onehappybunny Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Here's my dilemma... I'm 38 and bought the bass amp of my dreams (Mesa 400+) a year or two back. Great sound, especially after mastering the EQ and popping a Mullard 12AT7 into the pre-amp section We only gig about 10-12 times per year, but practice with band every week. This means carrying the amp (then the cab) from the cupboard in our bedroom (where it lives), down the stairs and out to the car. Same deal when I get to the rehearsal and then come back home. Until recently this was just a minor hassle (worth it for the sound!) but recently knackered my back/neck (not by carrying the mesa, and not seriously - now recovered). I've taken it as a bit of sign that I'm not as young as I was, that I shouldn't risk my back and may need to go lightweight option (or that I am a bit of a lightweight ). Soooo... * should I sell the Mesa? (or get a trolley etc.) * if I do sell, what lightweight amp would get closest to the Mesa all-tube sound? (was thinking GB Shuttle 6 or MB R500) Can't seem to make sense on this one, so I'd really appreciate some advice from you fine folks Thanks Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Get a trolley or something, you won't get a full valve sound from a lightweight amp. IMO lightweight amps are a compromise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 45 years old... Ashdown ABM gear. Otherwise, I feel your pain. Literally probably. If someone comes up with a great sounding, small, loud rig that isn't stupid expensive I'm having one!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Maybe get a lightweight cab but keep the amp? i always find heavy cabs more of a pain in the back (pun not intended) than the amps themselves because it involves wrestling with them and other such things. Keep the head on top of the cab so it doesn't involve too much bending and just get a lightweight cab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray5 Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 +1 on the trolley. I fitted Ernie Ball [i]removable[/i] castors to my Trace bass combo years ago and they've paid for themselves a million times over where any back pain might be concerned. I mainly use my trolley for my Trace 2x10 cab. My gig box is one of those tool-box-on-wheels things from Halfords/B&Q/etc. The more wheels the better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmesa Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='onehappybunny' post='548103' date='Jul 22 2009, 08:14 PM']should I sell the Mesa?[/quote] NO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='Stingray5' post='548144' date='Jul 22 2009, 08:32 PM']My gig box is one of those tool-box-on-wheels things from Halfords/B&Q/etc.[/quote] Genius! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I was fascinated by the "getting old" comment as there seems to be various cut off points on what old is on this forum. I'm late 30s too and I've read stuff where you have to be 40+ to qualify as old. I feel young but I feel old. We're in no mans land! There are others who write you off at 25. Age is only really a state of mind after all. There were always the middle aged teenagers at school and then the old fools who never learn (of which I suspect I may be turning into!) I'm all up for compromise with gear. I remember runnning up 4 flights of stairs with my giant Peavey combo back in the 90s. Sod that now! I'd rather take it a bit easier & I don't care about rock n roll credibility (not that a Peavey combo necessarily embodies that!). Amps are getting better and you can approximate a good tone on a much healthier budget these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) You probably need to get out and try a few light weight rigs. Don't try them when your back aches or when you missus has been nagging about you banging in the bedroom after gigs (fnar fnar) but when you are level headed. Better still see if you can borrow one to gig with ... You may find the sound compromise (if that's how you hear it) worthwhile after all ... if you get off to Bassdirect you can book him for a Saturday and run your rig alongside his stuff for an a-b comparison .. oh and talk to Alex about Barefaced cabs Edited July 22, 2009 by OldGit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='BurritoBass' post='548160' date='Jul 22 2009, 08:38 PM']I was fascinated by the "getting old" comment as there seems to be various cut off points on what old is on this forum. I'm late 30s too and I've read stuff where you have to be 40+ to qualify as old. I feel young but I feel old. We're in no mans land! There are others who write you off at 25. Age is only really a state of mind after all. There were always the middle aged teenagers at school and then the old fools who never learn (of which I suspect I may be turning into!) I'm all up for compromise with gear. I remember runnning up 4 flights of stairs with my giant Peavey combo back in the 90s. Sod that now! I'd rather take it a bit easier & I don't care about rock n roll credibility (not that a Peavey combo necessarily embodies that!). Amps are getting better and you can approximate a good tone on a much healthier budget these days[/quote] Old for a bloke is when you become completely invisible to teenage girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I'm 44, in constant pain & waiting to have spinal surgery but I'm still thinking of getting an SVT