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Your favorite light amp

#22
Slpbass81 said:
I have read previous posts about this but figured I would get an updated opinion. After years of saying lifting an Ampeg SVT-CL is no big deal I finally blew my back lifting it while twisting. This is the first time I will consider leaving the tubes at home and bring a smaller/lighter solid state. The only tube amp I am keeping in the conversation is the Mesa Prodigy because of how light it is for an all tube. But it may lack the booty I'm used to. Let me know what you guys like and why.
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Right now? Techamp Puma 500 + Bergantino CN112. *Great* tone, amp provides several options for tone and the whole thing is light as can be. Fit the head in my gig bag, the cab weighs about 25lbs. The downside? $$$.
 
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#22
Went to a GK MB Fusion 800.
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+1
I'm a "lighter than air newby" myself, but I was curious about the Fusion 800 and just happened to play through one trying a bass out in the store. I bought it on the spot a couple weeks back and so far, I'm very happy: Lots of punch, power to spare (even outdoors with light PA support), great sound variety, lots of presence but a bit old school as well. I'll try some of the others (now that I know I want a lightweight backup), but you couldn't go too far wrong with the GK.
 
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#23
Streamliner 900 fan. Have to work to get near SVT sound (there are hundreds of posts om "SVT settings") if that remains your goal.

For the warm full bottom sound this works best by far for me. Not everyone loves em but worth a listen as are the GKs
 
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#24
Since you didn't indicate a budget, and you seem to like tubes, how about a Monique with a built-in amp? Jule makes a few models that can't weigh more than around 12 lbs.

Alternatively, you can get a boutique tube preamp or a tube pedal with sufficient gain and pair it with a Minnie 800D or Jule M700 and you'd have a "tube amp" easily under 10 lbs.

Good luck, DM
 
#25
Big Hoss said:
Fender Rumble V3 500 2x10 combo. Freaking loud, tone for days, top notch build quality, and only 36 lbs to lug around. My bad back is happy with it...
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2x10 is not enough. Mi
Dee-man said:
Since you didn't indicate a budget, and you seem to like tubes, how about a Monique with a built-in amp? Jule makes a few models that can't weigh more than around 12 lbs.

Alternatively, you can get a boutique tube preamp or a tube pedal with sufficient gain and pair it with a Minnie 800D or Jule M700 and you'd have a "tube amp" easily under 10 lbs.

Good luck, DM
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Jule makes some great amps, but in that price range I would go for the Aguilar DB751.
 
#26
Not yet said:
Streamliner 900 fan. Have to work to get near SVT sound (there are hundreds of posts om "SVT settings") if that remains your goal.

For the warm full bottom sound this works best by far for me. Not everyone loves em but worth a listen as are the GKs
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I would consider Genz Benz if they were still selling them. I buy a lot of equipment used but I refuse to purchase amps used. There is too much risk of something going wrong.
 
#27
Slpbass81 said:
2x10 is not enough. Mi


Jule makes some great amps, but in that price range I would go for the Aguilar DB751.
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I use the 500 210 combo, and 210 cab. I only have to lift once piece at a time. Works great for me, however, your tastes and needs may vary, sometimes substantially...

If you feel you need say an SVT and 810 by all means, go for it, but if you have back problems, get young healthy backs to do the lifting for ya!
 
#29
petch said:
Tecamp Puma 500 and (2) Bergantino CN-112's. Very light, very good, pricey. Check out Mesa's new Subway 800 if you haven't already done so... it looks awesome.
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I saw the subway on the website today. There are so many amps in the category it is definitely going to be a tough one. Buying an all tube amp is so much easier with the limited selection.
 
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#30
Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and 350 are excellent and very conservatively rated for power. The TH 500 uses the same B&O power stage used in GK MB800 so plenty of power even though the number on the box says "500" instead of "800"-- same power stage. (TH 350 has the same B&O power stage used in most "500W" amps). The TH 500 is gig-bag-friendly, whereas the GK MB800 is more rackgear... and then you have to brrrrring a rack, which gains you 25 pounds plus the amp weight... so in my book the GK MB800 is more like a 30 lb. amp compared to 4 for TH 500 and 3 for TH 350.

I am using a TH 350 with an SL-112 for as many gigs as I can (I have a bigger rig for bigger stuff) but amazingly the TH350 with 1 the 12" works great for 90% of gigs. I am ordering a 2nd SL- 112 (the super light 25 lb cabinet) so that I can daisy chain them and lower impedance to 4 ohms which will increase the efficiency of the power usage, add db's, and the extra surface area of a 2nd cab with add even more low end response-- which was not lacking to begin with, really. I have a feeling the TH 350 with 2 112's will do everything I need it to, at very low weight (even the two cabs together weight half what my heretofore usual 4x10 cabinet weighs).

So, for those who want a lot of power, I'd say Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 which will match the power of the GK MB800 but will fit in a gig back instead of a rack. MB800 is a nice amp though. The TH 350 works fine for me in almost all situations.
 
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#33
I like Genz Benz, which can still be found used if you look hard enough. I'm a clean - tone guy and love the 3T-10 shuttle for my upright or small venue with the BG, but I really like the shuttle6-210 for the guitar at higher volume, which con toss most smaller bars. we drag out the EV system for larger/outdoor gigs which has 2 powered satellites and 2 powered subs - all of which are less than 50lbs, and backline our amps.
 
#34
Plutonium244 said:
Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and 350 are excellent and very conservatively rated for power. The TH 500 uses the same B&O power stage used in GK MB800 so plenty of power even though the number on the box says "500" instead of "800"-- same power stage. (TH 350 has the same B&O power stage used in most "500W" amps). The TH 500 is gig-bag-friendly, whereas the GK MB800 is more rackgear... and then you have to brrrrring a rack, which gains you 25 pounds plus the amp weight... so in my book the GK MB800 is more like a 30 lb. amp compared to 4 for TH 500 and 3 for TH 350.
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Something didn't sound right about the size comparison here because my GK MBF500 is the same size as the MB800 and fits in my gig bag just fine. So I looked it up. The TH500 is listed as 10.75"x2.75"x8.5" and the GK MB800 is listed as 10.75"x1.75"x8.5" so they are pretty close to the same size and the GK is actually a little thinner.
 
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#37
After having brought the following amps home/to practice/to gig/to studio:
  • TC Electronic
  • Genz Benz
  • Gallien Kruger
  • Ampeg
  • Fender
  • Peavey
  • Markbass
  • and probably 4 or 5 others that I can't remember
I have settles on the following 3 (in no particular order)
  1. Warwick LWA 1000
  2. Bugera Veyron-M
  3. Taurus Qube 450
Each is uniquely voiced and all the modern sound that I love!
 
#38
TECAMP!
I have the puma 900 (900 watts) @ 2.2 pounds and the matching S212 cab @ 42 pounds...... It's sweet, loud, clean and versatile. My fave rig in 30 years of gigging.

101_3315.jpg
 
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