Small Lightweight Power Heads.

Gary Reed · Post by **Gary Reed** » 22 May 2020 10:36 am

For PSG - I'm looking at the:
Peavey MiniMAXÂ® 600-Watt Mini Bass Amp Head with the Telonix 15" Cab.
I know I've got to keep under 300W with that speaker
Any other small power heads I might consider?
Thanks

Anthony Parish · Post by **Anthony Parish** » 22 May 2020 11:41 am

Yesterday I nearly pulled the trigger on the 100 watt Boss Katana head. Pretty dang good reviews on this forum and hard to go wrong with the price -- brand new for $279.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Boss/Katan ... ad&index=1

Barry Coker · Post by **Barry Coker** » 22 May 2020 12:10 pm

I've had good luck with this setup. Clean and very light
200 Watts and the head and pedals fit in your seat.

Good luck
Barry

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 22 May 2020 12:16 pm

You don't have to keep under 300 watts....you just don't turn it up to an excessive volume no matter if you have 10 watts or 10000 watts.

Danny Letz · Post by **Danny Letz** » 22 May 2020 1:59 pm

Sent you a PM.

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 22 May 2020 10:46 pm

At 1.6 pounds can't beat that ELF 200 watt Trace Elliot amp if weight is your main concern!

Lots of good reports, loud for its size.

Modern solid state amps have taken a jump in size vs performance.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 23 May 2020 4:40 am

Quilter. But...there is another, as Yoda would say:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-TC-Electro ... 0005.m1851

Godfrey Arthur · Post by **Godfrey Arthur** » 23 May 2020 9:13 am

K Maul wrote:Quilter. But...there is another, as Yoda would say:

Now that's even less expensive almost half the price of the TE! TC Electronics has a good rep!

Does a 4 ohm load as well! And sports a balanced DI.

It would be worth A-B-ying your rig if you had the chance but it appears from the demos that they sound similar. They even look the same from the lay-out.

These are bass amps so it would depend on what you like to hear out of your steel if these, firstly being solid state, would like for your rig. Trace Ellitot has had more experience at amplifiers whereas TC has been effects gurus.

That said TC also has this micro amp: Just under 2 Benjamins but depends on where you look as it's been shown just under 3 Benjamins.

Has more control features. Even auto-volt for when you damn the lock down and travel to EU Argentina or Asia where AC is 220 volts.

These micro amps make great practice amps.

Will do a gig with ease.

â€œ[Luke:] I canâ€™t believe it. [Yoda:] That is why you fail.â€

And as K Maul mentioned Quilter.
This amp gets good reviews from the bass forums. But it's 6 Benjamins!

The world is not complete without an offering from Behringer:

Actually there is a slew of new micro amps from companies like Hartke, Orange and many more. These again are bass amps but it is said that the venerable Marshall amp was based on the design of the Fender Bassman head. And does not mean you can't use them for steel.

It would be best for you to try them yourself with your rig. It's the acid test for all intents.

â€œPowerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you.â€

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 23 May 2020 1:26 pm

I have exactly the same set-up as Barry. Sounds great. I carry the Elf in my gig bag and a speaker chi st in my van. If my gigging amp fsils, a trip to the van and take the Elf out of my bag and I'm good to go with a whole new system.

Lyle Dent · Post by **Lyle Dent** » 23 May 2020 5:22 pm

Donâ€™t forget Jay Ganz Straight Ahead Power Amp.

Gary Reed · Post by **Gary Reed** » 24 May 2020 3:20 am

Lyle,
Would you know of the best preamp to use with the Jay Ganz Straight Ahead Power Amp.
I had entirely forgotten about this amp. Thank you!
Jay talks here:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... sc&start=0

Tom Dillon · Post by **Tom Dillon** » 24 May 2020 5:42 am

I've used a Sarno Revelation with a Ganz Straight Ahead amp for a while now. No complaints. That's a very good combination.

Lyle Dent · Post by **Lyle Dent** » 24 May 2020 7:47 am

Gary, I use a SGBB with a V8 Octal and a Telonics Speaker. Lightweight and sounds great!

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 24 May 2020 8:13 am

Whatever happened to all those thousands of Crate Power Block minis that everybody thought was the next greatest thing a few years back? Did they all melt?

