Our band played an outdoor festival gig recently where we had to bring our own equipment but the headliner had rented gear from the sound company. The rented bass amp was a Fender Bassman.... a tweed 4x10 '59 Bassman open back combo, better known as a guitar/harmonica amp. Needless to say, they ended up commandeering my bass amp for the evening.
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My rented backline adventures
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
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- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
First entry in a good while...this is possibly the most unique Ampeg rig I've ever been supplied so I figured I had to share it. A 1997 SVT 4 Pro with a 2003 SVT 810e that has a custom grillcloth with all sorts of different color sparkles on it at the Country Tonight Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN. The backline guy said he thinks the grillcloth didn't have the sparkles, but thinks they got permanently added when one of the shows there had a glitter bomb go offDespite it being one of the dreaded "dark years" cabs, I sure enjoyed using it just so I could stare at the grillcloth, which looks a million times better live than in the pic, which suffered from the overly bright work lights we rehearsed with. And I have always enjoyed the cartoony blue-red SVT 4 Pro logo. If we play there again, I'm going to bring a real camera and ask the lighting guy to give me some actual stage lighting. In the meantime, use your imagination.
We did a festival on Saturday, the 'turnover' was 20min (between previous band's set end and our start). Provided backline was a tiny lil' GK backline 115 ankle-biter and some kind of matching head. Didn't have time to get my cabs out of the tour van, so I ran with my Mo/M2500 into that lil' guy. Didn't hear a damn thing for the whole set...except for when the FOH sub amps blew and then I heard even less.
I can report that I've gotten better at pretending to have fun and pretending that I can hear what's going on on stage though, and I've learned not to dig in harder when I can't hear.
I can report that I've gotten better at pretending to have fun and pretending that I can hear what's going on on stage though, and I've learned not to dig in harder when I can't hear.
oh man, this made me LOL .... and so true about not digging in when you can't hear. Its pretty surreal when you really can't hear yourself on stage and just go by muscle memory. Geez, I LOVE the music business
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
oh man, this made me LOL .... and so true about not digging in when you can't hear. Its pretty surreal when you really can't hear yourself on stage and just go by muscle memory. Geez, I LOVE the music business
Saturday was a short set, so we gave 'em a straight ahead 'best of' set...many of the songs I've been playing now for about 7 years. So definitely pretty easy to play without hearing. Obviously best to actually hear, but coming to a place where you can smile disconnect with the hearing/feeling part of the playing took away.
I sing harmony parts in most bands I work with. This happens with vocals too when the FOH/monitors s**k ... thank Ja for earplugs (so I can actually hear my voice) 
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I sing harmony parts in most bands I work with. This happens with vocals too when the FOH/monitors s**k ... thank Ja for earplugs (so I can actually hear my voice)
We generally carry an IEM system, mostly so our singers can hear themselves for 3 part harmonies. For festival shows the turnover is too fast and we just go with whatever wedges are there. I've found that if we can at the very least have singers with IEM, then the stage is quiet enough that I can go without and just play. I have a pack on my pedal board anyway so that I can use it at will though.
Commandeering is a very strong word. I hope there was less of the commandeering and more of the grovelling to borrow.
Bumping this thread because it's a lot of fun to see the latest and greatest (and especially not-so-greatest) rental and house rigs you've all had to slog through when you didn't have your own. And since I left the old band (playing with the celebrities and their folks was a lot of fun but the band itself was mostly a horror show), all my gigs have been local and I've been using my own stuff. So let's get it going again.
I'll restart with an amp of my own that would throw bands into shock if I showed up with it as a house rig, but this Ampeg BA108 v1 has been servicing me right for 8 years now. Mostly I use it for house volume on upright gigs at small venues (does surprisingly well at that for a little 25w SS practice amp with an 8"), but occasionally I use it as a stage monitor for electric if the stage is especially small and quiet and I know there's PA. Blew the original speaker a few years ago while pumping bass knob and fuzz through it, so I replaced it with an Alpha 8a from Eminence. Increased the available clean volume slightly and made it unblowable, even if I turn it up all the way, crank the bass knob AND kick on the fuzz (I have done it).
But I think even Dino and Hodgy from Ampeg would agree that bringing it to a gig for another bassist besides me to use would be very bad form. So in case we end up on a gig together, rest assured that I'll bring something more substantial for you to use. Unless you've pissed me off.
