Big amps - small amps

newi123

Went to a local jam last night - a friend brough his old early 70s twin. Just had a Visual sound Route 66 in front (remember those?) and a DD3. Sounded fab.

Spent most of the night thinking I really need one again, that I miss the red knob twin I had for a while, that maybe a 4x12 would be a good thing to try again.

Then I helped put it in the car at the end of the night, and my love of small amps all came flooding back............... :-)

susbemol

Yeah, big amps sound fab!

But when gigging regularly and having to carry them around, most people start to question whether it's really worth the hassle.

Dave_Vader

Yep. While recording over the summer, we were using the other guitar player in my band's vintage twin and it sounded glorious in the room. 

I did some overdubs and fixing stuff last month using my HX Stomp, and I can't actually tell the difference in the mix.

I think proximity is everything in these cases.

snowblind

Gigging with a tonemaster vs gigging with a Bassman.

GoFish

^^^Is that what you will look like after loading / unloading each night? 

english_bob

Yep. I'm having a similar dilemma at the moment. My son has kidnapped my Laney Lionheart so I'm looking for another amp to replace it.

There are lots of 2x12" combo amps around- Classic 50s, Red knob and Pro-Tube "Evil" Twins, HR Devilles, Blackstar Series One etc.- for prices that mean you get a lot of amp for your money.

The downside being that you er... get a lot of amp for your money.


Back when I was younger I gigged a 70s Twin around a bunch of smallish venues with my band. I remember loading in down a concrete staircase to a cellar bar one night at one end of the flightcased Twin thinking how I'd probably die if the person holding the other handle slipped, and about how I'd probably have the volume set to 3 all night. I sold the Twin not long after and almost certainly overcompensated for my too-big amp by replacing it with a Cornell Romany.

stickyfiddle

I hired a proper AC30 once. I couldn’t lift it and the sound guy gave me shit all night. Barely got it breathing and vowed at that point it’s never worth it if a small-ish amp can do the same noises. 

Consequently I’ve also never liked the huge amp high headroom thing. 

The TMDR is one of the best bits of modern gear ever and I’ll continue to fight people on this hill

Haych

A few years ago I bought a used Peavey Duel 212 combo from a guy in the west midlands.  He was a gigging musician and it had been his workhorse for a good number of years, so it came complete with flight case.

I paid a paltry £200 for it but ended up replacing it with a Boogie Nomad 55 (the Peavey sounded better, mind), but the Nomad was much easier to transport since the Duel weight about the same as a small skyscraper.

I sold the Peavey to a guy in Bristol who played in a punk band, and who not only didn't drive but lived in a third floor apartment, without a lift and the last flight of stairs to his apartment was a spiral staircase!

When I delivered it and we carried it up to his flat I figured it wouldn't be very long before it was for sale again.  Sure enough, about three weeks later I saw it for sale on Gumtree.  A great sounding amp but not one you'd want to carry around much at all.

ryanverbena

Moe_Zambeek

Lightweights.

We used to heave a Hammond B3 and Leslie cabinet into gigs. Bass player had an SVT classic (in a flight case!!) and 8x10. My Matchless HC30 was trivial in comparison.

snowblind

A vox AC30 isn't that  bad, especially with the two extra handles on the top. 

Although I do recall having the schlep a 2x12 combo across London once on public transport. Switching tube lines was hilarious.

Supportact

snowblind said:

A vox AC30 isn't that  bad, especially with the two extra handles on the top. 

Although I do recall having the schlep a 2x12 combo across London once on public transport. Switching tube lines was hilarious.

