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Let's talk about weight

#161
Chef said:
"Combo 300?" yeah. heavy.
Had one. It wouldn't die, even when I threw it down a flight of stairs one night because I was really tired of it and it wouldn't die.
I gave it away on CL; still working fine, many years after the stairs thing.
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Yep that's why they go for so cheap.
Some people think it's 'cause "PEAVEY IS CRAP" - nope, human spines are crap when faced with the ole' 300.
Actually - this is the perfect response to the OP.
Given the weight of the old 300s = does that mean these are BETTER than say a Class D Ampeg, Markbass or SWR? Don't think so.
Don't get me wrong those old Peaveys are perfectly serviceable amps - but they're not THOSE.
In fact, I think I need one of those for my practice space.
 
#162
Huge, heavy gear is superior for a few reasons:
1. We get a lot of tornados here in the south, in the event of severe weather I can crouch down behind my gear to stay safe from high winds and debris.
2. Heavier gear in the back of my SUV makes my car handle better. Great for driving home at 3am while dodging the deer that clog the back roads.
3. Helping move my gear gives my singer something to do, makes him feel like a real musician.
4. Standing in front of it makes me feel like a rock god while I pound out the eighth notes to an ACDC cover to the 12 members of the audience.
Your sissy neo/class D gear can't do any of this.:bassist:
 
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#163
birminghambass said:
Huge, heavy gear is superior for a few reasons:
1. We get a lot of tornados here in the south, in the event of severe weather I can crouch down behind my gear to stay safe from high winds and debris.
2. Heavier gear in the back of my SUV makes my car handle better. Great for driving home at 3am while dodging the deer that clog the back roads.
3. Helping move my gear gives my singer something to do, makes him feel like a real musician.
4. Standing in front of it makes me feel like a rock god while I pound out the eighth notes to an ACDC cover to the 12 members of the audience.
Your sissy neo/class D gear can't do any of this.:bassist:
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Actually - you'll find that two NEOs and a Class D head look just as ROCK GOD to my 10 audience members as your rig does to your dozen. ;)
 
#164
kevteop said:
This 'tone is king' argument: Do you think anybody gigs a Class D head and a Neo cab thinking it sounds bad?

My rig has to do triple duty - bass guitar often with lots of effects, double bass and synth bass. My 2x12 + tweeter smokes any traditional bass cab at doing this, my Class D head can sound transparent or it can warm up nicely with the valve pre and it sounds great on all three instruments. I don't need a ton of volume from it but regardless I've got 600w on tap and the cab will handle all that and more and put out a deafening noise if I want one.

I'm really not missing out.
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I had a dude interrupt me mid-set last night to tell me 'your bass tone is SOOO amazing, man!" My wife who was at the back of the room at the far end of a very LONG room said that the guy next to her was going on about how great the bass sounded and how he was just 'so into that bass tonight'.

That's half of my Class D power amp and my lightweight neo speakers in lightweight half inch ply cabinets and no PA support for it. The other half of my power amp? ALL the FOH for 4 vocals, kick, snare, hand drums etc.

Yep. that lightweight stuff surely is a sacrifice on stage. ;)
 
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#166
FFTT said:
Yeah well, can't count how many times someone in the audience came up to one of us after a show or set and said
we were amazing, when to us the set was a complete cluster "F"
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This is true, but people taking the time and effort to comment on your 'tone' tends to be the realm of players in the audience. The fact that people in the crowd were talking about it to each other tends to suggest it might be good. My wife likes to be the 'fly on the wall' at shows. I hear all the bad stuff and all the good stuff. One gig she sat next to the board and listened to the sound engineer complain bitterly about one of the instruments we use (melodica) and how 'stupid' it is...of course he's all smiles about it to the band.
 
#171
I got a good laugh at some of the weight comments, I come from moving PA for 30+ years and when I was able to reduce the weight from 8000 lbs down to 3500 lbs (yes, using Neo and SMPS) I ended up with a better sounding, easier to manage system with absolutely no sacrafices and plenty of benefits.
 
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#174
BurningSkies said:
I had a dude interrupt me mid-set last night to tell me 'your bass tone is SOOO amazing, man!" My wife who was at the back of the room at the far end of a very LONG room said that the guy next to her was going on about how great the bass sounded and how he was just 'so into that bass tonight'.

That's half of my Class D power amp and my lightweight neo speakers in lightweight half inch ply cabinets and no PA support for it. The other half of my power amp? ALL the FOH for 4 vocals, kick, snare, hand drums etc.

Yep. that lightweight stuff surely is a sacrifice on stage. ;)
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Was the guy pretty drunk? :laugh:

I wish I had a dollar every time every one of the musicians in the band had one fan in the audience that raved about their tone-- bass, drums, guitar, etc. I felt like sometimes the guy making all the compliments drew a bit of attention to himself, a key element when you're drunk and all the girls are watching the band...:cool:
 
#175
This was 200 watts @ 4 ohms, and it only weighed 84.5 lbs. Heck, I used to carry one just like it up 3 flights of stairs one handed without stopping—when I was 23!

Marshall-Major-200w-1973.jpg
 
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#176
alaskaleftybass said:
Was the guy pretty drunk? :laugh:

I wish I had a dollar every time every one of the musicians in the band had one fan in the audience that raved about their tone-- bass, drums, guitar, etc. I felt like sometimes the guy making all the compliments drew a bit of attention to himself, a key element when you're drunk and all the girls are watching the band...:cool:
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...because after gigging non-stop in clubs since the 1980's I can't tell when someone's just a drunk trying to make time vs. someone who knows what they're saying? :P

I've seen it all.
 
#177
I do wonder how the OP will feel about schlepping monster amps and cabs when he gets to my age!
Perhaps he will come back and resurrect this thread and let us know, unfortunately I probably won't be around to read it.

Years ago I had a monster tube amp stack and loved it, still have it but it never moves out of my cave, neo and class D now. As always YMMV.
 
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#179
Not understanding why someone might prefer lighter gear to heavier gear....really? It's like not understanding why someone would fly across the continent rather than drive.......one doesn't have to be a particle physicist or philosopher to wrap one's head around it.

I am 52 and have no back issues, possibly in part because i do not abuse my back. I hear no tonal reason to carry any single piece of gear over 40 lbs, so I do not.
 
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#180
I loved my old amps and huge cabs but with today's technology, I get a stellar tone, more power than I will ever need and my whole rig is lighter than some of the heads I've owned. Why would I bother?
Weight isn't so much an issue for shows because of the adrenaline pumping in. For mid-week rehearsals however, after a day of work and going back home at midnight, heavy gear really is a hassle that kills some of the pleasure.
 

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