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Best rig for musician without a car.

#23
I've gigged with players who don't own cars, and have friends and co-workers who are car-free. Though my family owns cars, there are days and even weeks when they don't leave the garage, and we get around by bike or walking. And I know a musician in Toronto who is car-free. It's not considered weird, or irresponsible, in a big city. I give rides to band-mates.

And even if you do have a car, it doesn't eliminate the schlep, because a lot of venues don't have nearby parking. I learned this when I used to play a lot more gigs in downtown Madison, and it can only be worse in a big town.

What are the actual needs for volume at gigs? Can the band play with restraint? What's PA support like? The venues you're playing at might not be huge until your bands get better known
 
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#25
I live in Paris, I don't have a car (and I don't even have a driving licence), so I have to take all my rig with a trolley in the Metro. I play bars and small club.

I initially had a 1x10, it was generally loud enough for small gigs, but I couldn't get as much low end as I wanted.

Now with a lightweight GR Bass 2x10 or a Barefaced Super Compact, I can go everywhere I want with a trolley, with no compromise on sound.

GR Bass NF210: 8 kg
Barefaced Super Compact: 11kg with a steel grill, 10 kg with a cloth grill

IMG_1758.jpg
 
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#27
Ryan George said:
currently i have a big bass amp that would require me to use uber but i do have a tech 21 bass fly rig pedal/preamp and a yorkville 50 watt bass amp for practice but anyways what should i get that could work for someone without a car.
Click to expand...

So are all your clubs within walking distance then? How about this time of year when temps are in the cellar? Do you have really good public transportation perhaps?

That Yorkville should sound pretty good with your tech 21 preamp/DI pedal but I'd be pretty surprised if that Yorkville would be loud enough for a gig. If it is the 50-watt one with a 10" speaker, the answer to that question will be no, it's not enough. If you have a 12" speaker, it might be OK for small venues if they have good acoustics.

I have a small Eden Class D TN-226 amp (225-watts into 4Ω) that weighs 4.7-lbs and run that into an Eden EX-112 that weighs 30-lbs and handles 300-watts rms of power, that I use for small venues. I can carry the amp in its shoulder bag on one side, my gig bag over my shoulder on the other side; my bass in one hand; and my EX-112 cab in the other. It works great for small venues like brew pubs. It fits nicely in a chair and it makes it easy for load in and load out. But I sure don't want to be walking a quarter of a mile carrying all.
TN226PlusEX112_600x846.jpg
 
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#30
There are some amp options that are very good for life without a car.

I personally would use the following setup:
-Reunion Blues Continental gig bag.
-Pedals on a Pedaltrain Nano+ with the soft bag, fixed to the gig bag.
-Barefaced Super Mini cabinet (cloth grille would shed some weight, metal grille would make it more sturdy)
-A small'ish class D head (at least 500W into 8 ohms) that fits into the front pocket of the RB gig bag, along with the cables (power cable, instrument cables, speaker cable).

This leaves one hand free to navigate the world, with a weight you can manage for even longer distances (depending on your fitness).

However, basically none of these choices are exactly cheap.
If you have money and don't drive for a personal reason, this is a good way to go.
If you don't have a car because you can't afford one, it'd be better to buy a used peavey amp from the nineties for cheap and a car for the same money.
 
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#31
I used to take a Markbass LMII and a Rumble 112 cab to gigs on a hand cart. This was in and around London on the tube, bus and train.

Any small but reasonably powerful cab and lightweight amp head would work, really (or a combo, but I prefer to mix and match!)
 
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#34
I think your best bet is to get something like a Fender Rumble or Ampeg Rocket. If cost is not a factor Mesa Subway or Markbass. In your situation I would get a cab that allowed for an extension cab.

Ideally could get in a band with people you know or once you earn their trust you could just keep the rig at the rehearsal space eliminating the travel difficulties
 
#35
I have a Rumble 500 210 which is nice and light but a little to big to take on a bus. But the Rumble 100 112 is nice and small and lightweight. Don't know if it has enough power for what you need. But it does have a d.i. out. And I find them to get a great sound that covers most styles of music which my cover band plays. The only problem with the Rumble 112 is you can't add another speaker to it which is what the Rumble 500 can do. The Mark Bass 112 is also a great amp and you can add an extension cab to it. I know GC has the Rumbles in stock so you can try them. The Mark Bass are hit and miss in the stores. Good luck.
 
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#38
i guess any amp that fits in a gigbag will have to do. use the DI and hope for a backline?

you could also go for a super tiny amp but...it's really just not a practical thing. you could carry a 1x10, or if markbass still makes the 2x6 or 2x8 combo (i have the 2x6 and have carried it many places) but it's just.. not enough.

unless your willing to carry a 2x10 or something? 1x15? i just don't know.
 
#40
gtirard said:
I live in Paris, I don't have a car (and I don't even have a driving licence), so I have to take all my rig with a trolley in the Metro. I play bars and small club.

I initially had a 1x10, it was generally loud enough for small gigs, but I couldn't get as much low end as I wanted.

Now with a lightweight GR Bass 2x10 or a Barefaced Super Compact, I can go everywhere I want with a trolley, with no compromise on sound.

GR Bass NF210: 8 kg
Barefaced Super Compact: 11kg with a steel grill, 10 kg with a cloth grill

View attachment 5320339
Click to expand...
I love this. I'm heavily considering buying the 1x10 version of the cab and a head. Do you like the GR cabby?
 

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