Supernaut Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 55 minutes ago, peteb said: The R400s are great amps aren't they - easy one hand lift, 15" casing with a flightcase style front and they sound great (once you get to grips with the EQ section). I am amazed that Lezik hasn't been approached with a deal to increase production, because it does seem to fill a gap in the market (although I'm kinda glad that he hasn't as that would inevitably lead to mass production, then production being moved to the far-east)! I can see why people are looking for lighter and more portable gear, but the obsession with how just how light amps / cabs are these days is quite astonishing. It seems that as soon as a weekend warrior bass player hits 40, then they suddenly they become complete weaklings, infatuated with featherweight gear and then kid themselves that it sounds a lot better than it actually does. The D800 was so light that I had to put it on a rubber mat, otherwise it would literally bounce off the cab mid-gig! Oh no! Using IEMs and a DI must mean I have to have someone carry me to the stage! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 45 minutes ago, Lozz196 said: I love the “all my gear in one trip from the car” statement. I’m so knackered I have to carry my plectrums in single trips 😠 Funnily enough, I'm sixty now with a few minor niggles with my back and shoulder, but I can still manage to pick up a 410 after a gig without too much trouble. Admittedly, the 212 is a little bit easier after a long drive but the bigger cab is still doable. It's the morning after when I feel knackered...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 14 minutes ago, Supernaut said: Oh no! Using IEMs and a DI must mean I have to have someone carry me to the stage! I don't know why you're being so defensive about it? If IEMs work for the gigs that you do, then that's great. But if you're using them because you can't lift a 20kg cab at the end of the night, then you have to think about hitting the gym a bit more often! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Genz Benz Shuttle 6 combo 12T and a matching 1x12 ext cab has managed everything I've thrown at it gig wise for the last 8 years. The combo for small gigs and add the ext for the full 600w for a bit more oomph. Larger venues just the 1x12 tilt back combo as my monitor and FOH for the main. Nice and light, cheap to buy (relatively) and ultra reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 9 hours ago, peteb said: Funnily enough, I'm sixty now with a few minor niggles with my back and shoulder, but I can still manage to pick up a 410 after a gig without too much trouble. Admittedly, the 212 is a little bit easier after a long drive but the bigger cab is still doable. It's the morning after when I feel knackered...! Yeah on a serious mode although I could carry my ABM410 & 210 they were getting a little bit too much - if I lived in a ground floor flat I`d probably have kept the 410 as it was on wheels so easy to shift about. But permanent back injury and heading towards 60 (plus a healthy amount of GAS) meant a changeover was required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 9 hours ago, peteb said: I don't know why you're being so defensive about it? If IEMs work for the gigs that you do, then that's great. But if you're using them because you can't lift a 20kg cab at the end of the night, then you have to think about hitting the gym a bit more often! And likewise, I don't know why you insist that we must all carry heavy equipment around. As I said earlier, unless someone is doing it for me, I'm not breaking my back to carry around equipment 'that looks good onstage'. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 9 hours ago, peteb said: I don't know why you're being so defensive about it? If IEMs work for the gigs that you do, then that's great. But if you're using them because you can't lift a 20kg cab at the end of the night, then you have to think about hitting the gym a bit more often! If you have hit 60 with just a few minor niggles to your back and shoulders then good luck to you. Not being able to lift 20kg cabs has in many cases absolutely nothing to do with 'hitting the gym'. Certainy in my case. For most of my adult life I used to go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week. In my late 40s I used to bench press 100 kg for reps and 200kgs squats for reps which didn't qualify me as superman but meant I was fairly strong. I am now 64, have been nursing a prolapsed disc for some years and, on some mornings, struggle to put my socks on. Rather than lift weights I do core exercise and yoga stretches every day. I also walk. I can and do lift the 22kg pa bins without a problem. Getting them into just the right position in the car is sometimes a struggle. As is getting them up and down stairs. Because, for me, a slight twist in the wrong direction whilst carrying them means I am on the bench for a fortnight. But like so many on here you seem keen to be scornful over things that are different to your own experience. Please consider that there other situations and viewpoints. