Nobody cares about your tone....

[Econdude]

Just got a gig this last week for two reasons ... solid play and good tone. LOL

 

[bassbenj]

This is nothing new... we all just like having cool things to brag to our musician friends about, or to talk about on forums.

I spent over a decade hitting stages with high-end amplifiers, speakers, and basses. After taking a couple years off and selling off all my expensive gear, I started playing in a band again using a Peavey Session Bass head. I got it on eBay for $130 shipped. I said to myself "Jesus, I can't be using this thing with a band, right?! It'll just hold me over until I get something nice" and then I started playing shows with it, and realized no one ever commented about the amp I was using, or the tone I was getting. You're right, no one cares.

That was 2008. It's 7 years later, and I'm still using the same amp and the same pair of 90s Genz-Benz 210 cabs, and I've never had anyone comment about any of it. I like having a nice bass because of how they feel and play, but the audience doesn't know the difference between the Streamer Stage II 5-string that cost me $3000 used and the Fender Modern Player Jazz 5 that cost me $400 new. The Fender says "Fender", so bandmates like it better, soundguys at shows like it better, and recording engineers like it better. Give Victor Wooten a Rogue bass from Craigslist and he will still sound like Victor Wooten. Give me a $10k Fodera and I won't sound like I deserve that bass! LoL

No man! You got it all wrong! You see while you were taking a couple of years off, what happened was those Peavey Session Bass heads became extremely desirable vintage gear! The Peavey Sesson bass head especially paired with 90's Genz-Benz cabs, is the "new" standard tone. Cats pay THOUSANDS to cop a rig like that these days. You must be quite the player to be rocking valuable vintage gear like that! You simply can't get TONE like that with any of the modern crap!

 

[snowtraveler65]

I was joking about the SansAmp, but in all seriousness, back when I was gigging a ton (roughly 1982-1999) I never used any DI gear. I had my amps and would sometimes mic them, but I kind of missed a lot of this technology.

Does anyone gig primarily using DI through PA/FOH? Is this a common thing?

Yes. Check out the Rush "Clockwork Angels" concert on YouTube. No cabs, no stage monitors. Geddy's bass went through a Sansamp. I think there may have been a sub somewhere on stage but that's it. Geddy's (failing) voice aside, they sounded fantastic instrumentally. My band is actually considering running everything direct for some venues. It certainly can make for a cleaner sounding presentation.

 

[Gunga Din]

Hadrien Feraud, right? I actually like his sound, but yeah, he's touchy! I've gotten an occasional PM from him.

Tell me more! And no grief for resurrecting the thread, please!

 

[WG Plum]

I don"t care if no one else cares, part of my enjoyment of playing is how it sounds. So... there it is.

 

[Warpeg]

Oh, this thread....This one was fun several years ago.

 

[JSandbloom]

Wow, this was 8 years ago. My first “hitting the bees nest” post.

 

[JimmyM]

Tell me more! And no grief for resurrecting the thread, please!

Nah, I have nothing against Hadrien, and it’s all water under the bridge as far as I’m concerned.

 

[GreyBeard]

I have to have gear that will give me a tone that I'm happy with. All I really need is a 5 string bass that is comfortable to play and has a tone the sits well in the mix. I need an amp that is loud enough to handle the room and gives me a tone that I'm happy with. If I have those things then I am able to do my best.

 

[JimmyM]

Wow, this was 8 years ago. My first “hitting the bees nest” post.

It was a good one, Josh. Stand tall and be proud of relegating all of us to the “nobody loves us” file

 

[Jazz Ad]

Tell me more! And no grief for resurrecting the thread, please!

You gossip girl you !