Health making me go even more ultralight

[Inara]

Hi folks,

Edit: not looking for solutions or suggestions ... I've already made my plan and made a purchase. I just wanted to vent and talk a little, to be "heard" by fellow bassists in a communal way. Thanks for all the input people have given!

I've never been blessed with much upper-body strength, and so have gravitated towards lighter rigs throughout my career. Things like a lightweight amp head and a neo-loaded cabinet weighing 50 pounds or less. My latest rig has been a Quilter Bass Block 800 and an Avatar 126 with the Kappalite 3012LF driver (this combination kills). I had a major surgery in July, and even that cab is too much for me now, and I have to get bandmates to help me load in and out.

I don't have ultra-high volume requirements. From experience, I've noted that 200-300 watts into at least a good single 12" cab will handle 90+% of my shows, as I always have FOH support and the other players' stage volume isn't huge. The Quilter into the Avatar handles the rest. So I took the plunge and ordered a 4 ohm Mini 12+L (19 pounds) from Jorg Schroeder. I have a TC Electronics BH250 head that I love, and which has a built-in tuner and the SpectraComp compressor in the Toneprint slot, which also eliminates two pedals and the mini pedal board that I had them on.

So basically, I'm going to velcro the BH250 to the cab, and I'll have a 23 pound, 250 watt 112 "combo" that is all I need to carry other than my bass for most gigs. I also do a lot of shows that require a very quick changeover between bands, so attaching the head to the cab for a "combo" and not having to pack up / unpack the head is a plus for me. I should get the cab in a week or so, and I'm very excited. I've demoed a few of Jorg's cabs back when I lived in Nashville, and really liked them. I'll post my thoughts once I get it and can play around with it.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Get a folding hand cart like this Magna Cart to carry your cab from the car to stage and back. This will make the only time you lift any cab is to put it into the car or on the stage. I love mine, also goes up curbs and stairs great.

https://www.amazon.com/Magna-Personal-Capacity-Aluminum-Folding/dp/B000HVVSDU

 

[Inara]

Get a folding hand cart like this Magna Cart to carry your cab from the car to stage and back. This will make the only time you lift any cab is to put it into the car or on the stage. I love mine.

https://www.amazon.com/Magna-Personal-Capacity-Aluminum-Folding/dp/B000HVVSDU
View attachment 3162245

You mean like the one I've used for my gear for 20+ years? I'm fully aware of carts, and have two that I use regularly. Unfortunately it's past that point for me.

 

[voided3]

It sounds like you've already found a great solution! I recommend 3M Dual Lock to attach your head to the cabinet as it's very strong and won't attract or be affected by dirt and moisture. They sell it at the usual big box hardware stores.

For my "nano rig", I have a Trace Elliot ELF 1x10" cabinet coming this week that weighs in around 16 pounds. I intend to use it for playing at home and for drummer-less jazz duo/trio setups. I already have the matching ELF head, but I'm betting my Mesa D800 will do a killer job maximizing its potential.

 

[Inara]

It sounds like you've already found a great solution! I recommend 3M Dual Lock to attach your head to the cabinet as it's very strong and won't attract or be affected by dirt and moisture. They sell it at the usual big box hardware stores.

For my "nano rig", I have a Trace Elliot ELF 1x10" cabinet coming this week that weighs in around 16 pounds. I intend to use it for playing at home and for drummer-less jazz duo/trio setups. I already have the matching ELF head, but I'm betting my Mesa D800 will do a killer job maximizing its potential.

Super cool ... I've been thinking of getting the ELF head as a tiny backup, and if I love the Schroeder cab, I'll be ordering up a Mini 10+L, which is also around 16 pounds and really kills from the sound clips I've heard. Though I just found out about the Trace 110 cab you mention, and the fact that it has a built-in cradle for the ELF head ... that sounds like a great little coffeehouse-type rig, or an even lighter option for my solo act (me on bass, voice, and foot percussion).

 

[JRA]

sorry about your physical predicament, but it sounds like you have a great, on-point plan! post pics of your new rig when you have it in order, please. good luck!

 

[micguy]

I had back surgery a couple of years ago. That worked very well, but I'm not going to chance things if I can help it. I'm 90 plus % in ear at this point - the only gig that I need an amp for, I bring a 110 cab and class D head, and it's more than enough.

For the bigger gigs, no amp - bass, pedalboard, and a shoulder bag full of cables and a few other necessities (reading glasses, in ear buds, tiny IEM mixer); I'm in the door in one trip from the car, and have a free hand to open the door on the way in if I put the bass on my back. For those gigs, it's not like an amp would help the situation - the PA's are more than adequate to handle the job.

 

[honeyiscool]

I don't have any health problems (sorry about that!), but I play a TC BH800 into a Barefaced Super Compact (w/ cloth grill, it's 21 pounds). If I were in your situation and I needed to cut even more weight, I might go with a Barefaced One 10, for 15 pounds, but I love the Super Compact too much. Another place where you can cut weight is things like cases. Using a nice, light, but sturdy wearable bag like Gator Transit bag instead of a Fender hard case makes a huge difference for me.

 

[Inara]

I don't have any health problems (sorry about that!), but I play a TC BH800 into a Barefaced Super Compact (w/ cloth grill, it's 21 pounds). If I were in your situation and I needed to cut even more weight, I might go with a Barefaced One 10, for 15 pounds, but I love the Super Compact too much. Another place where you can cut weight is things like cases. Using a nice, light, but sturdy wearable bag like Gator Transit bag instead of a Fender hard case makes a huge difference for me.

