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"your rig or the gig is cancelled"
- Thread starter groooooove
- Start date
Okay, it says:
"I wouldn't stick my oar in, the way I see it, there's no trouble as long as the male genital organ doesn't leave a spot of stuff on the stage! If that happened, a klutz might slip on it, and bang his rear end."
More better?
Never lend your gear to anyone unless 1) you know them really well and trust them; 2) you are adequately bribed or persuaded; 3) the one who asks is some kind of great musician and you'd get a kick out of saying “[Billy Sheehan] used my bass and amp the other night!”
I've lent mine out loads of times. It's just an amp and it usually makes more sense than having either really long changeovers or several rigs on stage. Everyone gets "the talk" though, if you mistreat it, I'll walk on stage and fix it. I'll turn it down if you're horrendously clipping it and I'll turn it off if you're just being an ass.
I've only had to do this once, and it was a young teen who had no idea how anything worked and had never played on anything more than a practice amp before. I've never actually walked on stage for anyone being disrespectful.
That gig in the OP though? Nah, I'd have backed out too. It's a privilege 'cos I'm nice that I'll share my rig, it's no ones right to expect to share it.
I've only had to do this once, and it was a young teen who had no idea how anything worked and had never played on anything more than a practice amp before. I've never actually walked on stage for anyone being disrespectful.
That gig in the OP though? Nah, I'd have backed out too. It's a privilege 'cos I'm nice that I'll share my rig, it's no ones right to expect to share it.
Selowitch, I'd amend your 3rd point to read, "Don't do it unless you'd get a kick out of saying "[Billy Sheehan] trashed my rig the other night."
Helping out ONE bassist that is coming in with a band from out of town is ok. But when everyboby asks to use your rig and makes a big fuss about it then thats a different story. Your rig or the gig is off...ok then!
Did you total up what it would have cost him to rent it? I would have presented him with a bill.
rockstarbassist
Inactive
This is what I say. I actually carry my JDI as backup and tell them they're welcome to it and they can just use the monitors like everyone else.
You're gonna pay me to fix my M9 if you toast it? yeah, right!
Hahaha, You don't remember where you set your knobs? Someone did that for you?
OMG, someone change the position of my treble, now I need to spend weeks to get 'my sound' again!!
- Jun 3, 2009
- 3,330
- 399
- Disclosures
- Bassgearu, Music Industry Consulting and Sales. Tech 21, NBE Corp, Sonosphere.
As the ruler of all NJ bassists and bands, please give me their name so I can reach out and slap them silly.
Not sure why this is a problem. However, the way the gig came together is THE problem. I suggest that you bring a crappier rig. I always have my Peavey Basic 60 in the wings as a back up, just in case. Use your practice rig. Or better yet, take a monitor wedge, if you got 'em, and run the bass thru the board then that. Should be fine.
Not sure why this is a problem. However, the way the gig came together is THE problem. I suggest that you bring a crappier rig. I always have my Peavey Basic 60 in the wings as a back up, just in case. Use your practice rig. Or better yet, take a monitor wedge, if you got 'em, and run the bass thru the board then that. Should be fine.
There is no excuse not to have adequate gear to play a gig.
If you don,t have it then rent or save up-simple.Until you have gear up to the task then don,t take on gigs cause your not ready.
A great tip is to have a DI pre-amp like a sansamp or if your strapped for cash a behringer one going direct into the PA with foldback through the monitors,the sound guy will thank you and you will get a good sound on the night.
I have come across some hard faced people but they are easily dealt with, a glesga kiss n a kick up the bahooky while telling them I don,t work with balloons.
If you don,t have it then rent or save up-simple.Until you have gear up to the task then don,t take on gigs cause your not ready.
A great tip is to have a DI pre-amp like a sansamp or if your strapped for cash a behringer one going direct into the PA with foldback through the monitors,the sound guy will thank you and you will get a good sound on the night.
