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Double Bass Big Rig Suggestions-Stage Filling Sound

Jason Sypher

Jason Sypher

Jan 3, 2001
3,836
5,203
Brooklyn, NY
jasonsypher.com
#1
I'm beginning to work with Rhiannon Giddens and The Carolina Chocolate Drops. We will soon be touring her new solo album produced by T-Bone Burnett. The CCD will be adding myself and a drummer with a big 28" bass drum. The band is heavy on the low end with a cello as well. I haven't had a big rig in years but I find I really need to push some air on stage. Monitors sound like ass so I don't want that to be my stage sound. I'd like most of the stage sound to come from my rig. For the next month and a half I'll rent back line on location. I asked for an SWR and a 4x10 just because I know the rig. But what other suggestions might you guys have? I tried a 2x10 last week at the Stoughton Opera House and it wasn't enough so we had to bring up the monitors which sounded horrible. Thoughts or suggestion? I'm running a gage pick up and a AMT mic to FOH. Love the Arnipol stuff but I'm not sure it's built for the big stage....I want my own rig when the bus tour kicks in come January. I guess I'm thinking Acoustic Image or GK head for clean simple power.
 
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#3
Greenboy cabinets are the cream of the crop for loud upright. Super transparent, crazy loud for the size and weight, sling low end like none other. Do take a lot of power though. A bunch of the rockabilly/country folk are using variants of the Genz Benz shuttle/shuttlemax series, or the new Carvin heads.
 
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#5
Jason Sypher said:
I'm beginning to work with Rhiannon Giddens and The Carolina Chocolate Drops. We will soon be touring her new solo album produced by T-Bone Burnett. The CCD will be adding myself and a drummer with a big 28" bass drum. The band is heavy on the low end with a cello as well. I haven't had a big rig in years but I find I really need to push some air on stage. Monitors sound like ass so I don't want that to be my stage sound. I'd like most of the stage sound to come from my rig. For the next month and a half I'll rent back line on location. I asked for an SWR and a 4x10 just because I know the rig. But what other suggestions might you guys have? I tried a 2x10 last week at the Stoughton Opera House and it wasn't enough so we had to bring up the monitors which sounded horrible. Thoughts or suggestion? I'm running a gage pick up and a AMT mic to FOH. Love the Arnipol stuff but I'm not sure it's built for the big stage....I want my own rig when the bus tour kicks in come January. I guess I'm thinking Acoustic Image or GK head for clean simple power.
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Au contraire .One thing I know about is getting a great LOUD amplified sound. Toured the world for 20 years doing it. Big concert halls and outdoor festivals. With Patricia Barber we played LOUD. And really soft, too.
Now I don't have a clue about a rockabilly sound, Mark R. is an expert on that. But I do know a lot about getting a natural pizzicato double bass sound. Loud.

My stuff is definitely built for the big stage! That's how I gauge the performance of my cabs. To be honest---I'm not that great at designing cabs for living rooms. Live performance is where my design goalposts lie.I have a fusion trio with screaming electric guitar and slammin' drums. I have no problems keeping up with my 66 or 112. Louder than a 410.
 
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#9
I was going to post a similar question Jason Sypher...



This is our baby - The Rite of Trio.

We all met in Jazz School so the other guys are not your tipical rockers. The drummer plays with a mostly jazz kit and has the technique to choose what to play and how to play according to the dynamic of the band. But yes, loud drums, loud guitar. At times is very soft also... It is kind of an extreme band.
I don't have any amp at the moment, I just rehearse with the practice room PA (really bad... wow... bad bad bad...) and sometimes I borrow a Markbass CMD 102p. I kind of don't like the voicing of the Markbass, specially the cab (those high mids... oh well...), but it is the only solution I have! I don't play that bass anymore and my new bass has a Full Circle pickup.
So, I am looking for recommendations! Combo, Amp+Cab, Preamp, you name it... I would really like to have some options and hear what experienced guys like Mike have to say.

Thanks!
 
