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Post by gbowman on Sept 17, 2018 8:22:08 GMT -7
I was just reading a post regarding converting a head/cab to a combo and the benefits (or not) of such. I am in a different position where for medical reasons, need to lighten how much I carry and as such am thinking about having new boxes made for my Maz Jr combo, to make it into a head/cab setup. (open back) I've always been an open back combo guy and wonder if that extra bit of box makes a difference or not in the sound. I may have a slight bit of tilt built into the cab.
Any comments re: combo vs head/cab..?
Just as a side note, I thought maybe I would buy a light weight solid state amp for the small gigs, and save some weight. Tried a nice Roland Blues Cube, but hey, it went back after 2 days. After the Maz, everything else just don't cut it...
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Post by purpletele on Sept 17, 2018 9:50:07 GMT -7
I was just reading a post regarding converting a head/cab to a combo and the benefits (or not) of such. I am in a different position where for medical reasons, need to lighten how much I carry and as such am thinking about having new boxes made for my Maz Jr combo, to make it into a head/cab setup. (open back) I've always been an open back combo guy and wonder if that extra bit of box makes a difference or not in the sound. I may have a slight bit of tilt built into the cab. Any comments re: combo vs head/cab..? Just as a side note, I thought maybe I would buy a light weight solid state amp for the small gigs, and save some weight. Tried a nice Roland Blues Cube, but hey, it went back after 2 days. After the Maz, everything else just don't cut it... I think the Head Cabinet is the way to go if you have any back problems at all. With the head cab you can carry the amp right next to your body and not put the strain on your back. I recommend it! Talk to Peter Mather of Mather Amp Cab.
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Post by "Z" Steve on Sept 17, 2018 10:51:47 GMT -7
This^^^^^^^^
I did the same thing because of back issues and a knee replacement. Peter made a head cab for my Maz 8, which fit perfectly I might add, and now I can use the head with any speaker cab I need or just set it on top of it's existing cab. If you don't have help to load or unload gear you may have to make an extra trip, but for me, and the tone I want, it is worth it.
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Post by goodez on Sept 17, 2018 13:17:46 GMT -7
I’ve got lower lumbar disc problems. Went from a black star stage 60 2x12 combo that tipped the scales at 67lbs down to 20-30lbs for the head/cab variant in dr.z’s. Best decision I ever made. I pulled my back several times lugging that 2x12 around to different gigs. I’ve also heard it’s way worse on combo amps when rolling them around with casters etc due to the components inside, versus carrying the head with the components inside.
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Post by gbowman on Sept 17, 2018 13:47:42 GMT -7
Yes, whenever I roll my amp now, I do it very gently over rough surfaces so as not to shake the tubes etc, which are still cooling down.
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Post by mudman on Sept 17, 2018 14:35:10 GMT -7
I still prefer a combo, but see the appeal of a head and cab if weight is an issue.
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Post by GT Roger on Sept 17, 2018 14:35:51 GMT -7
I've always preferred heads. I have lots of speaker cabinets, so it gives me lots of options when gigging depending on the venue. Plus the weight is much easier on the back.
I have a 2X12 Fender combo that sounds great. But it's an anchor. It's become my home practice amp, just because I don't want to pick it up.
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Post by helmi on Sept 17, 2018 15:56:30 GMT -7
I've always preferred the "separate head-cab" thing myself. I've had a few combo's, but none lasted long. nothing really to do with the sound of them. I'd just rather make a extra trip than bust my balls carrying a combo. as Roger said, I have a few different cabs so it fun to switch them around. In our old jam space, I usually kept my head on something near me, and my cab was in a different part of the room. I also prefer my tubes and components not rattling loose with the speaker vibration.
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Post by buckeye on Sept 17, 2018 19:32:36 GMT -7
I'm in the head/cab club for two reasons; weight and tone. I had a knee replacement and need the other one done, rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders. I have several 1x12 and a 2x12 cabs that I built. I swap my Maz jr head and my Z-Plus ( that I converted to a head) to suit the gig. Yes it's an extra trip but much easier on the body.
