Care to share what you use? I tend to use less popular and occasionally weird gear in my rigs. I’m always glad to learn about someone else’s setup when they follow that less traveled road as well.
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What's your gig rig philosophy?
- Thread starter Trevorus
- Start date
Care to share what you use? I tend to use less popular and occasionally weird gear in my rigs. I’m always glad to learn about someone else’s setup when they follow that less traveled road as well.
Keep it simple. VM Jazz into Rumble 100 to FOH. One cable, no pedals.
Completely playable, easily replaceable.
The expensive gear is nice to have, but I'm just more pragmatic now about what goes out of the house with me.
I've never broken a string while playing (at it for 50 yrs). I could see that heavy attack with a pick might do it. I did have a bridge snap once on my Eminence EUB - that was a surprise, fortunately there was an electric bass available for a backup.
This is what I normally bring. Bass into the preamp on bottom, then dirt fixer with various distortion/fuzz pedals, into the Charlie Foxtrot randomizer fun box, to compression, studio boost, and messenger
The only things that are absolutely necessary in there are the messenger and a preamp, maybe a drive if I can get away with dirty toanz or a comp if I need to cut through the mix
The only things that are absolutely necessary in there are the messenger and a preamp, maybe a drive if I can get away with dirty toanz or a comp if I need to cut through the mix
Attachments
checklist!
folding 2-wheel dolly
(I know, nobody cares, but hey)
folding 2-wheel dolly
- Warwick Gnome 2x10x4Ω cab
- Trace Elliot 1x10 cab (backup)
- guitar stand
- Little Mark 250 BL head
- Phil Jones BP-200 head (backup)
- 2 x Speakon-Speakon 18" cables
- 2 x NEMA 5-15P to IEC-320-C13 power cords
- 1 x 12 gauge 3-prong extension cord with 3-receptacle head
- 2 x instrument cables (10', 20')
- 2 x instrument patch cables
- my 2x4x12" pedal'board'
- tuner pedal
- envelope filter pedal
- water bottle
- charts if needed
- spare picks if needed
- headstock tuner (backup)
- bass case with bass
- car keys
(I know, nobody cares, but hey)
I use a mid-sized pedal board that can cover almost anything with a PA, so that's usually my first option. If space is a premium, I will just grab either the HX Stomp or Lightning Boy TI Box off the board and be fine with that. If I need an amp, I have a Genz Streamliner 600 that I can pair with either a Phil Jones C4 or a Barefaced Super Twin. And nowadays, I have 3 basses that get the gigs: Ric 4003S, Maruszczyk Jazzus 32" 5-string, or Godin A5 fretless.
Over the years I’ve regularly used such motley heads as an Ampeg B2RE and Kustom DE200HD, such peculiar 2x10 combos as a Laney RB7 and Genz-Benz Contour 500 (which I still have), and odd cabs like the speaker half of an Ashdown MAG 300 1x15 combo. My cardinal rule is that it must deliver, and there’s some low-prestige stuff that really does well.
I try to keep things simple, but have enough to cover possible issues. Usually 2 basses, amp, cab, monitor, pedalboard with whatever I may use that weekend. We usually play Friday and Saturday, 4 hours per night, so some pedals won't get used both nights, depending on the set list. With a small folding hand truck, I can get everything in to the venue in 2 trips, and be set up and ready to go in 10 minutes.
At bare minimum, like backline gigs, a bass, tuner and DI box is all I need.
At bare minimum, like backline gigs, a bass, tuner and DI box is all I need.
I'm modular.
I keep a couple of medium speaker cabinets, stands & cables in my truck, then grab whatever amps & instruments I need from the apartment.
I've performed with about 23 different groups this year so far, with amp requirements ranging from zero (double bass unplugged) to outdoor concert w/o PA support. And most points in between. (Oh, and sometimes I provide the PA!)
My hat's off to all you who are 100% backline / amp-less; maybe I'll get there eventually. (At very least I plan to celebrate my 60th birthday by getting a vehicle that isn't a pickup truck.)
I keep a couple of medium speaker cabinets, stands & cables in my truck, then grab whatever amps & instruments I need from the apartment.
I've performed with about 23 different groups this year so far, with amp requirements ranging from zero (double bass unplugged) to outdoor concert w/o PA support. And most points in between. (Oh, and sometimes I provide the PA!)
My hat's off to all you who are 100% backline / amp-less; maybe I'll get there eventually. (At very least I plan to celebrate my 60th birthday by getting a vehicle that isn't a pickup truck.)
I’m usually responsible for the Subwoofer storage, transport and setup.
I traded bringing a bass rig for bringing a Subwoofer for my originals band. The guitarist brings the rest of the pa: mains, board, and cables. Then I use a preamp DI and IEMs. I bring not only my low end but the whole band’s low end.
As far as quality, I typically bring the good stuff if I can. I’d rather play my nice bass out and have fun with it. I can replace/repair if anything happens.
I traded bringing a bass rig for bringing a Subwoofer for my originals band. The guitarist brings the rest of the pa: mains, board, and cables. Then I use a preamp DI and IEMs. I bring not only my low end but the whole band’s low end.
As far as quality, I typically bring the good stuff if I can. I’d rather play my nice bass out and have fun with it. I can replace/repair if anything happens.
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Beach gigs get my standby bass and standby gear. (corrosion concerns). Away from beaches get the prime stuff. I like simple binary considerations 'cause I'm a simple minded kind o' guy LOL.
