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

[HolmeBass]

By "have to," I mean "in order to gain any meaningful overall benefit." If I still have to lug around 35lbs. speaker cabs, the advantage of a small, light head is relatively small and perhaps not worth the money.

Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

Because I easily see the benefit of going from a 18 lb head to 5 lb one with a smaller footprint, no matter what weight my cabinet is. And if I’m going from a 75 lb head to a 5 lb then I can see a massive benefit.

 

[brianrost]

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?

It fits in your gig bag so when you're touring you can always have your amp with you. I see lots of jazz guys using small heads and promoter-supplied cabs.

Or maybe you just like the way it sounds

 

[fclefgeoff]

I bought a Bergantino CN-410 on clearance from Jim for $999. 800 watts, 4 ohms, and 49 lbs. I would call that pretty damn light weight. I upgraded the stock casters to some really nice 3” poly skate style wheels and I never looked back.

 

[selowitch]

Because I easily see the benefit of going from a 18 lb head to 5 lb one with a smaller footprint, no matter what weight my cabinet is. And if I’m going from a 75 lb head to a 5 lb then I can see a massive benefit.

I didn't realize we were dealing with that much of a disparity in weight. I haven't had a separate head and cabinets since the 80s. I think it was around 2009 that I bought my current Markbass CMP 121P
combo, which sounds really good but sometimes needs a little more oomph.

 

[selowitch]

I bought a Bergantino CN-410 on clearance from Jim for $999.

Who's "Jim"?

 

[fclefgeoff]

Jim Bergantino

 

[selowitch]

Jim Bergantino

Oooooooooooh, okay. Thanks!

 

[HolmeBass]

I didn't realize we were dealing with that much of a disparity in weight. I haven't had a separate head and cabinets since the 80s. I think it was around 2009 that I bought my current Markbass CMP 121P
combo, which sounds really good but sometimes needs a little more oomph.

How much does that Markbass combo weigh? Like 35 - 40 lbs? That’s already a light rig. Just get another ~25 lb cab to add more volume and depth. So you can stop worrying and take a nap. You’ll feel better afterwards, trust me. Trust me, I’m a stranger on the internet.

 

[eriky4003]

OP,
I've been lurking since 2010 but became a member in 2011. The topics for light and good cabs have been going on here since that time. It's a great time to be a bassist! Builders have been using lighter woods in their builds and some speakers have the magnets made of Neodymium (sp?) shedding pounds off gear (when they want to). The price of Neodymium went up around 2012-2013 but I believe it has stabilized.

 

[selowitch]

How much does that Markbass combo weigh? Like 35 - 40 lbs?

Roughly 26.24lbs.

Trust me, I’m a stranger on the internet.

That is awesome. Totally stealing.

 

[selowitch]

You don't have to go out and buy anything. It's available. That's all.

I meant, of course, in order to derive any benefit from a smaller head. Sheesh.

 

[TKnights]

I got rid of my big cabs . A 4x12 and a 2x15 . I now have 4 1x15 cabs . I can use 1 ,2 , or 4 . Much easier to schlep around than a couple of big heavy cabs . But I'm still waiting for someone to come up with a transistor radio size rig that can sound as good as a huge Ampeg .

 

[zon6c-f]

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?

If I didn’t suffer bass players lower back and yard work groin hernia I’d schlep whatever I want

And yes I prefer the tone of my old Sunn 1-18 VH cab over any I’ve heard but my body vs body mechanics welcomes my Bergantino rig

 

[Loring]

Such as? The ones that I own are relatively heavy, so any purchase of a lightweight head is largely (hahahaha) beside the point.

Genzler bass array ~ 35 ish pounds. Mesa subway, BAER, Bergantino, epifani, tc, basically all the new NEO loaded cabs. Some sound better than others... I'm a fan of the array concept used by Genzler with paper tweeters instead of horns...

 

[Korladis]

Two cabs and a head is the most common definition of a "full stack."

What's your definition?

Two large cabs and a head. Two 810s, two 215s, two 412s, etc.

 

[TonyP-]

I think if 212s as a medium sized box..

 

[HamOnTheCob]

I have 4 heavy 90s Genz-Benz cabs. One has always stayed in my house so I can play through it, one stays ready to take to gigs, and the other two typically live in separate band rehearsal spaces. So all I carry around most of the time is my amp. The smaller the better. I can put the Mesa D800 in its carrying bag and throw it over my shoulder in 30 seconds and I'm on my way. When it's show day, I only make one trip from car to stage. I can wheel/carry my cab with my bass and amp on my shoulders.

But OP, I do find it very peculiar that you could be fully aware of the trend of lightweight heads and be completely oblivious to the lightweight cabs that have been developed for years right alongside them. Cabs with neodymium speakers have been around for well over 10 years, which is longer than the tiny amps have been around. Are you just trolling us? LoL

 

[Korladis]

Nah. Happens at work, in the playground and many other places as well.

It's the times, not the place.

People have always been terrible.

By "have to," I mean "in order to gain any meaningful overall benefit." If I still have to lug around 35lbs. speaker cabs, the advantage of a small, light head is relatively small and perhaps not worth the money.

35lbs. is lightweight.

 

[soulstew]

Oh? Where are these cabinets and why isnt this all over the place. If this was an option I think it would be exploited by now.

MAS, especially the models with the new 8" driver. They also benefit from a set of tuned, ported internal chambers that (according to the website) doubles the effective displacement.

 

[Loring]

Two large cabs and a head. Two 810s, two 215s, two 412s, etc.

Technically if you stack one atop the other it's a stack - 2 - 8x10's really? That's not a stack - it's a side by side foundation cracker!

I guess if you stack the head on an 8x10 it could be a "stack" but then you would have to allow a head on a 4x10 to also be a stack...