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Post by zpilot on Sept 18, 2018 6:20:05 GMT -7
Yes a larger cab will make a difference. It has the ability to sound deeper/fuller, however you want to describe it. The question for players is whether or not they require those lower frequencies. I do so I prefer the standard size cabinets vs "studio" size. There is not that much difference in weight. If it is really that critical then I'd go for 5/8" or even 1/2" panels and/or a neo-mag speaker.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2018 6:47:57 GMT -7
NEO speaker can save 5 whole pounds.
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Post by gbowman on Sept 18, 2018 8:16:44 GMT -7
I have been using a WGS ET65 speaker and really like it. The neo-mag is interesting but that means having to try (buy) more speakers and go thru that process all over...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2018 8:26:40 GMT -7
I'm all combos now but for awhile I was all heads. I like the look of a head/cab a lot, and it definitely cuts down on tube rattle. The downside is that it's more pieces to carry--head, cab, and speaker cable vs just lugging it all in the combo. But, if reducing the weight's a medical necessity, head/cab is the way to go. I'm trying to remember, though--isn't there an issue with doing this in the Maz? Something about the orientation of the combo chassis and having to mount it upside-down in a head? Could be my memory's faulty here, though--wouldn't be the first time.
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Post by trojanhov on Sept 18, 2018 8:43:56 GMT -7
This thread has my attention. Just bought a 1x12 red z cab that I’ve been using as an extension to my z-28 1x10 with gold. I sometimes want to put the z-28 in a head cab and leave the 1x10 or 1x12 at church and the other at home.... tube rattle with an ef-86 and weight are big reasons... hmmmmm
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Post by sharkboy on Sept 18, 2018 12:40:42 GMT -7
Getting rid of my good sounding Mesa MKIII made me a head/cab guy forever. The weight was a huge deal, but being able to quickly mix and match cabs is a real benefit, as well.
Yes, and I also have a number of EF86 amps and some old 12AX7 long plate preamps that should live better and longer lives for being part of separates.
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Post by Don on Sept 19, 2018 5:19:23 GMT -7
I have a Z-LUX combo with a Z12 in it, and a Mantaray combo with a Gold in it. I also have 2 Z convertible cabs, one with a Z12 in it right now, and the other with a Gold in it. All 4 speakers are pretty well broken in.
Now, using a Radial Cabbone, and switching on the fly between the Z12 speaker in the Z-LUX combo and the Z12 speaker in the convertible cab, the combo always sounds better, rounder, fuller. The same thing goes when I'm using the Mantaray and switching between the Gold in the combo and the Gold in the Z cab. Sure, I'd rather go head and cab combination for easier and lighter transporting, and to have the advantage of using different cabs with the heads, but there's something about these combo cabs that sounds so good.
Edit: I should add that I have the back panel off the convertibles so to compare each cab to the combo without bias.
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Sept 19, 2018 21:44:50 GMT -7
Getting rid of my good sounding Mesa MKIII made me a head/cab guy forever. The weight was a huge deal, but being able to quickly mix and match cabs is a real benefit, as well. Yes, and I also have a number of EF86 amps and some old 12AX7 long plate preamps that should live better and longer lives for being part of separates. Somewhere around 15 years ago I sold a Mesa Tremoverb (that was a heavy beast) for a Maz18 2x10 combo. One of the wisest moves of my gear life. I love Doc's 10s. Then I bought a RT66, a Z-Best, 1x12 convertible and 2x10 convertible. Long story short I like swapping cabs. I like Doc's 10s and I like his 12s, and I like pairing different cabs with the heads for different flavors. The added bonus is the weight savings. But I can't deny the great sound of his combos. Here's to having it all.
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Post by detuned on Sept 20, 2018 5:54:24 GMT -7
I'm still lugging rather than rolling, so a combo saves me a trip.
However, I love the flexibility of the head/cab arrangement. There's one venue we play where every inch of stage space is at a premium, so I just got a Z 1x10 explicitly for that venue. Otherwise, I use my Avatar 1x12 (currently sporting a Scumback Alnico). So, yay flexibility!
