Tiny Head, Same Big Speaker Cabs: What's the Point?

[selowitch]

I'm just saying that if I already own heavy cabs getting a lightweight head won't help that problem much by itself. I'll need to replace the heavy cabs with light ones to really see a benefit.

 

[Redarmynick]

I just downsized from a Peavey Tour 450 and Avatar Neo 4x10 (which weren't that heavy to begin with) to a Markbass Backline 250 and a Trace Elliot 2x8. The reality is I'm plugging into the PA anyway, so I just need it loud enough to hear over drum/guitars at rehearsal. Live situations I can hear myself through the cab, the monitor and they come out fine through the PA through my direct out.

 

[5up]

I am aware of the trend toward tiny, lightweight bass heads. That's all well and good, but what's the point if most speaker cabinets are just as large and heavy as they've always been. I am genuinely perplexed. Other than perhaps using a tiny bass head for practice (with headphones) or maybe the studio, what's the point of having it in a live setting?

Flite Sound is the way to go.

 

[selowitch]

Flite Sound is the way to go.

Hmmm. They seem quite reasonable in cost also.

 

[bulldean]

A tiny head with big cabs? Reminds me of the opposite of a Tubes song that ended with "A baby's arm holding an apple."

 

[BurningSkies]

Anyone figure out how to solve this heavy cab problem yet.



I'm stuck hauling a 35lb and a 45lb cab to shows.

 

[Son of Wobble]

My question to OP is, where do I send my $2 for the Selowitch fan club?

I want the membership card and decoder ring!

 

[selowitch]

My question to OP is, where do I send my $2 for the Selowitch fan club?

I want the membership card and decoder ring!


View attachment 3011612

What did I do to deserve such an honor, O Son of Wobble?

 

[Son of Wobble]

What did I do to deserve such an honor, O Son of Wobble?

I was gonna ask you about your name and persona, and then I remembered I had this Google function here...

I just like your avatar, your essential good nature is evident in your photo and so it always me smile to see it. And thus it set me
to wondering if you are in fact a real person. You'll hopefully be cheered to learn that you evidently are!

 

[selowitch]

I was gonna ask you about your name and persona, and then I remembered I had this Google function here...

I just like your avatar, your essential good nature is evident in your photo and so it always me smile to see it. And thus it set me
to wondering if you are in fact a real person. You'll hopefully be cheered to learn that you evidently are!

That's really very kind. I appreciate it. You made my day much more pleasant. Thank you!
My family and friends call me Sam.

 

[DaveOBass]

I am aware of the trend toward tiny, lightweight bass heads. That's all well and good, but what's the point if most speaker cabinets are just as large and heavy as they've always been. I am genuinely perplexed. Other than perhaps using a tiny bass head for practice (with headphones) or maybe the studio, what's the point of having it in a live setting?

I use a Barefaced Cab. Light as a feather and is a great bass cab. I’ve got the Super Twin. I can lift it up a flight of stairs with one hand.
Barefaced Bass - Super Twin

 

[Jeff Scott]

We can all agree that a small, lightweight head is only marginally useful if your speaker cabs are bulky and/or heavy, right? Of course, that's aside entirely from using the head for recording or practice by itself.

I can not agree, as a small amp still makes LI/LO, etc. far easier. Even a big amp with a small cab makes life easier, than both being big and heavy.

Flite Sound is the way to go.

Hmmm. They seem quite reasonable in cost also.

Avoid Flite Sound. Unless things have changed with them, I consider them at least a couple levels below Marc Serio (Dr. bASS).

 

[Lee Gillis]

I am aware of the trend toward tiny, lightweight bass heads. That's all well and good, but what's the point if most speaker cabinets are just as large and heavy as they've always been. I am genuinely perplexed. Other than perhaps using a tiny bass head for practice (with headphones) or maybe the studio, what's the point of having it in a live setting?

I wish it was really possible but it's tough to get the deep tone and thump of a good bass note in a tiny light weight cab, if it's too light it wouldn't last too long.

