Has anyone gone from lightweight back to heavy?

[DangerDan]

I've kind of gone for the middle option, went from a low powered 4×10 to a high powered 2x10 with heavy drivers in it. So although it's not light, its certainly easier to handle.

[sratas]

Back to traditional power supply, traditional transformer based power stage, and possibily some actual tube circuit for the pre. Sorry, I tried some class D micros. I really don't know what's wrong with them. they have volume, are light and tiny, it's all good and they can sound proper when I hear them played by another. in my hands there is something wrong. The lack of texture, harmonics, burst peak, I dunno...really, but I'm sure of what I perceive. Purchased a Walkabout, it may be rated at only 160 watts, but man it has balls. My Peavey Tour 700, low budget amp, wonderful definition in the low registers and dynamics. Not talking about all tube here, but I may revert things back to tubes and stop wandering around for gear

[la bam]

The larger stuff just sounds really nice in the mix, and got to admit, you cant beat playing in front of a 'rig'. The tone just sounds full and never pushed or struggling. With the smaller stuff i was constantly trying to find a good sound and ways of filling out the frequency within the band mix, with the larger stuff i find its kind of done for you!
Id compare it in a weird way - imagine stage lighting. Id compare the class d smaller stuff to a well focused spotlight, doing its job brilliantly, but concentrating on one particular area and you can hear it coming from that particular place. Then id compare the larger rigs to full on stage flood, concentrating on filling the whole stage and mix and giving a great full and warm sound, without you being able to pinpoint where its coming from.

PS the Ashdown ABM 2x10 ext cab is surprisingly light - worth a look if you get chance to see one. In fact, the whole rig is a lot lighter than the trace stuff.

Im not knocking any of the new small stuff - i think its brilliant, but i just love the larger rig.

[karlfer]

Interesting there appears to be a bit of a resurgence in Ashdown love.

[GCYPbass]

I am still using my lightweight Barefaced cabs but I have gone to heavyweight for the head. I have owned TC electronic, Carvin, and Markbass lightweight heads but I always wanted to have Eden WT and tried one last year. Now I am using Eden wt550, wt800 regularly and Ashdown Klystron heads with my lightweight cabs. Don't have any lightweight head at the moment.
Only if I can find a lightweight head that can give Eden WT sound.

[Damonjames]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1482322481' post='3199523']
Interesting there appears to be a bit of a resurgence in Ashdown love.
[/quote]

This surprised the hell out of me too!! 😳

[wateroftyne]

I was an early adopter of Class D.

l was also an early re-adopter of Class AB - something I was mocked for at the time, but I don't feel so lonely now

[BigRedX]

But surely you don't get any real benefit from heavy amps and cabs in a live situation unless either the majority of your FoH sound comes directly from your rig or you are mic'ing up one or more of the the cabs and that provides most of the bass feed to the PA speakers.

Same in the studio. Mic on the cab(s) only and no digital post-processing.

Is anyone on here actually doing this?

Edited December 21, 2016 by BigRedX

[Japhet]

I wouldn't go back to a heavy cab. As for the heads, I'm very happy with what I get out of my lightweight ones. I don't really know what a lot of people are on about with their criticisms to be honest. I do however have a hankering for a valve head before I finally hang up my bass.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1482326904' post='3199593']
But surely you don't get any real benefit from heavy amps and cabs in a live situation unless either the majority of your FoH sound comes directly from your rig or you are mic'ing up one or more of the the cabs and that provides most of the bass feed to the PA speakers.

Same in the studio. Mic on the cab(s) only and no digital post-processing.

Is anyone on here actually doing this?
[/quote]majority of our gigs are pubs, just a vocal PA with perhaps a touch of kick drum, besides if you can't hear a good sound it's not very satisfying is it? it's very rare to hear a good bass sound through a PA, it's all bloody bass drum these days

[Paul S]

I used to have a big and heavy Trace Elliot stack. Total weight was around 100kg! Then I hurt my back badly and went down the lightweight gear route, choosing Barefaced for my cabs. Initially a G1 Compact, then I added a G1 Midget, then I cashed them in for a G3 Supercompact and then I added another. I couldn't be happier with those, so that is my cab/s sorted. Together with a BF 110 I now have complete flexibility depending upon my needs.

Amps are another thing. I was always a fan of the Trace Elliot pre-shape 1 button. I tried lots and lots of class D amps but nothing has ever satisifed my quest for replicating that tone. I've had TC Electronic, Genz Benz, Eden, MarkBass, Fender Rumble, forget what else. Loads. Always found something lacking.

Then I bought on here a Trace Elliot AH-300 that had been rack-mounted into a 2U ABS case rather than the wooden box - now just 12kg. Perfect. A balanced carry in with the cab in the other hand. I subsequently got another that was 'out of the box' as well. I would say - give it a try!

