Are there really that many stacks being sold today?...

[Blue Strat]

You have to be kidding me? You haven't seen a single stack used on a large venue in 20 years? wow...

By stack I mean 2 4X12s on top of each other.

No, sorry, I'm not an Iron Maiden fan It could also be that I disdain 20,000 seat arenas.

 

[Melodyman]

It sounds like alot of people here like to push their power sections into overdrive, is that why all the discontent about 100 watters?

I like preamp distortion, so the power section just needs to stay clean, so I can use a 100 watt amp at very manageable volume levels.

 

[Phil M]

By stack I mean 2 4X12s on top of each other.

No, sorry, I'm not an Iron Maiden fan It could also be that I disdain 20,000 seat arenas.

I'm glad you made this distinction, because when I posted last night I suspected some folks may think of a 4x12 as a "full stack".

To my knowledge, "stack" is two 4x12s on top of each other and a "half-stack" is just one 4x12.

 

[BIGGERSTAFF]

I regularly gig a half stack, or 2 2x12s, and have no problems playing in small venues with a 100w head(Guytron GT100FV). Unless I get a roadie, I'm not gonna lug another 4x12 around though.

 

[drewl]

Around my way (Philly & burbs) a halfstack is probably the most common rig and there seems to be no end to the number of bars/clubs to play.
I usually use my 73 Marshall bottom cab as it makes a perfect drink holder....
since I usually bring two amps to gigs I like using 3/4 stacks, a 2x12 combo on a 4x12 like my AC30 driving a Marshall cab but I've been known to use a fullstack for the heck of it.
I got em, might as well use em before I'm too old.

 

[SgtThump]

...No amp company will make a small, lightweight 1x12 or 1x10 low powered combo amp that is high gain and has all the features of the 100 watt head model...

Check out the Diezel Einstein combo or models from VHT.

 

[SgtThump]

By stack I mean 2 4X12s on top of each other.

No, sorry, I'm not an Iron Maiden fan It could also be that I disdain 20,000 seat arenas.

Ahhh, I see. Just about any pro rock or metal show in a large venue has multiple full stacks on stage.

This is like me saying that I haven't seen a hollowbody jazz box used at a concert in my 36 years of existence, so they must not be popular.

 

[SgtThump]

It sounds like alot of people here like to push their power sections into overdrive, is that why all the discontent about 100 watters?

I like preamp distortion, so the power section just needs to stay clean, so I can use a 100 watt amp at very manageable volume levels.

For some reason, the old guys that play jazz always feel the need to gripe about people using 100-watt amps and 4x12" cabs. They act like the ONLY reason they're used is for the image. It couldn't possibly be for the tone or projection.

But let's say that is the real reason people use stacks on stage (for the image.) What's wrong with that? Why does it bother anyone?

I don't get why people on this and other boards are so caught up in what other people do. Use a full stack for your bedroom if you want. Why in the hell should I care about that?

 

[stratzrus]

I would think that bedrooms would be the main venue.

When they are used, I'll bet half of them are "dummies" (cool backdrops for the visual enjoyment of the "young at heart") and the real amps are off stage.

I have a full stack and yes it's a bedroom rig at this point. When I play out I grab a combo that's appropriate for the venue.

But if I get a call to play at the Trocadero (a theater sized venue in Philly) or somewhere that's a comparable size, the stack will definitely come out.

Werl, the nice thing about a 412 slant quad is that you can hear yourself, as the upper shelf of speakers are pointed at your ears, not your ankles. Plus it's the right height to sit your head on, so you don't have to bend over to adjust knobs. They also typically come with good castors, which for some reason most 212's don't. But best of all, they look cool, and all those speakers pump out a nice warm thump that sounds good at low volumes as well as high.

I will never forget seeing Ywngie when he was on tour with G3 in 2003. A wall of Marshall stacks, only one red light on though. :NUTS

Lots or rockers use dummies.

I think if there is still a rationale for using a full stack when playing out violetlove pretty much covered it.

I've been playing my Axe FX through my full stack at home powered by a Rivera 100 watt 6L6 head and it sounds great at really low volumes, but I still can get the thump in the chest when I crank it.

But to be honest, it's probably mostly nostalgia for my misspent teenage youth sitting at the feet of Hendrix, Blue Cheer...etc.

 

[HeyMrTeleMan]

The really sad thing, to my way of thinking, is that, as 18969 alludes to above, the opportunities for performing live music in a band are but a shadow of what they used to be. It's a real loss: learning something from records is one thing, but learning one's art "hitting the boards" is quite another thing.

This summer I'm teaching a Popular Music in America class that covers pop and rock music from the beginning of the 20th century, and most every decision made by those who could do otherwise has served to kill off lives venues to perform in.

Not only has the American public become "bystanders" when it comes to making music, but -- again, speaking in very broad terms -- they have elected to abandon "live music" in favor of listening to inferior quality mp3 recordings through headphones. I'm not even convinced the majority of people are listening anymore, considering the "dribble" that passes as (a lot of) music today.

Sure, something has been gained, I suppose. But, compared to what has been lost, it's hard to see these trends as anything but a substitute for the real thing. No wonder music is treated so much as a "commodity" these days instead of "a happening."

