| Author |
Topic: Need advice |
David Milliken
From:
Pickering, Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 1 Sep 2016 8:34 am |
|
I'd appreciate some help here, if possible. I regularly jam with a bunch of folks at various Canadian Legions and other venues in my area. These are low volume events - most players/singers use acoustics unamplified, the odd electric guitar, electric bass, and, of course, my steel. I use a Peavey Nashville 112 which is more powerful than I need. This week I nailed myself with a compression fracture in my lower spine - the pain is beyond belief and I can't lift anything heavy. Can anyone tell me what they feel is the very best amplifier that will handle my PSG under these circumstances. It must have good tone and weigh less than 10 pounds. 15 watts would probably do. I was thinking about the Fender Acoustasonic - six inch speaker and horn with closed back but I thought I would reach out to the forum for a wider view. Thanks.
_________________
1976 ShoBud LDG, Peavey Nashville 112, 1994 Fender Custom Shop Jerry Donahue Telecaster |
|
|
 |
Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
|
Posted 1 Sep 2016 10:34 am
|
|
Sorry to hear about your back. It's a good idea to avoid heavy gear for awhile. Not sure what you're going to do about the ShoBud. If your goal is about 15 watts in a combo package weighing less than 10 pounds, you may not get there. First, why don't you consider a separate head and speaker set-up. It's better to make more trips with less weight than to make only one trip but have more weight. Second, what's the budget? There are lots of options, but why talk about gear costing thousands if $300 is the limit.
The Fender amp you mentioned is an acoustic amp, if I'm not mistaken. It probably won't be very satisfying regarding tone. Those amps are designed to bring out the highs of an acoustic instrument, so they usually include a horn. If you can turn off the horn it might be passable, but it's probably not ever going to sound really good with a pedal steel.
Having said all that; the Quilter MicroPro series has some small combo amp that would all probably sound pretty good and weigh in at around 20 pounds. I've never played through any of them, but they are worth consideration.
_________________
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
|
|
|
Kevin Barber
From:
Marianna, Florida, USA
|
Posted 1 Sep 2016 12:41 pm
|
|
I got an Ion Block Rocker for Christmas and it has an input for a microphone that I can plug my steel in to and also has an auxiliary input that I plug my computer or an I-pod in for backing tracks.
It runs for about 50 hours on a charge and it has an 8 inch speaker and a small tweeter. The steel sounds pretty good through it, although it doesn't have any effects such as reverb. I run my reverb pedal into it.
I think its about 24 pounds, which is more than twice what you are wanting, but it has wheels on the back of it and an extendable handle to pull it around with.
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Block-Rocker-Bluetooth-Microphone/dp/B00SNBCBBY/ref=dp_ob_title_ce |
|
|
|
David Milliken
From:
Pickering, Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 1 Sep 2016 1:34 pm
|
|
Thank you gentlemen ... I have spilt my steel into two cases - hardware in a rifle case and steel body in a foam-lined electronic piano bag. Works well - the steel is about 20 pounds but even that's too heavy right now. Guess I will take a friend and my steel to the local music store, set it up and try all the low end amps.
_________________
1976 ShoBud LDG, Peavey Nashville 112, 1994 Fender Custom Shop Jerry Donahue Telecaster |
|
|
|
David Nugent
From:
Gum Spring, Va.
|
Posted 1 Sep 2016 3:04 pm
|
|
David..I attend a weekly jam session similar to the one that you described. I recently found a 'Lunchbox Jr.'on my local Craigslist, 80 watts with a 5" speaker. This tiny unit weighs around 5 or 6 pounds, is literally the size of a normal lunchbox and sounds surprisingly good. There are no on board effects but does feature a 9V out to power any pedals that you may wish to use. Running the volume at around half way, I was still asked politely to turn down even though I was in competition with 12 (count them)acoustic guitars (mostly Martins), a Beard Resophonic, a fiddle and an electric bass. Believe that this model may have been discontinued but possibly available used, I purchased mine for $75.00.
FYI: The secret to maintaining clean tones is to turn the 'Volume' knob as high as necessary while barely cracking the 'Gain' knob.
Last edited by David Nugent on 1 Sep 2016 3:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 1 Sep 2016 3:20 pm
|
|
As an alternative you could go the Class D route with something like the popular GK MB200 bass head. 200W it weighs in at 2.5lbs.
Mate that with a neo equipped cabinet of your choice and you'll not have to compromise about anything.
I personally use such a rig for quite a few gigs. My choice of a separate neo equipped, 15in. cab weighs only 18lbs.
fwiw
hp |
|
|
|
Ken Metcalf
From:
San Antonio Texas USA
|
|
|
|
Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
|
Posted 12 Sep 2016 11:55 am
|
|
You ought to at least check out the Roland Street CUBE, it sounds great at low volumes, has a headphone jack and 1/8" TRS input for music playback, and in a pinch runs on AA batteries. Weighs a couple of pounds...  |
|
|
|