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Post by zpilot on Sept 20, 2018 7:56:34 GMT -7
I have a Z-LUX combo with a Z12 in it, and a Mantaray combo with a Gold in it. I also have 2 Z convertible cabs, one with a Z12 in it right now, and the other with a Gold in it. All 4 speakers are pretty well broken in. Now, using a Radial Cabbone, and switching on the fly between the Z12 speaker in the Z-LUX combo and the Z12 speaker in the convertible cab, the combo always sounds better, rounder, fuller. The same thing goes when I'm using the Mantaray and switching between the Gold in the combo and the Gold in the Z cab. Sure, I'd rather go head and cab combination for easier and lighter transporting, and to have the advantage of using different cabs with the heads, but there's something about these combo cabs that sounds so good. Edit: I should add that I have the back panel off the convertibles so to compare each cab to the combo without bias. This because the tubes are resonating in a combo. I figured that out when I evolved from a 4x12 half-stack.
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Post by Rockerfeller on Sept 20, 2018 9:12:19 GMT -7
I am a head /cab guy. I like the look better, easier to move around and change things up.
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Post by wubberdubber on Jul 14, 2021 9:09:24 GMT -7
And...buy a dolly.
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Post by RickJames on Jul 14, 2021 9:39:34 GMT -7
I to was a head/cab guy. They just look so much better, and travel better as well. But I find myself liking the way a combo fills the room, more of an open sound. and many amps are designed first as a combo. in some cases the head/cab option is a marketing thing to satisfy the head/cab guys like I was. So for the last few years its combo's, and YES, I have a dolly! and will be buying another dolly (bigger w/pneumatic tires) lol
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Post by Faze on Jul 15, 2021 12:04:39 GMT -7
I like combos. I use a fold out dolly and put my effects board bag on top of my combo and roll it in and out of places. I used to have the head and cab and do the same thing but going through parking lots was bumpy. I still like the head/cab but for my current situation I need a combo.
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Post by G'OlPeachPhan on Jul 16, 2021 19:51:40 GMT -7
I like heads. Better if you need to ship for service. Easier to travel/load. Can have one cab and multiple heads, or different cabs with the same head for different situations. It’s cheaper to own more amps this way, as you’re not paying for extra speakers, the more expensive combo cab every time, and higher shipping costs.. You can isolate a head completely from the vibration of the speaker cab if desired, plus the tubes are naturally more protected from vibration even if the head is resting on top of the cab than with a combo. Can run them with open or closed back speaker cabs. You can put a head in a control room and a speaker cab in an isolated location. I find the one touted combo amp advantage, grab n’ go convenience, to be overstated.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Jul 18, 2021 19:01:39 GMT -7
I had the old style 112 combo for My Maz 18. I loved that amp, but it was a beast to move. Ended up tracking down a studio Maz 38. I love the extra headroom with the same tone, but both the weight and size are a huge plus. I have 112 cab and my next Z will be a head. Plan to have both options going forward. I see what I move around more. I understand wanting/needing to lighten the load, but when I had my Therapy it was a pain to have extra things to move.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Jul 22, 2021 6:29:58 GMT -7
The physics of a combo vs a head/cab has always fascinated me. A combo resonates and excites the tubes more than a head/cab, and I've always thought that this contributes to subtle overtones created by the combo. I've got a mix of both types and I usually go for the combo, mainly for the fact that I can tilt the cab easily (I play in a big band and need to get over all the players in front of the rhythm section). I love the sound of an open back combo, always have.
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Post by RickJames on Jul 22, 2021 6:42:48 GMT -7
The physics of a combo vs a head/cab has always fascinated me. A combo resonates and excites the tubes more than a head/cab, and I've always thought that this contributes to subtle overtones created by the combo. I've got a mix of both types and I usually go for the combo, mainly for the fact that I can tilt the cab easily (I play in a big band and need to get over all the players in front of the rhythm section). I love the sound of an open back combo, always have. My best times where playing in horn bands! Mis the power and musicianship
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