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Will bass amps ever be obsolete?

#43
After passing this thread by for a couple days I have to say that I'm surprised at how many people say they don't need amps. I would have thought the vast majority would be defending their SVT's and such to the death.
I've never really played amp much, even with guitar, so I've tried to get the most accurate amp I could afford because that's the kind of tone that works for me. I've had very limited experience performing without an amp but to me, my amp is a monitor.
 
#44
This is one of those questions that can be answered both yes and no. For a lot of people a bass amp already is obsolete. For a lot of people it's not and never will be. I'm not going to say this thread is ass, but the results are so predictable that a poll is unnecessary.
 
#45
Akito said:
Hey guys, forgive this rather morbid train of thought, but I recently had a few gigs where due to various issues (such as a bar complaining my band was too loud to the point where I just turned my amp off) I eneded up running my bass through a di box and used the mains and my dual-driver in-ears for monitoring and no bass amp at all.
No one in the audience noticed or was aware of any difference, and it got me thinking that probably 85-90 percent of the public that I perform for have absolutely no discernment when it comes to bass tones, and quite possibly have very little clue what the bass is in a standard mix beyond what the bass eq control does on their car stereo.
Also with modern PA's in a band that is well equipped and fairly proffessional in their approach, it seems that most of the time your amp and cab aren't really what the audience hears anyway.
I'm beginning to wonder if I am crazy or just an outright tool for lugging around an amp and cabs when I could just carry a di box not much bigger than an ipod. Most of your tone comes from your hands anyway, right?
What are your thoughts here? I'm kind of weirding myself out.
Life without an amp... would it be an unthinkable post-apocalyptic nightmare? Or is this acceptable to you?
Click to expand...

I would love for bass amps to be obselete. Think of it: less money you have to spend on gear. Less gear you have to carry.
 
#46
No No No, do not ever speak those words again!

Now I'm not a tone monster at all (I play clean), I have to have my amp behind me. Now unless they put a monitor behind me where I'd normally have my amp, I may go for it. But how many venues have full complete PA support? So I doubt personal amps will ever go away! The trend is to get a smaller imprint though so I do see actual amp-age & cab-age getting increasingly smaller but having the same output. Oh wait, that's happening now! :)
 
#48
I'm using 2 Sunn solid state amps from the mid 70's, running a 1x18, 4x12, 4x10, and 2x15 for my drum and bass stoner rock band.

If bass amps become obsolete, I'll be happy to be the barbarian still using this mountain of gear while everyone else plugs direct and has no sound of their own anymore. I mean, if you're happy with that sound, then by all means go DI, but hell, I don't even like the sound of all these new lightweight amps and cabs, and I especially hate the idea of soundmen, who aren't even part of the band, having more control over a bands sound. :mad:

I can't see this "no amp apocalypse" happening in the music scenes I'm a part of but in more mainstream settings and in the whole bar scene, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see bands bringing less and less, maybe even no gear other than drums and tiny guitar amps. And it wouldn't surprise me if some venues (bars and such where the band is secondary to the flow of booze) made it mandatory that bands go direct no matter what. It seems like everything is moving that way, amps and cabs keep getting smaller and now it's too the point where a lot of bass players won't even think of using anything weighing over 5 pounds.

TO ME... the idea of not using amps is completely unacceptable. Now it's true that most people in the crowd won't care one way or another about my tone. But I like my tone, and it's what I want the crowd to hear and that's what they'll get. It's not for pleasing the crowd, it's for pleasing me. Man, that sounds dirty...:hiding: I can't believe anyone in an original band would say that their tone doesn't matter, and that they're fine with just doing whatever some soundman tells them. I just fundamentally disagree with that whole line of thought. Now, if you're playing music to make money, then that's another story obviously. So it all really comes down to doing what fits your needs, and your band. If it makes you happy to just run direct, then do it. Me, I'm plenty happy lugging around all this heavy gear and feeling every note I play. ;)
 
#49
You're wrong to think there aren't people in the audience that appreciate the bass tone. If no one can hear it, then the majority of the crowd could care less. But if you are on the same level as everyone else in the band, the bass is a big part. Hell, I know a lot of people that have complimented me on my Rick/GK tone. And they were guitarists! Even drummers from other bands loved it. I know non-musicians that liked the sound. Described it as "mean, different, and nasty!"

Imo, if you don't have a bass amp at the gig- why bother going? Just record yourself and hook it up to the PA.
 