[Pow_22]

[size="3"][color="#000000"][font="Calibri"]Yup – always loved big valve amps (sound city 200, 120, Bassman 135, SVT’s, VBA400, Traynor YBA200, Ashdown Drophead 200) then for some reason decided to try going lightweight. [/font][/color][/size]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"] [/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"]Head wise I went through Orange Bass Terror (which I actually really liked), TB RH450, TC BH250, Ashdown LB550, Ampeg portaflex 350 – none of them did what I wanted.[/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"] [/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"]Cab wise I went through an Ashdown VS212, a Barefaced 1 x 12, an Ashdown neo 4x8, TC 2x12 – didn’t like any of them (the VS212 wasn’t terrible).[/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"] [/color][/size][/font]
[font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#000000"]Now im back to a good old SVT, V4BH and an Ampeg 410he – back to being happy with my tone[/color][/size][/font]

[AndyTravis]

I do need to point out that I'm very happy with my RM Evo rig.

Just got a bit nostalgic over my old green amps.

I've since put my back out changing a nappy and thank the lord for light gear.

[2elliot]

Ashdown Retroglide 800 are currently £417 through Thomann. Ashdown meets Trace Elliot in a compact, UK made package... they sound pretty good too. Bargain.

That could be the answer to your GAS.

[markstuk]

[quote name='2elliot' timestamp='1482337408' post='3199711']
Ashdown Retroglide 800 are currently £417 through Thomann. Ashdown meets Trace Elliot in a compact, UK made package... they sound pretty good too. Bargain.

That could be the answer to your GAS.
[/quote]

not sure 3kg counts as heavy though :-)

[deepbass5]

I guess so -
recent purchase 3 months ago SWR SM-500 to power my two Acme 4ohm cabs. Love the sound of the amp, warm, deep the Aural Enhancer a real bonus on these amps.
I own a Mark bass and a GK mb500 but loving the harmonic content and weight of attack from this. So lugging it out of choice.

[pete.young]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1482322481' post='3199523']
Interesting there appears to be a bit of a resurgence in Ashdown love.
[/quote]
People have short memories! But have you seen the new designs for lightweight fire extinguishers ? :-)

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1482337745' post='3199713']
not sure 3kg counts as heavy though :-)
[/quote]

I'm not sure why people seem to be using class A/B as a synonym for heavy, my Markbass LMII is class A/B and weighs virtually nothing.

[machinehead]

I've gone half way on the amps - a very wonderful Thunderfunk, but I'm impressed by my recently purchased EBS Reidmar 750, so a bit of both worlds really. I've nothing against class D amps but I feel the earlier ones were let down by their feeble power supplies - not the fact that they were class D.

Although I've owned, and still own, amps with valve pre-amps, I've never owned, or wanted to own, an all-valve amp. In fact, I prefer amps that are 100% solid-state.

However, my Barefaced cabs are going nowhere.

As a [i]slight[/i] aside, the combination of Thunderfunk amp and Barefaced BB2 cab is the only rig I've owned that gets regular positive comments from non-bassplayers. (And from bassplayers too of course.)

Frank.

[markstuk]

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1482340116' post='3199742']

People have short memories! But have you seen the new designs for lightweight fire extinguishers ? :-)

But it does have a smps though '-)



I'm not sure why people seem to be using class A/B as a synonym for heavy, my Markbass LMII is class A/B and weighs virtually nothing.
[/quote]

[Happy Jack]

People constantly come up to me at gigs and say how much they wish that I'd brought my rig in on a forklift truck. [size=4] [/size]

[jezzaboy]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1482311309' post='3199345']
Must admit an Ashdown ABM Evo amp-head is on my shopping list. I love the ABM cabs too, but they`re just a bit too heavy for me.
[/quote]

I had one of the last ABM 500 evo3`s and foolishly sold it. The guy I sold it to said I was mad to sell it! How right he was!!

Bought a Peavey minimax but didn`t like it. Nothing against class D stuff, just didn`t like that amp.

I now have a British made ABM 2x10 compact cab that weighs 21kg and a TE head that almost weighs the same but it sounds good to me so I dont mind a bit of carrying.

Edited December 21, 2016 by jezzaboy

[stingrayPete1977]

I've gone from a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0 to a Shuttlemax 9.2 so technically thats a slight weight increase

[bassjim]

Yes. Moved back to heavy on the amp head years ago. For me a massive difference and improvement. Happy to make that whole one extra journey from the pub/venue/rehearsal car park for a better playing experience. Still using neo cabs though as I'm happy enough with these. (EBS).

[skychaserhigh]

I gave up on class D amps ages ago. I'm much happier using my Ampeg SVT6 pro and Ashdown ABM300 , sound great and perfectly manageable to move.

[Jazzjames]

Aguilar TH500 user here. A great little head, but it does have its limitations. It's lovely for smaller gigs, especially on upright, but when I'm playing loud music or on big stages, my Ampeg/Hellborg rig comes out. Using the same DB112 speakers may I add. I haven't found a neo cab that I liked the sound of, yet!