Road worthy Q: if your amp fails, what is your plan B?

[SallyGrowler]

It's happened to me on more than one occassion.

You drive a few dozen miles to the gig.

you set-up and ready for sound-check.

The red light glows "on" and then zipp/crackle/phart, your amp flatlines on you.


The first occassion I was lucky - we had a gig with a great house system and sound team. They ran me direct and pulled out an extra bin from storage to serve as my monitor.

I had to admit the sound the team produced for me was a vast improvement over the dead rig.

Another occassion, we played a small bar-gig in the city.
My amp speaker blew. I had no Di with me and the PA system was pretty much for vocals and not up to snuff.
We almost had to cancel. I wound up plugging into the gutarists twin reverb - it was weird, and tinny, but it got the job done.

Since then - I carry two Di's with me (at least in the current band that travels with PA) and in a pinch if Di is not a solution I have a list of phone numbers of bass players and rental companies for a last ditch effort..

What is your bass-amp gig-rig fail-safe?

[rockstarbassist]

Get a reliable amp...? :idk:
I've never had an amp fail on me mid-gig in over 13+ years. I carry my JDI as my backup.

[christw]

I always have a backup. It's usually some quirky old amp that I really like the tone of. (My Peavey Century Bass 200!)

Unfortunately, the Sound City that it's a backup to is still out of commission so the Peavey is the main guy right now!

[pedroims]

DI , if The DI fails I will grab another DI ...usually there a few DI around the stage.

[SallyGrowler]

^^^ sounds like you need a Plan C if the Peavey goes (those things are built like tanks though)

[Sundogue]

Plan B = Backup amp
Plan C = an old spare Pre into a spare PA power amp
Plan D= Direct to the PA board and in the monitors.

Only once in 30 years have I ever had to even go to Plan B.

[christw]

Originally Posted by SallyGrowler

^^^ sounds like you need a Plan C if the Peavey goes (those things are built like tanks though)

Nah, I'm running PA at most rehearsals and have Ampeg backline provided for upcoming shows. I don't even need an amp right now!

[jumbodbassman]

Originally Posted by christw

I always have a backup. It's usually some quirky old amp that I really like the tone of. (My Peavey Century Bass 200!)

Unfortunately, the Sound City that it's a backup to is still out of commission so the Peavey is the main guy right now!

me too . always have a second head at the gig. sometimes the same model (hartke or ampeg SS) sometimes just an old fender bxr 300 or gk - both of which have never failed my yet.... in 38 years of gigging i have had 4 dead heads at a gig but also several times a guitarist has used my backup head because their tube head **** the bed. hope i didn't just jinx myself

[Phat Ham]

let the keyboard player take care of the bass parts and hang out at the bar all night.

[christw]

Originally Posted by jumbodbassman

me too . always have a second head at the gig. sometimes the same model (hartke or ampeg SS) sometimes just an old fender bxr 300 or gk - both of which have never failed my yet.... in 38 years of gigging i have had 4 dead heads at a gig but also several times a guitarist has used my backup head because their tube head **** the bed. hope i didn't just jinx myself

In my less comparable 8 years of playing (forget just gigs!) I've only ever had one amp fizzle on me. It was just an old output tube giving up when I was 16 or 17 and trying out cabinets for my head.

[4Mal]

backup plan ? DI. and / or spare power amp channel from the PA. I have confidence in my Eden WT and GK MB2-500 that the idea of carrying a spare seems silly for me.

[waleross]

I had an old Svt400T, great back-up. Another Ampeg that is perfect as a back-up is the newer micro-head which costs $300 new. A lot of players use this one as their main amp but its not that powerful but its very small and lite .

[Sufenta]

VT Bass Deluxe. For non-house system venues I usually have an extra head tucked away out in the car, under towels and a bunch of non-descript car trash.

[AwkwardLoudness]

I always bring at least 3 tube amps. Sometimes I use two of them in stereo, and the third is a backup.

[BigOldHarry]

Originally Posted by rockstarbassist

Get a reliable amp...? :idk:
I've never had an amp fail on me mid-gig in over 13+ years. I carry my JDI as my backup.

I've been playing/gigging for 35 years. Not once has an amp died at a gig. Not once.

[BassmanPaul]

Plan A: Never run your equipment anywhere near its limits. Look after the gear and it will look after you.

Plan B: Never needed in fifty years of gigs.

[seanm]

DI. It would suck to have to go through the small PA we have, but better than nothing.

[Rickett Customs]

Plan B, Vt deluxe. had to use it on a few occasions, before I did the relay mod on my VR.........

[Steve]

Originally Posted by SallyGrowler

It's happened to me on more than one occassion.

What is your bass-amp gig-rig fail-safe?

My Plan A, B and C involve buying quality gear and paying attention to the maintenance so that it doesn't lay down on me and not abusing it so I kill it myown self.

Plan D is DI through the PA.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

I've been playing/gigging for 35 years. Not once has an amp died at a gig. Not once.

I've been gigging nearly as long, and have never had one of *my* amps crap out at a gig... I have had provided backline rigs crap out, though... I haven't played a gig that wasn't PA supported in atleast 10 years - I just carry a good quality DI as a backup...


- georgestrings