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When you go see local bands,do you study their gear
- Thread starter Mantis Tobaggan
- Start date
I watch local bands when I have the chance. And I look at the gear on stage and open up my ears - and I try to talk to them if they like to.
I am in a local club who helps young musicians, and there are two or three gigs a year when we have multiple bands on stage, my band or somebody else that gets people into the venue for headliner. I always ask the other bass players if I should bring one of my old stacks on stage, and mostly I provide the stack. It's just more comfortable and saves time.
Last time it was an old Ampeg SVP Pro, an old Peavey Poweramp and two Peavey TVX 410". Bombproof gear. So it was interesting, who had what kind of sound over the stack with his bass. And there is always a variety of basses, some mediocre, some real high end.
I love talking to the people after an event like this, and I love other bass players looking quite astonished when admitting that the Ibanez SDGR of the second band had a killer sound over this Ampeg - Peavey - Stack.
Mostly I am the one who is asked about his gear when touring, because people in Europe are not used to GenzBenz gear, especially the GBE 1200 I play most. They also have heard about Tecamp gear, but only have heard the 212" cabs - or even smaller ones. So now there is an 810" on stage, paired with an amp they never have heard of. And the stack sounds beautiful with my Music Man basses.
I love this, too. It looks like some hidden Cylon warriors somewhere in the dark......
I am in a local club who helps young musicians, and there are two or three gigs a year when we have multiple bands on stage, my band or somebody else that gets people into the venue for headliner. I always ask the other bass players if I should bring one of my old stacks on stage, and mostly I provide the stack. It's just more comfortable and saves time.
Last time it was an old Ampeg SVP Pro, an old Peavey Poweramp and two Peavey TVX 410". Bombproof gear. So it was interesting, who had what kind of sound over the stack with his bass. And there is always a variety of basses, some mediocre, some real high end.
I love talking to the people after an event like this, and I love other bass players looking quite astonished when admitting that the Ibanez SDGR of the second band had a killer sound over this Ampeg - Peavey - Stack.
Mostly I am the one who is asked about his gear when touring, because people in Europe are not used to GenzBenz gear, especially the GBE 1200 I play most. They also have heard about Tecamp gear, but only have heard the 212" cabs - or even smaller ones. So now there is an 810" on stage, paired with an amp they never have heard of. And the stack sounds beautiful with my Music Man basses.
I love this, too. It looks like some hidden Cylon warriors somewhere in the dark......
Been doing that for a long time, now!
Sometimes, I even leave the tuner in Strobe mode to really get the crowd/nerds 
going.
Of course, you can always learn either what works or what NOT to do/use.
Also do this at concerts if possible(i.e. learning that more than a few metal guitarists/bassists use Kemper boxes for touring, many bassists use Line 6->SansAmp->in-ears for touring, etc.).
What can you learn?
The above AND....a little side true story.
In the spandex, long hair, road crew, and too much gear days in New Orleans we got approached by our manager with a deal to open for Black Oak Arkansas for 2 nights but it would be using our PA and additional PA we borrowed from our friends at a local electronics house. We noticed Shawn Lane(relatively unknown at the time, maybe 16 or 17 years old) had Marshalls but on the side of the stage, "trying hard not to be seen", was a small rack with a Furman PQ3 and a Crown D-60 that was actually being used for his guitar preamp+amp feeding into Marshall cabinets. ALL of the gains on the 3(IIRC) eq bands were wide open and the Crown was barely cranked. The Furman FET design(?) at that time actually distorted similar to a Marshall on 11 and the Crown cleanly amplified that. It was singing guitar sustain forever, pre-Boston power soaks. So both of our guitarists got racks and switching pedals to switch from Marshalls to Furmans during our shows when no one else had yet picked up on this "sound".
Bass player's rig was standard SVT(or he may have used mine) IIRC. At the time(70's), my rig was an SVT with two 8x10 cabs(one on each side of the drum riser) sometimes supplemented by an Acoustic 370 with a 301 cab on my side and a smaller Cerwin Vega 18 on the other side.
Also do this at concerts if possible(i.e. learning that more than a few metal guitarists/bassists use Kemper boxes for touring, many bassists use Line 6->SansAmp->in-ears for touring, etc.).
What can you learn?
The above AND....a little side true story.
In the spandex, long hair, road crew, and too much gear days in New Orleans we got approached by our manager with a deal to open for Black Oak Arkansas for 2 nights but it would be using our PA and additional PA we borrowed from our friends at a local electronics house. We noticed Shawn Lane(relatively unknown at the time, maybe 16 or 17 years old) had Marshalls but on the side of the stage, "trying hard not to be seen", was a small rack with a Furman PQ3 and a Crown D-60 that was actually being used for his guitar preamp+amp feeding into Marshall cabinets. ALL of the gains on the 3(IIRC) eq bands were wide open and the Crown was barely cranked. The Furman FET design(?) at that time actually distorted similar to a Marshall on 11 and the Crown cleanly amplified that. It was singing guitar sustain forever, pre-Boston power soaks. So both of our guitarists got racks and switching pedals to switch from Marshalls to Furmans during our shows when no one else had yet picked up on this "sound".
Bass player's rig was standard SVT(or he may have used mine) IIRC. At the time(70's), my rig was an SVT with two 8x10 cabs(one on each side of the drum riser) sometimes supplemented by an Acoustic 370 with a 301 cab on my side and a smaller Cerwin Vega 18 on the other side.
I got my first Furman PQ-3 (an early green face) in 1978 so I was first! IIRC, Spandex bands post date that, for the most part. 
IIRC, Spandex bands post date that, for the most part. 
if it's a band we are performing with, it's usually just the amp. i have a ampeg ba, they usually have a stack.
I always make a note of the gear on stage and what's in the PA rig. I usually only chat up the band if I'm friends with them. I don't want to be "that guy." You know - the dude who tries to impress the people with a gig when I don't have a gig that night. You know that dude who hangs around like a fart in a paper bag talking about how he has this vintage P-bass/Strat/Les Paul. The exception is benefit gigs or other multi-band bills. I'll introduce myself to stranger musician if I'm playing a gig with them.
I've also heard some cats with great gear sound mediocre. However, I rarely ever hear low-end gear sound good. That's not to say anything about the player's actual chops - just a comment on the sound quality and fidelity of the gear itself. I recently saw a good friend's band a few weeks ago. Their new guitarist is a great player; however, I had to leave half-way through their second set, because I couldn't handle the tone from his solid-state Crate anymore.
I've also heard some cats with great gear sound mediocre. However, I rarely ever hear low-end gear sound good. That's not to say anything about the player's actual chops - just a comment on the sound quality and fidelity of the gear itself. I recently saw a good friend's band a few weeks ago. Their new guitarist is a great player; however, I had to leave half-way through their second set, because I couldn't handle the tone from his solid-state Crate anymore.
- Jan 12, 2011
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- Disclosures
- Artist, Trickfish Amplification Bartolini Emerging Artist, MTD Kingston Emerging Artist. Artist, Tsunami Cables
Nope I just listen. It's amazing how good people sound using what they use. I heard a bassist playing out of a PA Cab and he sounded great and filled the whole room. Made me think about the money I've invested in my gear. I'm not sorry I have but it's just something to think about. Like choosing your woman. After you've done that it does you no good to keep looking around LOL!!!!!!!