I remember doing something similar carrying a big Marshall combo on busses in London. Hilarious when you're in your 20s: potentially career ending for me, these days...

bazxkr

Lucky for me  I'd never have to move an amp around but love the big sound a big amp affords even at low volumes just has so much body but if I had to travel around with one then it would be a non starter as I have enough trouble just moving my own body from A to B LOL let alone 94lbs of Fender twin

ICBM

When I was much younger I had a Marshall 4140 ‘Club & Country’ 100W 2x12” - the SRV/Alex Lifeson one - and one night after carrying it up to my second floor flat (tall Edinburgh tenement, so about as many stairs as the third or fourth floor anywhere else) I decided enough was enough, and since I always set the master volume at only about halfway up, I measured the power output there. It was 15W.

So I sold it and bought a Marshall Studio 15 - which was a wonderful amp, and plenty loud enough - helped by having the first version of the V30 in it. I used that for a couple of years, but I began to find it a bit ‘small’ sounding compared to the old 100W one. So I went through progressively bigger and bigger amps, none of which quite did it - although I thought my 50W Mesa DC-5 did, until I heard it on a really big stage. I finally got a Mesa Trem-o-verb… 100W 2x12” - and *at last* there was my sound back again. The only problem was that I was twenty years older. At first it was fine - it had good handles and wheels - but then I had some medical issues which meant that I shouldn’t really be lifting things that heavy, so it had to go .

I’ve got a 15W/38W switchable 1x12” now - I’ve long since discovered that I play at about 15W regardless of the size of the amp, so it’s perfect for either power amp breakup or clean headroom, but… it still doesn’t have that big-amp sound I want.

I’m considering a 100W 2x12” *solid state* amp now, if I can find one that sounds how I want and is light enough.

Haych

Many, many years ago when we were gigging regularly and I had a LOT of stuff to load in/out (for some reason my car carried all my gear, bass gear AND the P/A) and a lot of it was bulky and heavy, I just invested in a fold up sack truck. Made moving big amps and heavy gear much easier. 

It ever worked up and down stairs, kind of. 

Danny1969

Im 56, play in 4 bands. The weight of the amp doesn’t really play on my mind unless it’s rediculous like a BC30 or my old Marshall rack system 
The hardcased digital desk, the tops, every bass bin all weigh more my Hot Rod. 

I’ve never had a problem getting a good sound as long as the amp has a loop .. 

Petepassion

I’ve just bought my mates ‘77/78 AC30.
its sounds bloody great, especially at rehearsal with the band, where my Matchless Lightning 15 also sounds great but cannot fill the room in the same way.
   So the current plan is to use the Lightning for gigs, as they’re always mic’d up nowadays and the AC30 for rehearsal…it is a bit heavy though.
   The AC30 also sounds great at home levels 

Fez

Ah yes the memories of getting an AC 30 up and down stairs. Fast forward 30 odd years and I had to get the drummer to swing by and help me load a Harley Benton 2x12 cab as my lad wasn't around. So I cut the fecker in half so it is now a 1x12 . Heads and cabs FTW.

stickyfiddle

snowblind said:

A vox AC30 isn't that  bad, especially with the two extra handles on the top. 

Although I do recall having the schlep a 2x12 combo across London once on public transport. Switching tube lines was hilarious.

You've obviously never loaded in up the back stairs of the Jericho Tavern in Oxford on a sleety February night! 

As for schlepping on the Tube; I did a Diago Showman pedalboard, backpack full of cables and Tele in a Hiscox once. I ordered a Pedaltrain and a Mono bag the next day! 

NickBotfield

stickyfiddle said:
As for schlepping on the Tube; I did a Diago Showman pedalboard, backpack full of cables and Tele in a Hiscox once. I ordered a Pedaltrain and a Mono bag the next day! 

Fucking hell, I've got a Showman as my "never leave the house with it / where pedals go to die" board.  It weighs a ton!

Littlejonny

I’ve said this before - last gig I did was with a TMDR and I loved it. If you’re looking for a good gigging amp thats easy to carry it’s the one.

For context I gigged with a Twin Reverb II for several years, and I usually use a HRD.  

It’s wasn’t too fond of the TMTR. Sounded stiff to me. 

(Although I’m experimenting with using the PA and actually quite enjoying it now I have a Tonex.)