What is your maximum weight for a gigging board?

[Sam Mullins]

I went from Stage 3/Kronos (42/32) to Yamaha CK88/Arturia Keylab (29/15) in the last year.  The totals with cases went from  117 to 70.  I can't imagine going back to any keyboard much over 30 lbs.  I'm on the older side, but work out regularly and am in good shape.    But with the current options available, I just don't see the point (for my use case) of carrying anything much heavier.  

[yannis D]

Nord Electro 5, less than 10 kilos

[SMcD]

Not a keyboard, but I'm still rocking a Traynor K4. Somewhere around 60 pounds, IIRC.

 

I've thought about replacing it, but I don't know if I can beat the convenience of having all that power in one box. Plus, it's the closest I ever get to actually working out.

[Dave Keys]

YC73 is just under 30lbs (13.4kg), and is a great all round board for gigging. The action feels really premium compared to the Nord Electro5 HP I sold it for. The Nord was also 5lbs (2kg ish) lighter and had squarer edges, making it easier to manoeuvre. I would've kept the Nord, but it was just so, so, horrible to play, despite looking and sounding lovely. Feel counts for a lot. 

[CEB]

This. 
 

 

[RABid]

10 years ago it was 50 lbs. Now it is 20 lbs.

[JoJoB3]

Nothing over 1000lbs!!  I thought this Bill Beer chop would be a light-weight answer but let's face it, ya gotta lift sumpin when it comes to these.

The Roland VR-09 is 12lbs and been good friend lately (but, it ain't holding a candle to these).
 

 

[adamcz]

This seems like a good thread to ask for advice:

 

What keyboards should I consider as a light-weight Rhodes substitute? I have a 73 key Vintage Vibe that I love and will still use for rare gigs that justify hauling something so heavy. But I want another much lighter option for the other two thirds of gigs. Nord Electro would fit the bill (semi-weighted keys and only 20 lbs) but it's $3,000. Anything cheaper that I should look at that still has a great Rhodes sound and at least semi-weighted keys? Doesn't have to be 88 keys, I think 61/64 would be fine.

[Jazz+]

26 lbs

[Baldwin Funster]

It's impolite to ask about my weight, gigging or otherwise.

As for a keyboard, I don't have a number I use but if it's going to rip my cheap gigbag it's probably going to be not purchased, or if it's an old favorite, it's staying home.

 

[Coker]

There’s a simple formula:  subtract your age from 100 pounds!

[AnotherScott]

14 hours ago, adamcz said:

What keyboards should I consider as a light-weight Rhodes substitute? I have a 73 key Vintage Vibe that I love and will still use for rare gigs that justify hauling something so heavy. But I want another much lighter option for the other two thirds of gigs. Nord Electro would fit the bill (semi-weighted keys and only 20 lbs) but it's $3,000. Anything cheaper that I should look at that still has a great Rhodes sound and at least semi-weighted keys? Doesn't have to be 88 keys, I think 61/64 would be fine.

Korg's recently discontinued Vox Continental has excellent Rhodes sounds, excellent semi-weighted action, and weighs very little. Comes in 61 and 73 keys. Sweetwater was recently closing them out for $1000 which is a steal, you may even have to pay more than that for a used one, but it will still be a lot cheaper than the Electro, and IMO, for Rhodes, it sounds and feels better than the Electro, and also weighs under 20 lbs.

 

Kurzweil PC4-7 is another nice sub-20 lb board with an excellent semi-weighted action, 76 keys. It has some strong Rhodes sounds in it, but there are also excellent additional Rhodes sounds you can load into it, from purgatorycreek, at low cost or even free.

 

I also like Casio's PX-5S, which has 88 hammer action keys and weighs 24 lbs. It comes with some strong Rhodes sounds out of the box, but also there are a bunch of additional ones you can download for free from their forum.

 

Korg SV2 (and SV1 predecessor) are good, but even though they're a lot lighter than your VV, they're still not lightweights, you'd be looking at something around 40 lbs.

