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Is anyone image conscious about their rig?
- Thread starter Din Of Win
- Start date
im very image conscious, but not so much in a way you would think.
A beat up ampeg cab is fine.. Id prefer it.
What i cant stand is these dudes who stack 15"s and 12"s and have a couple 10s off to the side.
I can't stand different sized cabs stacked or scattered around the place..
I always either use a 15" combo 4x10+ head or 8x10 + head.
the brands dont have to match but you get cuddos if they do.
CANT STAND THIS.
Nobody cares that you have one of every speaker ever made for a total perfect sound
Or this guy
A beat up ampeg cab is fine.. Id prefer it.
What i cant stand is these dudes who stack 15"s and 12"s and have a couple 10s off to the side.
I can't stand different sized cabs stacked or scattered around the place..
I always either use a 15" combo 4x10+ head or 8x10 + head.
the brands dont have to match but you get cuddos if they do.
CANT STAND THIS.
Or this guy
I guess i'll reply too 
I dig the pressence of a large cab. I love my 2x15, and my Kustom200 is my favorite head to use with it. But i'm also more concerned about sounding good.
I've stood back and totally thought my GK 400rb looks a little silly atop that same 2x15... but it SOUNDS great.
Of all the gear snobs i know, the snobbiest of snobbies all play doom/drone metal... which, to me is pretty funny that they have $5000+ rigs to play 20 minute songs with 4 notes in them. But to each their own, i suppose.
I dig the pressence of a large cab. I love my 2x15, and my Kustom200 is my favorite head to use with it. But i'm also more concerned about sounding good.
I've stood back and totally thought my GK 400rb looks a little silly atop that same 2x15... but it SOUNDS great.
Of all the gear snobs i know, the snobbiest of snobbies all play doom/drone metal... which, to me is pretty funny that they have $5000+ rigs to play 20 minute songs with 4 notes in them. But to each their own, i suppose.
I'm a guy who ain't afraid to show up with a big old fat Peavey BW 2x15 cab with a Mark IV head that I still own, at some gigs. You think I'm gonna be worried about image, and what a few gear snobs I run across have to say? I do however occasionally wipe the rig down with Armorall cleaner, glue down rips in the Tolex, and touch up exposed wood with a black magic marker when it gets to looking too scruffy. I guess I do have a tiny small amount of pride, but not much.
I'm definitely image conscious. But I think my '89 MIJ Fender P, TC RH450, and Berg AE410 meet my image requirements quite nicely.
I am a bit... I have nice gear, and am happy to show it off. I have had, in the past, some really awful gear (haven't we all?) - so sure... that my kit is this shiz is fun.
But it's not all the critical. It's just fun.
But it's not all the critical. It's just fun.
If my bass rig is my FOH, then yeah, the SVT and 8x10 cab is the way too go. If you've got a good PA system, you're just exercising your back with a gigantic rig. IMO
I'm opposite in that I like how my little Genz 6.0 Shuttle looks on top of my 2/10" cabs and the huge sound it produces.
I'm afraid I can't afford to be, especially after 6 years of sinking all available income into cymbals (I took a 6 year detour into drumming for the band I originally founded on bass!).
And, I'm aware that my bass head looks like a preamp, or a channel strip for recording:
But I love the way it sounds, and the band does too, and the one and only comment I've gotten about my rig from any audience member was, "Wow - an Aguilar!"
And, I'm aware that my bass head looks like a preamp, or a channel strip for recording:
But I love the way it sounds, and the band does too, and the one and only comment I've gotten about my rig from any audience member was, "Wow - an Aguilar!"
Don't know about the cross genre thing, but sure seems to hold true in rock.
I believe non musicians care to the point of reliability & dependability...and in the end familiarity. For example, non musicians might subconsciously recognize an SVT rig or an 800RB head. This might, in turn, give them more comfort than an EA rig, for example.
I care about the image my gear puts forth. I intend to portray a somewhat professional image. I firmly believe I fall squarely in the "serious hobbyist" column....so I want to push the "serious" part.
Honestly, I could easily produce and perform with a Fender/Ampeg rig. I simply chose not to.
I believe non musicians care to the point of reliability & dependability...and in the end familiarity. For example, non musicians might subconsciously recognize an SVT rig or an 800RB head. This might, in turn, give them more comfort than an EA rig, for example.
I care about the image my gear puts forth. I intend to portray a somewhat professional image. I firmly believe I fall squarely in the "serious hobbyist" column....so I want to push the "serious" part.
Honestly, I could easily produce and perform with a Fender/Ampeg rig. I simply chose not to.
