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Why bother owning an amp

Tommygun_ted

Tommygun_ted

Mar 19, 2013
733
2,081
Shelburne On. Canada
#1
So I've been with this folk group for over a year now, and we play with a loud full 5 piece band, singer plays an acoustic guitar, full drum kit and two electric guitars. I own an ampeg V4B reissue 100 watt tube head and so far every show we have played I've been told not to use it. They run me through the PA and Mic everyone else. Is this fairly common practice? If so what's the point of even owning an amp as a bassist. Just a bit of a rant, when you drop a couple of grand on a nice amp you want to use it!
 
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#7
For me it would be somewhat about tradition in that I'm used to hearing and feeling my rig behind me. But, I've also played in acoustic groups unplugged from amps where we ran everything through the PA and monitors.

I wouldn't comfortable doing that in a full rock or blues/r&b band set up but it worked out OK unplugged. Different gigs require different tools.
 
#9
Tommygun_ted said:
The singer runs her acoustic through the pa as well, both guitarists use 50 watt tube amps mic'd. It was the sound guy who said to do the bass through the pa, not the band. I'm not used to having front of house support so I have no idea how things are normally done but I love the tone out of my amp, why would they not Mic the bass too?
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Typically a bass amp would run from it's direct out to the FOH PA where the subs and full range drivers would handle it. I've mic'd a bass amp in a studio but never live. I'm no engineer but I would guess those mics typically used for guitar and voice can't handle frequencies as low as a bass will produce.

Guitar amps also depend far more on their speakers for their tonality and many aren't equipped with a direct out.
 
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#11
Tommygun_ted said:
The singer runs her acoustic through the pa as well, both guitarists use 50 watt tube amps mic'd. It was the sound guy who said to do the bass through the pa, not the band. I'm not used to having front of house support so I have no idea how things are normally done but I love the tone out of my amp, why would they not Mic the bass too?
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Soundman suggestion huh? Take it with a grain of salt. Bring your rig. Have him take a feed from the DI. Just watch your volume. Many FOH have to deal with loud bands that have no concept of how a PA works. Low to moderate stage volume is key. Let the PA do the work.
 
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#14
Element Zero said:
Some bands like to control the onstage volume as much as possible. IMO, this mentality has been brought on my years and years of guitarists play WAY to friggin loud.
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I've run FOH for more than my fair share of overly LOUD bass rigs.. folks bringing 8x10 cabs to a wine bar (for example) :)
True, it's MOSTLY guitar players, but bassists are NOT immune to the disease!
 
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#16
Tommygun_ted said:
So I've been with this folk group for over a year now, and we play with a loud full 5 piece band, singer plays an acoustic guitar, full drum kit and two electric guitars. I own an ampeg V4B reissue 100 watt tube head and so far every show we have played I've been told not to use it. They run me through the PA and Mic everyone else. Is this fairly common practice? If so what's the point of even owning an amp as a bassist. Just a bit of a rant, when you drop a couple of grand on a nice amp you want to use it!
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Sadly yes, it is common to DI the bass. Which is unfortunate when you have a tube head like that that can be pushed into drive territory. My understanding is that certain tube amps don't DI properly. This happens in the studio as well.
The bottom line is, despite how much people laud sound guys and recording engineers, the truth is that they are lazy. Because guitar players are such babies, they know they have to mic their equipment, but will do the absolute minimum for the bass. You have to fight for every inch when you play bass.
I use a amp\cab because some places I play only have a PA for vocals, and I don't trust the sound guy to put me in the monitors. My rig is my monitor.
Personally, I would rather mic my gear on stage and in the studio. I didn't pay as much as I did for a Barefaced cab just to not hear it.
 
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#18
socialleper said:
The bottom line is, despite how much people laud sound guys and recording engineers, the truth is that they are lazy. Because guitar players are such babies, they know they have to mic their equipment, but will do the absolute minimum for the bass. You have to fight for every inch when you play bass.
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As a long time FOH guy, guitar and bass player, I should respond to such a silly comment.... but..
Truth is.. MOST musicians - regardless of what they play, are babies! I've met plenty of bassists, drummers and singers with that disease.
 
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#19
you want to use this amp because it costs a lot? :laugh:



i'm with the group who wants the band to have the best sound possible and who realizes that the bass is but a part of that goal (an important part, a sometimes 'difficult-to-deal-with' part, but a part, nonetheless).

i am not with the group who feels that from their stage position: they are the best judge of how the bass should sound to the audience. :roflmao:



s0c9 said:
Truth is.. MOST musicians - regardless of what they play, are babies!
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00 images2b2.png
:D



i'm also with the group who only works with competent, trustworthy, pro FOH.* when those cats tell me my amp is too loud in the room = i believe them: i turn down. i change EQ. i go direct in. i do what it takes to get the best mix for the audience.



* lucky, i guess. ;)
 
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