Has anyone gone from lightweight back to heavy?

[Damonjames]

I remember being impressed with th sansamp BBDI and then later the VT BASS deluxe. It did sound a lot like a amped.

Over time though I grew to resent it, to me it just had a horrible compressed and "manufactured" sound, it just didn't sound organic to my ears. It did a reasonable hugely overdriven sound, but that is all I used it for.

[NickA]

Well, if anyone DID want to trade back to a Trace .... I have one going for a LOT less than the £800 I paid for it back in 1998!!

I actually like the sound of it (with careful tweaking) but it IS too heavy and (playing double bass as well as electric) I'd prefer something transparent and flat frequency response. 12-band EQ and dual band compressors no longer seem as useful as they did 20 years ago.

Tried a GK-MB210 and an Ashdown Root Master 500 115 recently (OK when you turn off the AWFUL "sub" function of the ashdown), but they do somehow lack the drive and punch of the Trace.

Tweakability aside, I guess, what is nice about the old amps is the imperfections; a slightly distorted (or VERY distorted in the case of valve amps) sound is literally "fatter" (ie contains more frequencies) than a perfect "linear" sound. And the distortion made by valves makes a nice harmony with the actual notes.

Not gone BACK to the heavy old days as I have yet to join the modern Class D age at all :¬)

[stingrayPete1977]

I'm more likely to go even lighter than class D with in ears and a nicely mixed channel of the digital desk.

[krispn]

I've a TTE500 for the grab and go rehearsals but my main gigging venue has no stairs and parking right out front so the big rig -preamp poweramp set up - comes to those gigs as well as the bigger Gigs I sometimes play. I love the sound from the big rig and while it's heavy my Tecamp 212 isn't and it sounds good to me on stage. I'd love to get my hands on a couple of DB112 cabs but honestly the 212 is doing no wrong for me just now to justify a change.

[Damonjames]

[quote name='krispn' timestamp='1482566781' post='3201455']
I've a TTE500 for the grab and go rehearsals but my main gigging venue has no stairs and parking right out front so the big rig -preamp poweramp set up - comes to those gigs as well as the bigger Gigs I sometimes play. I love the sound from the big rig and while it's heavy my Tecamp 212 isn't and it sounds good to me on stage. I'd love to get my hands on a couple of DB112 cabs but honestly the 212 is doing no wrong for me just now to justify a change.
[/quote]

So what's the big rig???

I have the TTE500 also, and I've on the fence with it to be honest. It is great, but there is just a little something missing.

[scrumpymike]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1482268133' post='3199151']
I think we are on the verge of a slight shift. I think tube pre with transformer power stage heads are going to be to the weapon of choice for the next few years (look at the drooling over the Hand Box amps). I agree at a certain something lacking with class D heads, and am in the process of trying to negotiate my amp situations at the moment.
Now I'm not saying that going and humping about a peavey TNT 15" combo is a clever idea, but if you are getting all warm and fuzzy about trace Elliott, then go for it. Hey yourself a trace head, but get yourself a decent lightweight cab.
It is cool to rock up with an amp in a handbag, but in reality we can all manage a 10kg head.

I for one would love to hear a trace head through a neo 212 cab. They were highly regarded back in the day, I'd love to see how they stack up now!
[/quote]

I'm running a TE AH300SMC through an Ashdown ABM210 Neo plus (when needed) a TE Compact 115 re-loaded with a 300W Celestion. All quite warm, tight, punchy and reasonably portable - though I'll be replacing the 115 with a Barefaced BB2.

It's that TE pre-shape button that does it for me every time!

[chriswareham]

Never gone lightweight, and been underwhelmed by class D stuff when I've heard others playing it - sounds loud on its own but disappears in a full band as though it doesn't put out enough low end.

So I'll stick with an all valve head and old solid state stuff (Acoustic Control and more recently a Trace SMX). The solid state stuff makes wonder though. The Acoustic 140 is very light, but astonishingly loud, so I don't get why class D stuff and is considered particularly lightweight.

[bjelkeman]

Not gone back, but after getting a Darkglass M900, which I really like, I can't make myself get rid of my Mesa Carbine M9. I alternate between using them.

[Wooks79]

I've been back and forth, now I'm cutting down on gear and I think I'll always keep a big valve beast AND a lightweight rig, as I really really can't always be bothered lugging a big head.

My process with lightweight went OTB ->PF500->OTB->M900

I love the sound of the OTB, but the M900 means I can get away without a pedalboard sometimes if I really wanna go minimal.

