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Author
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Topic: Is there a good light weight AMP?
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Stan Townsend
Member From: North University Heights (L.A.)
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posted 21 March 2002 04:37 PM
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Does anyone have any suggestions for a light weight, or "lighter" weight steel guitar amp? |
C. Brattain
Member From: Balch Springs, Texas, usa
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posted 21 March 2002 05:11 PM
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Have you tried the Polytone Amps, they are light weight with a big sound. try this webb site "www.aguitarcenter.com" thanks, Chuck |
Bob Carlson
Member From: Surprise AZ.
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posted 21 March 2002 08:41 PM
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Depends a lot on what you consider lite weight. In the last 15 years my Fender Twin has gained more weight than I have.Bob.[This message was edited by Bob Carlson on 21 March 2002 at 08:42 PM.] |
Bill Crook
Member From: Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance
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posted 22 March 2002 06:42 AM
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No !!!!!
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Larry Bell
Member From: Englewood, Florida
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posted 22 March 2002 06:46 AM
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For me, bottom end, weight-wise, would be a Nashville 400. Less headroom and I'm not a happy camper.For most decent sized venues, two of em. FWIW ------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro [This message was edited by Larry Bell on 22 March 2002 at 06:47 AM.]
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Joey Ace
Sysop From: Southern Ontario, Canada
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posted 22 March 2002 06:53 AM
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Possibly Evans ?I also use a Nash 400, and would like a lighter, affordable amp. I'm movin this to Electronics. -j0ey-
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Steven Knapper
Member From: Temecula Ca USA
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posted 22 March 2002 07:24 AM
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HOW ABOUT 35 POUNDS !!!! Evans 150 watt weights in at 35 pounds and probably the best steel amp there is.
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John Russell
Member From: Austin, Texas
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posted 22 March 2002 09:17 AM
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I think Steve has the solution from what I hear. Nearly everybody loves the Evans sound. I'm selling my Nash 1000 because even though it's lighter than it's predecessors, it's a heavy and bulky item to schlep around.You might consider a rack system such as the Walker Stereo Steel. Those are well liked, raved about by the users, though the up front cost is a little high. I hate to think how much I've spent searching for the best amp. I'd have saved a bundle by spending a little more at first. My current rig features a TubeWorks preamp in a rack case and a separate 15" EV-loaded speaker cab. The tone is superb and portability is good if you don't mind hauling two boxes in place of one. By the way, Polytones are fairly plentiful around here. Call South Austin Music at 512/448-4992. Too bad I don't have time to check out some of the many amps on the market these days. New stuff is available all the time and I'm sure the solid state vs. tube dilemma will be resolved with digital technology. (Or tube/ss hybrid tech.) --JR |
Tony Prior
Member From: Charlotte NC
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posted 22 March 2002 11:22 AM
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There probably is a lighter amp, but is it the same in tone quality and power ouput across the entire spectrum ? Probably not.I think by now, we all know what the standard "Combo" amp is with 300 watts and we know what it weighs . My feeling is to go lighter without sacrificing tone/power capabilities requires going with a multiple component rig such as a Walker system. TP |
Chris Lucker
Member From: Los Angeles, California USA
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posted 22 March 2002 02:52 PM
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I have an Evans SE150 High Voltage that feels very light. However, by comparison, my other amp is a Twin Reverb with a 15 inch 4 ohm Sho~Bud version of a D130.
In addition to being lightweight, I like the headphone jack I have on my Evans.