 

From Yamaha, staying at under 30 lbs, there are the YC73 and CP73 (hammer action boards), and at under 20 lbs, the YC61. I found you have to adjust the velocity settings to get the best out of them, but once you do, they are really good. (At lower budget, you could also look at their CK61/CK88.)

 

I don't have a Roland recommendation, because I don't think they make a board with a Rhodes sound as good as the ones I've mentioned.

 

 

[Baldwin Funster]

6 hours ago, Coker said:

There’s a simple formula:  subtract your age from 100 pounds!

And weight doubles after midnite.

[Ibarch]

6 hours ago, Coker said:

There’s a simple formula:  subtract your age from 100 pounds!

 

That makes my gigging age 70. And to think, the wife thought my beard aged me. 

[TJ Cornish]

40 minutes ago, Ibarch said:

 

That makes my gigging age 70. And to think, the wife thought my beard aged me. 

It’s unclear to me if cases count in the weight calculation. I carry an XK-5 in a hard case and a ROMpler of some kind in another hard case, plus a back pack full of cords and pedals and a rack with a mixer and IEM system. Total weight is pushing probably 300 lbs, but it’s in manageable pieces. I’m a church guy that plays most of my shows in a nice room with an easy load-in, so that hasn’t been enough of an annoyance to do less.

 

I did purchase a Fantom 7 as the 80/20 keyboard - in theory good enough for everything in one package. I tried organ on it and while maybe no one else noticed, I did, and it didn’t take too long for the XK-5 to rejoin the rig.

 

If that makes my gigging age -200, well, I guess I will be here a while.

[wineandkeyz]

On 12/18/2023 at 2:19 PM, SMcD said:

Not a keyboard, but I'm still rocking a Traynor K4. Somewhere around 60 pounds, IIRC.

 

I've thought about replacing it, but I don't know if I can beat the convenience of having all that power in one box. Plus, it's the closest I ever get to actually working out.

 

Still rocking a K4 myself, at least in bands where I don't use IEMs. I owned one from 2006 until early 2022, when I bought a SpaceStation XL and sold the K4 to a friend. But the SSXL didn't work out for me, so I ended up selling it and buying another (used) K4. For me, you just can't beat its versatility.

[Moonglow]

On 12/19/2023 at 12:48 PM, TJ Cornish said:

It’s unclear to me if cases count in the weight calculation.

I just loaded up my keys for the gig tomorrow night and for shitz and giggles, took a scale out to the garage and obtained the following:
 

Kronos 88 in Gator hard case = 85 lbs.

 

Jupiter 80 in Gator hard case = 66 lbs.

 

JBL monitor = 47 lbs.

 

Total tonnage = 198 lbs.

 

Moonglow for the win? Not sure for what…a hernia? Lobotomy?

[Moonglow]

12 hours ago, jazzpiano88 said:

 

Take precautions.  If you do get a hernia, make sure to get it treated.

The great Peter Ackroyd went out on complications from this affliction.  "Septicemia from an internal infection precipitated by an untreated abdominal hernia."

Thank you. Fortunately, the cases have built-in wheels, which help a lot, and I’ve learned how to manipulate these heavy boards to maximize leverage when transferring in/out of the truck. The most challenging maneuver is hoisting them onto the stand, for which I almost always request assistance from one of my band mates. I’ve also managed to maintain a degree of physical fitness over the years. I was a gym rat for 30 years, which helped develop a solid core that has provided residual benefits to this date. I’ve always practiced strict form when weight training (I’m a real stickler about this) which I employ when schlepping gear. This being said, the rig is a lot of work, and of course, there will come a day when it is too much. I do have a considerably lighter “B-rig” to use for rehearsals and gigs that involve challenging load-ins.

[HammondDave]

25lbs. Nothing in my performance rigs weighs more than that!

