Why do famous bass players use more than one amp on stage?

[Got2SadowskyNYC]

Some still do use amps. No one here has said they didn't but that's not what we're talking about.

We're talking amp walls. Like this. Comically large walls of amps.

[MRDOOM]

Originally Posted by mixtapelove

There's a GK ad in a Musician's Friend catalog I have with Flea in it where there's several visible cabinets behind him.. a row of 1x15s on the bottom and a row of 4x10s on top. I always wondered how many of those were functional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ARZG...388E9&index=38

[jmattbassplaya]

If I were to ever get to that stage I'd probably have two 8x10s or 4x12's behind me. Operational or not (most likely they would be real), image is still an important part of a show, IMHO.

[Hactar]

Originally Posted by Got2SadowskyNYC

Geddy Lee plays on this. I've seen him use cloths dryers, rotisserie chicken machines and random other stuff as an "amp". They even mic one. His real one is a small in the back.

[Lunchbox4u_6]

Originally Posted by Hactar

When I saw them live the last time, they had someone come out and tend to the chicken machines. They would come out in aprons and hats and take chicken out and put new chicken in...it was really funny.

[Jwood]

Originally Posted by Biggbass

I have personally witnessed almost this exact same stage prop set up while enjoying an all access pass at a ZZ Top concert. A wall of Marshall cab fronts with a Mesa 1 x 12 behind them and an SM57 feeding it to the arena.

That prop would look oh so sweet in my living room though!

[RDUB]

Many years ago, late 70's, I saw behind Alex Lifeson's wall of amps. He had a monstrous stack of different Fender and Marshall stuff all piled together in a big wall. Behind it was a Fender Twin with a mic on it.

In the past I've played some pretty big stages with some big stacks of amps and cabs. Nowadays, I can't imagine needing more than an SVT with good monitoring.

[charliefreak]

Originally Posted by Lunchbox4u_6

When I saw them live the last time, they had someone come out and tend to the chicken machines. They would come out in aprons and hats and take chicken out and put new chicken in...it was really funny.

Notice also the "monitor" in front of him lol

[modulusman]

Originally Posted by charliefreak

Notice also the "monitor" in front of him lol

Looks like a teleprompter for lyrics to me.

[rtslinger]

All Smoke and mirrors these days but it saves a lot of hearing damage that was caused by those wall of amps used back in the 60-70 and 80's I can a test to hearing loss myself after many years of assault on my hearing during my years in a metal band ear splitting dual guitars 4 100 watt marshalls stacks each, me with 2 300 watt SVT heads and 2 8*10 cabs on my side of the stage totally mic'ed over sized tama drum kit double kick that was just thunder. Great times back than but for everything you pay the price it seems

[Freddels]

Why do famous bass players use more than one amp on stage?

Same answer as to the dog question . . . because they can.

[dave64o]

Originally Posted by Jwood

That prop would look oh so sweet in my living room though!

I'd love to borrow it for a day just to see how my wife reacts when she sees it!

[Biggbass]

PS: There's a great YouTube video interview with Billy Gibbons guitar tech. He goes through the entire rig. To this day, Billy still uses a prop stack for the stage and his little 1 x 12 amp is sealed in a permanently mid'c ISO box off stage at the tech station. They just feed the mic signal to the house via the XLR jack on the back of the box. His 'amp' rig is all rack mounted and controlled by the tech during the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6DrxfrbbF8

runs about 17 min....it's good viewing though.

[Basshappi]

Another thing to think about is that these groups are on tour playing in venues where the audience is paying serious money for tickets. If an amp goes down during the show they have to keep going, can't stop the concert to troubleshoot a piece of gear. You can bet that there are duplicates to the DIs, pres and emulators in the racks that the "no amp" guys are using too.

[Wookieonbass]

Why why more than one rig? Because they have roadies to haul it for them!

Really as some have said, one is for stage monitor and the other is a backup.

A wall of amps? For show.

[MNAirHead]

Originally Posted by charlie monroe

The Lunchbox?

Single best stadium guitar tone

[Brondle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKmvx...BB99D1&index=5

Check out Wyman's 4 SVT / 810 rigs in this video. Go to about 1:40. There is also a 410 connected. Looks like all 4 red lights on the heads are illuminated meaning they are turned on. How does this setup work? Are all powered on amps turned up to the same volume or is one a slave?

[Strat Hater]

Originally Posted by ThatBassBoy

that is hilarious

Guess from the front view it looks better than an empty stage. I wonder how much these fakes cost?

[two fingers]

This gives me a great idea! I'll just buy the cheapest 8-10 Ampeg cab I can find whether the speakers work or not. Then I'll gut it and mount my rig in it with room to spare to hang my basses in there. I'll build a "head" to keep cords and tuners and junk in. Just roll it in by the wheels and BOOM, there's my "rig" on stage. All the musicians in the room will certainly approve because it's an SVT and a fridge, right? Now...... how to get my Rocsoe Beck Sig V to look like a 4 string Pbass......... hmmmmmmmmm

[lokikallas]

I like the way A Perfect Circle did it. They had small half stacks or combos covered in blankets with the mics underneath just like in a studio. Sounded great. Empty stage tho. Little six inch drum riser.