Why do I even own an amp?

[wounded horse]

My boy is wanting a 4x12 for his guitar. I am trying to explain how not cool this is. The percentage of gearheads in any given audience is, IMO, about 0.1. No-one cares about how cool a 4X12 looks. But he will care in a few years when he has tinnitus, like me. I went to one of his rehearsals recently and had to leave the room after 20 seconds. and that was a 30 watt all tube 1X12 combo.

Typical band round here (Rural Lincolnshire) : Guitar1: Tube head + monster cab; Guitar2 ditto; Bass 200 watt SS amp + 2X10; Animal drummer + huge kit. PA: 1X12 + horn on sticks. I don't want to join any of them.

[ArvindJayaram]

If you do spring for that cab in the end, get him a pair of noise cancellation muffs or earplugs.

Also, after he buys it, refuse to help him carry it to his conveyance, haha

- Jimmy Rage

[Bassmec]

Originally Posted by vin*tone

You need 3 things:
1-Good PA,
2-Good engineer (who is paying attention to the band ALL night) and
3- enough time for a good sound check.

If you are not *guaranteed* to have ALL these 3 things, you need your own rig.

I think it's five things the other ones are.
4-
5-
That's the real quantity of monitoring and modelling equipment that will just about replace one industry standard slightly overdriven SVT+8X10 tube rig.
Why don't you just take up the piccolo flute or something easy to replace sonically with stage monitoring.
Take responsibility for your sound.

[marijn van gils]

Originally Posted by vin*tone

You need 3 things:
1-Good PA,
2-Good engineer (who is paying attention to the band ALL night) and
3- enough time for a good sound check.

If you are not *guaranteed* to have ALL these 3 things, you need your own rig.

+1!
And *guaranteed* is the keyword here. I've had these three things turn out better than anticipated, but I've also had them turn out much worse than was promised, leaving me glad to have my amp to at least have control over my sound on stage.

[CL400Peavey]

Originally Posted by Mr. Foxen

Little mark and a Barefaced? What are you dragging it around? Cam pretty much throw it into venues if someone will catch.

+1

I would be happy schlepping that along as a back up.

[BassmanPaul]

As I see it it is MY responsibility to get my sound out to the audience. That's something that I can't delegate. If there is a decent PA many times you have an incompetent operator or someone who just "knows" what I should sound like. My thoughts on the matter are disregarded.

As was posted earlier, it's better to have too much gear with you than too little. It's unprofessional to do anything else.

[Tuned]

It's your responsibility to get your sound TO YOURSELF. When you get it out to the audience you cripple the FOH engineer's chances of getting a good sound to the room, and also require your bandmates to play louder, further complicating the mix. Also what you need your sound to be to play well and what fits the mix best aren't necessarily the same thing, usually not the same at all. Even if they were the same, how a bass rig sounds 6' away is night-and-day different from how it sounds 50' away. Don't try to do the sound tech's job and he won't try to do yours. Maybe you'll find they're more competent than you thought.

Having too much gear is not professional when it displaces 6 cubic feet of merch, for example.

[BassmanPaul]

Please don't lecture me on how to play bass in a band - I've been doing so for too long not to have learned a few things from both sides of the stage. I've invested a lot of time, money and caring in getting my bass to sound how I like it with no complaints ever from my bandmates.

As for sound techs, I am in the unfortunate position of finding competency few and far between. Yes there are great sound guys out there and they are a joy when they appear. The job is to REINFORCE what is happening on the stage not replace it with what the he/she considers good.

[RickenBoogie]

That's why they call it "sound reinforcement" actually, and unless you're playing premeir grade clubs with full on sound system AND a professional soundman, (which most of us don't), then your bass rig becomes a huge issue. From the sound of some of you, every gig you play is in Madison Square Garden- lucky devils.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

That's why they call it "sound reinforcement" actually, and unless you're playing premeir grade clubs with full on sound system AND a professional soundman, (which most of us don't), then your bass rig becomes a huge issue. From the sound of some of you, every gig you play is in Madison Square Garden- lucky devils.

+1001 I'm lucky if there even is a PA unless I bring one of my own!

[Pbassred]

don't squabble children. I don't care WHO started it.

