Hey all! I'm a bassist in a Metalcore band that is starting to get very serious. We're going to start touring within the next year and such. My question is, what else do a need to add to my rig to make it sound better and more "tour ready". I currently use a Fender Jazz with a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 Head and 2x10 Genz Benz cab. That's it. Maybe that's all I need, I'm not sure. But a lot of bassists for bands that I listen to don't simply have a head and cab. So along with my current amp, what else do I need to add to my rig to give me a better sound
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What do I need to improve my sound?
- Thread starter NJRep
- Start date
If you like the way you sound you shouldn't change anything. Don't think you have to add to your rig just because other people have a bunch of pedals or something.
I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but more practice and fresh strings go a long way toward sound improvement without a big outlay of cash. good luck
+1
For high end gear buffs, we obsess over stuff that really doesn't make it sound that much better. But, sometimes some tweaking to your setup can improve your sound. The first question to ask yourself is: What kind of sound do you want? Do you have that sound in your head? Can you identify what you like about certain bass player's tones? If yes then figure out what you need to change to make your gear fit that sound that you want. The other factor with different gear is playability/feel. If your bass isn't playing the way you want, then you may not sound the way you want. Look at your setup, your instrument, your strings, action, whatever. Is it helping you play your best? If not, then make some changes. But if it's not broke, don't fix it! That's all I have for now.
if your gonna be dragging around the country ,keep it simple.less stuff to lose or break or have someone spill beers on.and as long as you have a feed for the house PA ,your solid.
If you want to be tour ready, get a backup rig. Also, a single 2x10 cab doesn't seem like enough but that really depends on how loud your band plays and whether you are using IEMs and PA systems with subs.
+1. GB is great stuff, but if something happens to yours, it might take a while to resolve it, particularly on the road. Before you head out, find something you like used that could serve as a backup. Oh, and I don't listen to metalcore, but it sure seems like a genre that would require you push more air than 2x10.
Oh, and since it sounds like you just play your bass and amp, which is cool. If you're not sure if you "need" something else, you probably don't.
--Steve
NJRep said:
For that style i think will be bether for you to upgrade to a 4*10, metalcore is really loud.
rockstarbassist
Inactive
On this forum, and the bands that I listen to a lot usually have pictures on FB of their rigs. I see a lot of additional stuff in their racks (ex. Sonic Maximizers). So it got me thinking what's the point of these extra pedals and such.
Extra pedals do extra tones and so on. Metalcore generally features a distorted bass tone - certain pedals will get that easily. Make sure you have a tuner - full backup rig too.
I also suggest another 210 at minimum. Metalcore bands are anything but quiet on stage and a single 210 is probably not going to cut it.
How many basses do you have? I suggest again, a minimum of two. You never know when you will need another bass. You do not want to get screwed over during a show.
I'd say either a 1x15 cab or just upgrade to a 4x10 cab.
I could see a Tech21 Sansamp being useful for the DI and some adjustment to your tone as well.
I could see a Tech21 Sansamp being useful for the DI and some adjustment to your tone as well.