Chris |
Chuck Martin
Member From: Mc Lean, Virginia
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posted 22 March 2002 07:37 PM
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It depends on how big a venue your going to play. Recently I started using a 60 watt Mesa Boogie guitar amp with a 12" EV and have been very pleased with its warm tone. Other than home, the only other place I play is in church so having a lot of volume isn't necessary (nor desired). The Mesa isn't particulary light since its a tube amp but it is very compact. |
Steven Knapper
Member From: Temecula Ca USA
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posted 22 March 2002 10:15 PM
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I am waiting for my Evans 150 watt 35lb. amp to arrive at Blackie Taylor Music. 150 watt should be good enough for small to medium venues, IE: bars, saloons, churchs, etc. If you went out doors, I would drag along my Nash 400 and use it's 200 watts as a power amp. I just sold one of my Nashville 400's and kept one for a back up or if I need 200 more watts. I wish I knew the Model number of the new Evans 150 watt, but I can tell you all one thing, it's one sweet sounding amp for steel and it's light. |
Joey Ace
Sysop From: Southern Ontario, Canada
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posted 23 March 2002 07:25 AM
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The Evans models are
SE 150 Steel Amp, 150 watts
SE 200 Steel Amp, 200 watts Both have Digital Reverb, 15” Speaker, XLR Output, Headphone Jack. I heard Al Brisco using one. Very nice.
http://www.evansamps.com/ [This message was edited by Joey Ace on 23 March 2002 at 07:28 AM.] |
Bob Hoffnar
Member From: Brooklyn, NY
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posted 23 March 2002 11:45 AM
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Walter Woods is 30 years ahead of us. They do sound great and are only about 7LBS. http://persoweb.francenet.fr/~liegeois/ww.html Do a search on Google and read em and weep. Bob |
Bill Taft
Member From: Sturgeon Mo. USA
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posted 23 March 2002 12:07 PM
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At the St. Louis conv 2001 I had the oppurtunity to go to dinner and to the hotel room of MR. Buddy Charelton.
In his room he had his steel and his amp sit up and he was using a old Session 400 1976 model if I remember right I did look at the ser# And beleive it said 6A- which means it was a 76. Now I dont really remember if it was a 76 or 78 but it was right in those years. When I looked in the back I noticed that it had neither a JBL or a Black Widow, so I ask him why he wasnt using JBL or a BW and he said I put a light weight inexpensive
speaker in it and thats all I need sounds good to me and is a whole lot lighter.
You know he was right because a couple hours later he played and sounded great and had good tone.
I used a 78 LTD I bought usd at a flea market and it had the cheapest speaker I beleive I ever seen must have been worth at least 15-20 dollars, and I play though that amp a short time until I came up with a JBL, but as I remember it sounded pretty darn good. I'm sure if you really had to crank up the volume you wouldnt have anything left, but it sounded OK.
I guess I need to sell all my peavey JBL'S and put light weight speakers in all 5 or 6 session 400's I have. Right now they all have the peavy JBL's in them and maybe I wouldnt have any more back surgeorys-that might be why I've had four back operations in the last two years I like the old peaveys with the heavy JBL's in them. Maybe someone would trade me a cheapo for one. Just Kidding!!!!!
Well thats my story and I'm sticken' to it.
MY 2 cents on this matter.
Bill Taft
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btaft |
Steven Knapper
Member From: Temecula Ca USA
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posted 23 March 2002 04:01 PM
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Yeah, Joey, that's the one(but I think it says FET on the front), have you seen the back of the 150?? One the bottom rail there is a headphone jack, XLR out, and I can't remember what else, a reverb shut off switch for going to a board. A bunch of stuff, I think it's a great amp and will be very happy with it after playing one every Monday for a year and half during Blackie's lessons. I picked up the 2 Nash 400's cuz they were cheap and I needed 2 amps in two different places, but one is gone now, hope that that SE 150 arrives soon. Blackie has been playng the 200 watt version for years. Can't wait to get it, but it IS pricey.[This message was edited by Steven Knapper on 23 March 2002 at 04:12 PM.] [This message was edited by Steven Knapper on 23 March 2002 at 06:12 PM.] |
Al Udeen
Member From: maple grove mn usa
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posted 23 March 2002 10:21 PM
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Anyone heard of a Davis amp, a guy brought one to a club several yrs. ago to let me try & it sounded very good & had 2 channels, It was much smaller & lighter than all mentioned above, with the exception of that 7 pounder? I think they were made in Denver? |
Jerry Roller
Member From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA
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posted 24 March 2002 06:42 PM
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Stan, there are many great steel amps including most that Peavey has built. They are wonderful, but you mentioned wanting a very light weight amp. I understand that the Peavey Nashville 1000 is lighter than the Session 400 but I don't know what it weighs and I know it is a great amp. I played an Emmons LeGrande thru a new Evans 150 in the Emmons display room at the Dallas steel show and it is absolutely incredible!!!!!!!! I would LOVE to have one of them. I did not ask what it weighed but I do know it is extremely light, very powerful, very sweet tone, (of course that great Emmons guitar had something to do with that)  . Someone in this thread said it weighed about 37 pounds I think which seems about right to me. I love Peavey products, Webb amps etc. but when you enter the weight thing as a factor, I would suggest you consider the new Evans 150. It is GREAT!
