[Poll] What do you consider to be a lightweight cab?

[Lo-E]

The house backline that I didn’t have to carry to the gig is weightless!

When not available, however, I consider 40# and under to be lightweight. I have little interest in moving anything over 70# these days and that would have to be a single-cab solution. My 212, for instance, is about 65# and does fine on its own.

 

[Spedracer]

Do you mean tone sacrifice, or financial sacrifice?
With my Barefaced cab, I have the feeling I'm making absolutely no sacrifice regarding my tone. I can't think of any other cab that could sound better, even if I had no constraint regarding the weight.

Sacrifice can mean a lot of things. A practical example could be how large your apartment/home/space is. Another could be logistics issues, how big is the van? How many people are in your band (aka how much equipment is being transported). Physical size and weight can dictate some sonic tradeoffs.

Edit: weight can be different depending on how manageable the form is. 50# with your hands in the CG can feel about the same for a lower weight with the CG off center.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

For a 212, <40 lbs, 39 lbs is moderate and 31 lbs light. Consider stairs and carts/casters.

A 212 almost certainly weighs less than and takes less space to transport than 2 112 and requires less handling.

My GR AT 212 Slim is light, er- slim, and thunderous if pushed.
My GK Neo 212ii was near perfect and I miss it somedays.
A single Genzler BA12-3 SLT weighs <>35 lb and is all I'd need sonically in most cases.
If I could ever hear a pair of Genzler BA10-2 S2, I like to imagine they'd take the cake.

 

[ClassicJazz]

It might even be lighter than the bass!

Those Kramers get a bad rap for being heavy. I have two and both weigh around the same as most 5 string basses. I have played old P-Basses and BC Rich basses that weighed allot more! In fact I had an original BC Eagle and that bass was a boat anchor!

 

[micguy]

It matters not what the speakers are in the cab - a weight limit exists because we have physical limits that we don't want to push. My heaviest cab (I built it, and I calculated the weight before I built it, so I could make it as solid as possible within my weight tolerance) is 43 pounds, and it has 2 handles. I could be pushed a couple of pounds, but that's about it - essentially, I don't want to lift anything over the low 20's in pounds; so long as I have a friend and a cab that two people can lift, I can go twice that.

I have a dolly (built that as well) made specifically for that cab so that, once the thing is lifted out of my car, most of the time, it can be wheeled the rest of the way into the gig.

All that said, shortly after I built that cab, all my gigs went ampless.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, I recently bought a Fender Rumble 800 2x10 combo.
It's 29 pounds and the Rumble weighs less than my old Hartke Kickback 12 or my Ashdown Studio 15.
And the Rumble sounds a lot better.

All my gigs have been one-nighters for a long time, so weight is a big consideration for this brittle old man. If I had a house gig, I'd probably buy an old Peavey or Acoustic and just leave them there.

 

[Clark Westfield]

My Darkglass is around 44 lbs and a dream to move.

My Hartke 410 is wider and shorter and 70 lbs and a lot for me to handle, especially up my staircase.

Under 50 was my pick.

 

[ashtray]

My Genzler NU Classic 212 is 44 pounds, and I can carry it with one hand, up a flight of stairs. It’s not nothing, but it’s SO much lighter than my Aguilar DB212, which I think is around double that.

Ideally, a lightweight compact but still loud cab would weigh 30-35 pounds, but I really appreciate my 44 pound cab.

I have a 4x8 cab that is 60 pounds, does not have much low end response, and just doesn’t hold a candle to the Genzler. And 60 pounds is the breaking point where things start to feel heavy for me.

 

[bucephylus]

VERY subjective Q, since we all have vastly different circumstances.

My practice room is down a flight of basement stairs. After a 4 set night, and possibly two hour drive home, I schlep my cabs down those stairs; after which I console myself with a couple measures of good bourbon on the rocks.

I find that I can still fairly safely get 30 pound to 40 pound cabs down those stairs at the end of a long night; though one hand carry vs two hand carry is another variable. Two hand carry is slightly more risky; since I can neither hold the banister nor see my feet on the treads.

Much over 40 pounds and two hand carry gets into space that starts flashing warning signs.

But, thats me.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I feel like we all have different thresholds for what we consider to be a light cab, so it makes me curious: what's your personal weight limit for a 2x12?

I had a Fender 212 cab on my 1966 Fender Bassman that I bought in 1966. It had the large cab, not quite as bit as the Dual Showman with the 215's. Don't know how much it weighed but it was not light. I have two Eden EX-112 (300-watts rms handling power) that I bought in 2017 and used for my medium-sized venues. They certainly sounded a lot better than my old Bassman 212 cab did. They weigh 30-lbs each. I still use one of them with an Eden TN226 class D amp (4.7-lbs, 225-watts rms into 4Ω) for small venues like brewpubs. It's great because I can carry in the amp in its shoulder bag, my gig bag, my bass, and the cab in or out in one easy trip. When I used two of them I put them on a cart to take them in. Also had to use my big Eden amp at 37½-lbs in its rack when I used both because they are both 4Ω cabs and my WT500/800 amp has two discrete power channels putting out either 400-watts per channel into 4Ω or running bridged at 800-watts into 8Ω,

