Rack set up or Combo amp.

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

Which do you prefer and why?

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I like a rack because then I can choose the components I want. Much more variety. Very Happy

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

Great converstation piece Jay! I voted combo because I still haven't powered up my rack system yet but I have always used a combo amp, lately the Steel King. Certainly keeps the price tag lower though I have heard a few rack systems that sound better up close, most sound just like a combo amp in the far field at a large venue or mic'd through a PA system.

Greg

Pat Burns · From: Branchville, N.J. USA

..I have a relatively expensive and good sounding rack system (Stewart Pro-Reference Power Amp, Evans Pre-Amp, Lexicon MPX-100 Effects) that I was running through 2 12" BW's, but I haven't used it at all since I bought a late 70's Fender Vibrosonic Reverb with 15" EVM. The reason is easy...in spite of the weight of the Fender, the sound of the Fender combo just blows the rack system away. I usually use an MPX-100 and a FullDrive II with it for effects. I've since used the 12" BW's for monitors. I'll probably use the rack system for studio equipment...I guess it boils down to Rack is Digital, Combo is Tubes...

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

If I only played steel I might consider a rack or a multi-effects board but I also play lead guitar and have a bunch of "stuff" hooked to that rig. I prefer the steel to be fairly natural sounding and only use a Boss delay pedal cranked on a little and a small amount of amp reverb. I like the pure steel sound too much to mess with it a lot. However, I have found that sometimes when I get a "steel only" gig I'll bring along a RATT distortion pedal for some rock stuff. I've found that the steel can really drive one of those and can destroy a guitar player's ego, especially on some slide guitar things.....JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Rack rig!

Gravity sucks. My spine told me so. I'd rather carry two 20 to 30 pound pieces of gear than one 45 to 80 pound combo. My rack with a tube pre, tuner, and fx unit weighs about 25lbs, and my 300 watt powered speaker cabinet is about 29lbs. Not to mention the ability to specify each component to my liking. I also like having the rack sitting right next to me so I can turn knobs while I play.

Brad

Tom Jordan · From: Wichita, KS

Combo for me...just plain lazy I guess Razz

It's really nice to just walk in with one box and start playing.

Tom Jordan

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I've got both but rarely use the rack system on jobs. My NV112 seems to be more than adequate for everything I've done in the last two years.

I'm in the get "light" stage. The NV112, I built a two piece case set for my steel and mostly just use a POD XT for effects.

Chick Donner · From: North Ridgeville, OH USA

I went rack to get the weight down. I used to carry 1 or 2 Webb 614 E's, but I'm just too old and out of shape anymore. Now a PodXT Pro and a Stewart 1.6 inna rack, and 1 or 2 15" BW's in Duane Marrs cabs. 90% of the gigs now is 1 spkr.

Spare amp WAS N112 . . . now, it's a Crate Power block. Under 5 lbs! Spare effects preamp is either the 2nd Pod, or my old Digitech Genesis 3.

Scott Denniston · From: Hahns Peak, Colorado, USA

I use my 112 in small venues and it sounds just great but I'm really diggin the Revelation/MPX1/VHT 2/90/2 sound. There's a BIG difference. Tubes with alot of power and low end mmmmmmm! Sometimes it's like I'm pouring liquid from one hand to the other & swirling it around. Tubes are alive. That's what I like about a rack system--the choices. It ain't light but it's the best sound I know. That's subjective of course but there's a lot of players I'd sure like to hear through this rack set-up.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I use all tube stuff as far as amps go, and have not found a rack system that will get me the BF and tweed Fender sounds I get from my amps. I DO use digital effects...but I like the ease of a PODxt, stand for it and cables in the back of the amp on a wheeled cart, and the guitar with a wheeled case. Easy setup, easy teardown...and MY tone with no compromises.

I suppose a rack would be OK if you were like most and used SS gear, but it's not for me.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

T. C. Furlong · From: Lake County, Illinois, USA

I have been fortunate to acquire almost one of everything including many combos amps (maybe 20) and a few rack set ups. Partially G.A.S. but mostly research. I recently took a combo amp to a gig. OUCH! Those things are heavy. I much prefer the lightweight rack/self-powered speaker set up that I use now. Not only for ease of transport but for ease of tweakability, the fact that I can position two cabinets - one for each ear - and tone, both live and recorded.
TC

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

I used to get all I wanted from a NV400 with a Goodrich L-120 and George L's cables.

When I had my car wreck that screwed up my foot/ankle, arm and shoulder the 400 got to be too heavy.

Trying to lighten the load I used a Fender Dual Showman reverb a while. While it sounded out of this world it was still to heavy, so I tried a NV 112 and liked it fine.

