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Different Rig for different Gigs?

#4
Scott Waldy said:
I'm one of those OCD types that likes his gear to be nice looking.

I am not a big bar fan and find that a "Funky" smell is starting to permeate my gear. Thus my question...

Do you run different Rigs for different Gigs? Do you have a rig that you use only for bars and another for a festival or a coffee shop?
Click to expand...


When I was still gigging I had two rigs.

One rig was a GK 700RB/112 combo. This is a very capable and compact combo, but it was also fairly heavy. The cab tilts back on wheels and has a telescoping handle so you can cart it around like airport luggage...the handle is a bit short though. I used the GK primarily for local, low-volume gigs where we used a van to transport gear. Sometimes I toured with the GK if I wasn't doubling.


The other rig was a rolling rack with an Ashley MX508 mixer, QSC power amp, and a rack drawer. The rolling rack was scalable. It had an Eden D210XLT and D410XLT, but most of the time I just used the 210 stacked on top of the rolling rack. I also had some Galaxy HotSpots and powered PA speakers so I could expand the rolling rack to function as a small PA with monitors.

The rack mixer was ideal for my needs because I often switched between two or three instruments on gigs. The rolling rack was primarily used for touring and transported in the back of a box truck. We occasionally loaded it into a van for local gigs when it functioned as the PA.

In my experience rat fur, tolex, and grill cloth are all pretty bad about absorbing and venting odors. A couple of pieces of gear that I bought used have a sickly, sweet smell that probably resulted from the sellers failed attempt to deodorize the gear. I have read that Murphy's Oil Soap is good for cleaning tolex, but I would be very cautious about getting it on metal or electronic parts.
 
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#5
When I was gigging regularly, I used a rack setup consisting of a Crest CA9 stereo power amp and a Demeter HBP-1 preamp. I only had PA support for maybe 4 or 5 gigs over the span of 15+ years, so my rig carried my signal.

Depending on the size of the room, or style of music being played I used different cabinets. For small to medium sized rooms, where big volume wasn't necessary, I used my pair of Aguilar GS112's. For larger rooms, playing modern country and some rock, I used my Bergantino HT210 and HT115. And for large rooms, and playing heavier rock, I'd use my pair of Mesa PH212's.

I'm back to playing hard rock with my fellow middle aged friends, and In the near future I'll be using my PH212's, my Crest CA9, and my new Tech 21 GED-2112 preamp.

I have covers for all of my cabinets, and I use the religiously. Both my Bergantino's and my Aguilar's are covered in rat fur; my Mesa's are covered in some kind of "pleather". Clubs in my area have all gone non-smoking, but when I was gigging they weren't smoke free. I'm sure they came home reeking of stale smoke back then, but they don't smell that way now, so the smell goes away over time.
 
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#8
yes. but i like taking the smallest, lightest possible combination of pieces. the least to get by. PA makes the difference re: my choices. :)


:laugh: smells? smoke, beer, fried food odors, vomit, perfume, acid rain, gunpowder, axle grease --- they're all to be expected. are you working or collecting? :D
 
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#10
I have multiple rigs for different applications, but "bar funk" resistance is not one of those.
It's one or another amp and 1, 2 or 3 cabs depending on stage volume requirements.

I understand the OP's plight, before many US states did away with indoor smoking, my gear (and everything else) would end up just reeking of "bar funk" and cigarette smoke .. a very nasty odor for sure.

I can remember playing gigs around the Chicagoland/Indiana/Wisconsin area in the 70's, standing on bar/venue stages that were maybe 2-3 ft high, and by the end of pretty much every night I (and the rest of the band) would be head and shoulders deep in a "bar funk" & cigarette smoke fog bank lit up by the lighting rig. I had to keep my my gear AND my gig clothes in the garage so they did not smell up my bedroom. terrible!
 
#11
Scott Waldy said:
I'm one of those OCD types that likes his gear to be nice looking.

I am not a big bar fan and find that a "Funky" smell is starting to permeate my gear. Thus my question...

