What is your maximum weight for a gigging board?

[jeffincltnc]

I"m interested in asking other players if they have a weight limit as a maximum limit for a gigging board.

 

I think that with the choices out there mine is 40 lbs. for a board, assuming there are good piano actions that fit here.

 

But that rules out most flagship 88 key and premium build pianos to take on a gig, too.

 

Anyone else have a limit?

[mcgoo]

I don't have a weight limit per se, but the last few weeks I brought my church's RD-800 (47 lbs) home to do some programming during the week. More than a few times, I lamented that there's no way I'd be gigging that board! I guess I'm spoiled by my Kronos LS (39 lbs). Somehow, 8 lbs less seems like a lot, comparing the 2. So I guess 39 lbs is about as much as my 60 year old butt cares to handle these days.

[Old No7]

I"m interested in asking other players if they have a weight limit as a maximum limit for a gigging board.

Having gigged with 2 Hammonds, 2 Leslies, MiniMoog, Crumar Performer (strings), Peavey PA and several milk crates for pedals & cables back in the day.............

 

40 pounds or less seems like a very reasonable number -- especially now that I'm 3X older than when I was lumping all the above.

 

I do LUV my Crumar Mojo 61, but at times, I miss those tonewheels, tubes and rotating speakers!

 

But not the weight...................

 

Old No7

[CowboyNQ]

If we"re talking stage pianos, I don"t have a limit as long as it has a case with wheels and I have at least one colleague willing to help me lift it if necessary.

[timwat]

Back in the old days, I also played with lots of heavy gear, often with Anvil cases. CP70, CS80, and Prophet 10 in one band, Helpinstill upright, Rhodes and five other keyboards in another, full PAs just for keyboard monitoring - it was awful except in every band we always had a strapping roadie that believed we were going to make it too LOL

 

Nowadays, my 46 lb. Kronos 73 is too heavy. Or at least it's too heavy at the end of the gig when it's time to tear down.

 

I just played a duo gig with the 20 lb. PX-S3000. Yeah, that's just about right these days.

[ElmerJFudd]

Without case, I"m not sure I ever want to carry a 50+lbs 88k.

If they can make something that plays and sounds great under 40lbs, it"s always worth a look. For home, weight doesn"t matter so much. It could weigh 438lbs - if it plays and sounds great (like an N3x).

[AnotherScott]

About 30 lbs. But the way the weight is balanced in the board, and how easily it can be gripped to carry, make a difference too.

 

The heaviest board I've regularly gigged with this century was a MOX8 at 32.6 lbs. They heaviest board I've used more recently is 28.6. But often my "heavy" board is just 24 lbs (PX5S), and when gigs resume, it might be lighter than that.

 

As for being able to deal as long as you have wheels and bandmates, that doesn't work for me. Among other reasons, at home, I often need to deal with a full flight of stairs, by myself, making trip after trip for multiple bits of gear.

[MathOfInsects]

I'd say 40 pounds is my psychological cut-off, on keyboard specs.

[16251]

Having a hard move from house to car and back besides the gig itself, helps determine the weight. I thought the CP4 at 38lb would be ok, but even that gets old quick.

 

When I was younger I would move two keyboards, two amps, stand, seat, accessory case at 3AM and my DP usually weighted between 40-50lb. I can say, that really sucked.

[Al Quinn]

Below 40 lbs. for me. I'm fine schlepping my CP4 and dual manual Mojo; they're both in the high 30's.

 

I wasn't too concerned with gear weight when I was younger but at 62 I think it makes sense to pay closer attention.

[KeyMoe]

40lbs form me. Not as young as I used to be!

[Adan]

If you go back about 20-25 years, the only quality weighted hammer actions were all in keyboards weighing 50+ pounds. If you wanted your best piano chops, you had no choice but to haul a back breaking slab. Now there's many choices on weighted actions going down to about 22 lbs (Yamaha P121). As a rule, better actions correlate with more weight (and higher price). No one would claim the P121 feels and plays as well as the Kawai MP11. But you can choose where you want to be on that quality/weight/cost spectrum.

 

Also depends on how often you haul it, and for what. A 50 lb keyboard feels pretty light if you're taking it to a $500 gig. The same keyboard carried to a Monday night rehearsal is godawful.

 

38 is my magic # these days.

[The Real MC]

The heaviest board I carry from case to stand is my Kurzweil MIDIBoard at 70lbs. I'm very conscious of proper lifting technique and have never had chronic back problems.

 

When I gig, everything is in Anvil cases which I move around using a cart.

 

I'm not young either, but I don't mind the weight and the lifting keeps me in shape!

[CowboyNQ]

As for being able to deal as long as you have wheels and bandmates, that doesn't work for me. Among other reasons, at home, I often need to deal with a full flight of stairs, by myself, making trip after trip for multiple bits of gear.

 

Stage pianos are banned from upstairs at my joint. There is a strict 61-key cutoff enforced.

 

On the (thankfully rare) occasions I"m confronted with stairs at gigs, that"s when band mates, crew or strapping young sons come in handy.

[Mighty Motif Max]

My limit is pretty much what my Motif XF weighs - 63.5 lbs. Once it's inside a hardshell case with wheels, it's roughly 100 lbs. If there's a gig with stairs, it becomes an issue because the ergonomics just aren't great with that weight. But otherwise, that's about my limit. It's also my gig rig always (with some other gear usually). Keep in mind I do mostly solo gigs, with some church gigs as well. BUT there's something nice about my current church - they also have an XF8, so I just save my setups on a USB stick and load them in there. Can't beat that!