I suppose these newer Class D and switch mode engines are better than they used to be, I dunno.

I've not been impressed with the sound of them. I'm still an old school big transformer SS or tube amp guy but what do I know.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 24 May 2020 8:26 am

Jerry, I have one of those Crate power blocks and carry as a back up. It's not an inspiring tone at all and I use it for a power amp only. Takes a pile of outboard gear in the effects loop to sound ok. Travis Toy sounds great with his Quilter 202 and a 12 inch TT speaker.

Gary Reed · Post by **Gary Reed** » 24 May 2020 8:49 am

Does the Quilter 202 Tone Block have a fan running?

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 27 May 2020 5:43 am

Does anyone know the control knob tone frequencies on the BAM200? I can't find it on-line. The Elf frequencies are available.

Richard Lotspeich · Post by **Richard Lotspeich** » 27 May 2020 3:19 pm

No fan on my 202 Quilter.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 28 May 2020 4:31 am

Dennis, I also looked for the eq on the TC Bam and the 250. May need to contact the maker for details. I wish they would put this in the specifications.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 28 May 2020 4:47 am

Quilter 202 runs pretty cool. Only gets slightly warm on top after a couple hours running.

Patrick Fleming · Post by **Patrick Fleming** » 28 May 2020 6:46 am

Do pretty much all of these options require the black box (or some other Tube pre-amp) in order to sound warm and organic?

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 28 May 2020 10:05 am

One of my amp rigs is a Session 400 Limited with a Furman PQ-3 to fine tune the tone and add some warmth. However, I'd like to use both of my 4 ohm speakers. The Limited is built to run one 4 ohm load. I'd like to use the balanced XLR output on the Limited to connect to a slave amp and second speaker. That's why I'm interested in a Class D light weight amp to power an additional speaker. I'm eyeballing the BAM200. I'd have to connect with an XLR/TRS adapter.

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 28 May 2020 7:35 pm

I've tried two of the bass Class D amps that people were using with steel guitar - Carvin 250 and GK MB200. I hated the Carvin the moment I plugged it in - never used it more than a couple of minutes. The GK went to backup the day I got an old used Stereo Steel Gold Face - not as compact, but far superior for the tone i want from my steel. Now I've got a Quilter Tone Block 202 and it rivals the Stereo Steel IMO for steel guitar tone. I think I'm done buying amps for pedal steel. And I know I'm done buying class D bass amps that everyone else is gung-ho on (the problems of living where you can't try before you buy).

Now, if you put a pre-amp in front of it, that may change things. I asked GD Walker (Stereo Steel builder) if a SS Preamp in front of a tone block or Ganz power amp would sound like the Stereo Steel. He would not answer since he has not tried it, but did say that while in theory a power amp does not color the final tone, in his experience it can, so results may not be what one hoped for. Certainly worth a try should anyone want to, with whatever pre-amp floats their boat (Sarno, Stereo Steel, ?).

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 29 May 2020 5:42 am

I have 3 amp rigs that I really like and get the tone settings that I like from each one. I have the Revelation with a stereo Crown amp, a 1974 Session 400 and a Session Limited head combined with a Furman PQ-3 to tame it. All 3 great. When live, the band on the other side of the stage likes to hear me, so I can use two 4 ohm cabinets with the Revelation rack gear. I'd like to use the Session Limited head sometime, but it's maxed out with one 4ohm speaker behind me. I could patch it into the PA monitors, but I don't like the tone coming back at me from the front. I'd have to have a small power source to run two speakers with the Limited head, which is why I'm looking for a small amp to power the second amp on the other side of the stage. Another option for me might be a class D power board salvaged from an active PA speaker? Those are available used for under $100.

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 29 May 2020 5:48 am

I just thought of another preamp that might enhance the tone on the many Class D amps. Boss makes a 59 Bassman pedal. If you run the master volume on it full open and control the output with the gain control, it's clean. Most use the pedal for overdrive. It would give you a Presence, Treble, Mid and Bass control to dial in a detailed tone setting?

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Small Lightweight Power Heads.

Small Lightweight Power Heads.

Small lightweight power heads

Lightweight Power Amp

Lightweight Power Amp