I'll restart with an amp of my own that would throw bands into shock if I showed up with it as a house rig, but this Ampeg BA108 v1 has been servicing me right for 8 years now. Mostly I use it for house volume on upright gigs at small venues (does surprisingly well at that for a little 25w SS practice amp with an 8"), but occasionally I use it as a stage monitor for electric if the stage is especially small and quiet and I know there's PA. Blew the original speaker a few years ago while pumping bass knob and fuzz through it, so I replaced it with an Alpha 8a from Eminence. Increased the available clean volume slightly and made it unblowable, even if I turn it up all the way, crank the bass knob AND kick on the fuzz (I have done it).
But I think even Dino and Hodgy from Ampeg would agree that bringing it to a gig for another bassist besides me to use would be very bad form. So in case we end up on a gig together, rest assured that I'll bring something more substantial for you to use. Unless you've pissed me off.
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Played an outdoor gig last Sunday with eight bands. A couple were solo acts but most were full bands. Now for the terror factor. Turn around time was 10 minutes.
Fortunately , the stage had access from the rear so we could set our stuff on the stage earlier and the drums were backlined. Also , fortunately , the sound guy (the drummer in my band) was really on it and did an unbelievably good job. By the time we got to our set , the show was only about 10 minutes behind schedule. Amazing.
I never was so happy that a while back I down sized from the SVT Classic rig to a PF 500 and a 2 12 av.
Not sure if this really belongs in this thread as there wasn't any rentals or backlined stuff other than the drums.
Fortunately , the stage had access from the rear so we could set our stuff on the stage earlier and the drums were backlined. Also , fortunately , the sound guy (the drummer in my band) was really on it and did an unbelievably good job. By the time we got to our set , the show was only about 10 minutes behind schedule. Amazing.I never was so happy that a while back I down sized from the SVT Classic rig to a PF 500 and a 2 12 av.
Not sure if this really belongs in this thread as there wasn't any rentals or backlined stuff other than the drums.
I played a country show today (as half of a duo with an acoustic guitarist) where there was a multi-KW PA. I left my rig in the car and DI'ed into the desk. I wish I could play more gigs like that, walk on stage with my bass, lead, and tuner.
The hardest job was trying to convince the kid with the iPad doing the monitor mix that we didn't want the monitors blasting us off the back of the flat bed truck.
The hardest job was trying to convince the kid with the iPad doing the monitor mix that we didn't want the monitors blasting us off the back of the flat bed truck.
I don't stand on ceremony.Played an outdoor gig last Sunday with eight bands. A couple were solo acts but most were full bands. Now for the terror factor. Turn around time was 10 minutes.
I never was so happy that a while back I down sized from the SVT Classic rig to a PF 500 and a 2 12 av.
Not sure if this really belongs in this thread as there wasn't any rentals or backlined stuff other than the drums.
Two weeks ago I was privided a "good bass amp".
This is what I got (rack and small box belong to me):
I was a bit bummed, because your "good" obviously doesn't look as my "good". For rocknroll this 115 is definitely not enough.
However, when I saw the monitor I was happy as hell:
Uff boy, this is something. 212 monitor wedge from d&b (not to be confused with db...). Probably the loudest monitor there is. Probably also the most expensive one (they go for 4000 dollars used - without the amp that is mandatory...).
That made me happy
This is what I got (rack and small box belong to me):
I was a bit bummed, because your "good" obviously doesn't look as my "good". For rocknroll this 115 is definitely not enough.
However, when I saw the monitor I was happy as hell:
Uff boy, this is something. 212 monitor wedge from d&b (not to be confused with db...). Probably the loudest monitor there is. Probably also the most expensive one (they go for 4000 dollars used - without the amp that is mandatory...).
That made me happy
Dang, should have got your bass into the wedge! That top-notch PA makes our gear look like rubbish..!Two weeks ago I was privided a "good bass amp".
This is what I got (rack and small box belong to me):
I was a bit bummed, because your "good" obviously doesn't look as my "good". For rocknroll this 115 is definitely not enough.
However, when I saw the monitor I was happy as hell:
Uff boy, this is something. 212 monitor wedge from d&b (not to be confused with db...). Probably the loudest monitor there is. Probably also the most expensive one (they go for 4000 dollars used - without the amp that is mandatory...).
