A bit self (not me, Wayne Jones) promoting but check this out:
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Are bass amps obsolete?
- Thread starter sanwin17
- Start date
Obviously not obsolete. Most gigs, presuming you can get them, are small. I have two, one too small, the other too large. A 20 watt that was supposed to be for practice and an absurdly large Fender 100 watt Rumble. I got the Rumble from a friend giving up the bass for nearly nothing. I would gladly trade it for a decent 40 watt.
I've only played once without an amp and quickly realized... "never again!". Having a decent soundman makes a helluva difference for sure.
me old amps seem to work well back in the day i suppose we all must have got it wrong.
Wait, WHAT?! Oh that's it, get out the ceremonial dagger - I'm committing seppuku! Of course with my tremendous GIRTH, I'll need whaling tools...
I'm sure he builds a nice cabinet, but the entire reason I use what I use is because I DON'T want full range. I don't mind tweeters on upright bass but I can't deal with them on electric, and I don't want low end extension down to 30 hz. Nor do I want that in the PA, which is why I added high and low pass filters to my board. I realize some do want that and it's fine by me and it's always great to have the choice, but I want the sound I get out of my amps in the PA, even if I have to use a DI. And what's the point of micing a cab if you're just using it to mimic the sound from a full range PA? So that vid struck me as a bit odd. Not a comment on the quality of his cabs as much as a comment on the presentation.
Thats the future if your a pop artist.
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Not sure what the fuss is about, so we carry around our own personal stage monitors instead of literally-backbreaking cabinets and tube heads. This sounds like a win to me. And yes, I am (yet another) old guy with a bad back.
Seems like certain companies saw this coming and starting putting out big sound in little boxes, e.g. Markbass, Phil Jones, etc. You'll get enough sound out of a single-driver Markbass combo to win any sound battle with...oh, what do they call those cute little windup toy monkeys with cymbals? Oh yeah, drummers. Just kidding! Drummers are our friends...or the closest thing they'll ever have to one - D'OH! I did it again. Sorry, Animal. (Down boy, STAY. Sta-a-ay!)
Seems like certain companies saw this coming and starting putting out big sound in little boxes, e.g. Markbass, Phil Jones, etc. You'll get enough sound out of a single-driver Markbass combo to win any sound battle with...oh, what do they call those cute little windup toy monkeys with cymbals? Oh yeah, drummers. Just kidding! Drummers are our friends...or the closest thing they'll ever have to one - D'OH! I did it again. Sorry, Animal. (Down boy, STAY. Sta-a-ay!)
Sounds like a drag to me. If they're going to play that game, why have any amps at all?
ABY those bad boys together with a good unit and put one nice and close to the drummer the little one nearest your face
11 years as a stagehand in Canada.. Many of the touring crews come from Australia or New Zealand or just Americans but they all refer to it as backline. Most often I was showcall fork operator moving the drum riser and switching stage monitors etc etc.
Oddly I never even tried to learn an instrument until after I moved and no longer found worthwhile work with any local crews
I’m with jimmy on this. I went through a phase in the early 80’s when I was going after the Chis Squire plays romantics sound, but my instruments and tastes have matured (shame I can’t say the same). I play a lot of fretless flats and dead fretted rounds, but always eq pretty much dead above 4K. Let the guitarist arm wrestle the cymbals for the shimmer.
Yes, an actual amp has a point (particularly if you play fretless) and it isn’t solely to make you feel warm and fuzzy
I guess it depends on the needs of the music. If you're playing super clean pop covers, adult contemporary, jazz, etc., you don't need the drive and overtones that us rocky grungy types need.
For my sound, I need a good bass rig. Mic it up or DI after my eq and effects, but there are no currently existing digital effects that emulate the sound I get when I dig in and juuust push my signal into overdrive. Yes effects exist that emulate this effect, I don't like them so will always use a rig.
+ my experience is more in line with what GonePlaid said. Most gigs if I don't have a rig we don't have bass. Some venues don't have their own PA, others would do well to throw the PA they do have in the garbage for all the good it does.
For my sound, I need a good bass rig. Mic it up or DI after my eq and effects, but there are no currently existing digital effects that emulate the sound I get when I dig in and juuust push my signal into overdrive. Yes effects exist that emulate this effect, I don't like them so will always use a rig.
+ my experience is more in line with what GonePlaid said. Most gigs if I don't have a rig we don't have bass. Some venues don't have their own PA, others would do well to throw the PA they do have in the garbage for all the good it does.
My solution to get that grind was a verellen meatsmoke preamp and a overdrive. Love how it reacts when I dig in
Drop him a message. I'm sure he'd be willing to address your POV.
Power corrupts.i think FOH are starting to become megalomaniacs
Personal amps will always be important on and off stage. And I hope I never play a show where people are wearing ear buds, totally misses the point. When I had my first amp 2 channel Peavey with 1810 cabinet, I learned about volume, sound, tone, gain, feedback and other stuff. It wasn't just about bass, but everything else or what it wasn't supposed to be. When we played basement shows or practiced, we would use it for vocals and bass because we had nothing else.
Amps are getting more portable and my band members rely on my amp, when we play, because monitors are not always reliable nor are sound guys. Depends on scale, but bass amps will never be obsolete and I do not think musicians should give up their amps. It will still be a central part of playing electric.
Amps are getting more portable and my band members rely on my amp, when we play, because monitors are not always reliable nor are sound guys. Depends on scale, but bass amps will never be obsolete and I do not think musicians should give up their amps. It will still be a central part of playing electric.
