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hey small head manufacturers: mini rant coming

#42
Never had an issue with this in over 20 years of using micro's... starting with the Walter Woods. I use high quality, padded custom fit amp bags from Mooradian (suggestion... if you are worried about this, don't skimp.... pay up and be done with it!). If I'm in a situation where I am on the road and using an equipment van (a rare situation for me know), you can easily have a small, lightweight Anvil type custom case made for any of these heads that will provide massive protection (better than a lightweight rack).

Pot mounting design seems totally fine, and I'm never had a problem and have rarely heard of anyone having any issue with this.

IMO and about a 2000 gigs of IME, on the road and at home.
 
#43
JimmyM said:
i have always been impressed by genz benz, derek. i consider roger and andy to be two of my best talkbass pals, they're very forward thinking, they have cs that's second to none, and it's apparent with the streamliner that they're working very hard to bridge the "whomp factor" gap between micros and tube amps. i totally respect that and i have nothing but good to say about them and the products they make that i've tried.

but dang, i so don't need a 900w amp. even a 600w amp is ridiculous overkill for me. hell, even the b-15's clean power is too loud for most of my gigs, and it's only 25w! i think the market for high powered micros is way bigger than smaller power, most definitely, so i can't blame them for smacking down on that market, but it's so not what i need. if they ever make a streamliner 100, that would be more up my alley. don't see that happening, though ;)

but they are a wonderful company and i'll never say a bad word about them.
Click to expand...

Again, Jimmy, since you are into the 'technical side' of this, you should by now realize that cab sensitivity and impedance have a HUGE impact on wattage needed. An 8ohm, relatively deeply voiced cab (i.e., relatively low sensitivity) can EASILY use and quite frankly 'need' the 500 watts or so that a very high powered solid state head produces at 8ohms, as just one example.

Wattage is not all about 'getting loud' in an absolute sense.
 
#44
not sure how that relates to my needs, but thanks ken. i'll remember that if i ever buy a cab that sucks power. don't think it'll happen anytime soon, but i'll keep that little bit of info in my back pocket.

:p :D
 
#46
Sten said:
Just don't leave microamps with side-vents (e.g. SWR Headlite) in a bag while playing :)
Click to expand...

Actually, the Markbass bags are designed for this, and have openings for the amps in their lines that have side vents. Kind of a neat option, and the those particular heads run cool enough that you don't have to worry about overheating in the bag at all.
 
#47
JimmyM said:
not sure how that relates to my needs, but thanks ken. i'll remember that if i ever buy a cab that sucks power. don't think it'll happen anytime soon, but i'll keep that little bit of info in my back pocket.

:p :D
Click to expand...


+1 This ties back to your 'rant' thread about cabinet specs. There is no free lunch... a relatively large cab that has 'better' mechanical specs (i.e., higher xmax, high thermal power capability, and a cab tuned nice and low) can use a surprising amoung of power to put out the deep low end and even tone at even moderate volumes. And, when we take into account that some of these cabs are 8ohms, then you have to cut the max power of the head almost in half (i.e., that '900 watt' amp becomes a 500 watt amp).

Not so simple as 'one does or doesn't need a lot of power'.

IMO, it is better to not really equate wattage output with volume needs in an absolute sense... it depends.
 
#48
I think a custom pedalboard/case would be cool. I would keep pedals fixed on the bottom, foam in between and when you take the top off and flip it around the microhead would be mounted there. The case has to have the design of two L-shapes though, so access to both amp knobs and pedals would be granted.

Still, I rarely see the need to carry just my amp and not my cab, therefore I may be going for a combo after all. If G-K would make MB212 combo with 8-ohm speaker and extension option I would be sold :) I'm still hesitant to make my rig a single 2x12" with no extension option.

For me the biggest grief is that I get new ideas and would like to try new options, but the after-market is extremely small here so selling things at a reasonable price takes a long time. Also, newest products take a long time to come to local second hand market, therefore I am actually buying most things new. Selling a product that was bought as new to buy another new product is very costly. And here I am, way off topic ;)
 
#49
KJung said:
+1 This ties back to your 'rant' thread about cabinet specs. There is no free lunch... a relatively large cab that has 'better' mechanical specs (i.e., higher xmax, high thermal power capability, and a cab tuned nice and low) can use a surprising amoung of power to put out the deep low end and even tone at even moderate volumes. And, when we take into account that some of these cabs are 8ohms, then you have to cut the max power of the head almost in half (i.e., that '900 watt' amp becomes a 500 watt amp).

Not so simple as 'one does or doesn't need a lot of power'.

