• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Big rigs

#41
As someone who is big into Acid Rock like Hendrix, Cream, Mountain, The Who, Sabbath, etc, etc, I just can't deal with micro rigs and stuff. I'm not sure when or why it really happened, but suddenly it became passé or whatever in "Rock" to have big old stacks and stuff. Suddenly people were worried that it might be too loud. Rock isn't about making sure everyone's okay with it, it's about going balls out, and who ever can't dig it can go listen to something else. I want to feel the sound just as much as hear it, and I want the stage to look like it's a rock band playing. You're boutique combo may sound awesome, but it will never be a Marshall stack. Thankfully, there are still some bands who are right up this alley, Kadavar, Blues Pills, Wolfmother, Howlin' Rain, the Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, etc.

For me, whenever I get a cooperative sound man, I try to run of stage volume. Monitors are alright (obviously great for vocals), but I can't get along with in ears. I feel unequipped without at least 2 15"s on stage, but better to have 4, let's be honest.

Lately I've been thinking about getting another amp, and then I could feasibly run a Sunn 2000s into a 2x15, a Hi-Tone 200 into another 2x15, and a Sunn 1200s into 2 1x15s...
 
  • Like
Reactions: subbasshz, sowilson, JoeVictim and 1 other person
#43
I concur with the other proponents of larger sound reproductive equipment that borders (at the very least - or better yet, that grossly extends beyond) the extreme.

To that end, I will be procuring an GK 810SBX "stand" to prop up my Mesa 400. I can hardly wait...

Raz
 
#44
If your stoked over big rigs...I'm stoked for You.
I not sure what someone considers big...but I commonly play with rig that has (2) 212s stands over 4'....Cool
Sometimes for small-ish venues and or mellowish artists its 1 212...Thats cool too.

I dig loud rock and if your going that way...Fine...Play with 10 cabs...cool.

In other words, keep the stoke alive...do some of you folks (not the OP) get what I'm saying. ;)
 
#45
A friend of mine is a sound guy that ran monitors for Yngwie Malmsteen recently. He told me that his giant wall of Marshalls were actual heads and cabs, and that none of them were dummy cabs, but only two heads and one cab in the wall were actually on. I was thinking that he was kind of a jerk for not using empty, dummy heads and cabs, and that his road crew must really hate life

Notice only one miced cab
Link Removed
 
#46
I size my rig to hang with a drumkit and handle a bar gig by itself. For me that's a 212 and couple hundred watts. Beyond that we go in the PA, so I guess big rigs may not be "necessary", but so what, they're fun, and they do sound "bigger" even if played at a lower volume.

And yeah, I like seeing gear on stage, even if I know it's really PA/IEM's doing most of the work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TonyP-
#48
D.M.N. said:
As someone who is big into Acid Rock like Hendrix, Cream, Mountain, The Who, Sabbath, etc, etc, I just can't deal with micro rigs and stuff. I'm not sure when or why it really happened, but suddenly it became passé or whatever in "Rock" to have big old stacks and stuff. Suddenly people were worried that it might be too loud. Rock isn't about making sure everyone's okay with it, it's about going balls out, and who ever can't dig it can go listen to something else. I want to feel the sound just as much as hear it, and I want the stage to look like it's a rock band playing. You're boutique combo may sound awesome, but it will never be a Marshall stack. Thankfully, there are still some bands who are right up this alley, Kadavar, Blues Pills, Wolfmother, Howlin' Rain, the Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, etc.

For me, whenever I get a cooperative sound man, I try to run of stage volume. Monitors are alright (obviously great for vocals), but I can't get along with in ears. I feel unequipped without at least 2 15"s on stage, but better to have 4, let's be honest.

Lately I've been thinking about getting another amp, and then I could feasibly run a Sunn 2000s into a 2x15, a Hi-Tone 200 into another 2x15, and a Sunn 1200s into 2 1x15s...
Click to expand...