Jerry |
Ken Fox
Member From: Ray City, GA USA
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posted 25 March 2002 04:20 PM
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The Nasville 1000 even weights less that the Nashville 400. I listened to them all of this last weekend at the Dallas Steel Show, a good choice! |
seldomfed
Member From: Colorado
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posted 26 March 2002 12:09 PM
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A little out of context but.... Light amps? These are AMAZING for acoustic guitar and bass. Not sure about steel yet but I will try someday soon. I tested them last at http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/index.html AER amps - http://www.aer-amps.de/ Light, oh man. The sound is sooooo nice. Some other 'music store guy' told me that all acoustic guitar amps sound good so it must be easy to make them. He has not heard these.
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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"We can't afford to let Nature Run Wild" - govt. offical - Alaska |
Dave O'Brien
Member From: Okeechobee, FL USA
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posted 26 March 2002 04:54 PM
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Pick up a hand truck at Big Lots for $20. and play your Nashville 400. |
Steve Matlock
Member From: Branson, MO USA
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posted 26 March 2002 09:02 PM
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Hey Chris, I have tried an AER with steel and it was incredible what that little amp put out. A buddy of mine brought his to the TSGA show last week and I went down to test it in the Carter room. I've never heard anything short of a full sized steel amp sound that good. It even carried the low C6th chords very well. They are a bit pricey, but I may have to have one of them! I think his weighed ~17 pounds and was maybe 1' square. People in the room couldn't believe it. Carter is now talking about offering this amp.Steve |
Joe Adams
Member From: Washington C. H., Ohio 43160
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posted 27 March 2002 04:30 AM
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I had arthritis so bad I couldn't carry my amps so I had to find something light so my wife could carry them. No kidding. I have 2 Polttone Amps(22lbs ea)with 12" speakers. I use a good preamp with effects. The sound is great. The preamp makes it possible. Without the preamp it wouldn't work. These amps are clean and without any color to them. The best preamp I have found is an ART 2000 Express. It has all the effects, agood reverb, and it's own power supply. (no wall wort) And no color. With that combo, you can't go wrong. Most of the time I only use 1 amp.------------------
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Doc Hall
Member From: League City, Texas, USA
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posted 27 March 2002 09:34 AM
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I'm using a Fender Stage 100. At 42 lbs., it's light and easy to tote. It covers small venues well at 100 watts. You can add another speaker and be pushing 160 watts or line out the amp to the PA for larger clubs. I do think it has some drawbacks. This is one of the newer Stage amps and they are made in Mexico. I've read mixed reviews on their reliability. I think they appear a little on the cheap side but I'm used to tube amps and the mass that goes with them. It is a light, solid state design and, as such, may actually prove to be more reliable in the long run. It also has a 12" Celestion speaker which may not be the best choice for steel. However, I'm running straight into the amp and using a delay pedal. I'm real pleased with the sound. I picked it up used for $300. |
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