Seeking amp/cab recs

[Rob Morrison]

Hi all,

So, I play a Tone Block 202 into a Rick Johnson cab with a 12” BW. It’s great.

Due to living in a third-floor walk up apartment in NYC, I’ve been working towards getting a backup of everything I have (got a backup seat that lives permanently in the trunk of my car, and a gigging steel that’s always packed and ready to go in my apartment, while my “home” steel gets to stay set up with its own seat).

But I haven’t got a duplicate of the amp situation yet. It would really help my aching back to leave a cabinet in my trunk, and just tote my Tone Block back and forth with me. I’ve been hoping to actually find a lightweight 15” speaker to contrast with my current 12”.

So far, it’s been hard to find a good contender on the used market. Hard enough that I’m considering looking at other options entirely…like getting a combo like a Nashville 400, and leaving the Tone Block at home. A 400 makes me a little worried, weightwise, even if it’s not routinely carried up and down the stairs in my building…and since it’s a full amp and not just a cabinet, I dunno if it’s such a great idea to leave it in my trunk. I also feel like I’d miss the DI output option on my Tone Block, something that the Nashville 400 doesn’t have (I suppose I could look at a Nashville 112 for that purpose, but that wouldn’t check the box on a 15” speaker).

Curious to hear if y’all have any thoughts or experience with these options.

[Tucker Jackson]

Hi, Rob.

A Nashville 400 is a classic amp, but it weighs over 56lb. If that's an issue, you might want to skip that and get a cab with a 15" neo speaker, like an Eminence Double-T 15 at 7.7lb.

https://eminence.com/products/double_t_15

Here's a cab with that speaker for sale:
viewtopic.php?t=413546

If you're not playing C6, there's been a drift in consensus toward the idea that a 15" speaker doesn't necessarily buy you much over a 12". It will sound a little different, move a little more air, but maybe not sound better in all frequencies, depending on what sound you're looking for. Opinions differ, so it's unfortunately not one of those things where it's widely accepted that one is definitely better than the other.

Tone aside, the 15" will weigh more than the 12" of the same model, and the cab might too. If you get a 15," it would surprise no one if you ended up toting and gigging the 12" and had the 15" as the home backup.

[Bobby D. Jones]

Went through lightening my amp when I turned 75 and gigging quite bit.
When I went to S12 Uni. the small speaker would not give me the sound my ears wanted. Built this cabinet out of 1/2" Birch plywood, installed Evans electronics, And 15" Eminence EPS-15C speaker.
Then got a wild hair for a Tone Block 202. I removed the Evans electronics, Installed jack. Have hook arrangement so 202 hooks on side of my seat.

DSC00703.JPG

This is my play out amp and speaker, 25lb. total.

[Jonathan Lukawski]

I have a Quilter TT15 combo that I would sell locally in the greater Philly area. Fender Tonemaster Twin Reverb or Deluxe are also good lightweight amps with DI out.