Why are people afraid to use their gear?

[Michedelic]

 

[friskinator]

I play in one group with two acoustic guitarists, and me on double bass.

One guy shows up with all kinds of effects, his own little mini-mixer, a couple dozen cables, and EVERY SINGLE GIG something goes wrong. I have suggested that he just go acoustic guitar-pickup-preamp-PA and add to that a Telecaster direct to a little amp - two dead simple setups - but he persists in trying to make his acoustic guitar sound like 9 different things that no one can actually tell the difference between most of them. And EVERY SINGLE GIG something goes wrong. Plus the guaranteed dead air as he switches from one set of patches to the next.

On the other hand, I show up with my upright bass, my AI Contra amp, I plug the bass into the amp, play a few notes to tweak the EQ on the amp for the room, and I'm ready to play.

I'm just not into twiddling knobs for the sake of twiddling knobs for the sake of some subtle shade of difference in tone that no one but me would ever even hear. It's not that I'm "afraid", it's that I'm OLD. I've been working with electronic and mechanical equipment of all types for 50 years now and I've learned that any time you can TAKE COMPLEXITY OUT of a system, you will reap benefits in reliability, performance, and troubleshooting.

As Bill Kirchen has been quoted "If you can't do it with a Telecaster it doesn't need to be done."

This would drive me insane.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

There’s only one way to find out. As a DI into a PA it’s a no brainer but you raise a good question. How is it going to sound through different cabs? Say, a 115 vs a 210?

I like to go to a PA when I can, but sometimes I run into a PA that isn't up to it. Earlier this week I showed up and the PA was a small Behringer with 1 8" speaker in each cab.

 

[marchone]

It’s all going to be relative to the cab in use. I have no doubt the most accurate sound is going to be from a modern Ampeg cab. I’m running Mesa Subway.

 

[turf3]

This would drive me insane.

Oh, other things did that for me long ago.

Honestly, I like the guys I play with, the gigs are low stakes (no stakes, really - it's folk music in assisted-living facilities), but it would definitely be an issue in real paying club gigs.