Bad backs - new rig - looking for your stories

fastonebaz

I've been increasingly suffering from back troubles most recently ones which literally cripple me for days.  Treatment underway etc etc.

However it's made me think maybe my days of traditional amps/pedalboard rig might need to change to a lighter rig. (1×12 combo,  1x12 cab, large ish pedalboard, bag of cables, )

I'm familiar with all the usual fx floor units and frfr cab scenarios but I wanted to ask,  for those that have made the change,  has it made a significant difference in equipment load and weight overall?   Or do you find there's not much net difference? 

brooom

For amps, a pine cab with NEO speakers, seems to really help with regards to weight.

welshboyo

I went to a Bogner Cube, an SD170,an AX8/Helix, expression pedal mounted on a Pedaltrain in a Gator Carry Case as a lighter carry..

I actually ended up with a pedalboard that was heavier than my amp...

Jalapeno

As  said ^^^^ Neo speakers all the way, a pair of 1x12s vs 2x12 cab, and a lunchbox head

Jalapeno

welshboyo said:

I went to a Bogner Cube, an SD170,an AX8/Helix, expression pedal mounted on a Pedaltrain in a Gator Carry Case as a lighter carry..

I actually ended up with a pedalboard that was heavier than my amp...

Yeah, a big pedaboard in a flightcase is frickking heavy !

Blueingreen

I hurt my back carrying a 4 x 10” bass cab a couple of hundred yards and then getting it into the back seat of my car. If there had been other band members present I’d have asked for a hand: but the gig was a charity fundraiser, fancy dress etc and the band had been invited to stay on as guests after we finished playing and allowed to leave our gear overnight so we could have a few beers. I came back for my amp and cab next day on my own.

 I needed about 2 years of physio to be relatively pain free, during which time I had to arrange for a band member to help me carry my gear to and from my car before and after every gig (including in and out of my house). Not a good feeling inconveniencing people because you’ve been stupid.

Now back playing guitar as opposed to bass I play through a Quilter Micropro HD combo. I use it as a clean pedal platform with Flyrig 5 or HX Effects in front of it depending on the gig and very happy with the sound. Weighs 21 lbs. I can carry it in one hand, gig bag on the shoulder and bag with pedals and accessories in the other hand.

crunchman

The pedalboard is the heaviest part of my rig.

I guess you could replace full size pedals with mini pedals and get some weight saving.  I could lose my Wah if I really had to.  I only use it occasionally.

If I wanted to save a lot of weight, then a digital box like Helix, Axe FX or Kemper would be the way to go.

You plug that into a traditional amp with a pine cabinet and neodymium speakers, or you could go direct.  If you need your own monitoring solution, there might be limits to how light you can go.  Some of the active powered monitor cabs are quite light, but there is a limit to how light you can go.

digitalscream

I went to a lightweight guitar, Helix, SD Powerstage 170 and a Matrix 2x12". Sounded ace, weighed about 28kg all told. Was an absolute godsend.

Thinking of selling the Matrix cab, in fact, if you're interested.

RaymondLin

The key is to split up the weight.

Get a head and cab, not a combo, it is easier to do 2 trips with a lighter weight than 1 heavy one.

skullfunkerry

I swapped from an Orange Rockerverb head to a Dark Terror - was already using a pair of 1x12s so that didnt change, but it did mean that with head & pedalboard over one shoulder, guitar over the other shoulder and cab in each hand I could load my whole rig in one trip. Having said that, I generally used to make two trips anyway, just to make it all easier to carry. Wouldn't go back to a full-size head now

fastonebaz

I use neo speakers already,  they're a great help but the amp is still heavy. 

@digitalscream do you "have" to use the SD powerstage 170 with thr helix?   I'm guessing it would be fine to just use a helix with an frfr cab

guitarmangler

1st of all, if your carrying something heavy for a long period of time, your silly. Get a dolly like
this one 
https://www.toolstation.com/roughneck-dolly/p99817?store=U1&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6vvLxJeX5wIVmK3tCh2UvgQkEAQYASABEgKlYvD_BwE

Stick your heavy stuff on it and wheel it in out.

The toughest bit about gigging is getting the heavy stuff in and out of your car.
I had a bass player with bad back and 4x10 cab. Bought a 4x4 jeep thingy with a flip down boot, and was able to slide the cab in and out of the car without ever having to lift it (the cab was on wheels). The lightweight stuff I think can promote you picking it up your self. Like 1x12 combos or cabs. Keep the heavy things and re think how (and if at all) you lift them.
The other guitar in my band gigs with a (flightcased!!) 2x12 combo and puts it a high booted Audi q something or other. Accident waiting to happen.

digitalscream

fastonebaz said:

I use neo speakers already,  they're a great help but the amp is still heavy. 