60-lbs for those 2x112 is also heavier than my DNS-210, which weighs in at 52-lbs. and is louder than running my 2x112's. Plus, I can run run it most of the time with my DNA-800 amp, which weighs 4.8-lbs and will put out 400-watts into my 8Ω cab. That set-up is actually loud enough for all my indoor medium to large-size venues so I don't even need to roll in my DNS-410 cab. I just use the 410 now for outdoors and Music Festivals. That DNS-210+DNA-800 amp weigh a total of 56.8-lbs. all together. I

f I run into a large venue with a long room, then I will pull out my Eden WT500/800 and run it bridged at 800-watts into my DNS-210. But then I have to make sure I'm not standing close to it because it gets crazy LOUD and I do mean painfully loud. So for indoor work, it can handle venues where I used to need to pull in my 410 cab. Although 52-lbs is a bit heavy for a 210 cab, it's a lot lighter than rolling in my 410 (79-lbs.) and it handles venues where I had to use my 410 cab before.

If I were running a 212 cab, I would expect it to be 60-lbs or less because that's what my 2x112 cabs weight comes to. But I would prefer it to be 50-lbs, so that's what I voted.

 

[ComicBass]

I have never had a 2x12 cab, but I do want to answer your question. I'll try and convince my husband to buy me a few and then get right back to you!

 

[Adjectives]

50 lbs. for a 2X12 cab. I just happen to have two 2X12 cabs that weigh 50 lbs. each.

I just so happen to have 2 2x12 cabinets that weigh 44lb ea. I can one-hand one, but bought a cart for when I bring 2.

 

[mikeynets]

If you are looking for lightweight, GR Bass Carbon Fiber cabinets are the way to go! Not only do they sound incredible, but super lightweight! The whole rig in this photo (GR Bass AT 210+. AT 112+ & Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0) only weighs with the amp 36 lbs! That is lighter than most single cabinets.

View attachment 7335775

Gotta lighten up the rig to offset that Kramer!

 

[ClassicJazz]

Gotta lighten up the rig to offset that Kramer!

Na, they get a bad rap. I have two Kramers and neither are any heavier than most 5 string basses. Had a BC Rich Eagle that weighed allot more, so heavy I sold it!

 

[Sid the Kid]

If the 12’s are vertically aligned that means the cab will be more narrow than the old 24” wide standard, which makes physically picking it up even easier so ultimate lightness would just be a bonus. My Genzler Magellan 2x12 is around 55# but it is easier to carry than a 55# 4x10. Higher handle placement makes it easier on the old knees and back. These factors help more than weight in my opinion.

 

[H Nighttrain]

I've got an old Eden 212XLT that's 75 lbs. It's pretty heavy.

I also have a Revsound RS212 that's 35 lbs. It's pretty light.

Thank you, technology progress.

 

[corndog]

My Tecamp 212 is 43lbs, My Baer ML112 is 37lbs. Both I consider reasonably light.

The handle design and placement on my Tecamp make it an easy one hand carry for me even though it’s a bigger cab than the Baer.

 

[Swift713]

My AI Ten2 is 25.7 lbs. I can one hand it with the head hanging on one shoulder, bass on the other, and my pedal board in the other hand. But I prefer to take two trips so I can bring a guitar stand and a cup of coffee.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

I have two Fender Rumble 100's (V3) combos. 100 watts/112 cabs (22 lbs. each). Most of the time one suffices. But I can and do chain them together for essentially a 200 watt, 212 rig for bigger venues or outdoors.

I'm old. Gigged for over 45+ years using all kinds of amps/cabs/combos. Big, heavy behemoths like the Ampeg SVT head and cab, Acoustic 360/361, to the more modern Class D micro heads and cabs.

I just cannot haul anything big or heavy anymore. Bad back, knees, shoulders, balance, etc. and needing one hand free to grab a railing while carrying a cab up/down stairs, so it has to be light. Besides being light it also cannot be an awkward carry. I can literally lift my Rumble combos with one finger under the handle (not that I do, but I can).

 

[Gervais Cote]

I have two Fender Rumble 100's (V3) combos. 100 watts/112 cabs (22 lbs. each). Most of the time one suffices. But I can and do chain them together for essentially a 200 watt, 212 rig for bigger venues or outdoors.

I'm old. Gigged for over 45+ years using all kinds of amps/cabs/combos. Big, heavy behemoths like the Ampeg SVT head and cab, Acoustic 360/361, to the more modern Class D micro heads and cabs.

I just cannot haul anything big or heavy anymore. Bad back, knees, shoulders, balance, etc. and needing one hand free to grab a railing while carrying a cab up/down stairs, so it has to be light. Besides being light it also cannot be an awkward carry. I can literally lift my Rumble combos with one finger under the handle (not that I do, but I can).

A great solution to give a break to your lower back………………………..and your wallet !

Quick question if I may : when using both combos all together, is it loud enough for any kind of drums/drummers ?