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"Must have" equipment for a bass player?

#65
One of the true "required" items for any gigging bass player. Making the top three inventions behind the Fender Precision and Jazz basses...the mic stand mounted drink holder. :bassist:

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Srsly, a basic medi-kit. Band-aids, gauze, superglue (for large cuts, and for repairing a snapped neck of a bass lol), and also Pepto, Tums, tylenol, Gravol, and some Immodium. I actually had to call in a replacement bass player because I ate something that didn't agree with me and needed to leave NOW!!!
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#66
+1 on having the right gig bag. Once you get figure out what items YOU need, learn to keep them all it one place. Then when you leave for a gig, won't have to worry about not having something.

Unless you forget to take that gig bag with you. Kind of important to remember that step...
 
#67
I can do my load-in in two trips MAX. Which is nice, but I don't think playing bass needs to be some bear grylls exercise in only what you can carry. I think having backups is a necessary part of the gig. So I would ideally agree with the bass, cable, amp folks but it just isn't what I find necessary in practice to gig.

*Bass, with good functioning electronics and tuners, in HARD case with locking strap and backup strings (I have never broken a bass string in ten years)

*Light amp head with direct out, in hard case with all cables (instrument, power and speaker), and tuner and fx if any. Possibly backup micro head or di but not both.

*Speaker cab or cabs

I think this is all a player needs for a gig or recording. With quality, gigable components you can do that well under 2000 USD. I didn't, but it could be done.
 
#68
Must have:
1) Power outlet tester
2) Power strip with built-in Ground Fault Interrupter Circuit (GFIC) breaker(s)
3) Multi-meter

Use item 1 to determine whether the power outlet into which you will plug your equipment is correctly wired (all three wires present, none of them interchanged). If the outlet is incorrectly wired and cannot be repaired before the gig, go home.

If the outlet is correctly wired, assume it is either not on a GFIC, or that the venue's GFIC device is broken or defective, and plug into said outlet your own GFIC equipped outlet strip (item 2). Test your GFIC, then reset it. Note that testing your GFIC may also trip a functioning upstream GFIC, if present, in which case both will require resetting.

If the PA belongs to your band, all of the above also applies to the PA. If the PA belongs to the venue, you have very limited ability to force those safety measures upon them.

After all your bass gear are plugged into power and interconnected, and before touching any other gear, use the multi-meter (item 3) to measure the voltage between your bass' ground and:
- microphone
- mic stand
- any other potential source of lethal voltage that you may touch during the gig
 
#72
PhiDeck said:
After all your bass gear are plugged into power and interconnected, and before touching any other gear, use the multi-meter (item 3) to measure the voltage between your bass' ground and:
- microphone
- mic stand
- any other potential source of lethal voltage that you may touch during the gig
Click to expand...

This is seriously golden-rule-absolutely-do-this-come-on-you-know-you-should advice. Damn. People spend so much on protecting their gear but super rarely do I see cats looking out for themselves. Way more valuable!
 
#73
PhiDeck said:
Must have:
1) Power outlet tester
2) Power strip with built-in Ground Fault Interrupter Circuit (GFIC) breaker(s)
3) Multi-meter

Use item 1 to determine whether the power outlet into which you will plug your equipment is correctly wired (all three wires present, none of them interchanged). If the outlet is incorrectly wired and cannot be repaired before the gig, go home.

If the outlet is correctly wired, assume it is either not on a GFIC, or that the venue's GFIC device is broken or defective, and plug into said outlet your own GFIC equipped outlet strip (item 2). Test your GFIC, then reset it. Note that testing your GFIC may also trip a functioning upstream GFIC, if present, in which case both will require resetting.

If the PA belongs to your band, all of the above also applies to the PA. If the PA belongs to the venue, you have very limited ability to force those safety measures upon them.

After all your bass gear are plugged into power and interconnected, and before touching any other gear, use the multi-meter (item 3) to measure the voltage between your bass' ground and:
- microphone
- mic stand
- any other potential source of lethal voltage that you may touch during the gig
Click to expand...

+1
 
#74
I use a power conditioner and if I still have to go around checking grounds at the venues I play at, im probably not getting paid enough to be there anyway. *totally cocky, sry..*

But seriously- u need a decent hardshell for your bass and a backpack to carry around all that other unnecessary stuff :/ like a strap? Also, extra cables, flashlight, hundreds of picks, extra strings (guitar and bass,) batteries, a GOOD multitool, facecloth, beer, extension chord, string winder, allen set, nun chucks, idk... the list can go on and on. I just like carrying a lot of extra stuff ill hopefully never even need. Especially extra guitar strings. U just never know with those guys.
 

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