That made me happy
wmhill
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The Ugly-
I played a multi-band thing a while back and asked if there would be a bass rig or should I bring my own. They assured me that had it covered. This was it. An ancient Peavey box mixer through a pair of old Yamaha 1x12 PA speakers.... with a mismatched pair of auto subwoofers. The host band kept coming up and turning it up louder (no FOH support for the bass). Man, it was as ugly as you'd expect. Eventually, it smelled really bad and quit. They were not worried, they duct-taped a fan to the back of the amp, and in 10 minutes it made sound enough for the next act.
The pleasant surprise-
A few years back we opened for the Marshall Tucker Band. Just as I was loading in my rig, the stage manager offered me to play through the headliners SVT rig as it was all set up and in the PA. Not my choice of rigs, but it sure didn't suck. (forgive the MTD logo, this promo is the only one I could find.)
I played a multi-band thing a while back and asked if there would be a bass rig or should I bring my own. They assured me that had it covered. This was it. An ancient Peavey box mixer through a pair of old Yamaha 1x12 PA speakers.... with a mismatched pair of auto subwoofers. The host band kept coming up and turning it up louder (no FOH support for the bass). Man, it was as ugly as you'd expect. Eventually, it smelled really bad and quit. They were not worried, they duct-taped a fan to the back of the amp, and in 10 minutes it made sound enough for the next act.
The pleasant surprise-
A few years back we opened for the Marshall Tucker Band. Just as I was loading in my rig, the stage manager offered me to play through the headliners SVT rig as it was all set up and in the PA. Not my choice of rigs, but it sure didn't suck. (forgive the MTD logo, this promo is the only one I could find.)
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okcrum
in your chest
Two weeks ago I was privided a "good bass amp".
This is what I got (rack and small box belong to me):
I was a bit bummed, because your "good" obviously doesn't look as my "good". For rocknroll this 115 is definitely not enough.
However, when I saw the monitor I was happy as hell:
Uff boy, this is something. 212 monitor wedge from d&b (not to be confused with db...). Probably the loudest monitor there is. Probably also the most expensive one (they go for 4000 dollars used - without the amp that is mandatory...).
That made me happy
Sometimes a 115 works, with monitors like those.
A B-100R even.
I played a country show on Sunday (as half of a duo) where we were told that the backline, PA, and mics were provided and we only needed to bring our guitars. Yea right, I've heard that one before. My buddy brought his guitar and SM58 but I loaded my full rig into the car "just in case".
Good job I did as they provided one mic on a non boom stand, a tiny mixer and a couple of cheap powered PA cabs on poles.
The act before us (a girl singing and playing a keyboard, she was very good) had to borrow my mains extension lead and mic stand and we borrowed the monitor belonging to the next band.
Moral of the story - never entrust the organising of a musical event to farmers.
Good job I did as they provided one mic on a non boom stand, a tiny mixer and a couple of cheap powered PA cabs on poles.
The act before us (a girl singing and playing a keyboard, she was very good) had to borrow my mains extension lead and mic stand and we borrowed the monitor belonging to the next band.
Moral of the story - never entrust the organising of a musical event to farmers.
Of course I was running my bass signal into the wedge, however via DI. You cannot use this monitor without the dedicated amp and controller.
This thing sounds huge and just like you said, it makes other gear look like toys. I even was running the clean and the dirty channel into it, the clean was just fat sounding (Mesa DI).
I usually tend to press the organizers on what gear it actually is, but sometimes they tend to be really shy with answering or the person responsible is not available.
One of my regular fly-date clubs has the d&b monitors, makes me happy.Two weeks ago I was privided a "good bass amp".
This is what I got (rack and small box belong to me):
I was a bit bummed, because your "good" obviously doesn't look as my "good". For rocknroll this 115 is definitely not enough.
However, when I saw the monitor I was happy as hell:
Uff boy, this is something. 212 monitor wedge from d&b (not to be confused with db...). Probably the loudest monitor there is. Probably also the most expensive one (they go for 4000 dollars used - without the amp that is mandatory...).
That made me happy
The guitarist organised it, it's his project and I am a side man (with quite a lot of input because we have been buddies for 40 years). He hasn't been burned until Sunday so took them at their word, I'm sure next time he will ask more questions.
My regular band doesn't play many gigs where we don't have to provide EVERYTHING so throwing my whole rig in the car is second nature to me. I feel so much happier knowing it is there if needed and it has saved me a few times when the provided bass rig was a pile of junk or non existent.