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 hour ago, Lozz196 said: Yeah on a serious mode although I could carry my ABM410 & 210 they were getting a little bit too much - if I lived in a ground floor flat I`d probably have kept the 410 as it was on wheels so easy to shift about. But permanent back injury and heading towards 60 (plus a healthy amount of GAS) meant a changeover was required. TBF, carrying a 410 up a flight of stairs at the end of the night isn't much fun. I find that the 212 is much easier to carry than the 410, not just because it weighs half as much, but because it is narrower and therefore easier to carry up stairs and through narrow doorways. Mind you, I only have three steps into my house, so I'm still OK with the 410. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 On 05/01/2022 at 18:05, Cat Burrito said: Both complaints came from singers... I think I'd be responding around the subject of how I wasn't keen on their haircuts/the cut of their jib generally... 😕🙂 If your gigs are variable in size, then the backline/lack of should be variable, too...here's mine - IEMs/Stomp, Fender 100 combo (uprated speaker, juuust in case), and Mesa/BF half stack/stack. The heaviest chunk is 38lbs... Oh, and I use it these days in roughly that order; I've only used the full stack once... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaytonaRik Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 (edited) There are, of course, alternatives 😉 Whilst these are fake Vox guitar cabs I'm sure he would happily make a couple of Ampeg 8 x 10 cabs with matching heads whilst you run a Tech21, Helix, mic'd small cab/combo or similar into the PA! On serious note - I have an Ashdown ABM head that I use with an Ashdown 1 x 15 Neo, an Ashdown 2 x 10 Neo or both as the gig dictates but TBH I'd rather take either a Tech21 Fly Bass rig or the SH1 for gigs...something to look at for 2022 Edited January 7, 2022 by DaytonaRik 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Now, where's that pic? Ahhh, here it is... 🙂 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 5 minutes ago, Muzz said: Now, where's that pic? Ahhh, here it is... 🙂 The first I came across this was supporting Wrathchild in the 80s. Their roadie walked in carrying two banks of 'Marshall stacks' (like the picture above) on his own. This was in a big club in the midlands, where the stage was halfway along the room. This meant that there was a large part of the audience at the side of the stage, which made it even more ridiculous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I used to love Wrathchild, Stakk Attack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 18 minutes ago, Lozz196 said: I used to love Wrathchild, Stakk Attack! Did you ever see them live?? They certainly made an impression - plenty of stories from that night...! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 We supported them at Jillys in Manchester back in the day...yeah, it was a wild one... 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 hour ago, peteb said: Did you ever see them live?? They certainly made an impression - plenty of stories from that night...! Yes a few times, first was at The Greyhound in Fulham, 30 Dec 1985 (was driving hence being the only one I actually remember when). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 4 hours ago, peteb said: TBF, carrying a 410 up a flight of stairs at the end of the night isn't much fun. The TE 1x15 combo I still use was originally picked up on eBay with a TE 4x10 ext speaker. I didn't use the 4x10 for very long just for this reason, it's not just the weight but an awkward shape to pick up and deadlift up flights of narrow stairs in some venues. The TE 4x10 was quite 'deep' making it almost like a cube to haul about. The SWR 2x10 that replaced it isn't light but at least you can get your arms round it a bit easier. If I know it's a flat track to somewhere near the stage I use a cheap sack trolley anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 On 06/01/2022 at 21:53, peteb said: The R400s are great amps aren't they - easy one hand lift, 15" casing with a flightcase style front and they sound great (once you get to grips with the EQ section). I am amazed that Lezik hasn't been approached with a deal to increase production, because it does seem to fill a gap in the market (although I'm kinda glad that he hasn't as that would inevitably lead to mass production, then production being moved to the far-east)! I can see why people