How small a rig can I use?

[fdeck]

If I were given a completely blank slate, I'd go with a bit more power, and a smaller speaker such as one of the new 8"ers. But I'm strongly of the view that "bought and paid for" trumps quibbling over details, and "the perfect is the enemy of the good." The proposed rig will be (no pun intended) ample. I've played small rooms with 15's, and had no problems.

 

[Stone Soup]

100w for an acoustic coffeehouse gig? Looking to do metal coffeehouse music?



That little rig should kill for a gig like that. I've done coffeehouse gigs like that with a 25w practice combo loaded with an 8". A little 20w tube amp and a 15" would be plenty, and I'll bet he won't even be able to get any distortion out of it. I've also done gigs like that with a B-15, which only has 5 more watts, and if I turned it up to where I could get breakup out of it, I would have been fired on the spot.

I'm sure it sounded great. :rolfmao:

 

[JimmyM]

Damn right it did!

 

[Stone Soup]

Damn right it did!

this can't be Ampeg "wall 'o sound" Jimmy talking.

All my rigs have volume controls.

 

[JimmyM]

Hey, I'm a professional musician, bro. I'm not going into a coffeehouse with an SVT/810

 

[Stone Soup]

Hey, I'm a professional musician, bro. I'm not going into a coffeehouse with an SVT/810

I am too, 'bro'. I'm going in with 100 watts and a volume control.

 

[JimmyM]

I'll never forget the first time I used the BA108 on a small gig like that. Trumpet player, banjo/guitarist, drummer, and me. I was asked to turn down.

So there!

 

[Stone Soup]

I'll never forget the first time I used the BA108 on a small gig like that. Trumpet player, banjo/guitarist, drummer, and me. I was asked to turn down.

So there!

That's a great story. Get good lows out of it? I never played the Ampeg, but most of the tiny combos I've played through honk mids like a bus horn.

 

[Fat Steve]

A small amp can put out some pretty decent lows if you stick them in the corner of the room.

 

[JimmyM]

The lows were fine. The BA108 is ported and the speaker is in a considerably bigger cab than your usual 8" practice combo.

 

[gary m]

HA!! That's what I was thinking. The little Ampeg BA-108 would do the job and the BA-110 would easily do it. The smaller speakers would fit "sonically" better than a big 15" speaker also. Better tone at lower volumes.

+1. A modded 108 or stock 110 would do just fine as well. Amazing what you can do with a small, well thought out amp.

 

[Rickett Customs]

I use a 50watt tube amp and a 212 cab for 75% of the gigs I do, most include a 2 guitar cover band. Hell, the guitar players use more tube power than I do.......

 

[MegaSwing]

I'll never forget the first time I used the BA108 on a small gig like that. Trumpet player, banjo/guitarist, drummer, and me. I was asked to turn down.

So there!

A lesson that's hard for inexperienced players to learn is that a little amplification goes a long way, especially indoors, and that never equates to big wattage.

 

[Stone Soup]

A lesson that's hard for inexperienced players to learn is that a little amplification goes a long way, especially indoors, and that never equates to big wattage.

Right. But 100 watts isn't much, for bass. I'd rather have some wattage to spare, than peter out.

I had a regular gig, years ago, where I thought my flip top would keep up. It didn't. I had to bring more power, or settle on a sound I wouldn't be happy with.

 

[MegaSwing]

^^
The intrinsic voicing of the amp is a whole other matter. Power has an exalted place as a tone-shaping element. More power definitely changes your tone at lower volumes, but not because you are drawing on much of it. All I'm saying is 20 watts in a coffeehouse can still sound great.

 

[thmsjordan]

A lesson that's hard for inexperienced players to learn is that a little amplification goes a long way, especially indoors, and that never equates to big wattage.

I have to chime in here. I have played an entire career, and some of it with big name artists on small amps. When I look at some of the monster gear the average bassist posts in here, my jaw drops. If you are playing jazz or pop stuff, ya just don't need that much and our pal Jimmy here realizes that. Hell, I remember playing tours with only a Polytone mini brute 15" and covering big rooms just fine. I have a recording with Nancy Wilson I did at the kennedy center on upright w/ no p.a. support and the bass is just killin in the mix. You don't need all that much unless you are going crazy loud. At those volumes though, they can call someone else.

 

[chadds]

It's hard to generalize about this. Is the player playing mid focused P-bass tone or wide frequency active through a "flat" rig? Is the bassist sitting in the mix above the drummer or below everyone?

Some of us use huge watts for headroom, regardless of the physical size, and get our edge by technique.

I've played the same coffee house no PA, with 160w and 2x8s & 500w & 1x12. I heard both really well. However the audience experience where feel was concerned leaned strongly toward the latter. We do play a feel instrument that is also heard.

 

[Dan Knowlton]

I used a Streamliner 900 for a coffee house gig through an EA 110. I learned a long time ago that you can turn the volume down as well as up!

Dan K.

 

[Joe Louvar]

For a small Coffee house gig, with one singer, and acoustic guitar, and a small hand percussion player.?
I have a 20 watt Tube Bass amp (old Traynor) with a good heavy duty 100 db Sensitivity EV 15" speaker.

Your 20w/115 bass rig will work fine. I've used a little battery powered SS Crate TX30 and it was more than enough. On the same note - I really love my little tiny 21lb, 100w, GK MB110 bass combo amp.

 

[Howlin' Hanson]

Bassliner50, props to the Bassman 25. Amazing amount of sound from that little guy. Using it tomorrow at our low-volume oldies gig at Callahan's General Store. If anyone is in Austin, drop in beginning at noon till four p.m. and give BackTrax a listen.