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whats the difference, is a full stack louder or better sound quality or both or what?

Louder.

But why?

Seriously. Out of the hundreds of shows I've played in 20 years I can count on one hand the times I've needed any more than a 4x12.

If you're out to impress people, one stack doesn't do it- you need at least two. If you're trying to impress other exprerienced musicians at a bar, it'll have the opposite effect; most will think- 'what a n00b.'

For 98% of most any applications, it's not worth both the expense and effort to buy and bring a full stack.

I saw this guy bring a full stack to a venue that my band plays at and he just drowned out everyone else in the band the entire set. It wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't suck but all you could hear was that one guitar...horrible usage of funds IMO.

yeah i wasnt planning on it, was just curious what the difference was

The full stack basically has more volume of sound projected, making it just seem louder.

actually the difference is about 70 pounds. who wants to carry that?


Originally Posted by Minceractually the difference is about 70 pounds. who wants to carry that?

can be even more depending on the make/model of your cab. Got a local venue down here called the gaslighter, nobody plays with a full stack. Only saw somebody do it once; he drowned out everybody else, and still had weak tone.

I play with a half stack, and even that is a little overkill at times.

I have a bunch of Amp Heads that i run thru smaller cabs.. I have a few Stacks but have never used more then one cab.... Biggest show i did to date was in front of 10,000 people.... They were not there to see us... They were there to see the fireworks for Canada Day but we headlined because the singer was friends with the promoter... Even at such a big show i used a 50 watt Peavey Classic 50 and a Marshall 1x12 1912 cab.... I used my 5150 head and 4x12 once at an outdoor show and we got shut down by the cops as someone 2 blocks away was complaining. some laywer.....

In bars i used my 5150 stack rig twice and that was about it.... Well it's more then a stack it is rig that has a Axess HS2 amp switching system, 2 heads a 5150 and a Classic 50, 1 4x12 5150 cab, a pedalboard and i took 3 guitars. First show we did at this place everyone was amazed at my sound.... Even the bouncer asked to try my rig out... I was using Godins and i had the piezos for acoustic, 2 channels on each amp, plus the effects.. That rig has all bases covered! The 2nd show i did there they had a different sound guy and he wanted my 4x12 turned to the back of the stage so i was not washing out the pa... He wanted the volume way down... It sucked and i never heard myself all night... After that i started to use the same large amp rig but switched the 4x12 5150 cab for the Marshall 1912 1x12 cab.... I have an amp stand that i put the 1912 on a monitoring style of an angle and it is pointed at my head.... No more volume trouble out front, and i can hear me all i want...

These days all my big rig is collecting dust... I've stripped back to small low powered tube amp combos like my Fender Deluxe and the Peavey Classic 30... I have a larger pedalboard now and i'm using fuzz boxes a lot so it is a different sound altogether.. But it is still pretty cool and i can pack up and carry the stuff much easier....

Stacks are fun but not always what we need... They are what we want....

WhoFan

I only could really USE a 4x12 at about 1 out of 4 gigs I play. I always use the 2x12 though. Lighter, smaller, more manageable, more sound containment, and with good speakers you get just as much chunk as a 4x12.

My other guitarist was wanting to use a 2x12 combo WITH a 4x12 at a bar gig we had. I had a hell of a time changing his mind and when he did finalyl realize I was right he felt kind of embarrassed.

Most of the time i use a half stack but sometimes the gig is bigger or the pa is so crappy that i wanna bypass it so a fullstack is quite pratical

I've got two full stacks. They sound awesome...they look great!. Got a Line 6 Vetta with two Hughes amp; Kettner cabs and a Crate Blue Voodoo stack. Gotta run the tube with the Vetta so I've got that tube feel going as well. Lotsa lights too! I never play'em. I NEVER bring them out of the house. Who wants to haul that around, LOL. Once in awhile I'll hook'em up in stereo and stand between them and it is guitar heaven.

I alway play, record with and on the rare occasion, play out with---a 10 watt 65 Univox U45-B and 65 Fender Champ that is what, about 6 watts? The tone is incredible, I can still walk after moving them and miked up right, sound just as impressive as two stacks.

True story--The band Kansas opened up for Heart in 1982 at the Brenden Byrne (now Continental) arena in NJ. I had second row. This was back in the days when you could camp out overnight and actually get tickets like that--no wristband crap. Anyways the guitar players for Kansas were using--get this--a Fender Deluxe propped up on a chair. Like a cafeteria chair. The black plastic ones with chrome legs type. The guitars sounded huge. This was in a 20,000 seat arena.

