Coping with the weight

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GSVBagpuss

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GBPHow do you guys do it?! I owned a 2x12 LSC briefly but couldn't cope with the weight (and felt guilty about the outlay at the time). Now I'm thinking of getting an LSC again, I'm worried that I won't like the weight.

I currently play a 1x12 Zinky Blue Velvet which weights 45 lbs. Along with the band PA (which is mine), my guitars x 2 and the pedal board, that's a fair amount of stuff to move from flat to car and car to rehearsal space every week. Adding a heavier 2x12 or even head and cab will make it another journey back and forth.

What's the solution? Or do you just grin and bear it for the tone?!
 
The LSC is a beast in regards to tone and weight. I just deal with it while cursing under my breath. The weight is my only complaint about the amp.
 
I've gone the head route with a 1X12 cab. After putting my back out lifting my Special into the back of my truck I'd rather do two trips than struggle with the combo. They're still not exactly light but just enough of a difference to make it easier. Now if I could make my Mackie 1530's a bit lighter....
 
...ah ya get a strong back or roadies :p Seriously. Although as far as roadies I tend to haul my own gear even if I have people to help. I'm just weird that way. It eliminates the "moron factor" as I tell my wife. Every thing that has ever been messed up with my gear or my wife's gear have happened as a result of stage hands/stage managers who didn't know what they were doing, other well intentioned band memebers or partners and friends of band members, etc. So...I deal with it. I am considering going to a head and cab though. It would help a bit.

Mark
 
Although as far as roadies I tend to haul my own gear even if I have people to help. I'm just weird that way. It eliminates the "moron factor" as I tell my wife. Every thing that has ever been messed up with my gear or my wife's gear have happened as a result of stage hands/stage managers who didn't know what they were doing, other well intentioned band memebers or partners and friends of band members, etc. So...I deal with it. Mark
Click to expand...

I agree, I go white everytime I see my amp being manhandled by someone else followed by clunks, bumps and rattling reverb....
 
I feel ya... I've got my 2x12 LSC in a flight case, so +45 lbs at least, but I feel more comfortable with someone helping haul/load in the amp. The only person who messes with it out of the case is me, either in the rehearsal room or on stage at the gig.
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies - you clearly feel my pain!

I am currently looking for a head but they seem scarce in the UK (lots of 2x12s on the bay but no heads) and the full price is a little too rich for me at the mo.

Does anyone have actual weights of all the options - LSC head, LSC 1x12, LSC 2x12 etc. Googling hasn't been great, apart from LSS 4x10 being 33kg (72.5lbs), the heads being around 45 lbs and a 2x12 LSS weighing in at 72 lbs

Part of the problem is my band is full of ladies (including my gf with a recently slipped disc in her back) so not much hefting help on hand! The 3 part harmonies are worth it though.
 
I feel your pain Bro! I have a LSC 2x12 BIG BLUE PIG and there is a reason they are called that....because of the weight.

Still you have to remember that it is not ONLY the LSC that weighs a ton. A lot of other high quality amps weigh about the same.

It is great to have an amp that has class A electronics and a sturdy frame with a fantastic sound....but that is also a tradeoff when you pick up the crazy thing!
 
I grin and bear it for the tone. It's funny because the whole reason I got the Pig in the first place was that I was looking for a good, portable combo that could give me a comparable level of satisfaction to my (then-) main rig... which was a Marshall half stack. It had been a long time since I'd been in the market for an amp, and when I read about the Lone Stars I pretty much figured I had to have one... and when I played it, I conveniently forgot one of the main criteria of my search (ease of transport), or perhaps I just rationalized it away since it's technically smaller than a half-stack.

But I don't mind. I guess all those punk rock years on the road moving that Marshall around pretty much conditioned me to regard good gear as necessarily heavy -- just comes with the territory.

Having a car with a liftback (I have a Subaru Forester) helps a lot too, so I can lift it, roll it in and lay it flat. I think having to get the Pig in and out of the well of a trunk would be a deal breaker... for the car, that is.
 
I use an LSS head with a 2x12 cab for all my gigs. That combined with a small $35 convertible flat dolly that stays in my trunk make it very workable. All my gear (head, cab, pedalboard, gig duffle bag) go on the dolly and everything goes into the gig in one trip. Easy!
 
I went the head route and a light 1x12 cab. It would be expensive, but you could convert your combo into a head and cab setup.

I hear you all about the roadies. Years ago, I had someone carrying one of my tube amps (luckily it was not a Mesa) and they banged it into a door frame. They kept on going and didn't think a thing about it. I got home and looked at the damage. My tweed covering was cut and a big chunk was hacked out of a corner, and of course started fraying out soon thereafter. Since then, I pack my gear...no one touches it.

Makes me feel bad sometimes though. Someone asked if they could borrow my LSS head a couple months ago. I said "no". They asked why and I told them the reasons. Most people, I've found, don't feel comfortable borrowing an $1800 amp once they find out the price and that they would be responsible for any repairs, however slight the problem.

In carrying my LSS, I don't carry it by the handle. I pick it up with two hands and hold it close to my chest. This seems to help in controlling the weight of the amp and you have less chance of throwing your back out. Same for my cab. Pulling that weight closer to your body just helps out a lot. I don't own a combo, so it might not be a possibility for the combo because of the bulk. Another option is a furniture dolly. They are four pieces of wood (usually 2x4) fashioned in a square with casters on the bottom. You can put carpet on the 2x4s and roll your combo on that. Doesn't help with stairs though... :(
 
I can't blame the amp (or remember the AMP doing it to me) but I SOMEHOW have developed 2 bulging discs in my lower back. Been seein the Chiropractor 3X/week!!!


I could NOT live without my pig though.
 
A trolley is a good idea, might have a look at those. That does mean I could get one of the plentiful 2x12 LSCs around rather than waiting for ahead to come around but gotta find the money for the Lonestar is self first though!
 
Grin and bear it :) . I get to set mine up twice each week, once for rehearsal and once for performance. Been doing it for 6 months now and it's worth it to me for the tone. I would suggest a road case or flight case, the side handles have made it much easier to load and unload out of my truck.
 
I am persuaded, but now got to pay for a wedding so the expense might have to wait! Stick it on the wedding list?!
 
SonOfIam is right about the road case. I ordered a road case when I bought my LSC and it makes a big difference in the handling and lifting. Plus you can stack other gear on top of it when loading in.
 
I have a bad back so had to go with a lighter amp. I really wanted a combo and was on a limited budget anyway. My Express 5:50 1 x 12 weighs about 50 pounds and sometimes the drummer carries it (the cover that Boogies come with makes it pretty safe).
 

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