Thanks! Anything in the 25 or less pound range is good for me, for now. It's funny how much difference 25 pounds versus even 30 is for me right now - it's like some weird cliff-edge sort of thing where 25 is no problem but 30 truly is for some reason. And I haven't carried a hard case to a gig since I got rid of my last vintage Fender a few years back ... I only even own one hard case now (for my EBMM Caprice), and I never use it ... it's just there in case I have to travel, ship, or sell the bass.

 

[Bassheart365]

Speaking of weight...this has been one of the best investments I have ever made:

 

[voided3]

Speaking of weight...this has been one of the best investments I have ever made:

View attachment 3162319

Agreed, I have an R6. I helped our drummer load out with it last weekend and the two of us got his whole drum set in one trip. My Ampeg 8x10 also fits on it when laid on its side so even that rig is a one trip load in/out.

 

[Inara]

Speaking of weight...this has been one of the best investments I have ever made:

View attachment 3162319

Yep. I have a similar one, and also one that is more of a handtruck like @voided3 posted earlier, and I use them both, choosing one or the other depending on the rig and the load-in situation. Couldn't really gig without them, honestly. I simply now need even more assistance than these provide.

 

[Wfrance3]

Revsound makes some good bang for the buck, decently light-weight cabs.
Good luck. I hope your situation will improve with time and is something you can heal up from. (Sorry about ending with a preposition...)

 

[Inara]

Revsound makes some good bang for the buck, decently light-weight cabs.
Good luck. I hope your situation will improve with time and is something you can heal up from. (Sorry about ending with a preposition...)

Thanks! I looked at RevSound before setting on the Schroeder. They seem like great cabs.

And no worries about the sentence structure ... the whole "dangling preposition" thing is not even an actual grammatical rule in English. Even the Oxford English Dictionary folks say so:
Can you end a sentence with a preposition? | OxfordWords blog

 

[tb4sbp]

I know that there isn't much I can say that you haven't already tried. But your determination to stay playing is inspiring. I, as many others here, through injury or health/age experience the difficulty of moving gear. Which IMO bass gear is the heaviest next to a PA system. Luckily in the past decade or so this has been changing. Quality lightweight gear at decent pricing can be had. If I were my current age and back issues that I have today 25 years ago I would have had to throw in the towel. Keep up the good fight.

Thanks for reading

 

[briandavismurph]

I don't have any health problems (sorry about that!), but I play a TC BH800 into a Barefaced Super Compact (w/ cloth grill, it's 21 pounds). If I were in your situation and I needed to cut even more weight, I might go with a Barefaced One 10, for 15 pounds, but I love the Super Compact too much. Another place where you can cut weight is things like cases. Using a nice, light, but sturdy wearable bag like Gator Transit bag instead of a Fender hard case makes a huge difference for me.

Don't forget he MONO Sleeve as hard case alternative, super light, super easy to sling around, super protective

 

[CapnSev]

If I had the cash, I’d strongly consider 2 of the Trace 2x8 cabs. A vertical stack of the two would be awesome, and they get rave reviews.

 

[idorky]

Super cool ... I've been thinking of getting the ELF head as a tiny backup, and if I love the Schroeder cab, I'll be ordering up a Mini 10+L, which is also around 16 pounds and really kills from the sound clips I've heard. Though I just found out about the Trace 110 cab you mention, and the fact that it has a built-in cradle for the ELF head ... that sounds like a great little coffeehouse-type rig, or an even lighter option for my solo act (me on bass, voice, and foot percussion).

can't go wrong with jorg but on the elf..... i think it's hit or miss, the elf missed on me twice, i had two (2) units and she was not ready for prime tyme, i was digging the sound, (gain on 2pm, vol on 12-1 pm, not really pushing her) but unfortunately, heating was the issue on both, first brand new unit, i tested out on a small venue show, middle of the first set, she'll cut about one measure, same with the second set... nicth gut... so back in box and replaced her with the big bang... problem solved,..... the second unit, she lasted through set three b4 taking a full measure rest on a ballad, also back in the box she goes and out the D800, problem solved... maybe for rehearsals she's adequate, but not for primetyme. and yes i paired the elf with jorg, hope my experience helps

 

[Inara]

If I had the cash, I’d strongly consider 2 of the Trace 2x8 cabs. A vertical stack of the two would be awesome, and they get rave reviews.

They look cool, but even those are too heavy for me currently, even one of them (27 pounds each). 19 pound Shcroeder Mini 12+L on the way!

 

[Karlson541]

I love the classic Trace Elliot tone, so if I was to go light Class D amp, I'd most likely choose the new Trace Elliot 200W ELF amp, that has been made to reproduce the classic Trace Elliot tone.

Bass amps doesn't come smaller either, so fits your requirements perfectly, it literally can be fit into a pocket.

Also the cabs that are made to fit it are small and light weight, you can use any cab for the ELF, but the 1x10" or 2X8" cab would fit your requirements nicely as well.

The head weights 1,6 Lbs, the 1x10" cab 16,2 Lbs and the 2x8" cab 27 Lbs.

Both the ELF amp and cabs has received great reviews and people generally says good things about them.