My two cents.

dt

Thanks, DT, for a very well reasoned reply, and I agree 100%. To be clear, I should have made the distinction between full and half stacks, but anything with a head and cab is a big amp (for the most part, you can send in pics of your tiny stacks), I know they're out there. I have NOTHING against stacks, I'm just amazed that so many are being sold that could justify those ads.

Speaking of stacks (and although no pun is intended here, it would be appropriate), I was watching the PBS series about Memphis' Stax Records the other night (thanks TIVO!) and saw amazing footage of Steve Cropper playing his Tele through Marshall half stacks. When I saw him (and met him and Booker and Duck) in the mid-sixties, he was playing a Super Reverb. Back then, in Uniontown, PA, I'd never heard of Marshall. The only stacks I ever saw were Showman's and Dual Showman's (Shomen?).

 

[AL30]

I've been playing a lot more straight ahead, 70's type rock lately and we keep getting lumped on shows with a lot of younger metal bands.

I've seen a few full stacks and a lot of half stacks. The funny thing is (with a few exceptions) most of the guys scoop the mids so much and crank the gain that you can't hear the amp - it just melts into the background.

Inevitably, after these shows, I get someone coming up to ask questions about my amp. What is that thing? Uh... it's a Fender Bassman and a 4x10" cab. How do you get that sound? I usually turn the 3 knobs to something pleasing to the ear. What's on your pedal board? A tube screamer. It's happened several times. Kinda getting to be a running joke.

AL

 

[therhodeo]

Well one problem here is that I'd imagine most of the gentlemen in here are going to bars or shows and seeing blues rock, top 40, or classic rock outfits. 90% of the shows around here are hardcore or punk shows aimed at teens. What do they have on stage? Boogies, 5150's, DSL's, etc. They're still at the stage where the rock appearance is still important.

 

[Blue Strat]

Ahhh, I see. Just about any pro rock or metal show in a large venue has multiple full stacks on stage.

Metal and hard rock maybe. Not rock in general.

This is like me saying that I haven't seen a hollowbody jazz box used at a concert in my 36 years of existence, so they must not be popular.

In the basic scheme of popular music, you'd probably be correct

 

[therhodeo]

Metal and hard rock maybe. Not rock in general.

Not necessarily. I've seen alot of half stacks on stages. Even for country stuff.

 

[n4p226r]

i cant remember the last time i went to a concert, even to see local acts, where there was anything other than a half stack. including small bars.

Matt O'Ree used 2 komet / marshall 4x12 half stacks and a fuchs 150 into a leslie when i saw him.
the nerds used a marshall half stack the last two times i saw them.

i see half stacks a lot. i use one in my room too.

 

[primerib]

I'm in a 2 guitar metal band. We rehearse with full stacks at ungodly decibel levels. Everything is amplified. We gig with full stacks also. I sometimes bring only a half stack depending on the venue. My home rig is a Mesa RKII full stack also. Its just a personal preference.

 

[SgtThump]

Metal and hard rock maybe. Not rock in general.

Yes, rock in general. For example, the following bands seem to have stacks on stage and always will...

- Bad Company
- Foreigner
- Journey
- Poison
- Nickleback
- Metallica
- Ratt
- Warrant
- Firehouse
- etc..., etc..., etc...

 

[Blue Strat]

Not necessarily. I've seen alot of half stacks on stages. Even for country stuff.

We were talking about FULL stacks.

 

[Blue Strat]

Yes, rock in general. For example, the following bands seem to have stacks on stage and always will...

- Bad Company
- Foreigner
- Journey
- Poison
- Nickleback
- Metallica
- Ratt
- Warrant
- Firehouse
- etc..., etc..., etc...

You mean those bands are still touring?

I know he's a wuss to Ratt fans, but Jeff Beck has backed off to half stacks. Many others come to mind as well.

 

[CJReaper]

I've been playing a lot more straight ahead, 70's type rock lately and we keep getting lumped on shows with a lot of younger metal bands.

I've seen a few full stacks and a lot of half stacks. The funny thing is (with a few exceptions) most of the guys scoop the mids so much and crank the gain that you can't hear the amp - it just melts into the background.

Inevitably, after these shows, I get someone coming up to ask questions about my amp. What is that thing? Uh... it's a Fender Bassman and a 4x10" cab. How do you get that sound? I usually turn the 3 knobs to something pleasing to the ear. What's on your pedal board? A tube screamer. It's happened several times. Kinda getting to be a running joke.

AL

I used to have a similar experience when my old band played shows. We were what you would call "Europen/Sweedish Death Metal" so we played with as lot of other Metal bands. I had my Marshall 2204 half stack with the mids CRANKED and a TS-9 pushing the front end. They had their stacks with their mids scooped out and all you could hear was messy high end fuzz. They would always ask me how I got my sound and I'd point to my midrange knob which was always on 10, lol.

I still have my Marshall half-stack and I always will, the sound is amazing. I just use a Hot Plate to tame the volume, still sounds awesome to my ears.

Cheers,

CJ