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Is anyone image conscious about their rig?

Din Of Win

Din Of Win

Feb 24, 2009
3,652
116
43
Frederick, Maryland
#1
I played a show recently where i had a discussion with another bassist about... well... gear (duh!).

He was a 110% Ampeg guy. If it didn't have tubes... fughettabout it. Actually... that's how he presented himself at first.

After talking a while longer and he realized i'm no gear snob at all we began discussing 'the Ampeg tone'. I ended up mentioning the MarkBass LMII+VT Bass trick. It turns out, he not only knows it, but he has that set up that he uses at his practice space.

After talking a bit longer, i asked if he ever uses that rig for shows. His response; never! He doesn't like the image that a small head gives off. He likes the visual appeal of the Ampeg w/matching 8x10. We talked some more, and played our sets, and it was an all-in-all good night.

Now, i have seen this sentiment with cabs a few times. Dudes would haul monsterous ammounts of cabs just because of the image. But i honestly haven't encountered this in regards to heads... especially regarding a dislike for the newer smaller heads...

But it got me thinking:

Does anyone else not use certain pieces of gear because of the image they put forth?
Does anyone use sup-par gear because it puts forth a 'better' image than other pieces of gear?
Does anyone really care about what gear the bassist uses besides other bassists?
Is this sentiment a cross-genre thing, or only in certain genres?
 
#5
Din Of Win said:
But it got me thinking:

Does anyone else not use certain pieces of gear because of the image they put forth?
Does anyone use sup-par gear because it puts forth a 'better' image than other pieces of gear?
Does anyone really care about what gear the bassist uses besides other bassists?
Is this sentiment a cross-genre thing, or only in certain genres?
Click to expand...

I am not image conscious about my rig(s). But I'm sure someone is.
 
#7
When I worked at gc I decided that I wanted to put together to budget rigs for bass players who couldn't afford an 810 and an svt. To make a long story short I had tweaked those backline gk and behringer amps to sound so good with a few pedals and rack compression units that I was asked first by my department manager and then my store manager not to show those to our customers, but rather get them set up with guitar center credit cards. Honestly, my stuff all matches currently, but sound is king for me. I have seen some bands with some really beat up old peavey rigs that sounded incredible. I think that being snobby about your tone is totally acceptable. Being snobby about a logo is pretty friggin lame.
 
#9
i never was too image conscious about my rig before. of course, i didn't have to be...i had a v4b/810, and later an svt/810. then i went 10 years using hybrids and a 410, and then a 112 markbass combo. but once i got my vintage ampegs restored, i'm VERY image conscious now. i like the image of bigness that the svt and b-15 full stack projects. there are times where i'm not so image conscious, though. like on gigs where i have a pita load-in/out or outdoor gigs where it looks like rain. but you bet i'm image conscious now. i think my vintage ampegs make the stage look a million times better than it did when i was using the little markbass combo. yeah, ok, my loads take a little longer, but dammit, i look good!
 
#12
Bass cab shopping is my least favourite music related shopping, the visuals that I want aren't available unless it's gear that I don't want. I too like the look of ampeg cabs and want that image on stage. Tolexed box with tiltback wheels and grillcloth on the front, preferably 2x15.

I'm pretty much stuck between finding a used Bergie NV215 or going with Ampeg. I guess I'll probably end up with a Berg 4x12 at this point.

Of course, image is nothing unless it sounds good, and I'd walk up on stage with the ugliest piece of gear as long as it sounds good. I just prefer all my cabs match in size/shape.
 
#13
I play medium sized venues, rock and hard rock mostly. I like my components to match and I insist on it being at least 40" tall. The height is for audible as well as visual reasons. As far as brand, eh. I do like the look of a SVT on a 8x10 but I'll never own one for reasons of practicality. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. I bet most other TBers will as well.
As far as "does anyone care besides other bassists"? I would expand that to say "other musicians", as I've had drummers, guitar players, etc compliment my rig before even hearing it. Outside of musicians? Nope.
 
#14
I have an 8x10 that looks like it was dragged behind a truck for 5 miles. My Ampeg head is an old SVT-II with dings, a skull and crossbones, and an image of Mr T on it. I'm currently using an old Peavey Alpha Bass head with bent rack ears, bent handles, and scrapes galore. I use a HW1 P naturally reliced (from play) with mismatched chickenhead knobs because I can.

No, image does not matter to me. BUT! I do like a big rig, ugly or not. We call my cab Rosie O'Donnell because it's so big, so ugly, and somehow people still dig it. I forget who we likened the head to...

Basically, it's in your face aggressive in appearance and can still get thunderous if we need it.

xchristopherx said:
1. That thing is ridiculous.
2. That woman on the squeeze box shreds!
Click to expand...

Agreed!

Check it! Another one!
 
#20
Does the phrase...

"If there ain't no pics, it doesn't exist!"

...ring a bell?

I think anyone who's ever posted a pic of their rig on TB is image concious about it. Those who state otherwise are in a bit of denial.

Me? Yes and No. I care more about how it sounds, but I'm pretty proud of the cabs I built and I really dig the insanely blue lights on my Carvin BX1200. I'd post pics, but that's a bit over the top. :D
 

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