Festival bass rig??

thejumpcat · #1 07-12-2011, 09:07 PM

I book music festivals -- jazz, blues, rock, country, pop...

I've always rented a rig -- a GK800 head and a pair of Ampeg cabinets (usually a 4x10 and a 2x15 or 1x15).

Great sounding and a great rental price, but I have to borrow a vehicle to put them in and it's about an hour round trip. Plus, they come in road cases and they're heavier than hell.

I'd like to buy a rig, but I'm not sure what to get. I could get the same, but is there something better? A TB'er has a GK800 for a good price and there's a couple of GK 1x15 cabs on Craigslist pretty cheap. Probably $750 total for the rig.

Looking for other ideas on cabinet sizes, heads and brands...but I'd like to keep it $800 or less. I know that's not a huge budget.

All our festivals have a full PA and we run a direct box off the GK head.

We do about 9 festivals a year, and I setup/tear down the gear.

If it matters, I play upright through an SWR Baby Blue II (2x8).

Thanks!!!!

ajunea3 · #2 07-12-2011, 09:14 PM

FWIW, the most common rig that I see provided for bassists as backline at festivals is an old GK800 through a Hartke 4x10 cab. Not too sure why, especially since Hartke isn't exactly the most popular brand out there. I figure they're common for a reason right? Sound pretty darn good together too.

thejumpcat · #3 07-12-2011, 09:22 PM

Yeah, I've played that setup at plenty of festivals, too. Always sounded good. I think I wound up with Ampeg cabinets because that's what the rental company had on hand the first time and I just stuck with them.

I had a GK400 and a GK700 personally and dug them both a lot. There's a 400 on ebay that's one of the first models, in great shape for a good price too. Not sure if that's enough power for fests, but again we run a direct box.

TrevorOfDoom · #4 07-12-2011, 09:26 PM

IMO, the GK and an 810 would make most bassists happy, and those not thrilled with it would be pleased enough to make it work.

if it makes a difference, i play an Orange Terror Bass into a Bag End 1x15, so i could be wrong

ampegfuzz · #5 07-12-2011, 09:27 PM

800rb's are pretty bullet proof and a good sounding amp. I've owned one and a 400rb also. If you like the 800rb pick one up and i bet just a 410 would do the trick if you have good pa support all the time. GK, ampeg, and avitar make affordable cabs and useually can find a good deal on one used. Just make sure if you use one cab to make it 4ohm to get the most out of the head. Also check into the MB series GK puts out if you like the GK tone, light and loud.

thejumpcat · #6 07-12-2011, 09:30 PM

Thought about an 8x10, and then I realized how heavy those things are. I'm 51 and don't want to lift that much anymore. Five stage steps up and then down might not sound like a lot, but it'll kick your ass. (And I setup the drums, too.)

thejumpcat · #7 07-12-2011, 09:31 PM

We did a country fest this weekend, and I opted to just rent a 4x10. It sounded great on its own. Apparently you shouldn't use the direct out on the back of a GK800 with cabs plugged in. At least that's what the rental guy said when I called him during the fest and said the amp sounded like crap. We switched to a direct box and it was fine.

ampegfuzz · #8 07-12-2011, 10:07 PM

I don't see why you cant thats what's its deigned for but a D.I. in the gig bag never hurts

thejumpcat · #9 07-13-2011, 06:41 AM

The rental guy said if you use the direct on the back of the amp, and the sound guy uses phantom power, it'll fry the amp. I'm not techie enough to understand it.

Wes Whitmore · #10 07-13-2011, 06:49 AM

I have never had an issue with any of my GK amps and phantom power coming from a board. Our board is an all on/all off phantom power, so there is no way around it.
Wes

ampegfuzz · #11 07-13-2011, 08:12 AM

I guess I could see that being a problem

Beersurgeon · #12 07-13-2011, 09:14 AM

I use my amp as more of a monitor with the DI going to the board. No problems here. Sounds like the sound guy was off???

Old Fart · #13 07-13-2011, 09:24 AM

I saw Moonalice last Thursday night and was pretty impressed with how the good ol' SVT Classic/810 setup filled a good-sized outdoor venue. But then, I've been a fan of that setup for forty years.

kander · #14 07-13-2011, 09:27 AM

SVT with an 810. The end.

ampegfuzz · #15 07-13-2011, 09:31 AM

OP already said 810 is too big

seanm · #16 07-13-2011, 11:08 AM

If the GK800RB is working for you, I would get one of those. Extremely well built, better than the other GK amps IMHO. Not surprising that it is what the rental companies want to rent.

Why not rent 2 1x15 cabs one last time and make sure that setup works for you before buying? Or rent a 4x10 only and see if that is enough. If a 4x10 works, two 2x10s means two trips, but with much less weight.

thejumpcat · #17 07-13-2011, 12:31 PM

Yeah, the 4x10-only / GK 800 rig this past weekend was fine. Never thought about a pair of 2x10s. That would be much easier on my back, for sure.

thejumpcat · #18 07-13-2011, 12:33 PM

Maybe a 2x10 and a 1x15....?

jaywa · #19 07-13-2011, 12:43 PM

It's more about speaker area than watts when it comes to onstage volume. IME, 4 10s isn't enough speaker area to push through on an outdoor stage. 400 watts and 8 10s will get you a lot closer to industry standard than 800 watts and a single 4x10.

I know the OP wants to cut down on the heavy lifting but I think a single 4x10 is going to come up short for at least some players. A 6x10 might be a compromise solution... either that or run a 4x10 with an extra 2x10 on top.

jaywa · #20 07-13-2011, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thejumpcat

The rental guy said if you use the direct on the back of the amp, and the sound guy uses phantom power, it'll fry the amp. I'm not techie enough to understand it.

This is the wackiest theory I've ever heard.