Big heavy amps, I'll always love my Matamp, best amp I've ever played, it just depends which sells first between that and my AD200 as to which one I end up keeping.

Cabwise, I doubt I'll ever get rid of my Barefaced Vintage, I should be selling my big Green Matamp 610 on tues, and I'd like another small Barefaced ideally for some choice... but I will ALWAYS be gassing for a cheap beaten up Ampeg 810

Edited December 25, 2016 by Wooks79

[Twincam]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1482492933' post='3200992']
The issue of weight applies on both sides...

Many people are obsessed with the weight of gear (basses in particular).

If we all obsessed over our own weight, and did some regular excersize, maybe the weight of gear wouldn't be such as issue.

I'm now in the "over 35" age bracket, and to be honest, was starting to let myself get a little "cuddly" for want of a better word. I have also spent years playing sport/weight lifting and have more injuries than I care to remember (particularly at this time of year). Last January my wife and I decided to make changes and joined slimming world, started running, bought a road bike and got out there.
So, the obvious thing was the waist size of my jeans when down by about 3", and naturally felt better, but the one thing I wasn't expecting... nearly all those "niggles" went away. Playing/carrying gear is really no issue (I use a stingray 5)... fact is, we could probably all do with moving a little more. It's. I wonder we complain about "heavy basses" when we stand up and play for 4 hours over a night, particularly if like me, you sit at a desk for a large portion of your work day.
Obviously, if you have an injury, that needs to be respected, and there is a lot to be said for correct lifting technique, so look after yourselves. But get moving, and equally get stretching!!!
[/quote]

I have said this before, bit not as nicely. Then just after I said it I hurt myself lifting something fairly light!
And I have lifted weights for years.

It totally changed my attitude towards people who like lighter gear because of not wanting to be lifting a heavy amp.

[Dan Dare]

What's important, imho, is employing correct lifting techniques - using the back and body properly. When we lift weights, we follow proper techniques and take care to do it right. The we go out to a gig and try to drag that heavy cab/amp out of the car boot at full stretch, bending over to reach it. Even a light object can do harm lifted wrongly - see Twincam's post above.

[acidbass]

Yes - owned Barefaced and an array of Class D heads in the past but was never really satisfied with the tone. Went to Aguilar lightweight and was more pleased - eventually went to Aguilar heavyweight stuff and will never go back.

[TheGreek]

I went from having a Genz Benz 3.0 and a Mesa Walkabout to shed full of Trace Elliot - the Mesa paid for all of it.

TE gear is virtually being given away at the moment - I've picked up cabs for less than £100 - yes they're heavy but, man don't they sound good. I don't think I've heard a Class D head that gives out the [i]herrumph[/i] that you get from a Trace. The Trace also gives warmer and more rounded tones. If manufacturers could give me the Trace sound in a lightweight package I'd probably buy it....thing is they can't.

[Lozz196]

Yep, the closest I`ve managed to find to "that" sound from a non-all-valve-planet-weighing-lump is when I`ve used Ashdown ABMs (though the Ampeg SVT3 non-pro that I used was also pretty near as well). So I`ve bought one. I`ll use the Ashdown RM-500 for rehearsals as it`s also got a fair bit going for it, and gig the ABM600.

[AlpherMako4]

I've gone both ways. I've gone heavy to light to heavy. And know I have one of each. Best of both worlds depending on the situation. The heavy weight which does sound superior to me will live in the rehearsal room where it is a raw set up of backline and a vocal pa. A lightweight combo for gigs where it's di'd and we use iem's.

[pmjos]

I have though about this a lot. I have a mix of amps. I have kept my old Trace SMX 2x15 rig and my 1X15 +4x10 Warwick 500W rig. But for lightweight I use either and AER amp 3 or a Greenboy with a class d Head.

What I think is that the small amps seem to work very well as a 'point source' that is to say like a low frequency hotspot. Lots of energy and shout but its like its coming from too small a space. My AER has lots of very smart technology in it which seems to overcome that a bit in a medium venue and at 200w ish is outrageously loud and has thunderous bass. The class D is loud but 1x12 just doesn't seem to have the same beef, loud but somehow not thick if that makes sense. It is very, very pure, detailed and musical especially for EUB. However neither have the surface area of 1x15 +4X10 or 2X15 simply to grab the volume of air by the balls and give it a bloody good shake. Its the difference between a hairdryer and the north wind.