A couple months ago a steel player buddy offered me a VERY good deal on a Stereo Steel with 2 D-130's and a Profex 2 so I snapped it up thinking I could "turn" it for a profit if I didn't like it.

I messed with it at home and liked it so I took it out and tried it on a job. During the job I found that the Profex was too hard for me to adjust reverb levels and delay time. I didn't have time to reprogram it between songs. (IMO the Stereo Steel needs its own reverb built in)

I was griping about this to my buddy up the road Steve Palousek and he recommended a TC-Electronics G-Major.

I love it! it has KNOBS to adjust in real time. You can build a preset then adjust reverb and delay very easy. It does lots of other things as well. I need to sit down with the book and play with it some more.

The SS amp sounds very Session 400 like and combined with the TC it does way more than I need it to. I think I have finally come up with a lightweight solution that sounds great. I usually only use 1 speaker cabinet but if I need to play really really loud I bring along the second one. As always YMMV
Best,
Justin

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

Although, I do understand the value of selecting the components that work best for the rack-system user (I used a rack system a few years ago). Nowadays, I like a good quality, clean combo amp for it's convenience. I have two: Evans SE200 and Peavey N'400. I use them interchangeably.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I voted combo but my rig is actually a hybrid.
I modified a 4 space rack case, it contains a Furman power strip/conditioner, a Korg tuner, and currently a Peavey Delta Fex (soon to be replaced with my Lexicon MX100 as soon I get used to it). It is hard wired to an in/out tray on the back. I use 3 cables and can be ready to play in minutes, once my steel is set up. I run it into a NV-112 and direct into the PA.
It really is no different from a combo amp set up except that I have easy access to my EFX and tuner.
I keep the rack on my right side where I can reach the EFX and tuner.
I don't keep the Korg in the line, because I usually tune by ear, but in noisey situations, I pull the first cable from the back of the rack & plug it direct into the tuner when I need to use it.
_________________
Bo Borland
Rittenberry SD10 , Derby D-10, Quilter TT12, Peavey Session 400 w/ JBL, NV112, Fender Blues Jr. , 1974 Dobro 60N squareneck, Rickenbacher NS lapsteel, 1973 Telecaster Thinline, 1979 blonde/black Frankenstrat
Currently picking with
Mason Dixon Band masondixonband.net

David Doggett · Posted 15 Apr 2007 10:59 am

Ya shoulda had a choice for amp head plus speaker(s). There are a lot of us who use this option. In addition to helping with the weight problem, you can keep the amp head next to yourself for tweaking, and place the speaker(s) as needed. Also, you can use a variety of speakers for different situations, or just to experiment with.

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

Yeah, you're right. But since the head has the preamp, power amp & possibly reverb all in one unit, it's still sort of a combo amp. Just a "piggy back" design I guess (if the head sits on top of the speaker cabinet). Wink

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

I use both --- I have my rack set up so that I can bypass the Power amp and go to the back of my NV1000 if I want - all depends on the gig! ...but central to whatever my rig of the night might be is my Revelation Pre-amp - I go through that first regardless of what I'm playing through.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

It's racks for me. I've been using a Tubeworks/Mosvalve 500 rig since the 90's. Probably somewhat dated and showing it's age...still, it is unquestionably the best sound I've ever had. I do have a LeMay NV400 that sounds incredible also.

The Tubeworks rig has a powerful open sound unlike any other system I have ever used. Plus I love the big sound of stereo. With the Boss stereo processor, I can pan efx, xover the parameters from side to side + add 3D sound. I care not that the stereo effect may be lost to all but the front row few. Even if it's just for me, it makes me play better.

I have also used the Walker SS rig with excellent results.

Downside on the TW rig is it weighs a ton. Probably more than my D10 Mullen. I have the complete system including the BTII, the 921 'verb unit. I also have 1/2 sp. Boss tuner and parametric eq.

I also play a CatCan and some 6 string guitar through this rig. It has 2 channels plus all the set eq's for both steel and guitar. If I only played steel, I'd probably go for the Walker rig exclusively due to it's compact size and user friendly features.

Currently, I'm trying to consolidate the big rig from 7 units down to 2 [x4spcs.] through use of a Pod Pro rm unit and the Mosvalve. No dice as of yet though. Haven't been able to dial in the Pod for the steel so far. I'm hopeful though. Very Happy

More to come.

Scott: I'd love to hear your VHT with Brad's Rev pre. I bet that combo has an awesome sound!

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Jerry,
We're from the same school.
I thought my Tube Works stuff was getting outdated and I should go with something newer but have yet to come up with anything that can improve on the sound. The only thing I changed lately is I went from a Tube Works Mosvalve amp to a Tube Works tube amp and put it in a separate rack case.

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