 

[bassdood]

I am aware of the trend toward tiny, lightweight bass heads. That's all well and good, but what's the point if most speaker cabinets are just as large and heavy as they've always been. I am genuinely perplexed. Other than perhaps using a tiny bass head for practice (with headphones) or maybe the studio, what's the point of having it in a live setting?

Get a 2x12 with Neo speakers, 600 Watts. Put large casters on it (like touring pros have on their road cases). For example, a GK 212 Neo. Hugely better than a 210, and MUCH lighter than a 410. All you will need for rehearsal and most gigs. Add a second cab for larger gigs. You can carry it up a flight of stairs by yourself, put it in a midsize SUV easily, and pack all your stuff in with one trip.

 

[whero]

I use an Ampeg PF-500 head (5kg/11lb) with an SVT-410HLF (38.5kg/85lb).

The cab is no lightweight, though I've lugged heavier ones around in the past. But it has wheels and the massive "towel rail" handle, which make it easy to push around. The head, two pedals and all my cables are in an old laptop bag, from back in the day when laptops were a lot thicker than they are now. The laptop bag gets hung over the towel rail, my bass is in a gig bag over my shoulder, and it's a one trip job (one-and-a-half if there are stairs).

I'm in my mid 50s but still plenty fit/strong enough to hump the cab around. I exercise regularly (around 90 minutes a day, six days a week, alternating aerobic and resistance) so I hope to be lifting that box for some years to come. I'm sure that by the time I'm 70 I'll be over the 4x10, but by then I probably won't be doing gigs where I need to shake beer bottles off the bar at the back of the room so I'll probably downgrade to something like a 2x10 combo.

 

[Passinwind]

I'm just saying that if I already own heavy cabs getting a lightweight head won't help that problem much by itself. I'll need to replace the heavy cabs with light ones to really see a benefit.

Absolutely. My killer sounding but heavy cabs have literally been collecting dust for several years at this point.

 

[Korladis]

I've never been a fan of neodymium drivers in the lightweight cabs. Not as much mid definition as traditional drivers.

Faital 15PR400s have plenty of midrange definition. I wouldn't use them in my Sunn 2000S cab otherwise.

Okay, leaving aside the issue of sound for purposes of this discussion.

...why on earth would we leave aside sound in a discussion about music gear?

I'm just saying that if I already own heavy cabs getting a lightweight head won't help that problem much by itself. I'll need to replace the heavy cabs with light ones to really see a benefit.

Did you read any of the thread? Multiple people have chimed in about it saving a trip, or making it so they only have to schlep one heavy thing instead of two. Others have mentioned the utility of small mini amps as backups, or their usefulness when there's shared backline. I've seen quite a few people use tiny amps that they keep in their pedalboard cases with Ampeg 810 cabs.

 

[DavesnothereCA]

I am aware of the trend toward tiny, lightweight bass heads.

That's all well and good, but what's the point if most speaker cabinets are just as large and heavy as they've always been ? ....

~
I have not read ahead, and chances are that this has been said already, but the one flaw in your opening statement is the word which I emphasized above.

For the same reasons as most who are doing this, I am looking at lightening my load in all departments this year :

Head
Cab
Instrument

There are plenty of lighter weight cabs out there today (Neo speakers help to a degree, even if retrofitting older cabs, which I may well try), and lots of folks here have praised many of the newer cabs.

My only constraint against already having completed my goal is money, and maybe doing some more research on which ones to make my shortlist.

But for goodness sakes, there is NO shortage of choices in lightening one's cabinet load - That ISN'T the problem !

Another angle is having multiple smaller cabinets instead of one larger one, so as to lift and carry less at any one moment.

I likely will go that route.

A buddy of mine owns a chainsaw, and I have been thinking of giving him a call.
~

 

[DavesnothereCA]

So I have to go out and buy lightweight cabs to replace the ones I currently own?

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Did you already spring for one of the lighter heads ?

It's only a question of cost, and when it can be afforded, as I said in my last post.

There ARE numerous choices, in fact, TOO many ! drool
~

 

[DavesnothereCA]

I've been pining over a 2x8" from RevSound for months (under 20 lbs.)....

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Must be expensive !

Same as diet food.

Pay more and get less, and in both cases less weight.

See what I did there ?
~