Weekend gig report

[Scott549]

Had two gigs over the weekend, both at relatively small bar settings; thought I'd offer some comments and questions.

1. Rig -- Fender P, Fender J, Backline 600 head, Avatar 112 Neo, old Hartke Transporter 15", VT Bass pedal.

2. When I plugged in the Jazz at setup the first night, it made a terrible buzz that I couldn't get rid of. The Precision was quiet, so I used it exclusively. The Jazz has had an extensive shielding job -- I don't think there's anything I can do to make it quieter. The second night I was getting the same buzz. Our light man speculated that it could be the light dimmers on the same wall I was plugging the power. He was right. When we turned off the dimmer controls, 80% of the buzz went away. I am wondering whether others have encountered this issue.

3. I think the VT Bass pedal really improved my sound. People are right, though, that a very small adjustment to the controls can make a big difference in the sound. I had everything close to where I wanted it to begin with but I did make some tweaks, especially to the mid control.

4. Pure volume wise, the Backline 600 has more than enough, even for a loud rock band. For anyone on a budget who is concerned about whether you are going to have enough volume, I think the Backline and a decent separate cabinet are a better way to go than a similarly priced combo amp.