- Oct 30, 2007
- 802
- 11
- 39
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender Musical Instruments, SIT strings
i have nearly my ideal set up right now. stage left, immediate left of the drums i have my 8x10, immediately to the left of that is my 12 space rack, on casters housing my mesa 400, tuner, power conditioner and drawers, the power conditioner has lights that come out so i can have this dim light over my amp and tuner for dark venues (useful, and looks really cool), immediately to the left of that is my guitarist's marshall/orange half stack.
i prefer the look of the 8x10 with no head on top of it. it also gives me a little shelf to hold my water and towel.
its a mix between looking bada$$, great sound, and practicality. YES the ampeg is practical for me, we don't always play clubs with full sound. YES the 100+ lb rack is practical, its on wheels!
next on my list is a less powerful tube amp (JMP, v4 something along those lines), that i can run really dirty and bring my 2nd 8x10 on the road. of course i'll be ditching the rack and getting a custom rolling case built for the head and the 400. we have a 15 passenger van and an enormous trailer so space isn't much of an issue.
i prefer the look of the 8x10 with no head on top of it. it also gives me a little shelf to hold my water and towel.
its a mix between looking bada$$, great sound, and practicality. YES the ampeg is practical for me, we don't always play clubs with full sound. YES the 100+ lb rack is practical, its on wheels!
next on my list is a less powerful tube amp (JMP, v4 something along those lines), that i can run really dirty and bring my 2nd 8x10 on the road. of course i'll be ditching the rack and getting a custom rolling case built for the head and the 400. we have a 15 passenger van and an enormous trailer so space isn't much of an issue.
I'm opposite in that if I bring more then even a 1x15" I feel self-conscious about it being interpreted as big stack = big ego.
Gotta admit, if you saw a guitarist in a really heavy band with one of these dominating a 8x12 fullstack you'd probably chuckle.
I dont use gear because it looks good but anything that makes you look more professional is definitely a plus. When I see a nice bass rig onstage before a show I tend to assume that guy has some clue what he is doing. When I travelled with a rock band for a while I used my Eden 4x10 xlt and an Eden 1x18 that the band owned. I never even plugged in the 1x18 but I found that by getting the 4x10 closer to my ears I could hear much more clearly with lower volume. It also evened the acoustic differences between rooms very well and required less eq tweaking. And it did look killer. Funny thing is the bigger the rig the more I compliments I would get on tone. A lot of people listen with their eyes apparently.
brickhouse cabinets (red/black "B" on the grill) with markbass heads (orange/black.)
nope. but my 2x12" litterally produces a lot more sound than an ampeg 8x10, so i dont really mind.
nope. but my 2x12" litterally produces a lot more sound than an ampeg 8x10, so i dont really mind.
Regardless of whether you think the music is the only thing that matters, in most pop/rock/cw etc. venues, the audience takes in everything of the performance at some level; that includes what the musicians look like, the stage set looks like and what the equipment looks like. If you are trying to maximize the audience's entertainment from your performance, you would be leaving part of your arsenal in the garage by not thinking how the appearance of your equipment might either enhance or detract from the show. This doesn't mean image is everything. It just means that if you can achieve your sound in a way that visually enhances the overall performance, you will please more fans and be more successful as performers. Of course what might enhance or detract from appearance will probably vary band to band and genre to genre.
That is an interesting statement. I can't say that I agree with what you claim is the cause and effect relationship per your example. David Bowie? Roxy Music? But... I have made it a point to focus on the music as much as I can, and spend the least amount of time as I can focusing on "image". This isn't to say that I don't care how I look, particularly as I"m hired and well-paid to play gigs where certain base-levels of attire is required and expected. I hope you, and any other readers will understand the nuance I am trying to bring as a response to your very generalized statement.
I think there is a difference in being "image conscious" and in being, in some cases, "appropriately attired". These are not the same things, IMO. The first one is personal choice. The second is not, per the client and/or establishment paying you. I hope you understand.
I care. I'm okay to admit it. I love gear though and when I see certain bands I feel there should be a certain protocol gear wise, but I think a lot of that equates to certain amps just sounding better for certain genres.
IMO there's a reason why "rock" bands have always used SVT's, Hip Hop, R&B, etc. using Eden or now Aguilar etc. etc.
I own 4 "rigs". In my bedroom I use an Ampeg B100R, for practice I have an SVT CL/810 (American, Black), for live shows I have a '78 SVT and a new 810AV. I also have the AV's matching head. I'm going to pick up a 70's 810 hopefully this weekend (have my eyes on one locally). I'm thinking about selling one of the rigs and the B100R and switching to the B15R. We'll see what happens.
IMO there's a reason why "rock" bands have always used SVT's, Hip Hop, R&B, etc. using Eden or now Aguilar etc. etc.
I own 4 "rigs". In my bedroom I use an Ampeg B100R, for practice I have an SVT CL/810 (American, Black), for live shows I have a '78 SVT and a new 810AV. I also have the AV's matching head. I'm going to pick up a 70's 810 hopefully this weekend (have my eyes on one locally). I'm thinking about selling one of the rigs and the B100R and switching to the B15R. We'll see what happens.
