Rig stereotyping

[slapagroov]

Still one of the lamest things people say IMO... "The audience doesn't know the difference". So gear used should be based on the lowest common denominator?

I buy my gear to please ME and make my job easier. Chances are if I like it the audience will too. Using gear because it's good enough for drunks at a bar? Go for it!

Couldn't agree more. When you really like the sounds you're hearing, you play better. I never play well when I hate the sounds that I'm hearing.

One thing that does bother me is that half the time your tone is in the hands of the sound man/woman and more often than not they aren't pros at what they do. You're feeling great and you get, "I couldn't hear you," or "It was really muddy." Oh well - if you're having fun and getting paid, how bad could it be?!

 

[Brad Johnson]

Couldn't agree more. When you really like the sounds you're hearing, you play better. I never play well when I hate the sounds that I'm hearing.

One thing that does bother me is that half the time your tone is in the hands of the sound man/woman and more often than not they aren't pros at what they do. You're feeling great and you get, "I couldn't hear you," or "It was really muddy." Oh well - if you're having fun and getting paid, how bad could it be?!

Exactly. I honestly don't sweat FOH... it's completely out of my control. I bring a rig I can count on to every gig... I can at least control that.

 

[KJung]

Exactly. I honestly don't sweat FOH... it's completely out of my control. I bring a rig I can count on to every gig... I can at least control that.

I feel the same way... totally out of my control. I make sure I have the best stage sound I can when I have front of house support, and also provide my stage mix through my rig versus the monitor system (except for the very few massive arena type gigs I do on rare occasions where even a 410 with a 1000 watts disappears on those huge stages).

 

[de la mocha]

I use a Hartke HA3500 head which gives me more then enough options for tweaking sound (solid state or tube blending, 10 band EQ, high pass low pass contour controls) and I play through the aliminum 4x10 XL cab and today I'm shopping for a 15, probably end up getting the XL 1x15.

Sure, it's not the classic rock n roll rig like ampeg and doesn't have that GK growl or is not as famous as Fender but I get such crystal clear clarity and clean bottom out of this thing from my MIM P Bass that I couldn't be happier.

I play for the church and use flanger, chorus, echo and delay effects and it sounds so clear it makes me shed a tear. That sound is what I want and I'm happy and so is the congregation (except for the keyboard player ).

So to me, the bottom line is go for whatever you like because it sounds good to you and works for you, not what clever marketing or gear snobs dictate. My luthier swears by ampeg and likes my precision bass but makes fun of my Hartke purchase saying the aluminum cabs suck. But I don't care. I'm well pleased with my purchase.

Besides, nothing says rock n roll like hartke! When I put together my christian rock band, you'll see!