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Dummy Bass Cabs

#21
Well, if it was Frank Zappa reading this today, he'd probably have several of these printed up on thick stock and put on stage frames (Take that, Geddy, he'd chuckle). And he'd make SURE that people could see the 2-by-4 footings sticking way out for all the giant ice cream cone from space fans. Frank knew entertainment in a way few can aspire to.

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#26
I could rent you this (pictured in front of my remote mountain cabin):


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I bought it from these guys after they were done with it. It makes your amps look real big.


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All the little guys came with it but they've since formed their own band. Big competition, I hear. They just use Markbass Little Mark heads and mini-cabs but everybody who goes to their shows is convinced they are bigger than life.
 
#28
I'm sorry Downhill. You are exactly right. That was a bit hard. I apologize. If that's what you are going for in your show, rock on! Seriously...I apologize. Just because I don't understand something, that doesn't make it wrong. I try to live that way. Anyway. Good luck!
 
#32
I don't know where downhillwillie is from, but around WI where I play (In some crappy bands, but a few really good ones) we generally don't have the luxury of well equipped Rock clubs. There are lots of medium to large bars willing to hire either 2-3 original bands for a night of music or a good cover band to play all night.

Most Bands have to lug in their own PA gear, light rigs, drum risers, backdrops and everything else that is necessary to make a plain old bar look like a music venue. Most times there aren't even stages for bands, just a large corner of the room to set up whatever gear in. :rolleyes: Dummy cabs and huge backdrops provide a way to make the corner of said bar look more like a real stage.

If everybody could stop bashing this fine fellow downhillwillie that would be fantastic. He is simply asking for some tips and ideas for buying or building some dummy cabs, not how legitimate or cheesy people think they are.

Derek
 
#35
I played in an Ozzy tribute band for a bit (until the singer up and quit because he couldn't afford gas to get to band practice because he refused to get a job but that's nother story), and I hired an artist friend to help me paint backdrops on black felt. It was a copy of the set for the first Blizzard of Oz tour- the gothic-looking stone arches. It was quite the hit, and really provided vibe for the show.

Whatever you need to make it happen- its not just about music- it's theater.
 
#36
The wall of the GC here is covered with shallow dummy cabs with the fronts just large printed posters of the front of a real speaker. From even a short distance it is hard to tell they are only printed. Saves a lot of work.

By the way, I heard long ago that the way John Marshall made his fortune was building dummy amp stacks for the early days of music videos!
 
#38
Wow. I love it here. I was also thinking something not-so-nice about dummy cabs, but all you guys just set me straight again. And I gotta laugh a little.

Anyway, if I was going to make dummy cabs, I'd want them to look pretty good, or I'd be afraid the audience would also think some not-so-nice things about dummy cabs. There are lots of sources (e.g., google grill cloth) to make your cabs look good. These places also carry the outer cloth covering and corner braces etc to make them look good. Not sure what you wanna spend, of course. Don't forget the "tuned port".

Anyway, if I saw you playing your cabs, I'd say wow they ROCK because I'd think they knocked my hearing out!
 

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