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What Is A Gig?

#41
I think a lot of the "not gig worthy" responses are answering entry level players looking for advice on their first amp. Of course these days you can play any venue with PA support with just a DI.

Kids just starting out quickly realize that their small combo may not keep up with the rest of the band in a rock group setting. Advising them to pick up a old 800rb and a 4x10 or 2x15 so they're ready for anything at that stage is decent advice. Then they are "gig ready".
 
#43
Big Hoss said:
To me, a "gig" is when you play music or perform for an audience. Pay is irrelevant although it is a common factor.
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I would agree wholeheartedly. I've played gigs where I was paid to play in a club for 25 people, but after paying for parking, and/or tipping the sound guy, ended up in the red financially. Last Sunday, I was paid zero dollars to play in church for about 1800 people. Having no gig related expenses, I ended up better off financially. Both are gigs. I like the latter better. Partly for the better hours.

And yes, even though I may not get paid, I consciously make sure the gear I bring is "gig ready", as a failure would be most inconvenient.
 
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#44
I have this stupid little Behringer BXL-450. It's a 45 watt amp going into a 10 inch speaker. I've gigged with it, but it was a small gig. I've also done an outside gig with a 500 watt amp going into two 210s... with the volume completely off because I was entirely IEM and FOH (the amp was there for show). So much depends on the loudness of the band/drummer/guitarist and whether there's a FOH available to you.
 
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#45
Brad Johnson said:
Anyone looking on the Internet for any advice needs to consider the source
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While that's true, there's something of a Catch 22 there, since if you know enough to be able to distinguish bad advice from good you may well not need the advice anyway. It disturbs me when I see young kids being told here they've got to have 400W or 500W to play gigs, because I wonder how the hell they are going to afford that, and I wonder why the hell they need it at any venue they're liable to get to play when I did my first 20 or 30 gigs with a 100W (transistor) amp and didn't even have it turned right up.

Personally I've never had more than 150W of 1*15 cabinet on stage, and never felt I needed it, even playing with the local legend decibels McKellar, whose snare drum could burst eardrums at 20 paces...

I also think its damn useful for a young band to learn that they have to be a band, and that may mean everyone makes compromises in order for the band to sound good.
 
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#47
BulbousMoses said:
Over the years, I have belonged to a number of music forums and when is comes to discussion of amps, I have seen people post things like "but you can't gig with it" in reference to amp xyz or cab abc, etc. I always do a bit on an eye roll when I see this and the reason is simple. There is no agreed upon definition of a "gig". Is a gig only a gig when it's a 3000 seat theater? A stadium? A 50 seat coffee bar? I would say yes to all three of these examples. As far as I'm concerned, if you are being paid to play for an audience, then it's a gig. If we agree that a gig can be anything from the smallest coffee bar to the largest stadium show then any appropriately powerful combo or head/cab can do the job. Would I play Wembley Stadium with an Ampeg BA110 combo? No, of course not. But I would play a 50 seat coffee bar with one, depending on the type of band/music. Conversely, I would NOT play a coffee bar gig with an SVT/810 cab.

So, I guess the point is, before you say "You can't gig with this amp", think about all the possible gig situations or better yet, say "I can't gig with this amp" if you play big venues and it's a small amp we're talking about.
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There are different types of gigs. So, you either have different and/or modular types of rigs to deal with it.
 
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#48
michael paul said:
we played a new venue in Milwaukee and as we were done playing the first song the venue owner came by and asked if we could lower the volume by 6db. they said we had to be below 100 db. I have heard a bass amp should be about 4 times the power of the guitar players. not that you need to use it all, but just in case .
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That would mean the offenders were......everyone in the band......but you! :)
 
#49
cchorney said:
I have this stupid little Behringer BXL-450. It's a 45 watt amp going into a 10 inch speaker. I've gigged with it, but it was a small gig. I've also done an outside gig with a 500 watt amp going into two 210s... with the volume completely off because I was entirely IEM and FOH (the amp was there for show). So much depends on the loudness of the band/drummer/guitarist and whether there's a FOH available to you.
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Absolutely. In no way am I saying that people should just dump their SVT/810 rigs and gig with a Rumble 40. There are gig situations where a Rumble 40 would suffice (and even be preferred). It comes down to the types of gigs that you are likely to play and venue size as well as a few other factors. I went to a show in a really small local bar where the drummer was playing with brushes and the guitar player was not loud. The bass player was going through a little Polytone. Not familiar with them but the amp was very small physically speaking.
 
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#50
+1 to those saying the problem isn't with how we define "gig," but with how we generalize from our own experiences and expectations.
  • "(There are many different kinds of gigs, and...) I couldn't do (some or all of) my gigs with that amp." Sure, TB responder, you probably know your gigs and gear needs better than I do.
  • "(There are many different kinds of gigs, but...) you can't gig with that amp." Whatever, TB responder. I probably know my gigs and gear needs better than you.
 
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#51
Downunderwonder said:
Yup, so be aware that your use of you indeed does carry much gravitas. You can't throw you around with gay abandon without being held as opinionated. You probably don't mind being held as opinionated, much like myself in a whole different way.
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You have a point. You better watch your language. You wouldn't want to offend anyone. :D
 
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#52
1. I agree with the OP. Intuitive common sense to me.

2. The main way I'd find this discussion relevant: If a salesperson tells a first-time buyer not to think of gigging with any amp of under 250 watts RMS and/or cabinet(s) amounting to less than four 10" speakers.

At multiple punk gigs in various small clubs, I've seen bassists with amps powered as low as 80 watts RMS with a single 15" speaker asked to turn down - not by guitarists who think they can never play too loudly and/or who dislike sonic competition, but b/c the kick drum was getting lost in the mix.

I've never played in a room (indoor shows) bigger than about 1,500 capacity. For years, I was well served by a 130 watt RMS combo with a 15" speaker onstage plus a DI to the house PA - even in a nine-piece ska band. My only upgrade: a 300 watt RMS head with a large-cabinet single 15" speaker onstage. Even with mediocre soundmen, this plus a DI to the PA has never left me wanting.

Cost-to-acquire aside, it's easier and more common to get too much power onstage than too little. Lug gear up and down stairs late at night enough times and a DI jack running a cable to the house PA seems magical as an alternative.
 
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#54
Bunk McNulty said:
I use a 900 watt amp for everything, with as little as a 2x10 or as many as 8 10s, depending on the gig. I use this knob on the front that says “volume.” It’s very useful. :D
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I think Bunk makes an excellent point here, adjusting the number of speakers commensurate with the needs of the gig. I realize not everyone has a plethora of cabs at their disposal, but IMO, that's really the best way to go for versatility and schlepability. 210's, 410's, and 810's, and one amp that can drive any of those cabs. :thumbsup:
 
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#58
Happy Jack said:
A gig, also called chair or chaise, is a light, two-wheeled sprung cart pulled by one horse.

Wikipaedia
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You are correct, sir! Here's a pic of a gig:
A5gig-1.jpg
 

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