarily extended low end or mid clarity, articulation, etc but a more raw, in your face tone.

The higher end of the industry has moved away from this (to a large part) though. Not saying that the older school tone isn't some player's preference, but it's no longer the mainstay's preference. Add to this that the more modern player is looking for (actually demanding) higher performance in a smaller, lighter package and is not buying the older school gear (except on the deeply discounted used market), very few manufacturers continue to develop or sell this anymore.
 
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#389
agedhorse said:
I have a good idea why. Your personal tonal preference aligns better with the tone profiles of the older gear, not necessarily extended low end or mid clarity, articulation, etc but a more raw, in your face tone.

The higher end of the industry has moved away from this (to a large part) though. Not saying that the older school tone isn't some player's preference, but it's no longer the mainstay's preference. Add to this that the more modern player is looking for (actually demanding) higher performance in a smaller, lighter package and is not buying the older school gear (except on the deeply discounted used market), very few manufacturers continue to develop or sell this anymore.
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I do think there are some exceptions here. Take for example, what I'm assuming is the most popular touring rig if all time, the SVT and it's matching 810 - still being manufactured. Hartke's and Orange class A/B amps. Fender, Marshall, Mesa, Peavey tube guitar amps. My point here is that while the general market has moved in the direction of convenience, there are still those that choose (what they consider to be) the ultimate tone. And, in the 'ultimate tone' camp are the top touring bands. And, that's the point/fun behind this thread. Some of us proudly lug the heavy iron each week, and when we're doing so we say to ourselves, "Nope, not going to settle for the light stuff". I would agree that your Subway 210 and 410 cabs sound exceptionally good for light weight cabs (to my ear at least). But, they are quite a bit more costly (not at saying they're over priced, they are a good value in my opinion). And your 800 series Subway amps are also very good. If I went light those would be my rig. But, as you just mentioned, my musical heart is still drawn too those tones and feel that I grew up with in the 80's and 90's. And, you can't deny there is a certain coolness factor with certain gear onstage. Your Rectifier series guitar amp heads with the metal tread and distinguished creamy crunch definitely has that. When you pull that amp, it's not just your rig - It's your identity.
 
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#390
EAE26100-E84C-4170-9891-108CF2013D8E.jpeg
I don’t mind carting this
 
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#392
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#393
tshapiro said:
I do think there are some exceptions here. Take for example, what I'm assuming is the most popular touring rig if all time, the SVT and it's matching 810 - still being manufactured. Hartke's and Orange class A/B amps. Fender, Marshall, Mesa, Peavey tube guitar amps. My point here is that while the general market has moved in the direction of convenience, there are still those that choose (what they consider to be) the ultimate tone. And, in the 'ultimate tone' camp are the top touring bands. And, that's the point/fun behind this thread. Some of us proudly lug the heavy iron each week, and when we're doing so we say to ourselves, "Nope, not going to settle for the light stuff". I would agree that your Subway 210 and 410 cabs sound exceptionally good for light weight cabs (to my ear at least). But, they are quite a bit more costly (not at saying they're over priced, they are a good value in my opinion). And your 800 series Subway amps are also very good. If I went light those would be my rig. But, as you just mentioned, my musical heart is still drawn too those tones and feel that I grew up with in the 80's and 90's. And, you can't deny there is a certain coolness factor with certain gear onstage. Your Rectifier series guitar amp heads with the metal tread and distinguished creamy crunch definitely has that. When you pull that amp, it's not just your rig - It's your identity.
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To clarify, I was talking specifically about bass gear.

The SVT has exactly the properties I has mentioned earlier. That’s about the only larger cabinet and amp that I would say still sells in any real numbers.

Based on what I have seen, the number of such “large old school” amps and cabinets being sold represent much less that 1% of the bass market, however because of the number produced over the many years it has been in production, appearances can be deceiving.
 
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#395
agedhorse said:
To clarify, I was talking specifically about bass gear.

The SVT has exactly the properties I has mentioned earlier. That’s about the only larger cabinet and amp that I would say still sells in any real numbers.

Based on what I have seen, the number of such “large old school” amps and cabinets being sold represent much less that 1% of the bass market, however because of the number produced over the many years it has been in production, appearances can be deceiving.
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Makes perfect sense. All my heavy cabs have been bought used. All my light cabs have been bought new. I did buy my Hartke LH1000's new though. My dream retirement rig will be a Subway 800+ sitting on a stack of the Subway 210's. I'm not there yet, so hopefully when I am I can find them used :D
 
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