It's your responsibility to get your sound TO YOURSELF. When you get it out to the audience you cripple the FOH engineer's chances of getting a good sound to the room, and also require your bandmates to play louder, further complicating the mix.

Actually, regardless of whether this was aimed at anyone in particular, I have to agree with the general principle. Make a good sound - have the PA guy transmit it to the room.

There are plenty of amp and cab manufacturers who will pander to the alternate point of view. Given that players desire to sound as "good" and a loud as possible, It would be unreasonable to say anything else.

[TheRealKong]

There are venues I can fill only with my Promethean 5110.

There are venues I can fill with my Promethean 5110 and its DI-out.

There are venues I can fill with my GenzBenz GBE 1200 and a 212.

There are venues I can fill with my GenzBenz GBE 1200, a 212 and its first class DI-out.

There are venues I can fill with my GenzBenz GBE 1200 and a Tecamp L 810.

And there are venues I can fill with my GenzBenz GBE 1200, the Tecamp L 810 and its first class DI-out.

There are lots of possibilitys. I like having an amp behind me to hear and feel my bass. When the venue gets bigger, I need more power to hear myself and let my bandmates hear me. Never had a proper monitor when using DI and no or a very small amp.

My FOH-tech likes my sound miked and DI'd. He mixes it, and I sound awesome! On stage because of my amps / cabs, and through the FOH. I like it and don't want to change.

[lowphatbass]

Even if the monitoring situation is great my bass still sounds better through one of my amps. It's what I'm used to as a point of reference. Most on stage monitors have a big drop-off below the mid-bass frquencies, sometimes you just gotta have some sack on stage behind you.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by Pbassred

Actually, regardless of whether this was aimed at anyone in particular, I have to agree with the general principle. Make a good sound - have the PA guy transmit it to the room.

I agree fully IF, and it's a big IF, the PA guy can get the job done. Typically a guitar player will have his rig mic'ed 'cos the rig is part of his sound. A bass player will often get some decrepit piece of junk DI shoved at him.

When was the last time any of you were asked by a sound guy what you needed or wanted from the PA?? I know I never have. Usually I'm told what the sound guy wants! If I am performing shouldn't it be me who controls how I appear to the audience?? isn't that the way it should be??

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by Tuned

It's your responsibility to get your sound TO YOURSELF.

Actually, my drummers tend to need to hear me, also - I have never had a drummer complain about me bringing an 810...


- georgestrings

[Interceptor]

I went from being in PA more than not to being out of the PA. We are not playing very big places, and our PA could handle me with ease. I don't need a big rig, either.

I've been having more fun using my rig instead. It is just a hoot to have a good rig bouncing along behind me.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

Even if the monitoring situation is great my bass still sounds better through one of my amps. It's what I'm used to as a point of reference. Most on stage monitors have a big drop-off below the mid-bass frquencies, sometimes you just gotta have some sack on stage behind you.

Absolutely - I have yet to encounter a monitor setup that sounded anywhere near as good as my typical bass rig does...


- georgestrings

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Absolutely - I have yet to encounter a monitor setup that sounded anywhere near as good as my typical bass rig does...


- georgestrings

+1


Or most lesser rigs for that matter

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

Even if the monitoring situation is great my bass still sounds better through one of my amps. It's what I'm used to as a point of reference. Most on stage monitors have a big drop-off below the mid-bass frquencies, sometimes you just gotta have some sack on stage behind you.

I'm sure it does.

If the gig is a loud 200 person club or a not so loud theatre you don't have the luxury of extra stage monitor mud left and right. That's why stage monitors drop the low end out. They aren't in phase with the FOH and can't be time aligned past a token attempt.

It's a slim market for full on bass monitors, the places that should have them must be too tight to spend the extra, making the market even slimmer. Thankfully most bassists are sensible types and BYO! But don't turn it up so loud they turn you off in the FOH

[Foz]

I have yet to encounter a monitor setup that sounded anywhere near as good as my typical bass rig does...

Behold the fEARless F115 - might scratch that itch. I don't have one, but I understand is a lot like a 15/6+1 fEARful [which I do own] with softer touch in the mids.



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