I have come across some hard faced people but they are easily dealt with, a glesga kiss n a kick up the bahooky while telling them I don,t work with balloons.
rockstarbassist
Inactive
Turning all the knobs all the way up can have some pretty bad results.
Also, changing the position of the graphic EQ can be really irritating if it's 10-band or more.
Or a six band semi-parametric EQ like on the Mesas.
Literally if you had no clue where you had set them, and some one comes and changes all of them, I doubt you could ever really get back to the sound you had.
Changing one band in the EQ affects the rest of the bands in the EQ, essentially making it an ordered process...
In 1967 when our band was young and just getting started, we were opening for a very popular British Band who I will leave unamed. We were asked / told that they needed to use MY bass gear (2 Fender Dual Showmen) and our bands PA about 45 minutes before we went on to play our set by the manaager who booked the show because the Bristish Band did'nt have thier equipment for some strange reason. Well-I did'nt want to, but finally relented under the pressure of the 5000 people starting to fill up the theater, and said yes. Our band played first and with out ever even talking to us , the British band started their show. All through their show my amps and the PA were sounding very distorted. After the show-the Brits never even said thanks or goodbye!! I checked my bass amps and PA, and every single knob was turned up to 10
!! I was lucky that my amp was OK-but our PA had a couple of blown speakers. I then decided to never loan out my equipment again unless I knew the person would take care of it as well as I would! About 10 years later after our band broke up- and I was going to College and I had retired my last Rig ( 3 Acoustic 360powered cabs and 1 361 preamp) to my mother's basement. My brother(the former band's guitarist) had formed a new band, and decided without asking me, that he would allow his bassist to use 2/3s of my Acoustic Amplifier rig as well as my 64 Jazz bass in a gig at a local club. The band decided to leave the equipment in the club after the gig and pick it up in the morning. But when they got there to pick it up-all they saw was black ashes -the highest thing standing was what was left of the metal drum seat ...the club and all remaining equipment had burned to the ground that night!! As arson was expected -no insurance was collected....And I lost a 64 Jazz Bass, an Acoustic 360 preamp and 2 Acoustic 361 cabs...
Since then I've only let one bassist use my rig who was a good friend of mine whose band was head lining at a concert where my band was opening. The other bassist's head had just blown that week and he called me and personally told me about the jam he was in. I respected him and trusted him as a musician and a friend who would not abuse my equipment, and it was a joyous event as he joined in on our set on a few songs on different instruments as did other members of his band.... in the interest of the music, but not without the trust of the man! Peace...DAcat
1.Clipping.
Some clip lights mean the amp is clipping somewhere..could be anywhere.
Some clip lights are built in limiters
Some clip lights are peak lights and/or warn of the danger of clipping
Some people are just muzoid idiots with no respect for other people or their gear, however expensive. Dont expect these people to turn off an amp before unplugging the chord from their bass. Also, if you dont like how they are treating gear then tell them they are drowning out the FOH mix. Make sure the whole band knows, too. Get them involved. They all want to come through in FOH and will usually come to the consensus that the person in question should turn down. Say something like I cant hear the vocals over the bass. Its now their problem too and it usually gets solved fast. I wouldnt dare used the word overpowering though. Bassists love wattage.
2.I once watched some bassist borrow another dudes rig and dump an entire 16 ounce lone star into an svt-3pro. He stood there like an idiot gawking at the smoking, steaming piece of smelly toast. I was on the side of the stage, made eye contact with him as I yelled turn it off and unplug it twice. This mope still stood there doing nothing at which point I rushed up on stage, turned it off, and unplugged it. Moron.
3.Friends
Sometimes you cant trust your friends to be responsible with your stuff especially if they are borrowing it for a gig in which another member of the band will be using it.
I once lent my first bass to a buddy of mine and it came back with pellet gun marks/indentations on it. I asked him what in the world he did to it and that is exactly what he did used it for target practice while he was wasted. Were even now though and he knows better. I said lame! walked away and poured a drink then I slapped the dog crap out of him when he wasnt expecting it. Hard enough to break a blood vessel (in my hand).