 

At college, where I have to carry things long distances and don't have anyone to help, I don't want to go over 40 lbs (2 lbs above my PC3's weight) plus a case.

 

The handles on a case make a huge difference for me in how doable things are.

[Mike Warren]

Nowadays, my 46 lb. Kronos 73 is too heavy. Or at least it's too heavy at the end of the gig when it's time to tear down.

 

That fits with my observation that all heavy items put on quite a bit of weight as the day goes on. Some things can weigh up to 3 times their morning weight by late evening.

[jazzpiano88]

Back in my 30's it was 70lb Keyboard + Case and two 50lb 15" EV Speaker Cabs.

I'd use a dolly with 2 or 3 trips. All the rest was 5 trips of racks, gig bags and hardware but not back breaking.

 

These days, I'd use the CP4 and SK1-73.

 

The whole problem is amplification. Do I bring the Leslie 3300 and kill myself, dual 12" powered cabs, or the Space station?

 

It really comes down to who I want to impress besides myself. If it's nobody, I bring the space station and make sure I have a good stage sound that makes me happy.

[gino]

My FA08 at 36 lbs is my maximum. In its case, its definitely as heavy as i want to carry without a trolley. When i get to a gig with stairs, I'm not happy....

[AnotherScott]

My limit is pretty much what my Motif XF weighs - 63.5 lbs. Once it's inside a hardshell case with wheels, it's roughly 100 lbs.

Geez, I don't think I was ever able to lift 100 lbs, unless it could put its arms around me.

[Mr. Nightime]

I really don't know what the weight is, but right around the weight of my Hammond SK-2. I have had to lift it onto the top tier of my stand from the back from a couple feet below it. So I had to lift it over my head

 

Any thing heavier, and I would not be able to lift it.

 

But, I don't like the board to be too light. I want them to be heavy enough to stay put if I do a monster gliss.

 

Right now the heaviest piece I have to schlep is my cord case.

[Mr. Nightime]

My limit is pretty much what my Motif XF weighs - 63.5 lbs. Once it's inside a hardshell case with wheels, it's roughly 100 lbs.

Geez, I don't think I was ever able to lift 100 lbs, unless it could put its arms around me.

 

I used to completely set up a CP-70B without assistance, including lifting the 154 pound harp onto the action.

 

I was a LOT younger, a LOT stronger, and a LOT dumber.

[Mike Warren]

I carried my RD1000 by myself a few times. No case. Would have been so easy to have dropped it.

 

Edit: Just looked it up. 43.5kg/95lbs. Ouch!

[KeyboardEric]

21 lb 14 oz.

[stoken6]

A 50 lb keyboard feels pretty light if you're taking it to a $500 gig. The same keyboard carried to a Monday night rehearsal is godawful.

This - particularly if you have plenty of time to shlep to/from the car, and set up.

 

I think my boundary is also around the 38lb-40lb mark. My Nord Stage Classic is 36.5lb and, while it's a bit heavy, I can tolerate it. I took a 44lb 88-key to a gig on a few occasions, and there's a big difference.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[mcgoo]

... including lifting the 154 pound harp onto the action....

 

Dang, that's impressive. I know. I tried and failed!

 

I was dumb enough to get single the road case for me CP-70B instead of separate ones for the keyboard and harp. THAT WAS FRICKING HEAVY!

[ewall08530]

Consciously or not I realize I have acquired no piece of gear over 40lbs

 

Casio PX S-3000. 26lb

Yamaha P125 26lb

Nord Stage 3 Compact. 22lb

Nord Stage 2. 76. 36lb

QSC K-10. 36lb

Bose S1. 16lb

Bose L1 Pro 8 sub. 39lb.

[AnotherScott]

Going beyond keyboards, the heaviest piece of gear I ever brought to a gig (post roadie era) was the JBL PRX625 at 60 lbs@. Sounds amazing. But they were a struggle for me. OTOH, at the gig, my drummer could bring them in and out, one in each hand.

 

Which actually reminded me that, earlier this century, I had a pair of the original JBL Eon 15, which I believe were 50 lbs@, and I actually did carry them one-in-each-hand. Not easy... but possibly no worse to carry a pair balanced than to carry just one! So maybe my advice to someone who wants to gig with a heavy keyboard should be to gig with two heavy keyboards. ;-)

[erik_nie]

main reason to switch to Nord Stage 3 compact and Nord Wave 2.

Used to carry too heavy flight cases and racks.

[Delaware Dave]

My 88 Key GEM Equinox is 72 pounds. I gigged with that for a dozen years. I was doing 60-80 shows a year carrying the 'beast'. Can't do that anymore, just too heavy. I still use it in my studio as I still really enjoy the acoustic piano in the board; moving it to gigs would only be on an emergency basis (if my Kurz went down). Right now both keyboards in use are 37 pounds. That's manageable.

[DJkeys]

Back in the old days, I also played with lots of heavy gear, often with Anvil cases. CP70, CS80, and Prophet 10 in one band, Helpinstill upright, Rhodes and five other keyboards in another, full PAs just for keyboard monitoring - it was awful except in every band we always had a strapping roadie that believed we were going to make it too LOL

 

Nowadays, my 46 lb. Kronos 73 is too heavy. Or at least it's too heavy at the end of the gig when it's time to tear down.

 

I just played a duo gig with the 20 lb. PX-S3000. Yeah, that's just about right these days.

 

I had the real heavy stuff back in the day (same as you, CP70 w/anvil and Prophet 5 w/anvil cases. Just the cases weighed 120 lbs). but we had a truck to move it. Today, both my Nords are 20 lbs apiece, 40 total. Light is beautiful!

 

-dj