Small, light, loud and good!??

[Scott Reed]

Originally Posted by Ronson Hall

Folks,

I just tried this combo out this week, and I must tell you, for my needs, I was impressed!

I was originally looking very intently at the Mesa Walkabout Scout 12" when the salesman ("Bear" is his name), who is a HUGE Mesa Boogie fan, sugested I try this new rig that had just shipped to the store. I hooked up my Smith...

I was floored.

The amp is held in a "saddle" that's attached to the nice-sounding 210 cab w/compression tweeter (frankly, the permanently-attached saddle was the only slightly goofy thing I found on it). You can loosen to big thumb screws on each side of the saddle, take the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 amp out (it sports a tube preamp), and use it with any other cab you want. The whole thing (amp and cab) only weighs about 44 pounds. Pretty cool!

The BIG thing that got me going? The power of the easy-to-use amp. It only weighs 3.5 pounds, but pumps out a generous 375 watts at 8 ohms, and, get this - 600 watts at 4 ohms! Bear hooked up a 12" extension cab, and the smooth but powerful volume nearly knocked me off my stool!

I had really been interested in an Eden WTX 260 for portability, but for about the same money the WTX only delivers 175 watts at 8 ohms and 300 watts at 4 ohms.

Folks, I think I'm going to take the Genz Benz plunge. Check this gear out if you can. Any comments?

+100

I've have been playing Mesa gear for years. I currently use an mPulse 600 (with a variety of Powerhouse cabs) but have been searching for an ultra-light rig for small gigs and sessions.

I was at Washington Music Center yesterday (Picking up my new BSR5MSG!!!!!! pics coming soon) and demo'd this small Genz Benz with the 1 x 12". It completely blew me away. Not only was it ultra-light, the volume and tone blew me away. It was crystal clear, tight and loud.

I'm a little afraid of Class D amps right now... too many horror stories and bad designs. I think I will let it mature a little before I buy one... but I will end up buying one.

[David Newcomb]

Thought I'd update my input on this. I got back into gigging bands about 18 months ago and having back issues, after much trial and error, this is the rig i use;
For small rooms- Eden WTX260 260 watt @ 4 ohms (discontinued but now a Nemesis head) with an Avatar 2x10 Neo cab which handles 500 watts @ 4 ohms

Bigger rooms-Eden E300T 300 watt @ 4 or 8 ohms all tube monster head and same Avatar 2x10 Neo.

The WTX260 has plenty of beef for a small room with great tone and weighs 4.3 lbs and fits in the pocket of the gig bag!

The E300T weighs just 42 lbs probably due to toroidal transformers.
Avatar claims their Neo 2x10 also weighs 42 lbs but I think its closer to 48 according to my back LOL!
I do load ins in three relatively easy trips with the tube head and two relatively easy trips with the micro head.

If i can figure out how to keep my wife from killing me, I'm gonna upgrade to an Earcandy 2x10 Neo at some point with the Cabbiecab luggage system.
Why is it that women who know NOTHING of gear can instantly figure out you upgraded even if something mostly looks the same? LMAO!

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by David Newcomb

Thought I'd update my input on this. I got back into gigging bands about 18 months ago and having back issues, after much trial and error, this is the rig i use;
For small rooms- Eden WTX260 260 watt @ 4 ohms (discontinued but now a Nemesis head) with an Avatar 2x10 Neo cab which handles 500 watts @ 4 ohms

Bigger rooms-Eden E300T 300 watt @ 4 or 8 ohms all tube monster head and same Avatar 2x10 Neo.

The WTX260 has plenty of beef for a small room with great tone and weighs 4.3 lbs and fits in the pocket of the gig bag!

The E300T weighs just 42 lbs probably due to toroidal transformers.
Avatar claims their Neo 2x10 also weighs 42 lbs but I think its closer to 48 according to my back LOL!

Nice set-up!

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by David Newcomb

....If i can figure out how to keep my wife from killing me, I'm gonna upgrade to an Earcandy 2x10 Neo at some point with the Cabbiecab luggage system.
Why is it that women who know NOTHING of gear can instantly figure out you upgraded even if something mostly looks the same? LMAO!

Too funny! Lol!

[Roger Vaughan]

I haven't really been around, but got an update via email and thought I'd chime in.
I found an old Trace-Elliot AH250SMX head in some disrepair, fixed 'er up and it's sitting atop 2x Bag End S15 D cabs. In the band mix, which I learned about by standing out front while someone else played my rig on a jam-nite we host 2x a month, the sound is punchy, sweet, articulate with a pleasant 'bloom'. No mud, not an overbearing lashing of "that Trace-Elliot sound" after you get the EQ dialed in and decide if/when to use the Pre-Shape feature.
This rig is a relatively easy load in/out, and sounds great. Plenty of bottom and can get plenty loud. TE tend to under-rate their wattage numbers.
I landed this rig for a total of about $650, through bottom-feeding Craigslist and being picky.

[Tim Bishop]

Roger, you should try some of the newer lighter amps that are out there now-days. I'm sure you would be impressed with the right set-up. I'm talking amps in the 3.5 - 4.5 pound range and putting out 500W+.

[Roger Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

Roger, you should try some of the newer lighter amps that are out there now-days. I'm sure you would be impressed with the right set-up. I'm talking amps in the 3.5 - 4.5 pound range and putting out 500W+.

I'll bet I would, but I'm broke a lot! I just scored an old A.M.P. BH420 for $300, and that's all folks until next year (it's a back-up for the TE head). But I won't poo-poo the new mini-heads, I've heard a few and they sound very nice ideed.

Maybe after my new working band starts pulling in some bread I'll go venture out into the Small World! I'd love to carry half my rig in my bass' gig-bag.

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Roger Vaughan

....I'd love to carry half my rig in my bass' gig-bag.

Yes. And you'd be surprised at what you could have for under $500.00, I gaaaroooaaannnteee.