The Steel Guitar Forum

I would like to find a light weight (relative term I know) steel amp with good sound. Does it exist ? I dont need an amp with alot of volume as the dances I play for are not in areas that are that large...another relative term I realize. I am 65 with a bad shoulder and really want to get perhaps a 2 piece setup...amp and then speaker cabinet. Genz Benz makes a great setup like that for bass. I used to use a Roland cube30, but it sounded too shrill for me...maybe it was my playing...haha... Anyway I would like to know what you guys have found. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

Roland cube

Yep light wieght loud and cheap (not quality) just price and sounds good, cube 80xl or the 40 or 60

Larry, I use a Gallien-Krueger (200 watt 5 lbs) I use it to drive a 15in speaker (eminence wt 7lbs in a lite weight cabinet), I play for the dances also, plenty of punch, works good for me.

check out the posts on the Roland Cube 80 (over the last few months)- lots of info/ideas....I've had good results with an older Cube 60 (one of the orange ones - made in japan) with a Barber Tone-Press compressor. My favorite amp by far is the old Sho-Bud "Christmas Tree" model (15" JBL speaker), but it's getting to heavy now...even my Peavy Nashville 112 is starting to be a problem weight-wise. I have eye problems - have to have lazer surgery to repair broken blood vessels that are caused by lifting (mostly gear).

This one has had very little use...
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=241576

Just to add a comment to the weight issue...I believe walmart sales a very colapseble small 2 wheel cart, i have had mine for a few years, but it only weighs a few pounds and is a back saver for sure. I saw they have them at the wharehouse but may have to order on line.

GK MB-200 in a Tommy Huff Western tooled cab with a 15" SICA - 200 watts/22lbs!

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

Add in a Sarno Black Box and a Holy Grail Nano and you have a complete setup....I love mine (but I'm stuck with a crazy fixation on tubes, so I'll be selling it, let me know if you are interested).

GK MB200 with 12inch 4 Ohm Sica lightweight speaker in home built cab. Stacks of power and tone.

The cart Larry mentioned is also in Sams, got mine for 22 bucks, a back saver.

If I don't need to be loud, then I'm using an old (early 70s) silverface Princeton Reverb or Deluxe Reverb with an upgraded speaker. Right now, the Princeton has a JBL MI-series 10" speaker, the Deluxe has a Weber 12F150 speaker.

I like the Princeton for lower-volume settings - acoustic trio, intimate room, and so on, for either guitar or steel. The Deluxe has been working fine for intermediate-volume gigs with a tasteful drummer, again for both guitar and steel. I was initially surprised how much clarity that Weber speaker had for pedal steel. It is also very efficient, that amp really puts it out if need be.

If I want to go modeling, I still prefer a Pod into any good clean-sounding no-frills amp. The Fenders are not featherweight bedroom amps, but I prefer them to any of these modern 'swiss army knife' amps. I've consistently used a lightweight collapsible hand-truck that folds completely flat that I got at Lowes 8-10 years ago for pedal steels and larger amps. But I don't need it for a Princeton, Deluxe, or other comparable weight amps.

I've migrated to the MB200 amp and a 15" Eminence EPS-15 neodymium magnet speaker in a cabinet. Amp is 2lbs, the speaker in the cabinet is 23 lbs (may be less just what my "imported" bathroom scale shows)

Peavey Pacer!

I use 2 Evans RE - 200 with a Sarno Rev pre. The Evans amp is great digital Powered Speaker/amp. Had them for several years. Can't be beat for weight and quality. I probably don't know what I should about the eq in these amps; they are very sensitive to tweaking. I found what I like and the rev pre does the rest. Two of them weigh what one PV 112 weighs.

Another vote for the Roland cube 80XL. This little
amp is compact, light weight and sounds great. It
has built in reverb AND delay, and it has enough
power (rated at 80 watts) so it can be used in a pretty large hall and still get the job done. They
go new around $359 to $395...

Knowing how much my buddy Cartwright likes them, I snagged a used Ampeg BA112 bass amp from Guitar Center on line, just arrived this evening. Very impressed so far. Just 39 lbs, small footprint, 50 watts and lots of tonal variety. One thing I found odd, however, was the degree to which the bottom end completely vanishes when you tilt the amp back (it as a beveled rear bottom edge for a wedge-like tilt position). I know having an amp flush on the floor increases bass response, but I've never had an amp where it makes a total night and day difference like this one. I won't be tilting it back.

I played a set through Russ Blake's little Fender Blues Junior, mic'ed and fed into the PA and monitors it sounded great!

The Cube 80 XL has saved the day for me. Noticeably lighter than the 112, compact, everything's included and you can do lots of cool stuff with it. The designers had their thinking caps on when they came up with this one!

I'm in the process of going the same way as my friend Jack Stoner with the Eminence 15" & MB200.
After my back surgery which I am still having much pain with, any weight I can save is a blessing.
Don

Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight. 200 watts, built in effects where you can have reverb and delay together. Head weighs about 8 pounds, cabinet w/12" Jensen neo about 15 pounds. I had bought this amp for jazz guitar gigs, tried it on steel and was astounded.
Later versions of this amp were more stable due to updated firmware. Very versatile amp for it's weight.

It's pictured under my name. 800 watts, 15" speaker, 28 lbs. I have another smaller version with 210 watts, 12" speaker, at 18 lbs.

Twin Reverb

Cube 80 xl and also a n-112. Jack

Lots and lots of great reviews of the Roland Cube 80XL.

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Lee, from South Texas

PEAVEY Nashville 112.