are looking for lighter and more portable gear, but the obsession with how just how light amps / cabs are these days is quite astonishing. It seems that as soon as a weekend warrior bass player hits 40, then they suddenly they become complete weaklings, infatuated with featherweight gear and then kid themselves that it sounds a lot better than it actually does. The D800 was so light that I had to put it on a rubber mat, otherwise it would literally bounce off the cab mid-gig! Great thread as i'm now searching for a lightweight amp to replace the Mesa TT800 i'm not getting. I see you have the Handbox. Does it have enough mids as i like to add mids with my mpulse600 with the punk band. Looking at the Handbox the mids knob is more like a mid cut ? Any helpful advice there would help me a lot. Also curious about the Darkglass Microtubes V2 900 and Ashdown ABM EVO IV 600 / 1200 altho its not exactly lightweight. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 I had a TE valve 410 combo provided on a gig once. I wanted to move it to the other side of the drummer, but after a couple of attempts I left it where it was!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 25 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said: Great thread as i'm now searching for a lightweight amp to replace the Mesa TT800 i'm not getting. I would be looking at Aguilar and Genzler. Both class acts in bass amplification. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 (edited) As I've got older my gear has progressively got lighter. I've gone from full valve Ampeg SVT through the Trace phase, then Ashdown (both got just too cumbersome) then found a Loud Inc.410 cab that changed the game completely. Still have it, 1200 watts and quite manageable for a 410. From there I've ended up with Gallien Krueger for my main gig - their non-class D stuff is still okay for me, currently using a 1001RB which at 22lbs isn't hard to haul. I use this into a GK Neo 410 which is 64lbs, again not ultra lightweight but manageable. For smaller one off gigs I use a BF Compact and either a GK MB800 amp or my favourite old GK800RB. The Barefaced cab was a real game changer for me, and enables me to carry on gigging without any issues at the age of 64. When the bigger GK rig gets a bit much to handle I'll probably go further down the Barefaced route so I can continue working without worrying about the load in / out. As ever with bass amplification, it is a balance between sound /performance and practicality for me - weight and ease of shifting it around. Were this not the case then my beloved SVT rig would never have left my side. Edited April 7, 2022 by casapete 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 14 minutes ago, chris_b said: I would be looking at Aguilar and Genzler. Both class acts in bass amplification. Aguilar is top of my list for my next change of amp - currently gass-ing for an AG700. 🤪 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 54 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said: I see you have the Handbox. Does it have enough mids as i like to add mids with my mpulse600 with the punk band. Looking at the Handbox the mids knob is more like a mid cut ? Any helpful advice there would help me a lot. The Handbox is very mid-focussed (too much for me) if you leave the EQ flat. The contour knob acts as a hi-mid cut, which seems to bring out the lo-mids. You do need to spend a bit of time to learn how to use the EQ properly to get the best out of the amp, but it is much more like your mpulse than an Aguilar or the like. Someone like WoT, who uses a more mid focussed sound than me, could probably advise you how to best use the EQ to get that sound. To me, the Handbox has a LOT more oomph than any Class D head I've come across. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said: Great thread as i'm now searching for a lightweight amp to replace the Mesa TT800 i'm not getting. I see you have the Handbox. Does it have enough mids as i like to add mids with my mpulse600 with the punk band. Looking at the Handbox the mids knob is more like a mid cut ? Any helpful advice there would help me a lot. Also curious about the Darkglass Microtubes V2 900 and Ashdown ABM EVO IV 600 / 1200 altho its not exactly lightweight. Dave There`s a dedicated Ashdown ABM600 thread, Dave. As a proud ABM600 owner I`ll heartily recommend them, best amp I`ve ever had. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 2 hours ago, chris_b said: I would be looking at Aguilar and Genzler. Both class acts in bass amplification. Tried Aguilar and not so keen and had a Streamliner 600 many years ago but the new amp just doesn't do it for me. I have listened to quite a few Genz youtube clips. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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