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How Much Weight Have You Lugged Around?


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In tribute to all the Hammond players who used to (and some still do) lug hundreds of pounds of organs and Leslie's to and from gigs.... What was (or is) the most equipment that you schlepped to and from gigs?

 

I will start with my 1974 rig. Hammond C3 (on a permanent 4 wheel platform), Leslie 122, Clavinet D6, Rhodes Stage 76 (really heavy), Mini Moog, and an Ampeg V4 with twin 4x12 cabinets.

 

The other guys in the band would wait to the last minute to help lift the organ and Leslie off the stage and into the van. I am certain that they were debating if my playing was worth it.

 

HAMMOND C3. 350lbs

Leslie122. 125 lbs

Mini Moog. 75 lbs

Clavinet. 60 lbs

Rhodes 150 lbs

Ampeg V4 head. 50 lbs

Ampeg V4 cabinets x 2. 200 lbs

 

Total: 1010 lbs.

 

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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CP70, CS80 and Prophet 10, all in ATA cases. I'm sure that's not much compared to what this thread will reveal from others.

 

On a related note, currently lugging around 170lb. Struggling to reduce that with diet and exercise. Oh wait...wrong thread.

..
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Mid to late 70's... 88 key, triple-stringed Baldwin Electro-Piano built into a flight case, Yamaha YC-30, ARP Quadra and Odyssey, rack of effects.
I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient and I will get to you shortly.
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CP70, Rhodes, my small PA (which weighed more than they do today), and synth du jour, starting with a Juno 60 in a flight case, plus electric guitar, acoustic guitar, small guitar amp, Tama throne (I liked that throne and was bummed when after about 25 years a leg finally broke off. But it wasn't light, like the cheapie I use today.)

 

So, my total weight was something like this:

 

CP70: 280

Rhodes: 150?

Juno + case: 70

speakers: 80

PA amp: 40

mixer, cables: 30

2 guitars, small guitar amp: 60

total: about 700 lbs.

 

Small spuds compared to what I know some of you lugged.

 

I hated all the lugging. Every now and then while reading this forum I start to wonder to myself why I never got a Hammond. Then I remember what a pain it was to move all that other shit. But adding a Hammond would have made it a real killer rig! The only other thing it would have needed is someone who actually knew how to play it!

 

Tim, that was definitely a great rig you had. I lusted after the CS80 and Prophet but couldn't justify the price. I got the CP70 only because I found one abused, for $2500, when there was still a waiting line for new ones at $4K. $4K was 1/4 of my annual pretax income on my job, which was a pretty high paying job for someone just out of school back in 1980!

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CP70, CS80 and Prophet 10, all in ATA cases. I'm sure that's not much compared to what this thread will reveal from others.

 

On a related note, currently lugging around 170lb. Struggling to reduce that with diet and exercise. Oh wait...wrong thread.

 

And I am lugging 190. OY

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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Carried lots of heavy stuff over the years, but the one that convinced me to travel lighter forever after was a Kawaii MP9000 in a flight case that I used to lug up three flights in a Brooklyn brownstone. I decreased the value of both my body and a fine historic set of 100-year-old stairs. They got it worse: I'll be gone some day. Those stairs will soldier on, battle-scarred from their encounter with me.

Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material.
www.joshweinstein.com

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I was touring with a regional country pop act playing big venues plus some stadium shows opening for very large acts and it was probably the most gear I've ever hauled at one time back in the early '00s.

 

- Roland RD600: 100 lbs in Anvil case

- Hammond XK-2: 75 lbs in Anvil case

- Leslie 122: 250 lbs in Anvil case

- Other accessories: 50 lbs at least in various cases

 

That pales in comparison to others, but I can't fathom gigging with a 122 in a flight case these days.

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I overdid it a few years ago. Too much weight, strained my back several times, bed rest and heavy med. Not going back there if I can avoid it.

 

Part I: heavy gym routine, weight lifting and strength training at age 56. I was becoming a physical weakling, and that just didn't sit with me.

 

Part II: eliminating unnecessary weight. That led me to my current Nord setup, as well as playing through lighter amplification.

 

I have had ZERO physical problems since I changed my regimen. But I do bring a sweat towel to every gig :)

Want to make your band better?  Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band"

 

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Late 70's early 80s

 

Yamaha CP-70B - Harp in a plywood case, action was not. With case, close to 400 LBS.

 

Yamaha YC30 (later a solid state 49 note Hammond)

Hohner D6 Clav

Rhodes Piano Bass

Elkatone Leslie

EV S15-3 cabinet

Rack with a Boss mixer and a Crown D150

 

Then I switched to a CP 70B, Hammond KB-2 Korg M1, the same Crown rack, a homebuilt 2 way acbinet with a 15 and a 10, and a Leslie 147.

 

Then to a Korg SP2, Hammond KB-2, Korg N3364, Large rack loaded with a Crown XLS 402, a pair of 15" Peavey PA cabe, and a Motion Sound Pro3TM

 

Thankfully, it's down to a Hammond SK2 and a QSC K10, and maybe the Yamaha MM8

 

As for me, down to 295 from 360.

 

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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Circa 1978:

 

B2 chopped - 275 lb

Rhodes 88 - 200 lb

E-MU custom modular synth - 50 lb

E-MU custom poly synth - 100 lb

Clavinet II - 70 lb

Prophet 5 - 40 lb

lowboy leslie - 120 lb

3 way JBL cabinet - 100 lb

Crown power amp / mixer / rack - 80 lb

---------

Total 1035 lbs plus cases, trumpets, and pig hats.

