Some concerns and questions regarding the weight of a Fender Twin and Jensen Neo's

[lonniedarko]

Hi guys,

I just got a couple of concerns and questions regarding the weight of either a vintage Blackface or Silverface Twin, and comparing it to my current amp, a Mesa Lonestar Classic 2x12 combo. The Mesa is a pretty darn heavy amp, but I've always been able to carry it around, up and down the stairs in my home and in and out of my car, without much of a hassle. However, I'm having some issues with my lower back lately, making it slightly uncomfortably carrying the amp around.

I want to trade in the amp for something lighter, compact, easy to set up and to carry around. Because I love the sound of 6L6 tubes and need loads of clean headroom, I guess getting a 100W Fender amp seems fairly logical. Therefor I've been looking into Fender Showmans and Fender Twins lately. I do somehow prefer getting a 2x12 combo instead of a head+cab setup, yet Fender Twins are know for being extremely heavy as well.

I've been comparing the weight of my Mesa with the weight of a vintage Fender Twin. Internet tells me that a Mesa Lonestar 2x12 combo weights about 79 pounds, where as a Fender Twin seems to weight about 69 pounds, which is 10 pounds lighter than the Mesa. However, I placed my Mesa on a scale yesterday and the amp seems to be a chunky 85 pounds, making it heavier than what Mesa states on their website, and about 16 pounds heavier than a Fender Twin. Looking at it this way, a Twin seems like a much lighter amp compared to the Mesa, probably making it much easier for me to carry around. I do however still have some concerns and hope some of you guys can answer my questions.

1) Knowing that the actual weight of the Mesa differs with the weight stated on their website, can anyone tell me how much a Blackface of Silverface actually weights? Anyone here that ever put his Twin on a scale to know it's exact weight?

2) Based on a lot of reviews, Jensen Neo speakers seem to be a superb drop in for Fender amps. They also seem to be extremely light weight. Do dropping these into a 2x12 combo amp make a significant difference to the weight of the amp? Would a Fender Twin with Jensen Neo's be much more manageable to carry around?

3) I read somewhere here on TGP that a vintage BF Twin is suppose to weight a bit less when compared to a SF Twin. Is this true?

[terrapin]

You will be a happy camper with the weight difference! And, I think you will love the sound of these speakers. Get the NEO 100, not the Tornado!!!

[Polynitro]

they are heavy as hell. mine is supposed to be 70lbs, whether its 10 lbs lighter or heavier wouldnt make a difference. Its not shear wieght but the size and just overall awkwardness of lugging that around that blows.

[Rockerduck]

The TRRI weighs closer to 65lbs. The Neo's shed almost 15lbs.. off. So it'll weigh around 50lbs.. But, I have wheels on my TRRI and I don't have to carry it, just load and unload.

[StanG]

I have a pair of neo's in a '76 pro reverb, with the heavy particle board cab, and it is a pretty easy one arm lift, but it is still bulky and awkward to move, but much lighter.

[Jon Silberman]

My rig is a BFTR preamp (SMS Classic) into a 75W/channel (@ 8 ohms) SS power amp (Rocktron's Velocity 300) into a 2X12 cab (SSP Cabs), i.e., a TR "Jerry Garcia style." In my cab, I've paired a Jensen Neo 12-100 (great speaker) with a Weber NeoMag (JBL-voiced). It's a superb combination.

[smolder]

I've bought both a twin and a super recently, both are now in head cabs. The twin is still a beast. I like either with a 1x12 or 1x15 just fine.

[lonniedarko]

Thanks for the comments so far guys! Seems like putting Jensen NEO's in a Twin is a good thing, both in sound and weight. Any else care to shed some light on this topic?

[fulltone1989]

Maybe installing a 1x12 baffle would cut down the weight?

[zoooombiex]

The Neo's are great speakers. IMO they are voiced pretty close to an EVM12L, but are 4.5 lbs instead of 20. 9 lbs for both speakers would be quite a gift in a twin.

The main difference I've noticed between those speakers is in the very low end. I mainly play keys, and the EVM seems to be able to stay clean way down low a little better. The Neo's Xmax is only 1 mm, compared to over 3 for the EV12L, so that could be part of it.

Probably not a big deal for guitar. If that's the voicing you're going for I'd definitely jump on the Neo.

[Shinequwa]

I did something similar for the same reasons. I was not happy with the neo speakers I tried (Lil Texas and Tonkerlite) in my scenario. You may love them though. Who knows. Just be cautious before you make any drastic choices.

I had a Lonestar 1x12, and that thing was heavy for what it was. If you love your amp, then maybe convert it to a head, and use the combo cab as just a cabinet. I know you prefer combos, but this might be easier to deal with. I ended up going to head and cab or two 1x12 combos, or my trusty Top Hat Super Deluxe 2x12 combo which is amazingly light, and makes me much happier than the Lonestar and Twin ever did.

Good luck. It's hell getting old, huh?

[zestystrat]

I have neos in my 68 twin they sound great.

I have it a road case so it's less then a wash on the weight.

[lonniedarko]

Good luck. It's hell getting old, huh?

Definitely, and I'm only 25 :puh :D

[lonniedarko]

Okay, totally other question quys!

Should I save some money and buy a mint/good condition vintage SF Twin and have it converted to BF specs by a tech, or should I spend a little more and get a real BF Twin? Any years in particular I should look at?