[Dixielandjazz] Portable amps ( Lightest weight)

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

Hey folks:

I missed a few of the posts on this thread, so I would appreciate a quick 
synopsis of the consensus you have all come up with as to the lightest weight 
ones with the best quality and durability.  Off list is fine so we don't bore 
everyone else.

I am looking into getting several lightweight amps that can be carried via 
harness by the reed players in our marching/strolling band, to bring them up to 
the level of the brass guys for outdoor shows.  They are always complaining of 
over blowing to keep up and often can't hear themselves.  We play a lot of 
high energy stuff with 2 Trumpets, 2 Bones, Clarinet/Soprano, Alto, Tenor and 
Bari Saxes, Tuba and four drummers.  

We have the Trumpets and Bones out front, the saxes in the middle followed by 
the Tuba and Drums, so it is easy to over power the reed guys from both 
directions if we are not careful (and we often are not when blowing all out in a 
big Parade or Street Show with a Mardi Gras type audience).


The drummers are using the lightweight Yamaha 13Lb snares (with another 6-7 
Lbs of percussion stuff attached with heavy duty mounting brackets) and the 
Bass drum we use is an 18 Lb Yamaha 20 inch lightweight.  Add the aluminum 
harnesses to them and we have another 2Lbs. each.

Seems to me for the sound boost the sax guys could carry a small amp attached 
via harness or custom made carrier provided we can find one light weight 
enough and self contained.

Of all the amps that I did see mentioned on this thread, there seems to be a 
good potential that one or more of them might work for our purposes, I just 
think I may have missed a couple of the posts that pointed out the names of some 
I had not heard about.

If anyone has been following the thread and saved all the posts with the 
information, I would be grateful if you would forward the posts to me off list.

Thanks,  and sorry I was out of the thread and not paying enough attention 
the first time around.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins
Saint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band