Why do we still use amps?

[primusfan1989]

Tours are massively expensive for underground bands and you have to think twice about every extra item you take with you.

Since the dawn of the of the touring electric musician, we've always had to lug an amp around so I don't understand why you're treating amps as an "extra". Furthermore a PA/monitor system capable of giving whats needed to preform amp-less is more expensive than any tour an underground band is gonna book. Said PA/monitor systems take up a lot of space in the van you are speaking of as well. So whats your point again?

 

[Mosfed]

I just love how my rig sounds

 

[Seashore]

I already own my amp. Aside from all the great positive reasons I have for using it, no way am I plowing another couple of grand into a new rig.

 

[MrLenny1]

99 % of my gigs are small rooms with no PA support.
That's what most working musicians face.
The big venues/acts have the luxury of going ampless.

 

[Razman]

If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.

 

[Standalone]

My GK 700 and mini stack is an instrument itself. No pedal is going to respond to the dynamics of my playing and cross the line into growl and back to clean thump quite like that. The audience senses it and my band surely does too. It's worth the load in and load out.

My drive pedals do something different, and provide some variety. But my bass has some soul to it. It's a musical instrument That breathes and responds. So do my cabs and the amp. They live in the reality of the room, right there with me my band and the audience - pedals are cool but they don't interact with the moment and space - or me - in quite the same way.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

In my experience, it's best to bring a small, low-wattage amp to gigs. Almost any decent-sized venue will have good FOH. The smaller venues that don't are, well, small. In other words, your smaller amp should be loud enough for those purposes. Personally, I haven't encountered a venue without FOH (including whatever you wanted through the monitor) in years. You don't need an amp at all in these situations, but I bring a small just to be safe.

The biggest reason I can see for a larger rig is for band practice. I am sure many bands have "FOH" that they rehearse with, but most I've played in only had that for the vocals. It was therefore nice to be able to hear yourself, especially if the drummer hits loud.

I know the original question wasn't about large vs. small rigs. Forgive the slight tangent.

 

[gary mitchell]

I like the rig I use an old SWR, SWR 410 cab and sometimes B&C 15 cab. at my church I use a amp, because we have good speakers out front, but the monitors that I used to hear myself just can't cut it. And since I am the Bassist, we got to keep me happy.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

On a related note, a lot of professional musicians online say you should invest in your own nice DI box (and ask the sound guy to use it). I've always just used whatever the venue provided and I've never minded. Most of the time, it sounds great.

If I was going to get a high quality DI, it would be the Noble Preamp DI. That costs as much as a high-end amp, though.

 

[Kieran Mulvaney]

Ill never stop using my rigs. Bass pumped through a wedge firing upwards really kills hearing my backups. And I gotta be able to hear the vocals for everyone’s sake!

 

[dave_bass5]

Did you seriously just say that? Following "trends" is for uncreative artists that need someone else to tell them how to sound, what to play or what they should/shouldn't be doing. We're talking about playing a musical instrument live and the preferred method that gets it accomplished not google, facebook or...(insert your favorite data collection source here). I sure am glad that guys like Brian Marshall, Doug Pinnick, Les Claypool, Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix chose to create their own sound and music instead of listening to what a "trend" was telling them to do. Whether you want tubes, solid state or nothing at all on stage is your personal choice and should have nothing to do with what everyone else and the "trend" is telling you to do. For the record I'm in the tube amps/cabs on stage camp.

Wait...you're serious? No one follows 'trends' or 'flavour of the month' on here and other music forums?

I really don’t understand your post.

 

[BaltBass5]

For me it’s simple...even though I pretty much always have FOH and a great sound engineer, 2 simple facts remain:

1. I like to FEEL my bass. This just stems from years and years of playing that way.

2. along with #1, I just don’t feel my bass and the mix the same way with bass only through monitors, side fills or IEM’s.

 

[John Swartz]

Go with what works.

 

[Eilif]

... because most bars and restaurants don't have a PA and bass through a mini-PA sounds like garbage.

Most of my weekly gigs wouldn't know what to do with a signal from a bass amp. My amp is the bass "house". Of course to the OP's point about lugging gear, I'm only bringing in a B100R, so I might not be quite the target of the OP's question.

 

[bikeplate]

I have many different types of gigs with multiple projects. Not all are the type where i can go ampless or even want to go ampless. Sometimes its no amp and JH Audio in ears. Some times its slammin on stage w floor monitoring. So there ya go!!!

 

[Slevage]

My 1-12 combo covers most of my gigs.
Played 800 seat auditorium— xlr to FOH, soundman loves not having to give me a monitor.
I own Ext speakers and bigger stuff when no FOH.

 

[JimmyM]

1. The vast majority of monitors we get to listen to ourselves with if we go ampless are vocal monitors, and they suck for most instruments.

2. We can use IEM's, but then I have to wear earbuds and carry a transmitter, and that makes me feel really removed from the vibe of the music. I'll do it if someone insists, but other than that, I'd rather not. Fortunately, only one act I've worked with insists.

3. Not all my gigs have the bass going through the PA, so my choices are bring an amp that can handle the room or be unheard.

 

[Rib 13]

Why do people play "old school" guitars and basses in the era of computer generated music?
Why have a lot of bass players in the 10s all of a sudden want flatwound strings, passive basses, and lo-fi tones?

Who knows? Who cares?...whatever makes ya happy

 

[dBChad]

Not every venue has a FOH, or one that can handle bass without muddying up the mix.

If the FOH is lacking for full band mix but fine for vocals, my amp is easier to haul and load in/out than our PA.

If the FOH is decent, the monitors may not be able to handle the bass without turning to mud.

I haven't found a set of in-ears I can afford that I liked; while the used market has plenty of top notch gear for working man prices.

Due to neo speakers, my cab isn't all that heavy; and it fits nicely on a furniture dolly anyways so moving it around isn't too bad. My head has a little heft to it, but the handle is located in such a way that it makes it less cumbersome. I only even notice that long enough to pull it out of the car, then it goes on the cab already on a furniture dolly, pedal board on top of the head, and I roll the whole rig right where I want it.

 

[Raimonds]

Since the dawn of the of the touring electric musician, we've always had to lug an amp around so I don't understand why you're treating amps as an "extra". Furthermore a PA/monitor system capable of giving whats needed to preform amp-less is more expensive than any tour an underground band is gonna book. Said PA/monitor systems take up a lot of space in the van you are speaking of as well. So whats your point again?

Any music bar or club i've been in has a PA system and I've never seen a micd bass cab. We have a complete rig for in ear monitoring and the Behringer mixer that we have allows you to control your own mix trough an app