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Does your rig affect your ability to play?

A

Alex1984

Jan 16, 2010
2,061
22
Vancouver
#1
I find I play better on my Ampeg and Traynor amps than I do my other amps. Although, they all cut through pretty well, but with my Ampeg and Traynor amps seem to have a tone that's easiest for my ears to track and follow through a song.

Does anyone else find that with their amps?
 
#4
I agree with Scott, and would add that the level of natural compression, headroom and especially the accuracy of treble response can influence my playing. I think we all adjust our playing to what we hear coming out of our amps, monitors or even an unplugged bass. Yes, effects matter too, especially drive and compression, IME.

Martin
 
#5
Sure it makes life easier if your gear doesn't give you fits trying to get a good sound, but I've had to use a lot of stuff I didn't like and had to make it work, and at the end of the day, I still sound like me regardless.
 
#8
To a degree yes it can have an effect on me. I need just the right amount of sustain.

I struggle with eq issues and who knows what I sound like in the house even though I go into our board XRL post eq.

I use a GK rig, on the floor it's pretty simple EBS Compression, Boss Over Drive , MXR Bass Octave.

blue
 
#10
It certainly does! I've had to use other stuff before, which always is a little upsetting. Sometimes, it's not bad at all- I've played festivals where there's a stage SVT and 8x10 everyone has to use. Other times, there's a house rig that totally bites. I'm much less comfortable on unfamiliar amps because I don't know how they'll respond to different effects, etc.
 
#11
Yes... I can't play like myself unless I have a good bit of sponginess/soft OD and tube saturation/compression going on. I am a fairly aggressive player. I like to pull those mids out of my strings. It's something that EQ doesnt do.
 
#13
Going to give some of you some advice that you may not like but you'll thank me for it...

If the amp affects how you play and you expect to get anywhere playing music, get over it. Soon. Nobody blames the amp if you aren't making it sound good.
 
#14
JimmyM said:
Going to give some of you some advice that you may not like but you'll thank me for it...

If the amp affects how you play and you expect to get anywhere playing music, get over it. Soon. Nobody blames the amp if you aren't making it sound good.
Click to expand...

:cool:
I agree with JimmyM.
But I sure like playing through an SVT better, than a Line 6 1x10 combo.
 
#15
What Jimmy said.

There's lot's of times when I find myself playing through what I consider a "less than ideal" rig. In these situations you just have to trust your bass and hands and know that your DI signal going to the FOH is all you, even when you can't hear it. For me, being dependent on the sound I hear behind me would not be healthy.
 
#16
bluewine said:
To a degree yes it can have an effect on me. I need just the right amount of sustain.

I struggle with eq issues and who knows what I sound like in the house even though I go into our board XRL post eq.

I use a GK rig, on the floor it's pretty simple EBS Compression, Boss Over Drive , MXR Bass Octave.

blue
Click to expand...

Do I spy painted Neo grilles? Looks pro.
 
#19
Hearing every note I play helps to some extent, but everyone being on time helps much more for me to be creative. I can relax and not hammer out the tempo, slow down or speed up other players. I am the bands metronome (I have always been overly sensitive to timing, anal even?).
 

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