[Stokely]

Honestly the biggest problems with big/heavy keyboards in cases are:
- vehicle loading/unloading - I'd be compelled to seek out something else for a vehicle, likely a van.  I really miss our old family minivan!  Unlike an SUV, the floor is low.
- whacking stuff/people at certain places - the ones where you have to make your way through patrons specifically.

I don't do any gigs or live where i have to deal with stairs--I know some of you do (like in NYC).

I tell you, reading about that Montage M8x has me questioning whether I could manage it.   That thing in a case would be 10 pounds more than Moonglow's Kronos (It's 62 alone), though I do have a rigid-side soft case I could use (not my favorite as it isn't stackable) that isn't that heavy.   If they'd put poly AT in the 6 or 7 I'd be working on getting one, such a shame.

[TJ Cornish]

3 hours ago, Stokely said:

Honestly the biggest problems with big/heavy keyboards in cases are:
- vehicle loading/unloading - I'd be compelled to seek out something else for a vehicle, likely a van.  I really miss our old family minivan!  Unlike an SUV, the floor is low.
- whacking stuff/people at certain places - the ones where you have to make your way through patrons specifically.

I don't do any gigs or live where i have to deal with stairs--I know some of you do (like in NYC).

I tell you, reading about that Montage M8x has me questioning whether I could manage it.   That thing in a case would be 10 pounds more than Moonglow's Kronos (It's 62 alone), though I do have a rigid-side soft case I could use (not my favorite as it isn't stackable) that isn't that heavy.   If they'd put poly AT in the 6 or 7 I'd be working on getting one, such a shame.

The M8x requires Gator's largest keyboard case - the Gator GTSA-KEY88D, which adds 33lbs to the M8x's 62, bringing the total to 95lbs and 15,068 cubic inches. The Gator wheels are fantastic, though, which makes a big difference. Ironically, my Hammond XK-5 is in an EWI plywood-style case which adds 50lbs, plus custom foam, a divider, and the Hammond pedal, bringing the weight of the XK-5 to darn near the M8x. 

 

My biggest complaint about the M8x is that it is so thick - I'm sitting on a pillow to get my elbows high enough so I'm not imitating a T-rex. I assume there is some reason for the depth, but yikes. 

 

My daily driver is a full size Ford Transit cargo van. As you pointed out, the low load-in makes all the difference compared to the typical manhood-compensating pickup truck, of which the loading height seems to increase with every model year.

[Moonglow]

17 hours ago, TJ Cornish said:

My biggest complaint about the M8x is that it is so thick

The Fantom 8 is thick, as well, which is why I ruled it out after a brief try about a year ago. Really enjoyed the action, however.

[MathOfInsects]

The answer is sort of like obscenity: "I know it when I see it."

Anything that feels like a drag to bring, is too heavy. That could be weight or it could be geometry or other factors. 

[Delaware Dave]

On 12/18/2023 at 9:37 PM, adamcz said:

This seems like a good thread to ask for advice:

 

What keyboards should I consider as a light-weight Rhodes substitute? I have a 73 key Vintage Vibe that I love and will still use for rare gigs that justify hauling something so heavy. But I want another much lighter option for the other two thirds of gigs. Nord Electro would fit the bill (semi-weighted keys and only 20 lbs) but it's $3,000. Anything cheaper that I should look at that still has a great Rhodes sound and at least semi-weighted keys? Doesn't have to be 88 keys, I think 61/64 would be fine.

Crumar SEVEN or SEVENTEEN

[Legatoboy]

Probably 35 lbs ..... I'm really digging the lighter board weights. 

[kpl1228]

40ish pounds, w/soft cases is my unofficial limit. And that's why I like non-weighted 76-key keyboards like my jack-of-all-trades Motif.....if it's a really tight squeeze onstage and schlepping it through customers or a bad load-in, I COULD do a one keyboard gig with it. Though I would just rather not.

The Rd-2000 for a 88-key metal keyboard is a tank but actually lighter and narrower than many other comparable 88s. But it's still kind of a pain, though I love the action and its gig functionality. Sometimes it's worth the pain.