Had an interesting experience I thought I would share with my bass brethren. Before I jump into it, I have to share a bit of back story. My business went under and I lost my house to foreclosure over the past few months. I now have a new job and I'm starting to rebuild my life so things are starting to turn around. But all of my stuff is buried in storage. I kept out one bass (my MJ Guitar Engineering custom) and one amp (my tiny Hartke A35).
Well, a week ago, I was asked to audition for a new blues band and got the job. I was handed a handful CDs of songs to learn and told my first show was Friday night. We were going to be playing this restaurant downtown Marshall, Texas (about 1.5 hours from where I live). Okie dokie. Well, I have been running direct to PA for months (the amp was just for bedroom practice) and figured that would be fine for this show as well.
Getting the directions the night before, I was told to be sure and bring my amp. I really didn't think it was needed, but I wasn't going to debate the point when I had been in the band for less than a week. So I show up at this deal Friday night and get a couple of surprises. First, this isn't a restaurant; it is a wine tasting party for a winery's store front. Second, we aren't playing inside; we are on the patio area and they have blocked off the street in front of this place for a party. Third, the only thing they put into the PA is vocals and kick; everything else is run by amps only. I figured I was screwed. I was playing an outdoor gig with no PA support and all I have is a 35 watt Hartke amp with a single 10" speaker.
Well, I settled in to make the best of it and that is when I got a very pleasant surprise. Between the combination of the band playing traditional blues and not rock star style (with the volumes to go along with it) and something about my placement in relation to the buildings, I started with my amp on 7 and then had to roll it back to 5 to keep from sitting too high in the mix. I never had a problem hearing myself all night and had folks complementing my playing on every break; the other members of the band were freaking out by how much sound I was able to put out with my tiny rig.
Prior to this, if you would have told me you could play an outdoor gig with just 35 watts for the bass, I would have said you are flat nuts. But, I'm here to tell you, under the right conditions, 35 watts is plenty and with room to spare. I'm not saying I want to hit a festival stage with nothing else, but it is nice to know what is possible. I'll definitely never get rid of this little amp--not after it came through like that.
Well, a week ago, I was asked to audition for a new blues band and got the job. I was handed a handful CDs of songs to learn and told my first show was Friday night. We were going to be playing this restaurant downtown Marshall, Texas (about 1.5 hours from where I live). Okie dokie. Well, I have been running direct to PA for months (the amp was just for bedroom practice) and figured that would be fine for this show as well.
Getting the directions the night before, I was told to be sure and bring my amp. I really didn't think it was needed, but I wasn't going to debate the point when I had been in the band for less than a week. So I show up at this deal Friday night and get a couple of surprises. First, this isn't a restaurant; it is a wine tasting party for a winery's store front. Second, we aren't playing inside; we are on the patio area and they have blocked off the street in front of this place for a party. Third, the only thing they put into the PA is vocals and kick; everything else is run by amps only. I figured I was screwed. I was playing an outdoor gig with no PA support and all I have is a 35 watt Hartke amp with a single 10" speaker.
Well, I settled in to make the best of it and that is when I got a very pleasant surprise. Between the combination of the band playing traditional blues and not rock star style (with the volumes to go along with it) and something about my placement in relation to the buildings, I started with my amp on 7 and then had to roll it back to 5 to keep from sitting too high in the mix. I never had a problem hearing myself all night and had folks complementing my playing on every break; the other members of the band were freaking out by how much sound I was able to put out with my tiny rig.
Prior to this, if you would have told me you could play an outdoor gig with just 35 watts for the bass, I would have said you are flat nuts. But, I'm here to tell you, under the right conditions, 35 watts is plenty and with room to spare. I'm not saying I want to hit a festival stage with nothing else, but it is nice to know what is possible. I'll definitely never get rid of this little amp--not after it came through like that.