I know what you mean (gig shot)
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1405718258.417786.jpg

Lately, I've only been gigging with half, due to space constraints. But, there's nothing like 1000 watts through 4-15" speakers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darkonar and DrumsAndBass
#49
REALLY depends on the cab when it comes to how much volume it can put out. GK MB200 into an Avatar neo 2x10 and it keeps up with drums, guitars, and vocals EASILY. I never had to go past 4 on the gain, and this was in a rather small, woodfloor rehearsal space so there was plenty of other frequencies bouncing around. I remember wheeling my GK full stack up at my band's first gig...2x10s and a 1x15 goldline cab getting powered by my GK Backline 600 amp. They put an SM57 on the 1x15 and that was all she wrote lol. Everyone in the front row said they could hear my rig better up front and it sounded good. Monitors were crappy so all I heard was this junky speaker farting out the whole show.
 
#50
Hopkins said:
Personally, I would rather move an 810 than a 410 or 115. Tilting back and rolling is much easier than dead lifting a heavy box with a low center of gravity.
Click to expand...
You can put wheels on a 4x10 too, or use a cart. I don't lift anything if I can avoid it, not even my current small cabinets. Four 4" casters and a piece of plywood is a cheap dolly that can go under rack cases and speaker cabinets, just roll everything instead of carrying it.
 
#51
JoeVictim said:
I know what you mean (gig shot)
View attachment 448628
Lately, I've only been gigging with half, due to space constraints. But, there's nothing like 1000 watts through 4-15" speakers.
Click to expand...
I like the statements about "... balls out ..." I had a whole lot of fun playing Rock in Los Angeles from '85 to '98 - similar Acid Rock to that mentioned above. I finished that time period with 2 4x12 stacks powered by 1600 watts with a Pearce BC-1 from a '75 Precision. One of those 4x12 cabs was loaded with JBL k-120's (! ! ! ! !) while the other 4x12 was set up solely for deep and clean low end. I was very "well armed" with that bass rig - had to be in order to keep up with Marshall full stacks. I turned the tables on them when it came to stage volume easily. So, "... balls out ..." ? Yes sir, I will always love it. Respect.

I made a 180 degree change in '99 to all Reggae. Yet, I still use a thick and round tone but it's all clean. I use slightly more power these days then I did back then. I love playing bass more and more with the passing of time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: D.M.N.
#52
FretNoMore said:
You can put wheels on a 4x10 too, or use a cart. I don't lift anything if I can avoid it, not even my current small cabinets. Four 4" casters and a piece of plywood is a cheap dolly that can go under rack cases and speaker cabinets, just roll everything instead of carrying it.
Click to expand...

I currently use a pair of 410s both have removable casters. It is still easier to tilt back an 810 and roll it than it is to roll a 410 on casters. For one, if you have to roll over cables, or a snake, it is easy to walk an 810 over them by lifting one wheel off the ground at a time. An 810 also means you only have to make one trip for your cabs instead of two with 410s. You don't have flip one cab on its side, remove the casters, then dead lift a second cab on top of the bottom cab, and you don't have an extra piece of gear (dolly) to keep up with. The only advantage of my 410s is that I can put my head case on top of one of them and roll them both off stage, which used to be a bigger advantage than it is now, because I got rid of a bunch on unnecessary stuff in my rack case so it isn't nearly as heavy as it used to be. Carrying it isn't a big deal anymore.
 
#53
A couple of straps around the dolly and what's on top of it (e.g two cabs and an amp in a case) and it's pretty much the same package as an 810, only with bigger casters that roll better over uneven ground.

But anyway, it's probably a bit OT now, back to big rigs.
 
#54
In my church's theater we have a sizeable rig - SVT6Pro into four Hartke cabs. However, my Mesa 400 is put to use as the Ampeg isn't as loud after having surgery a while back, so it's stacked on top next to the 6-Pro. Then, after some wheeling and dealing I acquired an Ampeg PR810H. With no place to really put it at my church (already have cabs in our practice space) a friend said to put it in between the Hartkes. After doing so, my drummer said, "Hey, who built another wall on stage?" I most likely won't run them all together, but it does look cool.

DSC_0485_zpsjvdc4q2z.jpg
 
#58
AdamR said:
I ran the 1001RB and Neo 212 at a few shows in the past and it was plenty. The nice part is I wont have to barrow the wife mini van to haul my 810. The 412 should fit in the back seat of my Impreza.
Click to expand...
Funny...I have an Impreza and 2 NEO 212s fit in with no issue at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AdamR

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back