Me & My Bass Rig

[RocketMusic]

Since my bass rig and my camera are finally in the same location today (here at Rocket Music), I thought I'd share some pics.

Here's the mighty stack - and yes, it is indeed taller than me (and I'm 5' 11")


And here's the pedalboard (sorry for the rat's nest):


Here's my signal chain:

Brain/Butt/Feet (they all make me play differently, depending on what's shaking)
Hands
SIT Rock Brights Nickel 45-130 strings
Warwick Thumb NT 5
Joe Barden JB4 pickups
Mike Pope 3-band onboard preamp
X2 XDS-95 wireless
Rockett Boost
Keeley Looper
- EBS Octa Bass (Ocatve)
- EBS BassIQ (Env Filter)
- T-Rex BassJuice (Overdrive)
- Maxon PT9Pro+ (Phaser)
- EH Nano BassBalls (Env Filter)
EBS MultiComp (Compressor)
T-Rex Replica (Delay)
Alembic F1X preamp
- Korg DTR-1000 tuner
Crest CA6 Stereo Power Amp (2 x 600W into 4 ohms)
Genz-Benz 410-XB2 (full range)
Genz-Benz 115-XB2 (< 150Hz)

I use the Keeley Looper to create a sub-loop of effects (OctaBass through BassBalls), so I can turn on/off the entire subloop with one button press. It's awesome for making drastic tone changes. For instance in "PinBall Wizard", I use the OctaBass, BassJuice, and PT9Pro+ to get a vicous "Ba Bum... Ba Bum... Ba Bum..." in the intro. Then I immediately have to go clean for the verse ("Ever since I was a young boy..."). I used to have to dance to cut the three pedals off quickly, now I just hit the Looper.

The Looper also takes the sub loop completely out of my signal chain when it's off (it's true bypass), so I don't have 5-6 pedals in my signal chain sucking my tone while they're off.

I'm pretty tickled with everything at the moment. All I'm really GAS-ing for is a Red Witch Deluxe Moon Phaser. I gave that a pretty serious listen when TB'er Mytola bought one from me, and it is REALLY nice on bass.

So who wants one of everything? Yuk-yuk. It took me 15 years to accumulate all this stuff.

[fenderhutz]

Play any stadiums recently?

[RocketMusic]

Hah! I wish.

I did used to play a LOT, and it was with a band that didn't have much PA. We were really Allmans-y, lots of loud & dense music. If I wanted to compete against 2 guitars, keyboards and drums, I needed this rig.

Now I play hippie jam stuff and we have a great PA, so I just take my pedal board and my rack to most gigs.

I've come to dread hauling the big one, but man... there's nothing like it when you're playing live. What a rush!

[humpy thumb]

That rig looks sweet Greg.

[KsPiNeSh]

Nice - that 4x10 is an XB2 you say? When did Genz move away from using the clips around the woofers (the current XB2 cabs don't have the clips)? My XB original looks exactly like that one.

[RocketMusic]

Oh - maybe I have a 410-XB... I bought the 410 in the early to mid 90s'... The 115 is more recent, something like 7-8 years ago.

[KsPiNeSh]

Gotcha. Yeah, moving the NEOX cabs at 2 AM is a much more pleasant experience. Our practice space used to be up 26 steps (we know from many, many countings), and that cab would have to go up and down for every show... not easy to do after a few beverages.

[RobertUI]

Greg... what's that mounted just underneat the "Alembic F1X preamp" ?

BTW... that rig's a BEAST... I'm glad I'm not helping you with setup and tear down any more! Altho helping you cart that Peavey 2x15 and Hartke 4x10 was no picnic either!

peace

OH... and I'm LOVING the electric wood behind your rig!

[Mytola]

That rig looks REALLY good, Greg!

Go get that Red Witch phaser now!

[RocketMusic]

Oh, that's an old ADA MB-1 preamp. I don't actually use it, I just leave it in the rack as a backup. It's funny, I bought that WAY back in the day when Victor Wooten was using them. I never thought it sounded particaularly good... I only realized years later (after I'd given up on it) that a preamp only sounds as good as the power amp and speakers you put with it (duh, that sounds REALLY obvious when you say it out loud). Anyway, I never really gave it a fair shake because I always had it surrounded with crap gear.

I eventually picked up the Crest power amp when I bought the F-1X, and the Crest CA series is Da Bomb. I've tried different "light" QSC and Crown power amps, and those can't hold a candle to the Crest CA series. The Crest weighs something like 50-60 lbs because it's got a massive power transformer in it. That's what lets it deliver such clean, clear low end. Most of the "light" power amps use some form of switching power supply, and those things just can't deliver the current you need to get big, clean power in the low end at high volume levels. IMHO, of course

[RocketMusic]

Oh, I just noticed that the EWI amp is featured rather prominently in that pic. I made so many of those things, I don't even see 'em anymore... I look right through/past them. But most people see 'em and say "what IS that?"

Good eye, Rob!

[RobertUI]

Originally Posted by RocketMusic

Oh, I just noticed that the EWI amp is featured rather prominently in that pic. I made so many of those things, I don't even see 'em anymore... I look right through/past them. But most people see 'em and say "what IS that?"

Good eye, Rob!

I'm still trying to figure out a way to justify one of those beauties... If ONLY there was a bass version

[RocketMusic]

Hah! You want to talk about back breaking? Make a bass cab out of solid wood. Especially an exotic hardwood, that sh*t is dense... yikes!

[RobertUI]

Greg... what is that product you're using to hang your bass off your cab? I'm really wanting one of those!

[RocketMusic]

It made by a company called String Swing, and if I recall it was actually called a String Swing... it's a little disk that has a removable yoke. The only trick was lining up the hole in the disk (where the yoke screws in) with a gap in my speaker grill. And that's not much of a trick

[RobertUI]

Originally Posted by RocketMusic

It made by a company called String Swing, and if I recall it was actually called a String Swing... it's a little disk that has a removable yoke. The only trick was lining up the hole in the disk (where the yoke screws in) with a gap in my speaker grill. And that's not much of a trick

Thanks... I'm checking them out... I seemed to recall that there was a product that was actually a strap of sorts that went across the top of a cab. I like this...

[RocketMusic]

Yeah, I like this way better than the strap products. The yoke cab be unscrewed and thrown in your bass case, and it takes just 5 seconds to install it next time. I always felt like I'd have to fight those strap ones...

[RocketMusic]

Here's the one I used: String Swing Stage Plate Hanger

I love it, two big thumbs up. And I don't even deal this stuff, so you know it's true

[RobertUI]

Originally Posted by RocketMusic

Here's the one I used: String Swing Stage Plate Hanger

I love it, two big thumbs up. And I don't even deal this stuff, so you know it's true

HAHA....