rig....... Seriously, put your health first, you don't want to make your back worse. I've felt like I'm 84 for the past 18 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 If you're happy with the Mesa then gigging with it on average once a month shouldn't be too much of a bind. Just get a lightweight head or combo for rehearsing - I use a digital Yamaha BBT-500H apparently made of helium- fits in a small B&Q alu toolbox - thru a no-name 15" PA cab permanently left at the reheasal room, or a 2x10 if rehearsing elsewhere. Or just DI thru the PA at reheasals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RussFM Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 I agree with the previous comment of keep the amp and get a lightweight cab - I found my old GK Neo cab to give me the sound I always wanted, no cab since has matched it, regardless of the amp, and it was so easy to carry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 di into pa for practice, sansamp or lowdown110 practice amp maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 [quote name='Shaggy' post='548245' date='Jul 22 2009, 09:23 PM']If you're happy with the Mesa then gigging with it on average once a month shouldn't be too much of a bind. Just get a lightweight head or combo for rehearsing - I use a digital Yamaha BBT-500H apparently made of helium- fits in a small B&Q alu toolbox - thru a no-name 15" PA cab permanently left at the reheasal room, or a 2x10 if rehearsing elsewhere. Or just DI thru the PA at reheasals?[/quote] Some of us poor people only have a poxy vocal PA. Therefore requiring a drummer defeating bass rig to compete. I'd be carrying a roland cube or similar if we had a PA!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 22, 2009 Share Posted July 22, 2009 Keep it downstairs. That would help your knees! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='BurritoBass' post='548160' date='Jul 22 2009, 08:38 PM']I'm late 30s too and I've read stuff where you have to be 40+ to qualify as old. I feel young but I feel old. We're in no mans land! There are others who write you off at 25.[/quote] I'm 22 and I'm going lightweight as soon as possible! I used to have a huge Ampeg stack powered by an SVT4PRO head but those days are long gone, I don't think the tone I got from that rig at gigs was good enough to justify lugging the damn thing around all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Sell the 400 ... but..if you want a compromise, get a backup cheap amp for rehearsals so cutting down the amounts of lifts.. or hire a room where the backline is provided Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I'm 51 and lug heavy stuff about regularly. It's more about how, not what, you carry IMO. I have injured my back several times - but never by trying to move heavy things. If you prepare yourself to move a heavy object - get those core muscles tight to start with - and then carry it properly the heavy stuff is easy. It's those silly bending-over-the-boot-of-the-car moments that do the damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatori Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Im 56 and have two jcm 800's and a 4x12 that I shift between 3 and 4 gigs a week. Get a trolley my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 [quote name='thepurpleblob' post='548139' date='Jul 22 2009, 07:30 PM']45 years old... Ashdown ABM gear. Otherwise, I feel your pain. Literally probably. If someone comes up with a great sounding, small, loud rig that isn't stupid expensive I'm having one!![/quote] One of these (with a decent quality 12AX7): Into one of these: Into the 300w Barefaced cabs of your choice? Its not gonna sound like a Bass 400+ though, but it should sound fairly articulate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 I had a slightly different problem in that I moved into a 2nd floor flat. The 400+ in a lightweight case (SKB, etc) isn't too bad but the cabs....another kettle of ball games entirely! I ended up selling 'em and getting some lightweight units. In your position I'd keep the amp downstairs, as previously suggested, and get some lighter weight speaker cabs, Barefaced Big One or Vintage would be good with the Boogie methinks! Cheers, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 There is a way to get valve amp tone but low weight and that's with one of the rare designs that use a valve preamp to drive a tiny valve power amp which drives a dummy load, and then you tap that dummy load to drive a lightweight power amp (or internal power amp module). DHA makes both an integrated head and a separate preamp like this, whilst there were some Warwick amps and preamps of the same configuration (quadruplet?) in the past. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Mesa Trolley - Trolley Mesa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted July 23, 2009 Share Posted July 23, 2009 Well i am 24 years old with a crumbling back. I was all for going lightweight after the doctor told me to stop lifting heavy things. Bought a lightweight cab and Ashdown Little Giant. Then i tried some big heavy Peavey Black widow cabs...... So now i have 2 heavy peavey cabs powered by an ultra lightweight Ashdown little giant.... I might as well just get a full on valve head now :S Mind you the Little giant does sound amazing considering! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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