A few weeks ago my guitarist friend asked if his bassist could use my bass for their gig. I initially said no, but he is a long-time buddy of mine and so I called him back and reversed my answer. I gave one condition that the other bassist not wear a belt buckle. I show up to the gig to see how things are going and guess what? This dope is wearing a big brass belt buckle.
Also, if you lend one friend something, the rest expect the same treatment. BEWARE!
4.I have ONE buddy who I rent my NV215 to. He pays me a monthly fee and I take care of wear and tear (busted corners). He treats both me AND my gear with respect. I know what style/music he plays and I know how he treats his gear. I was pleasantly surprised one night when I arrived at his gig unannounced a nice volume (nothing overwhelmingly loud or in danger of blowing up anything) and when he was done I found him putting the protective padded cover on it. I said hey dude I had completely forgotten that thing even had a cover! to which he replied yeah man this thing never goes anywhere without it. I paid for his drinks that night.
5.Backlining your rig
It is beyond me why some people dont bring their own gear/tone, lie about it, or consider distance to be a problem. If you own your own gear then have a way to transport it. OR get smaller gear. Bass amps today are tiny and light. No excuses. If they cant make that happen then secure the proper backline. If they come to me looking to use my rig at showtime, I charge them and make it's clear that if they blow something up, they are paying for it. In Texas a verbal agreement will hold up in court but it always helps to get it in writing. I also give them the normal talk about settings. If they start whining then I tell them my rig is my rig. I shelled out all this hard-earned cash for this tone and they will not get to reap the benefits of it or blow it up. Also, if I have to leave after Im done playing, then my rig goes with me. If its a friend in a jam then I will try and help them out, but at the cost of a few drinks; ok but he is not allowed to wear a belt buckle and I want two shiners, a long island, and some smokes. It's not unreasonable - that belt buckle rash will never go away.
If you do find yourself backlining a rig for the night, you better know what youre getting into. I did it once for five bands because it was my show with me at the board and it made the show flow more smoothly. I gave them something I liked the tone of and something I knew they couldnt blow up. One of the bands I let use their own rig because I was intrigued by the fact that it was a similar rig of doom a Bergie 410 with some other awesome amp I cant remember. I wish I could because it (and I really hate saying this) actually sounded better than my 400+/NV215 combo. I really think the room just preferred those Bergie tens though. I had used my rig that night because the Mesa would break up long before damaging those speakers. I should look into the power tube mod though. Seems like it could help. Automatic compression and after a certain volume, just distortion.
Bottom line: you darn well better know what youre getting into. Otherwise it could cost you an unreasonable amount of both time and money. In the case of the OP, good call. I would have told them to soak their heads. Dont let anyone boss around your tone if your tone is boss.
Some clip lights mean the amp is clipping somewhere..could be anywhere.
Some clip lights are built in limiters
Some clip lights are peak lights and/or warn of the danger of clipping
Some people are just muzoid idiots with no respect for other people or their gear, however expensive. Dont expect these people to turn off an amp before unplugging the chord from their bass. Also, if you dont like how they are treating gear then tell them they are drowning out the FOH mix. Make sure the whole band knows, too. Get them involved. They all want to come through in FOH and will usually come to the consensus that the person in question should turn down. Say something like I cant hear the vocals over the bass. Its now their problem too and it usually gets solved fast. I wouldnt dare used the word overpowering though. Bassists love wattage.
2.I once watched some bassist borrow another dudes rig and dump an entire 16 ounce lone star into an svt-3pro. He stood there like an idiot gawking at the smoking, steaming piece of smelly toast. I was on the side of the stage, made eye contact with him as I yelled turn it off and unplug it twice. This mope still stood there doing nothing at which point I rushed up on stage, turned it off, and unplugged it. Moron.
3.Friends
Sometimes you cant trust your friends to be responsible with your stuff especially if they are borrowing it for a gig in which another member of the band will be using it.