Now if I have a tiny tiny 1KW amp but to shake the air with enough cone to satisfy my ears that I have to drive it into a stack, there is no point in Class D. If I have to carry a stack I may as well have an amp with a conventional power supply and drive to get better sound.

The final twist for me is that now I am driving my sound back through IEMs and via Allen & Heath gear the sound is better than both. In short I am getting a better sound through my modern PA than through any rig I have ever played.......

Its all bit of a journey but looking at it all, I will probably stick with a small high quality compact conventional amp for 'stage fill' and use my IEMS. I will always go back to my sweet old rigs when i can justify using them. But if You want lightweight stop kidding yourself, buy a good PA and get good IEMS and ditch the backline altogether.

[Painy]

I did go lightER-weight at the start of the year but by going for smaller and more compact rather than necessarily 'lightweight' gear I'm hoping I've met a compromise I can stick with.

I went from this:-

[URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/stuff/IMAG1580_zpsnpazhbe2.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/stuff/IMAG1580_zpsnpazhbe2.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

To this:-

[URL=http://s38.photobucket.com/user/Richard_Pain/media/stuff/IMAG0528_zps3imwmoq0.jpg.html][IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Richard_Pain/stuff/IMAG0528_zps3imwmoq0.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

The Aguilar rig is much more manageable to carry but sounds every bit as good as my old Ampeg rig if not better.
I could have gone for a pair of SL112 cabs instead of the DB112s and a TH500 head instead of the AG500 and saved a fair bit more weight but I suspect I'd have felt there was something missing and ended up going back to a big heavy rig. This feels more like a best of both worlds rig to me personally .

Edited December 29, 2016 by Painy

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited February 24, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[alexmoore10]

I think go for that sound that you want. If you can get that from MarkBass/Aguilar etc then great. Otherwise look at what makes your sound for you.

I've started using the Ashdown RM series instead of the MarkBass that I was as that is the sound I hear in my head. Still lightweight I know, but a good few kilos heavier than I was using.

[Lozz196]

That`s a great point Alex. Every time I used an Ashdown rig - even though I get all my eq from my Sansamp - I just preferred the slam that I got from it than any other rig. Well maybe the classic Ampeg SVT/810 should be excluded from that statement, but I`m talking about any regular sized rig here. The Ashdowns just seemed to fit what my ears want when I`m on-stage, a clear but forceful sound. And then I go and dirty it all up with my Sansamp.

[alexmoore10]

[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]

Well if you like ABM range you will like the RM range just as much. I have both, ABM rig and RM combo and I get the Ashdown sound from both with no compromise. Definitely worth a look.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='alexmoore10' timestamp='1483181124' post='3205220']
Well if you like ABM range you will like the RM range just as much. I have both, ABM rig and RM combo and I get the Ashdown sound from both with no compromise. Definitely worth a look.
[/quote]

Yep, I`ve gone and gotten both - RM-500 for rehearsals, ABM-600 for gigs.

[gillento]

Hey Lozz,

Are you in a position to compare the ABM600 to a 500EVO3 ?
I really love the EVO3 but I am trying to decide to go for the EVO4 or not. In the meantime I am playing a Mesa Walkabout.

[Sean]

I tried lightweight gear years back and gradually made my way back on heads to heavier, more traditional designs.
I mainly use a Mesa 400+ and my MJW Taranis, which is like a highly pimped GT200. For cabs, the big Barefaced do it for me, super light for their size and match up well with big valve amps. The BF cabs make handling a big cab easy and as for heavy heads then since I'm the bass player, there's always someone to help carry stuff.
If I was a solo artist that would be different but I play in a five piece rock band.

Out of interest, I always carry a Markbass Nano in my gigbag as backup but that's because it's easy to tuck away as an emergency spare.

So, what I'm saying is, go with what sounds good to you and get someone to help you carry gear or get a trolley.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Sean

[Lozz196]

[quote name='gillento' timestamp='1483183012' post='3205241']
Hey Lozz,

Are you in a position to compare the ABM600 to a 500EVO3 ?
I really love the EVO3 but I am trying to decide to go for the EVO4 or not. In the meantime I am playing a Mesa Walkabout.
[/quote]

Not yet, I only got the ABM600 on Thursday this week. Am eagerly looking forward to gigging it, but my next gig is with a full provided rig, aaaarrrggghhhh!

First impressions though are that, with the extra eq available on the 600, you can get pretty much anything you want from it. In fact I can - at home levels mind - set the amp to virtually replicate the sound of my Sansamp, so well chuffed about that, less gear to set-up on gigs where I actually get to use my own rig.