Bad Back need a combo

JD50

 Lugging a 50 watt tube head & 2 x 12 cab around is not doing me any good so until my back is sorted I need to find a combo for rehearsals / gigs. It would have to be a single 12 due to weight.

Could 2nd hand Fender HRDX III be the way to go?

ThePrettyDamned

You'll possibly find a head and 1x12 easier to be honest, combos are often pretty heavy. Valve combos, even smaller 1x12 ones, can be pretty heavy.

You could also try a diagonal 2x12, which is tall enough to wheel around

ecc83

Well! You know where I come from and what my ID.ea will be?

Dave.

chrisj1602

A Blues Junior is a nice weight and got decent volume.  I got one not long ago and the weight is a huge relief after using an Orange combo the last few years.

ICBM

JD50 said:

 Lugging a 50 watt tube head & 2 x 12 cab around is not doing me any good so until my back is sorted I need to find a combo for rehearsals / gigs. It would have to be a single 12 due to weight.

Could 2nd hand Fender HRDX III be the way to go?

No, they're quite heavy.

A Mesa Express 5:25 is surprisingly light - not just light for a Mesa, actually really light. And still loud enough to gig - even the 1x10" version is, and still very full-sounding for such a small amp.

If you're willing to contemplate a non-valve solution, what Dave was trying to avoid being too obvious with .

Blackstar ID60. I haven't tried lifting the combo, but the head is so light it almost feels like it's empty. Possibly because most of it is .

welshboyo

Interesting..as I'm contemplating going FROM a combo to separates to save the old back......granted I'm using a Bogner Shiva combo which weighs the same as a small house....

JD50

chrisj1602 said:

A Blues Junior is a nice weight and got decent volume.  I got one not long ago and the weight is a huge relief after using an Orange combo the last few years.

I play in a 6 piece, how does it fair in band/gig volumes?

JD50

Thanks for the advice so far guys, I should mention my budget is £300 so 2nd hand.

timmysoft

Maybe something like the Laney IRT Studio and a a 112 cab. Very portable, very light but still gives you amazing quality tones.

viz

Yep, get a 1x12 cab, Carvin do a nice one which is quite large but mostly empty so sounds really good and full, and with a V30.

mrn1989

These are apparently super light, but not that light on the pocket!

http://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-amp-heads/pid33479/cid689/matrix-amplification-vb800-420w-guitar-amp-head.asp

JD50

My 2 x 12 is already loaded with V30's, i'd be tempted to try something else If I go the single 12 route, perhaps Greenback. Although the cheapest option would be to pick up an empty cab & stick one of the V30's from my 2 x 12 in it.

 

Do those 'neodymium' speakers sound as good as regular speakers?

 

 

chrisj1602

JD50 said:

chrisj1602 said:

A Blues Junior is a nice weight and got decent volume.  I got one not long ago and the weight is a huge relief after using an Orange combo the last few years.

I play in a 6 piece, how does it fair in band/gig volumes?

It's definitely loud enough with my band (vocals, 2 guitars, bass, drums) and the other guitarist in the band has a 100w valve Marshall combo.  I only need the master on about 3 in the rehearsal room, a bit higher at gigs obviously.  I did a lot of reading up on this amp before buying it and a lot of people gig them and say they are plenty loud enough.  Personally, I have been very impressed with it. You could probably get a used HRD for same price as a used BJr but like you, I wanted a smaller lighter amp.  Mine is the III version and I got it for £300.

digitalscream

Jet City 20W combo?

http://www.jetcityamplificationstore.co.uk/product/jca2212/

It's still about 18kg, mind. I have a bad back, and I try to stay away from combos...if it's that bad, then the Jet City 20W JCA22H and 1x12" might be a better idea to spread the weight a bit. Might go about £30 over your budget though, so I'm not sure whether that'd work for you.

ICBM

JD50 said:

Do those 'neodymium' speakers sound as good as regular speakers?

In my opinion, no.

But you should probably see if you can find one to try, since it's probably a personal thing.

p90fool

JD50 said:

chrisj1602 said:

A Blues Junior is a nice weight and got decent volume.  I got one not long ago and the weight is a huge relief after using an Orange combo the last few years.

I play in a 6 piece, how does it fair in band/gig volumes?

Depends on the band. I used one in a 6-piece band with a boogie piano player but with a fairly light drummer and the Blues Junior was totally inaudible. Not just "not quite loud enough", I genuinely had no idea whether it was even switched on or not.

Keyboards just tend to eat all available frequencies, though you may get away with it in some guitar bands.
You'll still sound shit though.

mart

ICBM said:

JD50 said:

....

Could 2nd hand Fender HRDX III be the way to go?

No, they're quite heavy.

A Mesa Express 5:25 is surprisingly light ..

According to specs on the web, both the 5:25 (12") and the HRD are the same weight: 45lbs (20kg). Presumably the 10" 5:25 is a bit lighter?

stickyfiddle

My 10" 5:25 is about 17.5kg iirc. A smidge more than the Rivera Clubster 25 it replaced

ICBM

chrisj1602 said:

According to specs on the web, both the 5:25 (12") and the HRD are the same weight: 45lbs (20kg). Presumably the 10" 5:25 is a bit lighter?

That's interesting… yes, the last one I picked up (yesterday) was a 10" one and they're pretty light. I remembered the 12" as being not a lot heavier and certainly lighter than a HRD, although I could be wrong! Or it may be just that they're an easier shape to lift and have a much more comfortable handle, possibly - that makes a surprising difference.

Even my Trem-o-verb at 98lb is easier to lift than a Fender Twin or an AC30 at about 80lb, just because it's nowhere near as awkward.

crunchman

ICBM said:

JD50 said:

Do those 'neodymium' speakers sound as good as regular speakers?

In my opinion, no.

But you should probably see if you can find one to try, since it's probably a personal thing.

I actually like the Vintage Century but I don't know if my taste would be the same as yours as I don't like the V30.

I'd echo the sentiments above about a head and a separate 1 x 12.  A lot of valve combos are quite heavy - the power transformer and output transformer mean there is siginificant weight of ironwork in there.  To be honest you'd probably find your existing 2 x 12 with Vintage Centurys in would be lighter than a HRD.

The other options are modelling and/or going direct.  Something like the Blackstar ID mentioned above would be a lot lighter than a valve amp of similar output.  Or if you have a decent PA and monitors you could always go direct with modeller or a pedal with cab emulation on.  The Sansamp ones (or the Joyo/Harley Benton knockoffs) are the obvious ones but there are other pedals with cab emulation as well.

ICBM

crunchman said:

A lot of valve combos are quite heavy - the power transformer and output transformer mean there is siginificant weight of ironwork in there.

Actually most of the weight is in the cabinet. For example the Mesa Express chassis was almost unbelievably light when I took it out.

The only real difference between a valve amp and a solid-state amp weight-wise is the output transformer, which is only a couple of pounds for a lower-powered amp. Solid-state amps generally have to be more powerful to give the same volume so their power transformers can even be heavier, despite solid-state being more efficient.

Surprisingly, the Blackstar ID60 combo is listed as being 22Kg, which is heavier than the HRD assuming the figures are accurate.