Double Bass The Serious Coffee Shop Gig

[Ric Vice]

Hey,
Get a load of the picture I found on the net. The bassist is using a iAMP 500 and two VL 208's to play outside a small coffee shop. This is a man after my own heart.

 

[Nathan Parker]

As it should be.

 

[Uncletoad]

But that bass....yikes. A pogo stick with strings.

 

[fdeck]

At least he is correctly positioned, out in front of the rest of the band.

 

[Alaska Bass]

So am I the only one who noticed the blue rug blowing over on the drummers throne? Sorry, with the horrible stick of wood with strings on it I can't focus in the general direction of the bass player!

 

[lowEndRick]

Serious coffeehouse gig?

Talk about oxymorons......

 

[Mike Goodbar]

My general rule of thumb at a jazz gig is that the more drums and cymbals I see onstage, the worse the night will be. I wonder if other musicians have that same perspective for bass/speaker ratio?

 

[Nathan Parker]

I used to think that as well, Mike. And then I saw Martin Drew play with Oscar Peterson. He had drum setup so massive it would make Tommy Lee jealous, and I swear he only played the snare, hi-hat and ride. It was pretty funny.

 

[anonymous02282011]

Cmon now!

Coffee shop gigs = your right hand is your amplifier.

(excuse me while I go work on my bench press and eat a steak)

 

[LowDown Hal]

but it's not a coffee shop gig

it is a sidewalk (outdoors) gig

 

[wellshuxley]

My general rule of thumb at a jazz gig is that the more drums and cymbals I see onstage, the worse the night will be. I wonder if other musicians have that same perspective for bass/speaker ratio?

I pretty much feel that way about all genres of music

 

[bolo]

Coffee shop gigs = your right hand is your amplifier.

Not on EB.

Ten bonus style points for the shirt.

 

[anonymous02282011]

Not on EB.

Ten bonus style points for the shirt.

I stand corrected.

Yea, that is a pretty flashy shirt though. And a nice rig indeed.

 

[TroyK]

My general rule of thumb at a jazz gig is that the more drums and cymbals I see onstage, the worse the night will be. I wonder if other musicians have that same perspective for bass/speaker ratio?

Yes. I get so happy with a show up to a gig and the drummer has a hi-hat, ride, snare and a floor tom converted to a kick drum. Big, relaxed smile on his face and a stick back with an assortment of brushes, sticks and mallets in it.

I was in this illconceived group for a few years (it was work) and the drummer was proud of his DW rack kit. We'd play on stages the side of a pencil eraser and he'd bring that f'in thing every time despite our protest. Played like he longed for his days as a rock/funk drummer too.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Outdoors is a whole different thing than being inside a coffee shop (been there, done both). Anyone who has done this knows that bass tends to get lost out doors - so having more amp than you seem to need is a good thing - - but inside, turn that dog DOWN! (and make that damn drummer use brushes!!!)

 

[Ric Vice]

Wow,
It's amazing what a response there was to this thread. I guess a picture is really worth thosands of words.


Ric

 

[Bob Gollihur]

Hey,
Get a load of the picture I found on the net. The bassist is using a iAMP 500 and two VL 208's to play outside a small coffee shop. This is a man after my own heart.

That is silly. Everyone knows you need at least an iAMP 800 to push a pair of VL208s.

 

[etoncrow]

You have got some serious eyes to see what the bass player is using but my question is the keyboard player using a PJ briefcase?

 

[fdeck]

My general rule of thumb at a jazz gig is that the more drums and cymbals I see onstage, the worse the night will be. I wonder if other musicians have that same perspective for bass/speaker ratio?

If you can see the speaker behind the bassist, either the speaker is too big or the bass is too small.

 

[anonymous02282011]

If you can see the speaker behind the bassist, either the speaker is too big or the bass is too small.

Now we're talkin.

Or how about, the bassist is too small and needs to put some junk in the trunk and add some girth to his gut.

Get that action up, eat some ribs and put dem meathooks to work