Heads - how heavy is too heavy?

bigfuzz

I'm in a pickle.. My new band is getting to the point of regular rehearsals and gigs and the thought of carting a combo on foot/tube in london is daunting.

I've always loved the orange AD30s and have found a twin channel head pretty cheap. However it's apparently 15kg.. In head terms is that too heavy to cart around on tubes etc ?

ICBM

Not sure, but it's probably pushing it depending on how young and strong you are. I used a Fender Super Champ for a few years for public transport gigs, which from memory is about 12 to 13Kg, and that was manageable but got surprisingly heavy quite quickly.

The best thing to do is fill a shopping bag or something to make it weigh 15Kg and see how easily you can carry it to your next practice…

If it's too much, the Dual Terror is quite a bit lighter (about 10Kg) and easier to carry with its little gig bag thing.

ThePrettyDamned

The answer is the Amt Stonehead...

Just kidding. But 15kg is pretty heavy. 32 ish pounds. It'll feel fine for a few minutes, then you'll swap hands... Then again... And again... And It'll ache.

Much lighter than a combo though!

I don't think the ad has anything similar to a rockerverb... If it did, the Jim root terror is the obvious choice.

bigfuzz

I'm looking specifically at the ad30htc the newer one with twin channels? The cleans are actually pretty nice and the crunch is my kinda mid gain crunch British flavouring..

This is depressing me.. There must be a decent enough amp I could carry about to gigs? Or have I just opened up a can of worms..

ThePrettyDamned

bigfuzz;112168" said:

I'm looking specifically at the ad30htc the newer one with twin channels? The cleans are actually pretty nice and the crunch is my kinda mid gain crunch British flavouring..

This is depressing me.. There must be a decent enough amp I could carry about to gigs? Or have I just opened up a can of worms..

Laney lh50. Easily. It's a smaller than normal head, with an excellent toroidal transformer. Weight isn't horrendous, 50 watts and excellent cleans with decent crunch. Not as nice crunch as the orange perhaps, but a vintage Marshall - meets - laney thing. Loved my old one, and they go cheap used

ICBM

There are plenty of decent amps you can carry to gigs.

You may want to think seriously about a solid-state amp - they're inherently lighter for a given power due to not having an output transformer, and often a smaller power transformer - although the problem with most of them is that you need more power to give the same perceived volume as a valve amp, so you can get close to back where you started…

You should also look at lunchbox-style amps. These avoid the unnecessary extra weight of the wooden box, which can be quite substantial. Most are relatively low-powered but there are some which punch well above their size and weight (though not necessarily cost…) such as the Mesa Mini Rectifier.

Or both at the same time, like the AMT Stonehead ThePrettyDamned mentioned.

Or a Blackstar ID60 or ID100 removed from its pointless head box! (Even in the head box, the ID60 I tried was almost unbelievably light.)

jpfamps

I would consider 15 kg very manageable based on lumping a similar weight head amp around London recently.

rockmonster

Get a skateboard Velcro amp onto it pull it behind you with some string. Sorted! )

ragingben

Gigged the AMT Stonehead in a pub on Friday, and it was awesome! Plenty of volume for a small gig, if you can leave a cab in a rehearsal space it's a good option because it can git in a backpack. Otherwise as others have said a small lunchbox head would be a good option, but be careful as some of them, like the tiny terror, don't have all that much clean headroom before they start to distort. Something solidstate probably will stay clean

bigfuzz

Googles AMT stone head..

StageStruck

Invest in one of these and some bungee cords

http://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Folding-Hand-Truck-and-Trolley-Cart/MYP

Easily carries a 2x12 cab and head.

Van_Hayden

jpfamps;112211" said:

I would consider 15 kg very manageable based on lumping a similar weight head amp around London recently.

This. Although it depends on the wattage, if you've got a sub 15kg 100w head somebody's not put enough iron in it!

fretmeister

Engl Ironball

Under 9kg. Great tone. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gftbglwYF2g

digitalscream

I once carried a Laney VH100R across London on the Tube. For the record, I can categorically say that 27kg is too much.

I can just about manage my JCA50H on a multiple-hop tube journey (18kg), but not if I'm lugging a guitar and lead bag as well. Really, you want something below the 10kg mark.

If you're not too keen on the idea of the Stonehead, you could always get a couple of AMT preamp pedals and a small power amp (perhaps the Crate Powerblock or similar?).

stickyfiddle

I took a 12kg pedalboard (plus guitar and kit-bag) to an audition on the tube. When I got there I could barely play because my hands were fecked. The following day I started the process of cutting down and getting everything in cases that could be slung on a shoulder and had no more trouble. 

Assuming you'd only be carrying that and a guitar case, and the head was in a softcase with a shoulder strap you'll be ok.

Failing that, something like a Mini Rectifier, Vox Night Train or Hayden Mofo might be a good option?

bigfuzz

I had one of the Hayden mini mofo (original ones) a while back and didn't keep it long..

The orange is 30w, I'd ideally want something 30w and above so I can get a clean tone live. My DRRi is up for sale so budget is quite sizeable (for me anyway)

ICBM

Don't rule out the Mini Rectifier just because it's 25W… it's the loudest 25W I've ever heard. It's also seriously overpriced in this country though, which may be more of an issue.

ThePrettyDamned

I like the mofo, saw biffy using one.

I reckon blackstar I'd, Amt Stonehead, or Amt preamp pedals into an isp power amp.

Valve wise, how about the new v30 from victory?

stickyfiddle

ICBM;112661" said:

Don't rule out the Mini Rectifier just because it's 25W… it's the loudest 25W I've ever heard. It's also seriously overpriced in this country though, which may be more of an issue.

Likewise the express 5:25 head. Crazy loud for 25 watts.

Catthan

Carrying a head around, 15 kg max, could be manageable (but for how long until you've had enough,,) Are you certain that there will always be cabs where you play though? I got the Badger with the same thing in mind until I realized there won,t always be cabs and that 15kg is too much stress for my hands before playing. Another thing you can do is get a 1x12 combo and add a caster+handle structure on the back; you can take one out from an old suitcase. That's what I was thinkning for my blues jr when Ihad one.

fretmeister

ICBM said:

Don't rule out the Mini Rectifier just because it's 25W… it's the loudest 25W I've ever heard. It's also seriously overpriced in this country though, which may be more of an issue.

It should be ruled out though. Because it sounds like arse.

It does not sound like a Recto.