Off Topic Gig Question - Amp Content

[DrGonzo5150]

If i had a back-up head or reasonable combo or something I suppose i would take it... But I don't, so I never gig with a spare at hand.

Always...always... Have spare tubes, fuses, cables and tools though.

I also had the circuit board in my marshall completely resoldered to help prevent joint cracking and that definitely improved reliability.

I've done leads and few pedals and had to by-pass chunks of my pedal board on more than a few occasions... but fortunately, never had to cancell or stop a gig.

 

[Shadowbox]

I've seen Mike's rig (insert your own jokes here) and his question is understandable. Mesas do sound good, but they weigh a ton. Since you are running the majority of your tones from a pedalboard, perhaps an inexpensive, lightweight non-tube combo might be a better choice?

When I was gigging with my Mesa rig, I learned to carry a surge protector with a battery/uninterrupted power supply. I was playing in one particular club with ancient wiring. I hit a chord, saw the lights flicker, and looked back and my Mark IV was on fire (the output transformer was toast). I didn't have a spare amp, so it was a fairly short set that night!