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Acceptable backline amp for outdoor festivals

#21
tradernick said:
agedhorse, I gotta say I'm a little surprised at this post, unless I'm misreading it? You mean each player bringing their own gear would be best? No... I'm sure you're aware that that won't work on a festival stage with multiple changeovers.

Or did you mean the OP's rig which he described (D800/NV610) would be best to provide as backline?

If the latter, I have to take the other side of that. There is no freakin' way I would allow a bunch of festival acts to run through my personal rig. Rent a head and cab, and make sure you're billing in such a way as to cover your expenses.

I think I'm missing something here.

Sorry to say it but when I do a backline gig and see one of those solid state Ampeg heads, my heart sinks.
Click to expand...

I think it might have been slightly tongue in cheek (but also true).

Borrow the Chodehammer and be done with it!
Or pickup some other Peavey stuff.
 
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#22
Renting something is probably what I would do. Still, that rig of yours sounds pretty bullet proof. I don't think you have anything to worry about. You can always turn it down if someone is abusing it. Yes?
 
#26
It entirely depends on the size of the festival and what PA you're driving. If it's more of a backyard, folksy thing with single PA speakers, then a 15" quality combo might cut it. Step up to a situation where you're running single subs on each side and I'd probably want a 410 and a 500W head. Decent sized stage, proper budget, etc, I'd expect to see a 810 and an SVT head. Of course there are variations in each of those, but that's generally what I'd expect to see.
 
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#27
A Mesa D800 and a NV610 cab would indeed provide a backline with nothing to frown upon.

I did gigs with shared backlines and every time I saw a combo on stage, my heart sunk.
I always advocate an amp that's bigger than needed. This will ensure that it'll be used nowhere near the limits of the comfort zone.
When the amp on the stage has the FOH guy red headed and yelling with the master at noon, there's little chance of doing any damage due to using the amp with the settings too high. A 115 combo might easily die on stage without anyone noticing before it's too late.
 
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#28
I have been provided 410 cabs at most blues festivals and Hartke 410 and Eden WT800 was a regular.....or Eden 410 XLT

But two or three times I was provided a single 210 cab and it was grossly inadequate

If it's Gallien Krueger I try to plug my own head in.......but not always possible....never feel love for their heads..
 
#31
Toddbass65 said:
Wasn't sure exactly where this fit best, so trying it here.
I've been hired to run sound and provide a backline for a few outdoor
blues festivals. Bands are pretty much local type bands and it will be
used by 3-4 bands. I'm nervous about allowing people to use my own
rig (Mesa D800 and NV610 cab). So I'm thinking of picking up some type
of combo....hopefully used.... to provide as the backline. Of course everything
will be going through the FOH, so primarily for stage monitor.
What would you think would be a decent backline amp for this situation?
I may even use the amp myself now and then at small gigs or if I run an open mic.
Ideas???
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I use a d-800 with ampeg cabs. I would be cool playing your rig with your cab at a reasonable volume level that you could set for your piece of mind. In fact I don’t mind if bass players in other bands at my original bands shows use my amp as long as I control it.

A combo isn’t backline to me. I’d rather just bring my own gear. The few big outdoor shows where I’ve had backline had ampeg 810e with an SVT or SVT4
 
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#32
tradernick said:
agedhorse, I gotta say I'm a little surprised at this post, unless I'm misreading it? You mean each player bringing their own gear would be best? No... I'm sure you're aware that that won't work on a festival stage with multiple changeovers.

Or did you mean the OP's rig which he described (D800/NV610) would be best to provide as backline?

If the latter, I have to take the other side of that. There is no freakin' way I would allow a bunch of festival acts to run through my personal rig. Rent a head and cab, and make sure you're billing in such a way as to cover your expenses.

I think I'm missing something here.

Sorry to say it but when I do a backline gig and see one of those solid state Ampeg heads, my heart sinks.
Click to expand...

The OP's rig would do nicely, or rent a similar rig.

Yes, I am familiar with festival gigs, I have been the sound provider for a few hundred or so.
 
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#33
agedhorse said:
I think that for an outdoor festival, few players would be happy with a 100 watt combo regardless of what the guitar amps are.
Click to expand...

This ^^^^^ as long as there's a decent monitor mix for the drummer 100w is plenty. This is a blues festival not doom metal so stage volume will (hopefully) fall somewhere around what a 15-40watt guitar amp pushes.
I hired out a Peavey TNT 150 for similar festivals for years without any complaints.
 
#35
Roland GR 88 said:
This ^^^^^ as long as there's a decent monitor mix for the drummer 100w is plenty. This is a blues festival not doom metal so stage volume will (hopefully) fall somewhere around what a 15-40watt guitar amp pushes.
I hired out a Peavey TNT 150 for similar festivals for years without any complaints.
Click to expand...
While something might appear "adequate" to you, doesn't mean that all players will agree with your definition of adequate, and may prefer "acceptable" in place of "adequate".
 
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#36
Roland GR 88 said:
This ^^^^^ as long as there's a decent monitor mix for the drummer 100w is plenty. This is a blues festival not doom metal so stage volume will (hopefully) fall somewhere around what a 15-40watt guitar amp pushes.
I hired out a Peavey TNT 150 for similar festivals for years without any complaints.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't complain being provided with 100W combo as a backline...just because I am not that kind of person.

However, I would consider it highly inappropriate no matter what genre.

and I would deeply regret not bringing my own rig...
 
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#37
If you can find a GK MB212II for cheap, get that. It’s surprisingly very loud and has many different sounds and it’s light. I got one from the classifieds $425 shipped.
 
#38
95% of my gigs are with rented backline. I always find an SVT or Aguilar DB751 with a fridge or two 4x10s. Occasionally I run into a GK 1001rb-II with the same speaker configuration. If transportation is not an issue and this might become a regular thing, buy yourself an used Ampeg 810e. They are fairly cheap to come by these days and will put a smile on most customers face. Use your own D800 without worrying about your speakers and buy another head for rentals down the road.
 
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