@digitalscream do you "have" to use the SD powerstage 170 with thr helix?   I'm guessing it would be fine to just use a helix with an frfr cab

That's true - however, I found that the best sound was from using the Helix with a real cab rather than FRFR. The SD 170 is also a phenomenal little amp - pound for pound, probably the best power amp I've ever encountered.

On top of that...a good FRFR powered cab, like the DXR10 (for example) is around the 18kg mark - that's fractionally too much to carry with a bad back and my shoulder problems. Conversely...the rucksack with the Helix, cables and SD170 in it weighed about 12kg, the Matrix cab weighed around 12-13kg and my guitar soft case with the guitar in it was about 4-5kg. All of those things are comfortably luggable without much effort, even at the same time (given the shoulder straps), and even easier with two trips.

The point isn't necessarily being lightweight overall, but rather bringing the weight of individual lumps down so you can spread the load across multiple trips when you need to.

DrJazzTap

Following this, I need to sort my stuff out. Considering ditching the pedal board and going for a multi effects unit with stand alone delay and distortion/fuzz pedals. 

Need to get some neo speakers for my amp. 

PolarityMan

The only problem with splitting stuff up into more trips is that I've already got a fuck ton of trips (3 or 4)

Danny1969

The amp in my main band is unliftable by one person so always a 2 man lift which isn't to bad, plus it's on wheels.

I've just brought a Bugera BC30 which sounds great but the fucking thing weighs more than me ... well at least it feels like it. I've already had 2 hernia ops so that bastards not getting gig'ed. Fender HRD is as heavy as I'm prepared to lift on my own these days 

Ossyrocks

Slipped disk late 2015, got worse, major spinal surgery summer 2016, 6 months recovery. It was heavy gear that did it.

I have been advised never to lift anything heavy again. I still get a bit of sciatica and numbness/pins and needles in one foot.

Ditched everything heavy and now use a Gartone 5E3 (very manageable) or vintage Deluxe Reverb w/neo speaker (just manageable). Minimal pedals on a PT Junior in a softcase. 

I explain to every band I play with that I can't help with the load in/out except for the small stuff. This has been largely accepted, I think.

When you f**k your back good and proper it's never the same again.

Rob

Blueingreen

I've never seen a dolly cart as a enough of a solution.  They don't help you get stuff in and out of a car, up and down stairs, or over the rough terrain you quite often get between the nearest car park and the entrance to your gig/rehearsal studio.

They can actually increase the amount of times you're picking heavy things up and putting them down, which is often more dangerous than just walking along carrying the weight.

Musicwolf

A 'bad back' can cover a mulitude of conditions, so this advice may not suit all, but for me I found that exercise / improving my fitness really helped.  I used to suffer with a reoccurance of the condition every couple of years but since I started going to the gym I've never had problem.

Proper lifting technique is essential (it was through lifting things the wrong way that I injurred my back in the first place), having the correct mattress and the right driving position are a must.  The worst thing that you can do is twist whilst lifting.

As others have said, split the weight (head and cab rather than combo etc).  A sack truck can be a great help.

I've gone digital.  At practice last night I was able to carry my guitar, Helix, VL-2 vocal processor, the mixer (behringer XR18) and a laptop from the car and up a flight of stairs in one go.  My biggest grumble was that I'd taken a PRS rather than the Strat and the guitar, but more so the case, was much heavier. 

vasselmeyer

I has exactly the same situation as you. My 2x12 valve combo weighed 40kg (88lbs) and I have a dodgy disc which meant it absolutely killed me. I replaced the amps with a DV Mark 50w head (1.7kg) and a neodymium 2x12 cab which is 12.4kg (31lbs). I have also replaced the pedal board with a Boss GT-1000 so I can go direct or use the amp, depending on the situation. I wrote about here:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/113508/nad-new-head-and-cab-now-weigh-less-than-my-pedalboard

Vibetronic

I went from an Engl 100w + 4x12 cab to the AX8. Much easier!! It weighed a tonne and I had to lug it all down 2 flights of stairs every time I went out. I knackered my back every time which would be at least £100+ of treatment at the chiropractor afterwards. Now I can just stick the AX8 in a backpack and that's it, plugs straight into FOH or a frfr for rehearsals. And it sounds just as good.