Someone I know also saw Judas Priest around the same era and they had two walls of Marshall stacks on the stage. He said it would have been more impressive if there were more than two turned on! Now THAT's funny.

It seems like guitarists tend to want those big, impressive-looking amps when they're in this quot;i'm gonan be a rock star!quot; stage, and then they start to want littler combos when they realize roadies aren't free...that's why i'm saving myself the cash and trying to get ahold of a 30-watt Orange combo and some killer speakers.

not to mention having a wall of marshalls stopped looking cool in like 91...c'mon guys get with the times.

-X


Originally Posted by 75lespaulI've got two full stacks. They sound awesome...they look great!. Got a Line 6 Vetta with two Hughes amp; Kettner cabs and a Crate Blue Voodoo stack. Gotta run the tube with the Vetta so I've got that tube feel going as well. Lotsa lights too! I never play'em. I NEVER bring them out of the house. Who wants to haul that around, LOL. Once in awhile I'll hook'em up in stereo and stand between them and it is guitar heaven.

I alway play, record with and on the rare occasion, play out with---a 10 watt 65 Univox U45-B and 65 Fender Champ that is what, about 6 watts? The tone is incredible, I can still walk after moving them and miked up right, sound just as impressive as two stacks.

True story--The band Kansas opened up for Heart in 1982 at the Brenden Byrne (now Continental) arena in NJ. I had second row. This was back in the days when you could camp out overnight and actually get tickets like that--no wristband crap. Anyways the guitar players for Kansas were using--get this--a Fender Deluxe propped up on a chair. Like a cafeteria chair. The black plastic ones with chrome legs type. The guitars sounded huge. This was in a 20,000 seat arena.

Someone I know also saw Judas Priest around the same era and they had two walls of Marshall stacks on the stage. He said it would have been more impressive if there were more than two turned on! Now THAT's funny.

There is a Canadian guitarist i like a lot called Kim mitchell and he was in a band in the 70's called Max Webster.. I see photos of old shows and i have been in contact with a guy that used to rent Max Webster gear and he told me that mostly all they used was silver face Fender Deluxe amps... These guys were playing huge arenas, the biggest in Canada.... Mostly their guitarist would use 2 Deluxes for almost any show i hear.... sometimes a Twin but mostly Deluxes...

I saw on another web site that a guys band opened for Styx and they had wall to wall Marshall stacks a few summers ago.... He said the techs told him that none of them work.... The guitarists were going straight to the PA with Palmer Simulators....

Some friends of mine in a Who tribute band sometimes find themselfs in large festivals and arenas.... Sometimes they have 4 cabs but only one is working....

WhoFan

I used to do sound at a local venue here, and I remember working for Pat Travers, the opening act wheeled in 2 complete Marshall 100 watt stacks, and sounded like ****, Pat Travers used one 4 12 cab that had seen some serious road time, and his tone was great, blew the 2 stacks away tone wise.

I can't wait until I get a good band together and gig so I can get a half-stack.


Originally Posted by IcedEarth112yeah i wasnt planning on it, was just curious what the difference was

Mostly ***** size....or lack thereof.


Originally Posted by marvarI used to do sound at a local venue here, and I remember working for Pat Travers, the opening act wheeled in 2 complete Marshall 100 watt stacks, and sounded like ****, Pat Travers used one 4 12 cab that had seen some serious road time, and his tone was great, blew the 2 stacks away tone wise.

I saw Pat Traver in Toronto a few months ago and man did his guitar set up sound great!!! Looked like a single 4x12 and some sort of small amp... looked like a rack unit and i have no idea what it was.... His web site says nothing about that small rig he used this summer...

The thing i enjoy most about my 4x12 is the bass! It puts out the rumble i want.. I only own a 5150 cab but i am looking for a cheap beat up Marshall cab for my beat up Marshall jcm 800 head... I still love stacks but any place i played my combos can do the work.

WhoFan


Originally Posted by IcedEarth112whats the difference, is a full stack louder or better sound quality or both or what?

you don't need to bend down for tweaking the knobs with a full stack


Originally Posted by psyyou don't need to bend down for tweaking the knobs with a full stackHee heeee heee

good point

I love having a full stack. I also love having combo's. Even the combo's can be a pain to drag around (the 5150 212 is about 90 lbs). So, ideally, I'd like to use my 5150 head, and have 2 2x12 cabs. It would help me out a lot so I wouldn't be throwing my back out, and makes it easier to transport everything. Doesn't mean I am gonna get rid of my 412's though. A lot of it has to do with ego, when you get your buddies over at your place at crank it just loud enough p!ss off the neighbors.