VB800 Guitar Amp from Matrix

digitalscream

p90fool said:

It's funny how the salesman was implying that it was like holding World War II in a phone box, but the gigging guitarist says er, well no actually, he pretty well ran out of headroom.

I've no doubt whatsoever that the amp is capable of delivering plenty of volume with a couple of decent sized cabs, but the promise of a super-lightweight 1x12 rig with more than adequate power still seems as out of reach as it ever was.

You're almost always going to find a 1x12" sounds small/quiet. The point is that the 2x12" is still incredibly light, and actually giggable.

The amp wouldn't have run out of output headroom. I'd imagine that he was simply trying to hit the front end harder and harder, and thus clipped the preamp before getting to the volume he wanted. Having heard the amp (admittedly through a 2x12"), it was easily loud enough to gig and then some.

Jalapeno

thomasross20 said:

So in conclusion.... the VB800 isn't much cop? (Why?)

Don't think so - that's just @P90fool 's opinion based on watching a YouTube video.  Others are equally for it.

p90fool

Jalapeno said:

thomasross20 said:

So in conclusion.... the VB800 isn't much cop? (Why?)

Don't think so - that's just @P90fool 's opinion based on watching a YouTube video.  Others are equally for it.

Lol, I never said that at all, it actually sounds good, and no doubt through adequate cabs would be bloody deafening.

It's just that I would have hoped that a 400w SS amp into a 1x12 would be at least capable of delivering Boogie Mark Series-type loudness (ie, more than adequate for just about any situation), but the guy in the video who's actually gigging it implies not.

I'm being hyper picky, I'm sure it's a great amp, but again the implication (by the "Captain") that it's tiny, superlight  but deafening seems like an exaggeration.

It's a completely fixable issue, but if you want maximum portability it seems a shame to start having to look at speakers with a higher sensitivity or plain ol' bigger cabs. You expect it with a 12w Princeton, but not something which claims FOUR HUNDRED (count 'em) watts.

Jalapeno

I long-ago gave up trying to gig any place other than a small pub or rehearsal studio with a single 1x12 (cab or combo) - including my Mesa Boogie amps.

Like @Digitalscream I think it would be the dog's danglies via the uber-light Matrix 2x12 - but that's just my opinion !

citizen68

I've been gigging with a 1x12 open back Zilla mini modern with an EV12L fitted - granted not the lightest lift I ever had but it showed me that a 1x12 can deliver & sound anything but 'small'.