I wish AMPEG would build an amp head...

[JimmyM]

Look, we know a good many people who come to shows don't care what gear you're using. But there are a lot of shows that are visually oriented as well as musically, and the wrong looking gear throws the whole feng shui of the gig into a tizzy. For example, if Angus Young showed up in your town with only this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaajneuWOVI

You'd demand your money back.

There is nothing wrong with having a nice looking stage and a nice looking rig. And if the dude wants it to look "correct" for the music he's playing, why give him stick about it? It's all about entertainment, and if he thinks people are going to be entertained by a nice looking stage with some big gear up there, it's going to make him more entertaining. Time you all quit trying to deny that music's about entertainment and pizazz. It's got just as much to do with it as making good music.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

There is nothing wrong with having a nice looking stage and a nice looking rig. And if the dude wants it to look "correct" for the music he's playing, why give him stick about it? It's all about entertainment, and if he thinks people are going to be entertained by a nice looking stage with some big gear up there, it's going to make him more entertaining. Time you all quit trying to deny that music's about entertainment and pizazz. It's got just as much to do with it as making good music.

Your point is valid enough. But I would argue that if the musicians are "pizazzing it up" the gear won't matter. I would also argue that 99.99999% of people who have seen Angus play wouldn't have the slightest idea where his sound is coming from. They don't even know what those stacks on stage are for. As far as they know, that's the PA.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by two fingers

Your point is valid enough. But I would argue that if the musicians are "pizazzing it up" the gear won't matter. I would also argue that 99.99999% of people who have seen Angus play wouldn't have the slightest idea where his sound is coming from. They don't even know what those stacks on stage are for. As far as they know, that's the PA.

Who doesn't know what a guitar amp is these days? Seriously...do you only play to morons who live in caves? Granted, there are some in the audience who don't know what they are, but they at least know that sound comes out of them and they look cool as hell. Most of the rest know at least that they're guitar amps, even if they don't know anything about guitar amps. And there's always a certain percentage of folks out in the audience who play and who have owned amps in the past at one point or another. If the dude wants to play up to them a little, so be it.

[two fingers]

That's why I started my post with "Your point is valid enough."

And how many threads have there been on this very forum about silly things people say to bass players? Dozens and dozens. And a common theme is that most people don't even know there is such a thing as a bass (as opposed to a guitar). They don't even know we don't play guitar. And they, frankly, don't care. As long as we put on a good show, play the right songs, and don't sound horrible, the rest is details for which they have no time. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad my gear "looks cool". But nobody cares other than me and possibly the guitar player I am working with that night. Nobody. There are plenty of people who are regulars at every show I play, regardless of who I'm playing with. They don't know if I'm playing my wine lizard Mesa Walkabout Scout stack without so much as a scratch on it or my beat to crap b40 cab under my V4. And they don't care.

I would argue that today's audiences are LESS informed than those of the past, not more.

[JimmyM]

The people who come to my shows are quite intelligent

[two fingers]

Intelligent, and not knowing a lot about music gear are not mutually exclusive. My ex-girl friend had a Ph.D. in physics, with a degree in biology and one in chemistry. She got these all while participating in three college level sports and graduated with a 3.9. But that doesn't mean she can fix a toaster. However, her inability to fix a toaster doesn't make her stupid. And even after having been with me for 4 years, she wouldn't know an Ampeg stack from a Gorilla practice amp. And, again, as long as I played the right song (OK, and wore the right jeans), she didn't care.

The world doesn't revolve around bass gear. Nobody cares but us. Nobody. Sorry.

[JimmyM]

That's enough for me.

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by two fingers

Nobody cares but us. Nobody. Sorry.

That simply is not true. Tribute bands are theatre and in theatre looks count. When you make the effort to accurately represent the period you are paying homage to people DO notice. They might not be able to articulate particular details but they are most definitely aware of the sum effect of the details.

[jumblemind]

^^^^^^^ THIS

Why is that concept being ignored? Details will set you apart, most especially in a tribute situation. Getting high paying corporate gigs for playing oldies, where you are basically background music, is a different scenario altogether. Looks play a part there, just not in regards to type/style of gear, necessarily.

I would agree many people don't even know what a bass is, but they know when it's not there. It's not something they could articulate, it would be more like "that band's okay" vs "that band was great!", even if they think it's because the guitar player played a slide solo with a beer bottle.

[SherwoodGreen]

I can comfortably state the the audiences we play to, regardless of our styles of music, and the different venues we play in, are NOT the gear nerds that inhabit TB (No offense, I'm one of "us" )

But I will dispute it being taken for granted that "they" don't take in and acknowledge the gear that's on stage, AND IME are quite aware of what a Bassist is and does!

