One bass and multiple amps?

[the_home]

not claiming to have only one of either, but have always had more basses than amps. I think there is greater tonal variability of different basses (different pickups, wood combination, preamps, etc) through the same amp than there is of a single bass through different amps. Also important to say here that I prefer 'transparent' amps.

 

[Manticore]

I own multiples of both basses and amps. 98% of the time I use the same Alembic bass and a Kemper (no amp).

 

[2112]

After having had a scalable big-iron stage rig (up to 3x TE full-stacks)... I scaled down and am currently playing DI/IEM. No way am I going back at this point... so multiple basses, no amp.

 

[Munjibunga]

Multiple basses and multiple amps or carrots.

 

[cmcbass]

I have 3 amps and 3 basses. I always use my newest amp as my main rig, while my older amps are backups. I play 2 of my 3 basses regularly, and one just sits in it's case. For years I had only 1 bass and 1 amp, so It's nice to have a couple options now.

 

[Wisebass]

Hi StrangerDanger

One Wise has multiple GAS….

Multiple basses and multiple amps or multiple carrots.

had to be fixed!

Wise(b)ass

 

[logdrum]

DB players usually only have 1 bass. If electric, 2 at the most to a gig. When
I was gigging the most, I had one bass and 2 amps, one a combo.

 

[aldaa]

one amp, multiple basses. if we were talking about guitars, one guitar and multiple amps! funny how that works, huh?

 

[JW56789]

I think it's brilliant to come at this from the OTHER direction. Nine-zillion posts on the TB about buying this 'nother bass to replace that other bass looking for 'that sound' . . . . . into the same amp. Duhhhhhh . . . . I do agree that this could occupy some real estate at the hacienda, but I think it's a great idea. 'That bass' will sound decidedly different in old school and nu school amps, to my mind a far greater spread of tones than six or seven axes into the same amp. Good for you. Just imagine the same bass in a vintage flip-top Ampeg, then into a Super RedHead. The possibilities are endless, if you want to play only one bass that really, really suits you.

 

[Thaibassman]

Multiple basses to play thru multiple amps.. are your basses stereo / have separate outs for each pickup...to optimize each bass you then have to reset gain/ tone etc each amp @ every change = more chance for stuff ups
1 bass via multiple amps = Lehle Little Dual splitter - it will take away all the headaches with this type of set up but it is NOT stereo

 

[chris_b]

From when I started in the mid 60's I only had one amp until the mid 80's and one bass until the mid 90's. Before that I didn't know anyone who had more than one of anything, even pro players.

 

[interp]

Two basses (five-string active, four-string passive), two heads (main—Walter Woods stereo #1, backup—Walter Woods stereo #2), three cabs (EA VL-208, EA VL-110 x 2, used in various combinations), zero effects.

This covers all my needs.

 

[Dabndug]

Live work - you may need multiple amps for different gigs - e.g. 200W Combo for small rooms, 500w+ head +cab(s) for mid to large size venues. For large venues with great FOH and monitoring, you do not need an amp at all, just a pre-amp/pedal board/amp modeller.

Studio work, a pre-amp/pedal board/modeller will do the job more than adequately. My eyes were opened to this quite some years back when I asked a producer friend what amp he was using on an epic guitar riff from a well-known (Aussie) sports show theme and he told me it was a first generation Line6 pod. Modelling has come a very long way since then. A really great modelling set up and a "transparent" amp will get you a huge variety of tones without breaking the bank or your back.

 

[simotek]

I mostly only use one bass, rather then having multiple amps I decided to go for multiple preamp pedals and programmable eq for my pedalboard, I also have a cabsim that I enable with some presets and not others. That way I currently have the choice of an ampeg sounding amp, a clean pretty much hifi sound and a more modern light drive sound which for now is all I need. It also means I don't need to carry 2 cabs to a gig, i've yet to find a cab that I like the sound of really clean and with drive. Most of the places I play at the moment I either run ampless or with an amp only for monitoring so it also saves having to have sound guys freck out about having to mic a bass cab. I have a small Mark Bass amp and cab that sounds really clean that I sometimes use for monitoring and occasionally as the main sound when I'm playing with drive to make it sound ok i'll also run the cabinet emulator into the front of the amp

 

[brianrost]

Having a selection of multiple amps seems more desirable to me than multiple basses at this point.

That can be true if you have a versatile bass. Right now, I essentially gig with one P and one DB simply because they suit everything I'm playing.

I currently have these amps:

1. Walter Woods MI200-8 head, Bergantino HT-112 cabinet. For BG only or BG/DB doubling gigs. Second HT-112 is added when more volume is needed, like outdoors. Seen in my avatar.

2. Acoustic Image Coda combo. For DB only gigs. AI Ten2-EX cab is added when more volume is needed.

3. A.M.P. BH260 head, HT-112. For hosting at blues jams. It has much simpler controls than the WW, just one volume, just one channel so even my mother could figure out how to dial it in. It also has a ballsier sound than the WW.

4. A.M.P. BH420 head, EAW VB-115 cab (EVM loaded). Used for loud BG gigs where I want the old school sound. This used to be my main gig rig, then the blues jam rig but now doesn't get used often.

5. Roland Street Cube EX combo. This is a battery powered amp used strictly for street busking. I run a BG into one channel, vocal mike into the other.

6. L.R. Baggs Paracoustic DI preamp. Used only for amp-free DB gigs where I can plug into the PA.

 

[fourstr00]

2 basses and 2 amps to every gig, one speaker.

One bass is a backup, the amps are both Class D but one is 250 watts and the other is 700. Works as a backup, but it’s also a relief to show up to a room and not have to think “I brought too much/not enough firepower”. It also helps if I’m playing two different rooms at an event and the main amp can stay plugged in to the FOH while I go play cocktails elsewhere.

I probably overpack.

 

[dBChad]

It's your sound, and if it takes multiple amps to get it then go for it.

I prefer one amp because it's easier to load/offload. Doug Wimbish routes his signal through what appears to be part of the NASA mission control room to get his sound and I appreciate that he's willing to move, set up, and complete a graduate level degree from MIT (I think I'm exaggerating, but that might actually be true) to add his own unmistakable flavor to the band's songs.

If you have one bass doing everything you want it to do, I might suggest another one exactly like it to have a backup (if you're playing shows) because of Murphy. If you have the vehicle, strength, cardiovascular endurance, and will to set up multiple amps for a live show...rock on!

 

[lexefx]

Total of 2 amps 2 basses. One of each per gig.

 

[Acoop]

The new amps are light years above what we had to choose from in the past. ... You'd get volume and a boxy tone or a nice EQ without the Watts. ... Now the amps are capable of reproducing the tone of the instrument and not color it, just to make it sound big. Plus they're lite enough to move and not risk a hernia. And that's the same with the cabs. ... Basses haven't changed all that much. Just different ways of doing the same thing. ... New is not vintage, regardless what the label says. ... Pickups, like amps, have improved also. ... Every bass produces low notes but one bass can't do everything.

 

[brett adams]

multiple basses
multiple preamps
multiple power amps
a couple of speaker cabinets