Grateful Dead Music Forum

The weight of those amps, be it a Boogie or a Twin Reverb, never bothered me. Comes with the territory. I have road cases for my 77' Mark I and both of my Twins. If the gig is in an unusually precarious spot with alot of endless lifting I just ask someone to give me a hand. I never understood what all the complaining is about the weight of a solidly made tube amp. I would never pull my JBL's to shave off a few pounds.

jonarobb wrote: I never understood what all the complaining is about the weight of a solidly made tube amp.

Getting an amp from your house and into your car by yourself. Just think it through:
Twin with JBLS - say 100lbs, up or down a flight of stairs, lifting into a car

It's a recipe to jack your back and a bitch if you do that pre-gig. Now reverse it: post gig, tired and back in...



However, I look at amps and guitars as tools so bring the right ones for the right jobs....

strumminsix wrote:

jonarobb wrote: I never understood what all the complaining is about the weight of a solidly made tube amp.

Getting an amp from your house and into your car by yourself. Just think it through:
Twin with JBLS - say 100lbs, up or down a flight of stairs, lifting into a car

It's a recipe to jack your back and a bitch if you do that pre-gig. Now reverse it: post gig, tired and back in...



However, I look at amps and guitars as tools so bring the right ones for the right jobs....

Totally dig...I guess thats why there's chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. I personally hear a quality in the original JBL's that no other speaker mimics. Again, as far as huffing and puffing over a heavy amp, there always seems to be an extra set of hands around all these years.

The 77' Mesa Boogie Mark I Combo with a JBL 2202A in it weighs 62lbs. My 1970 Fender Twin Reverb with a pair of JBL K120's weighs 87lbs. I was curious so I threw them on the bathroom scale. Fuck, you're right, those suckers are heavy!!! I'll still lug em' around though. They just sound so good. Ya know?

Agreed. My rack weighs 100lbs I'd guess so unless I have help I bring something else.
However, I am also looking to buy a ramp and avoid never having to settle without it.


I ditched the EV's from my 2x10 Fender Rivera for a pair of Jensen Neo speakers.

The amp wasn't portable enough without it and I wanted that Jensen sound in it!

jonarobb wrote:I never understood what all the complaining is about the weight of a solidly made tube amp. I would never pull my JBL's to shave off a few pounds.

Translation: I haven't suffered from severe back pain/incapacitation as have the guys who are concerned about the weight. For if you had, you'd understand and not mischaracterize us as "complaining." And I offer you my sincere wishes that you never have to experience it for it sucks in general, in addition to ruling out 70+ lb. amps.

my 1970 Fender Twin Reverb with a pair of JBL K120's weighs 87lbs.

Holy Cr*p - that's the exact amp (bought new) I had in high school & college (played a Gretsch Country Gentleman with the painted on f-holes in a Beatles cover band) and I used to be able to toss it into the back seat of my mom's BelAire with one hand.

My frickin' Blues Junior feels twice as heavy now...

strumminsix wrote:Man, I am thinking I am an outsider regarding stage volume and the amount of air moving.

40W and a 1x12 is more than enough for me 90% of the time and too much about 25% of the time.

I think I have to agree. I have a 50 watt ampeg superjet 1x12. It has loads of headroom. I am on like 3-4 and Im blazing away with drums and the giant ampeg bass rig. I dont break up until about 6-7 and If I am on 6-7, the entire room is PISSED OFF.

While the twins have an excellent sound, I find that in a bar situation, when a guy has one in a band his tone is excellent, and its very jerry-esque right out of the box, but its sometimes just too much, and really overpowers the rest of the band. I realize this is heresy. I always wanted one, but several of the bands I used to see locally used them, and I have just come to the conclusion that they are too much for the venues I am going to play in. If I need it louder, I will mic it. That being said, I am going to hook up a 2x12 cab for more clarity and a bit more volume...