Do you run different Rigs for different Gigs? Do you have a rig that you use only for bars and another for a festival or a coffee shop?
Click to expand...

Its not a bad idea and I've got older gear here that I should use on some gigs.

The other night I was playing a "Beach Bar". ITs basically a bar that has a marina and an outside area with sand spread around. I really can't think of anything else I despise more than sand, I hate it so much I don't even really go to the beach except once every few years just to give the dog something to do.

Anyway, the place had a tent setup in the outside "beach" area. The B/L is usually pretty good at picking good gigs so I wasn't worried and assumed there would be a stage of some type in the playing area over the sand.

Nope...nothing at all. We had to drag some nonslip maps into the band area to have something to put gear on, and fortunately the drummer had enough real estate on the carpet he uses under the drums to allow my new Fearless 2x12 and new Mesa D800+ on there. I was very careful with all my stuff to minimize sand exposure. The biggest problem was the heater they had in there, it was blowing the finer sized sand particles everywhere.

It was a fun gig but if I had known it was going to be like that I would have brought an older rig I have that I have that Im willing to let take more abuse.
 
#12
I have a number of rigs for different genres, venues, occasions and aliases. For small bars/funky dives I use a trusty GK MB200. All-metal construction makes it impervious to rank odours and pretty resistant to abuse by drunks, whether they be in the audience or the band. Tiny footprint and great portability are exactly what you want in those broom-closet style venues. Probably not enough grunt if big volume is your thing, but in those kind of places, high volume may be lethal. Experience has shown that excellent portability is a highly desirable feature if you ever need to make a quick exit for any reason.

For other gigs, I'll usually take either an Aguilar TH500 with a 1X12 and/or a 1x15 or a Vox AC50 with the same cab(s) if I'm doubling on guitar. I don't know how or why, but the AC50 seems to keep up with the TH500 despite the huge power difference, but it weighs several ton, and I'm getting old and fragile, so it only comes out when strictly needed. If the gig has great FOH, I'll just take the Pod X3 Live. Sound engineers love it, as does my back.
 
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#13
My entire inventory of amplification gear is comprised of two identical Walter Woods stereo heads, two identical Euphonic Audio VL-208 cabs, and two identical EA VL-110 cabs. Every gig I play involves some combination of one of the WW heads (bridged or unbridged) and one or two of the EA cabs.

Covers a lot of ground.
 
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#14
Scott Waldy said:
I'm one of those OCD types that likes his gear to be nice looking.

Do you run different Rigs for different Gigs? Do you have a rig that you use only for bars and another for a festival or a coffee shop?
Click to expand...

I prefer my gear to be "nice looking" but I use the same bass and amp on every gig and just alter the number of cabs depending on the volume I'm playing at.

IMO the gig doesn't make gear smell but smoking and pet home environments can do.
 
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#16
Yes, i have a modular setup these days. I mix and match the stuff below to tailor a rig to a situation.

• 2 1x12 Cabs
• 1 1x10 cab (converts to combo)
• 300w class d head (as combo head or separate)
• 800w class d head
 
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#17
I don't see why not if you can afford it. My minimal rig is an Ampeg BA210 for small bars. If they get a little bigger I add a Celestion 1x15 cabinet under it. If I need to be louder I direct into our PA. Our PA is modular in that we have a variety of cabs and setups that we can use to go from a 500 watt main/500 monitor up to a 1,000 watt main/800 watt monitor with either a single 500 watt 18" sub or dual 18" 600 watt subs. For main cabinets we can choose between 2 Behringer 12" w horns, 2 Peavey SP5G 15" w horns or 2 JBL dual 15" with horns.
 
#19
Same as most here, smoke no longer an issue, application is the decider

A shout out though for the GK MB200 though. Played one of those Fukakta 45 minute set 4 band a nite gigs last nite in larger club and was too lazy to bring full rig for the short show

Just for hell of it wanted to see if the MB200 and 1 GB Neox12 could handle the room and stage w little front of house

Rig killed it and got compliments from other bands. Subway D800 gets most every gig bit everyone should own this GK. Simply amazing for the $$
 

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