I once lent my first bass to a buddy of mine and it came back with pellet gun marks/indentations on it. I asked him what in the world he did to it and that is exactly what he did used it for target practice while he was wasted. Were even now though and he knows better. I said lame! walked away and poured a drink then I slapped the dog crap out of him when he wasnt expecting it. Hard enough to break a blood vessel (in my hand).
A few weeks ago my guitarist friend asked if his bassist could use my bass for their gig. I initially said no, but he is a long-time buddy of mine and so I called him back and reversed my answer. I gave one condition that the other bassist not wear a belt buckle. I show up to the gig to see how things are going and guess what? This dope is wearing a big brass belt buckle.
Also, if you lend one friend something, the rest expect the same treatment. BEWARE!
4.I have ONE buddy who I rent my NV215 to. He pays me a monthly fee and I take care of wear and tear (busted corners). He treats both me AND my gear with respect. I know what style/music he plays and I know how he treats his gear. I was pleasantly surprised one night when I arrived at his gig unannounced a nice volume (nothing overwhelmingly loud or in danger of blowing up anything) and when he was done I found him putting the protective padded cover on it. I said hey dude I had completely forgotten that thing even had a cover! to which he replied yeah man this thing never goes anywhere without it. I paid for his drinks that night.
+1
5.Backlining your rig
It is beyond me why some people dont bring their own gear/tone, lie about it, or consider distance to be a problem. If you own your own gear then have a way to transport it. OR get smaller gear. Bass amps today are tiny and light. No excuses. If they cant make that happen then secure the proper backline. If they come to me looking to use my rig at showtime, I charge them and make it's clear that if they blow something up, they are paying for it. In Texas a verbal agreement will hold up in court but it always helps to get it in writing. I also give them the normal talk about settings. If they start whining then I tell them my rig is my rig. I shelled out all this hard-earned cash for this tone and they will not get to reap the benefits of it or blow it up. Also, if I have to leave after Im done playing, then my rig goes with me. If its a friend in a jam then I will try and help them out, but at the cost of a few drinks; ok but he is not allowed to wear a belt buckle and I want two shiners, a long island, and some smokes. It's not unreasonable - that belt buckle rash will never go away.
If you do find yourself backlining a rig for the night, you better know what youre getting into. I did it once for five bands because it was my show with me at the board and it made the show flow more smoothly. I gave them something I liked the tone of and something I knew they couldnt blow up. One of the bands I let use their own rig because I was intrigued by the fact that it was a similar rig of doom a Bergie 410 with some other awesome amp I cant remember. I wish I could because it (and I really hate saying this) actually sounded better than my 400+/NV215 combo. I really think the room just preferred those Bergie tens though. I had used my rig that night because the Mesa would break up long before damaging those speakers. I should look into the power tube mod though. Seems like it could help. Automatic compression and after a certain volume, just distortion.
Bottom line: you darn well better know what youre getting into. Otherwise it could cost you an unreasonable amount of both time and money. In the case of the OP, good call. I would have told them to soak their heads. Dont let anyone boss around your tone if your tone is boss.
Maybe I'm crazy but I've been in that situation and always did it. My rig was far better than the other bands anway.
I guess another thing is since you are all friends would be the first reason why you should do it.
To me an amp is one thing, a bass is another, although I let people try mine that I make all the time too, so I guess I'm in the minority here.
Do you really think whatever basses these other guys will be playing will damage your rig, really?
Wow that is one fragile rig you've got there.
Sorry man, I'd take that gig, it's about music not gear.
Cranky old man signing off. LOL
Good luck,
Dirk
I've listened to bass players through headphones while mixing front of house for years. If you heard half the abuse that I heard I don't think you'd lend your gear to someone you don't know, either. It doesn't have to be catastrophic failure. Bad playing, too hard or too loud with distortion can takes years off the life of your gear. I'll agree with the OP.
Mark