IMO, it is better to not really equate wattage output with volume needs in an absolute sense... it depends.
Click to expand...
wow, you're shot out of a cannon today! i'm equating MY volume needs in an absolute sense. other people's volume needs....hey, whatever. n/a in jimmyland.
 
#50
JimmyM said:
wow, you're shot out of a cannon today! i'm equating MY volume needs in an absolute sense. other people's volume needs....hey, whatever. n/a in jimmyland.
Click to expand...

+1 Just remember though that, again, the correlation between wattage and volume is very low, and relatively meaningless without taking into account the rest of the signal chain (especially cab design).

I don't need more than 500 watts myself with the relatively high sensitivity 4ohm cabs I typically use for my volume needs either (or the relatively low sensitivity but very small Audiokinesis 4ohm 112). However, if I went back to my Acme B210 stack (or changed my tone goals to need thundering low end), that wattage need would change quite a bit, even though my absolute volume goals had not changed.

Sorry to the OP for the OT.
 
#53
nostatic said:
Well, maybe you're lucky or I'm unlucky. My head, in its carry bag, fell off my cart when I hit a bump. Fell about 2 feet - and evidently landed right on one of the knobs. If that had happened with my new GK MB Fusion head, the metal hoop likely would have taken the hit, not the knob.
Click to expand...

I've always used nylon straps to help keep things from slipping around and falling off my cart and back it up with care and a firm hand when going over bumps, door thresholds, splits in the sidewalk, etc. or up/down stairs or curbs. I don't think it's quite fair to blame the amp manufacturer for user carelessness.

That worked well with heavier gear. Now I keep my Shuttle 9 in a close fitting well padded bag I picked up at a thriftshop for a buck and sling it across my body like a messenger bag to keep it safe when carrying it.
 
#55
Hoover said:
A cart?!?! It's a 7lb micro-head, what do you need a cart for?
Click to expand...

Some of us actually use cabs with our micro heads:D Again, IMO, zero issue, and the bags work great for protecting these heads in all but the most extreme situations:

AE212Schlepp.gif



A good quality cart with stair/curb walkers, a stiff frame, and attached bunjee straps is also key to an easy, safe schlepp. Spending big bucks on a cab and amp, and skimping on cart/covers is a bad idea, and money 'not well saved'.
 
#56
Floyd Eye said:
When they make one of those heads that is
A) affordable and
B) 1200 watts or more

Then I would consider it. Until then, I have no problem schlepping my behemoth around.
Click to expand...

Well, they aren't in the micro category, but Carvin makes two heads (the B2000 and the BX1500) which are very lightweight, very affordable, and put out over 1,200 watts.
 
#58
JimmyM said:
actually, that should have been directed to me, not hr. hr was sarcastically agreeing with coastie and taking a shot at me. but i agree...i'm not the one playing it, and coastie should be very proud and happy about his rig. it suits him just fine and i'm down with that. that's why i said "to me it defeats the purpose."
Click to expand...

Ahh gotcha. I should have said don't listen to JIM.. :p

Seriously though, I'll give an example of where racking a micro head makes sense for me. I have a nice 2 space rackbag. In the summer my schedule is 2-3 outdoor gigs a week, all beaches or restaurants on the water, so there's plenty of salty air, sand, beverages, threatening thunderstorms and such to contend with. Also the bag has a nice big pocket on top that makes it impossible for others to put a drink down on the amp, and the pocket serves as great storage for wallet/keys/phone/sunglasses/setlists/picks etc. And I save around 20 lbs off the weight of the bag.
 
#59
tombowlus said:
Well, they aren't in the micro category, but Carvin makes two heads (the B2000 and the BX1500) which are very lightweight, very affordable, and put out over 1,200 watts.
Click to expand...


The head currently in my rack is an older Carvin RL1000. I also have an RBI, a BBE and a Furman in that rack. Even with no head at all, it will not be light. Two cabs, Carvin RL410 and RL 1x18. In all honesty, weight is a non-issue for me.

As for those newer Carvin heads, I have considered them, as the pre on my RL is toast, but there have been many complaints about them and I think I have decided that when the time comes to replace the RL1000, it will be with a Hartke LH1000.

That is unless there is some sort of miracle and I can wind up with a US made SVT-4Pro.
 
#60
Floyd Eye said:
I think I have decided that when the time comes to replace the RL1000, it will be with a Hartke LH1000.
Click to expand...

The LH1000 is a really great head, too. If you don't mind the Fender tone stack, and you don't mind a little weight, it definitely delivers the goods. :cool:
 

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