 

http://hotrodmotm.com/images/gallery/pile_of_keys.jpg

 

http://hotrodmotm.com/images/gallery/back_line.jpg

 

 

Moe

---

 

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Things got so bad with my back...I left my Peavey amp at my last gig 5 years ago.

I carried 30 lbs of music books to practice, while the bass player brought a small folder of tab sheets....my Roland G70 was the last keybaord I lugged.

 

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Acoustic piano aside, my heaviest intruments were

 

Hammond L100

Rhodes Chroma (almost 100 lbs with Anvil case)

Rhodes Stage 73 Electric Piano

Roland RD300S

 

I don't think I ever had to carry all four to one gig, but two or three, yes.

 

Luckily, the other big polys that I owned weren't so heavy: Trident, PPG 2.2, Matrix-12... I passed on a CS80 for about $500 in the '80s, etc.

 

So it's not too bad compared with some of the setups described here... but it caused me multiple slipped disks in my back anyway. Two operations and tons of physiotherapy resolved the problem only partially.

 

Mini Moog. 75 lbs

I'm sure that my Mini wasn't heavier than 40 lbs, more or less... I guess that includes some tank-like hard case.

 

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At one point my rig was a B3/122 and a Rhodes, and a Juno 106 in an anvil case. A pair of Communities run by a CS800 and an old tapco mixer in a homemade wooden rack. Not sure what the weight was, but it was too much!

 

Now my heaviest piece of gear is a tossup between my FA08 in an SKB hard case, or my suitcase that has all my pedals and cables and other extras.

Live: Korg Kronos 2 88, Nord Electro 5d Nord Lead A1

Toys: Roland FA08, Novation Ultranova, Moog LP, Roland SP-404SX, Roland JX10,Emu MK6

www.bksband.com

www.echoesrocks.com

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In the 70's and 80's I hauled a B-3 and 147 Leslie, a Rhodes 88 suitcase, an Arp Odyssey, and String man. Now I carry a Jupiter 50, a Yamaha MOxf 6 and a Hammond SK1/73. I use all QSC K series cabinets with a Rolls mini mixer.
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My biggest rig was mid-80s: Yamaha CP-35 and YC-20; Korg DW-6000, RK-100, and two Polysixes; Minimoog D; EV/Tapco 6-channel mixer; and two rewired Rhodes Satellite speakers. The Korgs all travelled in custom plywood cases made in my Uncle BG's basement woodshop.

Live: Yamaha S70XS (#1); Roland Jupiter-80; Mackie 1202VLZ4; IEMs or Traynor K4

Home: Hammond SK Pro 73; Moog Minimoog Voyager Electric Blue; Yamaha S70XS (#2); Wurlitzer 200A

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Gigging in the 70's, lifted, pushed, cajoled, dropped, a half ton of gear and abused other band members by making them do the same. But the rest of the band gear was far from light too so we all pitched in.
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I'm sure that my Mini wasn't heavier than 40 lbs, more or less... I guess that includes some tank-like hard case.

 

Yep !

Net weight is 28 pounds / 12.7 kilos

Shipping weight from factory is 45 pounds / 20.5 kilos

 

A.C.

 

 

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This is why we all hate harmonica players. Well, one of the many reasons...

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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Well in the 80s a Hammond C3, Leslie 147, Rhodes 73 Stage, Korg Poly Six, Crumar Orchestrator. Used a EV 3 way cabinet and can't remember the amp.

 

Now - Hammond SK1, vent, Yamaha S70 XS, Roland Integra-7, and. Roland FR-1.

Montage 7, Mojo 61, PC-3, XK-3c Pro, Kronos 88, Hammond SK-1, Motif XF- 7, Hammond SK-2, Roland FR-1, FR-18, Hammond B3 - Blond, Hammond BV -Cherry
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Owned a B3 and Leslie just after high school but never gigged with it.

 

The most stuff I lugged was:

Yamaha P-90

Hammond XK-2

Alesis 6.1

Motion-Sound R-147

Standtastic triple stand

Small Mixer

JBL EON 15

Bag of cords

 

It took me as long to set up as the drummer. I got so sweaty and unhappy before each gig that I found a single Kurzweil PC3 six years ago, put it on a platform/table stand and have been much happier. We are all in-ears and the only external equipment I use is a talk-box we made from an old PA amp, a $40 horn driver and some clear tubing strapped to my mic stand.

Kurzweil PC4

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I'm right there with everybody else. Full B3 console, two 122's, a Rhodes 73, a Fender twin and a 200 pound weight set in an Army surplus ammo box plus the bar for presses. I didn't tour with the Hammond bench, I made my own padded bench with removable pipe legs that the guitarist and I used to lift with in the motel room. Of course we wern't doing one nighters, we were booked 2-4 weeks at a time. Later I sold one leslie, modded the other and chopped the B3. That helped some with the schlep factor plus freed up space in the van.

 

As an aside I've been a gym rat my whole life but I'm not a big guy, I'm 6' and right now I'm 185 but I was 175 back in the day. Had the occasional back tweak that hurt for a few days but nothing major from all that. I'm sure all the careful weight lifting prevented serious injury. I'll be 70 this year and I still lift and exercise but nothing like I used to.

 

Bob

Hammond SK1, Mojo 61, Kurzweil PC3, Korg Pa3x, Roland FA06, Band in a Box, Real Band, Studio One, too much stuff...
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Let's not overlook the hidden schlep factor

Move gear from home to car

Car to bandstand

Bandstand to car

Car to Home.

 

2 gigs in a day, no need to go to gym.. sort of

:laugh:

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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