#51
Chronicle said:
You're wrong to think there aren't people in the audience that appreciate the bass tone. If no one can hear it, then the majority of the crowd could care less. But if you are on the same level as everyone else in the band, the bass is a big part. Hell, I know a lot of people that have complimented me on my Rick/GK tone. And they were guitarists! Even drummers from other bands loved it. I know non-musicians that liked the sound. Described it as "mean, different, and nasty!"

Imo, if you don't have a bass amp at the gig- why bother going? Just record yourself and hook it up to the PA.
Click to expand...

I said "most people in the crowd could care less" not all of them. I've had plenty of people compliment my tone, and my rig. Which is of course always nice. A few jokes here and there that I'm not loud enough. haha

Everyone can hear me in my band, because the only other instrument is the drums. ha

"Imo, if you don't have a bass amp at the gig- why bother going? Just record yourself and hook it up to the PA."

Definitely agree with this 100%.
 
#53
Metal Matt said:
I'm using 2 Sunn solid state amps from the mid 70's, running a 1x18, 4x12, 4x10, and 2x15 for my drum and bass stoner rock band.

If bass amps become obsolete, I'll be happy to be the barbarian still using this mountain of gear while everyone else plugs direct and has no sound of their own anymore. I mean, if you're happy with that sound, then by all means go DI, but hell, I don't even like the sound of all these new lightweight amps and cabs, and I especially hate the idea of soundmen, who aren't even part of the band, having more control over a bands sound. :mad:

I can't see this "no amp apocalypse" happening in the music scenes I'm a part of but in more mainstream settings and in the whole bar scene, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see bands bringing less and less, maybe even no gear other than drums and tiny guitar amps. And it wouldn't surprise me if some venues (bars and such where the band is secondary to the flow of booze) made it mandatory that bands go direct no matter what. It seems like everything is moving that way, amps and cabs keep getting smaller and now it's too the point where a lot of bass players won't even think of using anything weighing over 5 pounds.

TO ME... the idea of not using amps is completely unacceptable. Now it's true that most people in the crowd won't care one way or another about my tone. But I like my tone, and it's what I want the crowd to hear and that's what they'll get. It's not for pleasing the crowd, it's for pleasing me. Man, that sounds dirty...:hiding: I can't believe anyone in an original band would say that their tone doesn't matter, and that they're fine with just doing whatever some soundman tells them. I just fundamentally disagree with that whole line of thought. Now, if you're playing music to make money, then that's another story obviously. So it all really comes down to doing what fits your needs, and your band. If it makes you happy to just run direct, then do it. Me, I'm plenty happy lugging around all this heavy gear and feeling every note I play. ;)
Click to expand...

Matt I'm curious as to how the heck do you fit all that on stage and leave room for your band?
 
#56
Chronicle said:
You're wrong to think there aren't people in the audience that appreciate the bass tone. If no one can hear it, then the majority of the crowd could care less. But if you are on the same level as everyone else in the band, the bass is a big part. Hell, I know a lot of people that have complimented me on my Rick/GK tone. And they were guitarists! Even drummers from other bands loved it. I know non-musicians that liked the sound. Described it as "mean, different, and nasty!"

Imo, if you don't have a bass amp at the gig- why bother going? Just record yourself and hook it up to the PA.
Click to expand...
Very few of us play to audiences of other musicians. Once in a while we get them, but the vast majority of people in the audience know only three things...good sound, bad sound, and "that's a pretty guitar." If it for those who know good sound from bad sound that I get good sound whenever possible.
 
#57
JimmyM said:
Very few of us play to audiences of other musicians. Once in a while we get them, but the vast majority of people in the audience know only three things...good sound, bad sound, and "that's a pretty guitar." If it for those who know good sound from bad sound that I get good sound whenever possible.
Click to expand...

JimmyM, you know way more about the subject than I do but IMO you're being mighty generous to the 'vast majority of people in the audience'. ;)
 
#60
i know this would be controverse for many of you....but i got many experiences with such "situations" when band doesnt catch audience due to simulations(they are exremely crapy for guitar....solid states are heaven next to simulations) or shortcuts like sansamps(sansamp is evil, i still cant understand why anybody can use it and mean his sound seriousl) or mxr m-80 (not much better but it could be "maked-up" by turn off color button)

I´ve even once used only mxr m-80 for acoustic set and results was fine for such simple box but it was lifeless, dont like it as full preamp..... I understand that some "careless" players can use this way but i think sooner or later no TB´er can be careless about his gear and sound....
FOr me such shortcuts are only "emergency" solution....not serios use...
 

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