Seriously thinking of buying a head weighing 77lbs....

[franzbassist]

.... am I mad?

Edited April 13, 2012 by walbassist

[Platypus]

Probabaly - though more details required to confirm...

[dannybuoy]

Yes you are - you should buy my Orange AD200 which weighs 55lbs instead! (And if you want something that weighs 77lbs my Matamp cab does)

What are you after then, an SVT?

Edited April 13, 2012 by dannybuoy

[Pentode]

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1334307170' post='1614033']
.... am I mad?
[/quote]

Not at all.

What are you looking looking at Gareth?

Edited April 13, 2012 by Pentode

[franzbassist]

Haha thanks chaps! To be specific, it's an Ashdown BTA 200.

[BluRay]

If it was all about light weight and convenience no one would have drummers.
Go for it (and then post a review)

[franzbassist]

Mmmm....

[BluRay]

PS Is a BTA "all valve?" I thought it was some sort of hybrid?

[franzbassist]

[quote name='BluRay' timestamp='1334308105' post='1614068']
PS Is a BTA "all valve?" I thought it was some sort of hybrid?
[/quote]

Actually you're right, it's the usual ABM front end with valve power.

[Lozz196]

Coo, 77lbs for an amp head, rather you than me. I had a Marshall which was 22kg, and that was bad enough.

Edited April 13, 2012 by Lozz196

[franzbassist]

The other head I like that really is all-valve is the Drophead 200, a positively anorexic 44lbs, but I would be reluctant to gig it!

[pete.young]

Not mad at all. A Burman Pro 4000 is 35Kg, same weight.

Now if you'd said you were thinking of buying an Ashdown, people would be queuing up to tell you you'd gone completely round the bend.

Edited April 13, 2012 by pete.young

[chris_b]

[quote]
....Seriously thinking of buying a head weighing 77lbs.... am I mad....
[/quote]

Not if you've hired a roadie.

[bertbass]

What's a bit of weight compared to a killer sound and you've only got to carry it in at the beginning and out again at the end, you're not going to be standing there holding it all night.

[xgsjx]

For that sort of money, have you considered the lightweight options?

There's Kampera KVB800 (which is only a couple of hundred more than the Ashdown & weighs 12.7 kg) & the MarkBass TTE500 (which is cheaper, lighter still at 6 kg & looks similar to the BTA) to name just two.

[JTUK]

Looks the part...but you need to be sure it sounds good enough to be worth it.

But sure, if you don't mind lugging 77lbs, then what is the problem..? I would expect it to be ALL valve though..!!

[Mr. Foxen]

Bear in mind you can't compare this to hybrids with a valve preamp and SS power. That ABM pre has a valve in anyway, which is as much as other hybrids have in the pre section. Going 'all valve' would jsut be removing stuff like the EQ, which you can't really do with valves, active valve EQ like on the MK4 Sound Citys isn't that well thought of.

[thisnameistaken]

That's about the same weight as my dog. Trust me you are going to hurt yourself trying to get that thing in the bath.

[franzbassist]

Thanks for all the replies folks. Well, I love the tone from my LB30, so perhaps the Drophead 200 would be a better match for me than the BTA anyway....

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1334325610' post='1614598']
Thanks for all the replies folks. Well, I love the tone from my LB30, so perhaps the Drophead 200 would be a better match for me than the BTA anyway....
[/quote]

Cheap out option for more volume same tone is a dummy load and running the DI out into a power amp. But yeah, the BTA is the one for ABM options on a valve power section. There is one in the line with the simple preamp an valve power though.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1334326328' post='1614626']
Cheap out option for more volume same tone is a dummy load and running the DI out into a power amp. But yeah, the BTA is the one for ABM options on a valve power section. There is one in the line with the simple preamp an valve power though.
[/quote]

I would do this. You can get a decent power amp for a few hundred quids and then have 'all valve' with a crap tone of power for very little weight gain.
Other option is that little bastard 550 thing.........

[Mr. Foxen]

Crap ton? The extra 'e' makes it say something pretty different.

The LB has a DI out from the output transformer, so you get the power section colour too, kind of important.

[franzbassist]

Cheers guys, and where would I find a suitable dummy load thingy?

[Mr. Foxen]

I made one for amp testing work: [url="http://ampstack.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/assembling-the-dummy-load/"]http://ampstack.word...the-dummy-load/[/url]

there is some mojo about inductive loads and stuff, which make a difference to 'tone'. How much that matters is a whole other thing. Being 30w, it isn't a huge deal to get a guitar one. loads about, no idea what is good, as with all guitar stuff, the internet is full of too much BS to learn much useful.

Edited April 13, 2012 by Mr. Foxen