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#10
Jason Sypher said:
I'm beginning to work with Rhiannon Giddens and The Carolina Chocolate Drops. We will soon be touring her new solo album produced by T-Bone Burnett. The CCD will be adding myself and a drummer with a big 28" bass drum. The band is heavy on the low end with a cello as well. I haven't had a big rig in years but I find I really need to push some air on stage. Monitors sound like ass so I don't want that to be my stage sound. I'd like most of the stage sound to come from my rig. For the next month and a half I'll rent back line on location. I asked for an SWR and a 4x10 just because I know the rig. But what other suggestions might you guys have? I tried a 2x10 last week at the Stoughton Opera House and it wasn't enough so we had to bring up the monitors which sounded horrible. Thoughts or suggestion? I'm running a gage pick up and a AMT mic to FOH. Love the Arnipol stuff but I'm not sure it's built for the big stage....I want my own rig when the bus tour kicks in come January. I guess I'm thinking Acoustic Image or GK head for clean simple power.
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Wholy Cow Jason, congratulations on touring with one of the finest bands around. Although there's nothing inherently bad about either the Realist or the AMT (I used play out regularly with both of them) the Realist tends to have problems at higher volumes and the AMT seems to have issues with proximity effect on larger stages. If you had one of Mike's 4x5/110 combos with the 4x5 or even the 4x6 suspended from a poll, it could really help, where most amps sitting at floor level wouldn't. I've done that with my little QSC K8, in a very boomy auditorium, here in St. Louis, where the monitors just cause more trouble, because the
house system in that venue only has two monitor sends. It's been very successful. When venues have independent, monitor sends and a competent sound engineer, I tend to go with the Ehrlund EAP, Ehrlund Pre, and Headway EDB-2 out to the house and back to the monitors, but I'm not contending with that vintage 28" bass drum coming back at me through the monitors. I'd be looking at MAS gear, because, even though I don't own one (as of yet) I'm convinced that flying a great cab up on a pole is the way to go for DB in big spaces. Just my take.

Ric
 
#13
Doesn't seem like the 28" bass drum is going to get lost..after watching the video it's a huge part of the show and theatrics! I think going hi fi is going to be a nightmare going from venue to venue..if you have to play loud, I'd think working the basic dum-dum rock and roll 410 rig is going to get you there onstage, eq the hell out of it..FOH is where your tone is going to shine. Cool gig! Congrats.
 
#15
DethByDoom said:
You could get a green boy Dually, wait a few months for it, and fight for the low end. OR. Hit craigslist or a music store and get an AMPEG 810 and go for low end punch. Now. A lot of r&b, jazz, and standup guys use ampeg 610s or 810s...
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HaHa! If you have roadies, there's nothing like an SVT! Last time I played out of one with double bass I turned the bass control to "1" and still had low end for days...
 
#16
PC: this was also my first thought, traditional 4x10, lots of power, mic to FOH. Bass drum might just need a good dampening, it does look good up there.

SVT: we all end up being our own roadies when the tours are over...

Chris Wood uses traditional stuff, works for him.

I guess I'd like to use my money creatively to have the most versatility for all my gigs. A 4x10 is only useful for a big stage. Most of my gigs are smaller affairs. The idea of a MAS 46 and a separate 26 can is appealing with a PUMA 900. Good for the big stages and the smaller clubs.
 
#17
Eric Hochberg said:
HaHa! If you have roadies, there's nothing like an SVT! Last time I played out of one with double bass I turned the bass control to "1" and still had low end for days...
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I've never had a roadie. Been moving mine by myself or with little help for 20 years. Unless the OP is a scrawny teenager with band mates that don't help each other load in, it's not a big deal to move. An 810 might be overkill but a 610 May be perfect.

Sounded like he was looking for low end for days...
 
#18
I wouldn't call myself big but I wouldn't say scrawny either. An 8x10 can wouldn't make any sense for a NYC working bassist. Even just storing the thing. Versatility, portability. These things matter to me. I honestly don't need 8x10s even though a smile creeps across my face every time I type "8x10"...
A 4x10 or equivalent will do the job well, take up minimal space and be useful down the road..
 
#19
HA HA...SVT= WIDOWMAKER :-)

Last year I played at SWSW, in 3 clubs. All of them had SVT's. 2 of them sounded terrible compared to the one that sounded fantastic. That one was a Heritage model, a beautiful recreation of the '72 SVT. It lives at Threadgill's.

Cris sake,,the cabinet weighs like 200lbs..the head 100lbs....it's a rock and roll fantasy rig...OTH, Roy Husky Jr, used one with Johhny Cash,,,and Johhny Cash owned the rig and semi truck it traveled in.
 

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