need advice on downsizing

[melissalmurphy]

Unless I am running an all tube amp, the only place I want to get overdrive or distortion from intentionally is from my preamp. Distortion from my power amp or speakers will eventually fry them. With an all tube amp head, on the other hand, tube saturation and slight distortion won't fry it and the sound can be very pleasing to the ear. In fact that's one of the reasons I used to drag around an 85 pound amp head.
All these formulas and such for how many watts you need in the amp and how many watts the cabs should be able to handle are amusing, but useless. HERE IS THE RULE.
1. Buy as many watts as you can afford.
2. Buy as big or as many cabinets as you think you will ever need.
3. Unless you have roadies, don't buy anything that you can't carry
by yourself.

my roadie (i.e. husband) is the reason i'm downsizing!

very helpful information. i should've been reading TB long ago.

 

[nashvillebill]

But to answer the original question, which (I think) was whether some people would advise to downsize to a combo:

I have had a similar thought process....I have several 2x15 cabs and plenty of power amps and heads, but the bottom line is that I got tired of lugging these refrigerators to bar gigs and practices, where I'd spend up to an hour unloading and setting up...for a measly $50 take-home pay. So I kept my rigs, but also kept my eyes open in the local classified ads, and eventually found a Peavey Databass combo, it's 450 watts into a single 15" Black Widow. Plenty of power. Now granted, it's a heavy combo--hey it's a Peavey--but the first thing I did was to add a strap handle to each of the left and right sides. Helps a lot.

With this combo, and a small hand truck (dolly) from the local Harbor Freight tool outlet store, I can make it from the car to the stage in one trip. I have yet to be out-powered, even with loud drummers. And the tone is perfectly acceptable. Best of all, it only cost me $225.

Oh, and I bought some vinyl for $10 and sewed me a cover for it myself on the trusty old Singer....

 

[melissalmurphy]

But to answer the original question, which (I think) was whether some people would advise to downsize to a combo:

I have had a similar thought process....I have several 2x15 cabs and plenty of power amps and heads, but the bottom line is that I got tired of lugging these refrigerators to bar gigs and practices, where I'd spend up to an hour unloading and setting up...for a measly $50 take-home pay. So I kept my rigs, but also kept my eyes open in the local classified ads, and eventually found a Peavey Databass combo, it's 450 watts into a single 15" Black Widow. Plenty of power. Now granted, it's a heavy combo--hey it's a Peavey--but the first thing I did was to add a strap handle to each of the left and right sides. Helps a lot.

With this combo, and a small hand truck (dolly) from the local Harbor Freight tool outlet store, I can make it from the car to the stage in one trip. I have yet to be out-powered, even with loud drummers. And the tone is perfectly acceptable. Best of all, it only cost me $225.

Oh, and I bought some vinyl for $10 and sewed me a cover for it myself on the trusty old Singer....

that is a good deal. but i've pretty much ruled out combos due to their weight. i want something i can carry myself, and toss in the back of the car w/o too much trouble. but if i stumble across a good deal like you found, i might have to consider it. thanks for the comment!