This week, I played 3 gigs, a very unusual situation for my band. First, on Wednesday, we played a showcase at a well-known local spot where we hope to get more "real" gigs. They said backline provided, so I showed up with my bass and pedalboard. Backline was a Rumble 40. OK, I have a London Underground on my board, so I wasn't too worried about tone and whatnot. What surprised me was how loud the Rumble 40 was. The sound guy kept telling me my stage volume was too high. Finally got that worked out, and I could hear myself just fine. I left thinking that a Rumble 40 might be a nice little practice and small gig amp, certainly superior to my old Fender Rad Bass.
Third gig was a little benefit gig for a local school. When I say "little", I mean short. Info said they had a "bass box" available on stage. Bass box turned out to be an old Ampeg 410 HE and a shiny Mark Bass Little Mark Tube 800. Since I normally play thru an Orange Terror Bass, I turned the Mix knob on the Mark Bass all the way to Tube, and cranked the gain. Very nice sound, and that 410 spoke with authority. I didn't bring my pedal board for this one, since we were only playing 45 minutes, and loading in and out one bass guitar and cord is easy. I haven't been a huge fan of Mark Bass stuff, but I was favorably impressed with this setup. For EQ, I cut the bass a little, and boosted low mids a tad. Left everything else flat. Gave me a little grind, and decent punch. I have no complaints.
Might have been more fun if both venues had had SVT's with 810's (or better yet, AD200's), but, all in all, these were satisfying experiences.
Third gig was a little benefit gig for a local school. When I say "little", I mean short. Info said they had a "bass box" available on stage. Bass box turned out to be an old Ampeg 410 HE and a shiny Mark Bass Little Mark Tube 800. Since I normally play thru an Orange Terror Bass, I turned the Mix knob on the Mark Bass all the way to Tube, and cranked the gain. Very nice sound, and that 410 spoke with authority. I didn't bring my pedal board for this one, since we were only playing 45 minutes, and loading in and out one bass guitar and cord is easy. I haven't been a huge fan of Mark Bass stuff, but I was favorably impressed with this setup. For EQ, I cut the bass a little, and boosted low mids a tad. Left everything else flat. Gave me a little grind, and decent punch. I have no complaints.
Might have been more fun if both venues had had SVT's with 810's (or better yet, AD200's), but, all in all, these were satisfying experiences.
