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Does anybody *not* have an awesome rig?

#123
When I first started about 3 years ago, I had a borrowed bass and no amp. This is why I learned to play with a pick first - I could hear it better with a pick so I could tell what I was playing. Played at church for a couple months this way (church had PA). Then I obtained a small guitar amp I could use at low volume for practice.
 
#124
My Dad popped for a used Gibson Atlas when I was 15,I had just picked up my Univox Presicely bass.I thought I was a rockstar with my piggyback set up.I think he paid $35 for it.My second amp was a full SVT rig that I worked my 18 year old tail off to get.This was back in the mid 70's.I paid $850 out the door for it.I still have the Univox and I still love to play it.
 
#125
I remember flipping my moms console stereo on its side then I hacked off the head from my little guitar amp and plugged it into the stereo(stereo's were powerful back then) boy did my bass shake booty ,come to think of it I got in trouble for this when they came home early one day.Point is the Crate is not bad but I bet you wind up with the amp of your dreams one day.Just like I did and I still cant afford what I got so maybe I should sell it off.Good Luck I wish you the best
 
#126
When I was 16, I hooked up the old High school issue turntable (garage sale $3.00) to a 12" woofer from a Philco stereo, which I mounted inside a metal milk crate. Then I would place the milk crate inside a partialy open footlocker that stood on its side, and the opening of it would face the corner of my room, to further enhance the low end.
After my Dad saw this, He bought a Fender Musicmaster bass combo for me to use, and it had a single 12ax7 pre-amp tube. So then I wired my Teisco Del Rey bass for stereo output...:)
 
#128
You don't need to drop a lot of cash to get a great rig. I started on a borrowed bass and no amp (yes it was hard to practice.) Then I bought a used Genz Benz combo online for $350 - it's fantastic and at the time virtually an unknown brand. Following that I bought a G&L Tribute, which is the best bass guitar deal ever IMO. Mine was on clearance and I paid less than $400. I get compliments on my tone from musicians, soundmen and other bass players, it's incredibly flexible (hybrid preamp and G&L electronics give me a ton of options,) and it's loud enough for anything that doesn't have PA support.

One band I'm in doesn't have enough PA for bass, and we had an outdoor gig... So, I'm building a Bill Fitzmaurice subwoofer as an extension cabinet for outdoor shows without PA support. OK, so maybe this is less of an actual need for me and I'm just excited by the idea of making something that can outperform market standards. This is costing me $250 to build. Have I spent $1000 yet? I've been playing for about 10 years.

My advice:
1) Find what sounds good -- read reviews, visit stores. Don't catalog shop or trust brand name hype. Avoid the upgrade path -- buy the tone you want, not the one that's better than what you have.
2) Watch and wait for deals. Search stores, the web and classifieds and wait for the right deal.
 
#129
I'm 15 right now, a sophomore in highschool and right now i'm playing thru an Ampeg BA-115. It get's loud enough for what i need, and the tone is pretty good also. Hadn't ever tried one out but still i bought it off of ebay for $250 plus S&H in great condition. Now i just need to get a new bass...but first i need to pay back my dad......but first i need to pay for metallica tickets....but first.......
 
#130
When I started playing at 13, I had a Peavey TKO 1x12, 50 watt combo. It was dureable, but sounded like garbage. When I was 16 I had sold that and gathered some cash and I bought a used Peavey mark 3 bass head and a Traynor 2x15. I rocked that until I got rid of the 2x15 (it weighed 170 pounds) and got a Sonic 1x15 with a JBL in it.

Do not feel bad about your gear. You are young, and money can take time. It was not until I was about 30 that I had a rig I was really pround of and happy with. I am still playing that same fundamental rig. [


QUOTE=uaudio;6147280]Maybe you can rephrase the question: "what did you play when you were 16?" I bet the answer will be "a Crate 50w combo" or some equivalent.

i'll start:

A Fender 50w combo with stripped input jacks and a torn speaker.[/QUOTE]
 
#131
bassman_rob said:
When I started out I was playing through an 8" Fender guitar amp! It was awful! Just sayin... I've probably got you all beat on worst first amp. :hiding:
Click to expand...

Not really... I started with an 8" guitar amp too, which had no company name on it. In fact I thought it was an actual bass amp for about two months. But to be fair I got the Crate about 7 months later.

What really ticks me off, is that I'd probably have the LMII and Avatar cab I want by now if the job market wasn't so screwed over here. :(
 
#133
Greetings from the North,

I started out with a Radio Shack 15" Bass Combo LOL. It did what it was supposed to do which was..... help to learn as much as I could and help motivate me enough to continue the music quest (addiction). Life does get better and so will your gear acquisitions. :bassist:

Rezdog
 
#135
There's not a thing wrong with relying on a small amp for a long time. When you're just starting out, there's no need for a huge rig, even with your first couple of bands that you may find yourself in. Of course, most kids starting out have no concept of playing quietly or dynamics, so there often is a false 'need' for a large rig to compensate. Once you discover that loud is not necessarily always better, you can make do with a smaller rig and be very happy.

I've never had a need for a super big rig, and have always believed smaller/simpler is better. I rarely find myself in situations where I need a TON of power, and I am always trying to keep onstage volume at a minimum for the sake of the band. I played all through college and for quite a few years after with only an SWR Workingman's 12 combo and a 1x10 extension cab, playing jazz on electric and upright, and also doing the occasional singer/songwriter gig. In the last 3-4 years I moved back to playing electric bass in more pop/rock settings and needed to punch up my sound/presence a bit more. I have since augmented my setup with the following:

SWR Workingman's 2004 head
SWR Workingman's 1x15T
SWR Workingman's 2x10T

About 3 weeks ago I bought an Eden Nemesis NA320 head that I use with either or both of the SWR cabs because the SWR head wasn't cutting it on some gigs. I didn't want to go crazy, and the NA320 gave me the power and sound I wanted with my existing cabs. I swear, there's a lot of power to be had in a setup like that. Any more power than that, and you begin to piss off the sound guys and your bandmates. If you need to hear more of YOU, get yourself in the monitors.

The point of all this is that once you get established and start gigging in larger situations, the smaller combo may not necessarily be enough, depending on the style. However, a huge rig is not necessary either. A nice, powerful 2x10/head combo or similar setup will get you through most normal situations with comfortable clarity and presence. Three cheers for SMALL rigs!
 

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