When they're on the dance floor or playing air bass, or just tapping their feet and feeling the groove, they are also taking in the visual of the performers, including what they look like, what they wear, and what instruments/rigs they are using.

There have been many times when after a set I've had audience members comment on the instrument I'm playing, the sound they hear, as well as comments regarding the bass rig producing that sound. Some of the comments are very informed, surprisingly, even if the person commenting isn't a player themselves. This has happened more frequently than I would expect, and it's a pleasant surprise to find out that at least some listeners are interested in how we do what we do.

Having said all that...
I think the OP's original concept of wanting his micro in a SVT enclosure is, well, "silly" (Of course he's entitled to his choice, we all are I hope!)

IME, more people have commented that they're amazed/impressed with the volume and tone of the bassist when they see that he/she is using a small SMPS head on top of the cab, as opposed to what they see the guitarist is using.

Just my .02

[jumblemind]

Again and again. All things being equal, yes. No one cares that your rig looks like a classic amp. But in this PARTICULAR case, it makes complete sense and is about as far from silly as can be. In a tribute band situation, looks matter. It's a huge component of production value. In a Beatles tribute band, does it matter if the bass player is playing a 5-string active bass that's been EQ'd to sound close to Beatles recordings? Of course it does. People may have no idea what you're talking about if you discuss Hofner or Vox or whatever, but if the guy is in a mod black suit playing a violin bass, they will think "Beatles", even if he plays the bass with the treble cranked.

[burl0029]

I went through a similar dilemma a few years ago. I needed a case of some sort for my Eden WT-300. I love the look of big old tube heads, so I built a box to mount the Eden inside. I then added some grille cloth to the front of my cab (Ampeg Portabass 212) and matching piping to make it a coherent looking pair. I also swapped out the standard Eden knobs for the metallic knobs on some of the newer Eden stuff. The last small touch that nobody would notice but me was installing matching metal corners on the Ampeg cab; the existing metal corners were similar in appearance, but not close enough for my uptight aesthetic sensibilities. Plus, they were pretty beat up by the previous owner. Here's the result.

You can check out the build (with more photos) at my blog. Seeing this makes me a bit nostalgic. I wish I hadn't sold that amp. The cab I can live without.

[wshines1892]

This seals it, I'm making myself an SVT lunchbox to carry food to gigs!

[jlepre]

Burl0029 - That is what I'm talking about, but I don't need to access the controls. I could actually have it facing to the back of the head, so if I did need to tweak a little. I'm looking to totally hide my existing head.

[SherwoodGreen]

Originally Posted by jumblemind

Again and again. All things being equal, yes. No one cares that your rig looks like a classic amp. But in this PARTICULAR case, it makes complete sense and is about as far from silly as can be. In a tribute band situation, looks matter. It's a huge component of production value. In a Beatles tribute band, does it matter if the bass player is playing a 5-string active bass that's been EQ'd to sound close to Beatles recordings? Of course it does. People may have no idea what you're talking about if you discuss Hofner or Vox or whatever, but if the guy is in a mod black suit playing a violin bass, they will think "Beatles", even if he plays the bass with the treble cranked.

IF one is in a Specific Tribute Band- Beatles, Kiss, whatever, I agree- The overall stage look would be best served by recreating what gear those bands used.

I may be wrong, but I believe the OP's project is doing 60's-80's cover tunes, in which case, we're back to silly IMO (of course!)
I really don't think enclosing a micro in a huge headcase would change the vibe of covering Sam & Dave.
Saying that, I think he should do whatever works for him!

This seals it, I'm making myself an SVT lunchbox to carry food to gigs!

And wshines; thanks for that; made laugh!

[jlepre]

Not 80's. We cover mainly 60's 70's woodstock"esque" music. The guitarists have old VOX amps, and we try to look like the era we are representing. We play mainly showcases that are putting out that VIBE, if you will.

[burl0029]

Originally Posted by jlepre

Burl0029 - That is what I'm talking about, but I don't need to access the controls. I could actually have it facing to the back of the head, so if I did need to tweak a little. I'm looking to totally hide my existing head.

You could build a case or, even better, find a dead SVT to use as a shell. Looking at the dimensions of both, you should be able to just squeeze it in there. That would be a fun project.

[jlepre]

I found one already, just waiting to hear back on the weight and dimensions.
http://www.fliptops.net/catalog/p-10...4vt22v4bv2vt40

[blubass]

I think what you are attempting to do is lame. My teacher once told me there's no such thing as extra credit. If there's extra time you should go back and do the original work better. Maybe you should be focused a little less on how people perceive your look and a little more on how you actually sound.

[jlepre]

Sound? How do you know WHAT I "sound" like? We SOUND very good thank you.