warwickhunt

Nope. He does go through FOH but also has an RCF PA cab as a monitor.

Handbox WB100 (actually 120w but who's counting. I play in a 'LOUD' band and the Handbox copes with a drummer building a shed and a guitarist using a 750w monitor.

250W RMS (500W clean) means very little regardless of who is stating it as they are nominal ratings based upon the manufacturers parameters. There isn't a 'standard' that every producer of musical equipment HAS to adhere to, they can all manipulate the figures by selecting certain frequencies and tolerances of distortion etc (as @Downunderwonderstated). Saying that... RMS is a rating which we should all be able to use as a benchmark/guide and is a generally accepted term. Your issue might be that the figure quoted would allude to the fact that Alex knows that what some manufacturers call 500W is actually a lot less than that, possibly as low as another manufacturers 250W (or vice versa) and could be allowing for the difference between a solid state and a valve amp (I'm not trying to say valve watts are louder but the delivery is different). re. plugging your amp into the cab - go for it! You could plug an amp rated at 1000W RMS Clean @ 8ohms into it and you'd not blow it up... unless you were stupid enough to try and run it flat out which you couldn't/wouldn't do! I've ran 1000W amps into 200W cabs with absolutely zero negative effect because I've used my ears PLUS an amp rated at 500W @ 8 ohms will only push out that for short periods and nobody ever runs an amp at max capacity. Plug it in, turn it up slowly to required volume and listen for farting; if it farts turn it down or adjust your EQ (less lows to start with).

The bass is located about 5 miles away from me and I've pondered on it for a few weeks but I just know the thing is going to be 10-12lb all day long.

I'll need to do a new group shot! 5th Anniversary Streamer 1991 red SSI 1990 purple SSI 1990 green SS! 1991 Dolphin Pro II 1991 Infinette

I've seen a few of those advertised over the years but they must weigh a ton! A thumb is generally a solid 9-10lb bass but that is the same woods and bigger again + it is 26 frets.

Sadly I've had experience of this... on more than one occasion. I actually depped for a band with zero rehearsal (very short notice) and despite the band being established, there were times when they were looking to me for guidance on where songs went! Goodness knows how they got by unless their regular bassist was the only one who knew what was going on... quite likely in fact. I've nothing against a bit of interpretation but down right laziness is another matter.

This...

Blimey, been playing bass 40+ years and owned some of my basses for 30 years and I've never once oiled/greased my tuners... I can only imagine how good they'd be if I had!

Had mine a year or so but it isn't my only bass (not by a long chalk). However, I'll still pick it up or play it in preference to a few significantly more expensive basses. Is it a 1 trick pony... hmmm just about but what it does it does well. I have my favourite button settings to get a core tone and then I simply use my amp to tweak the sound. This is no worse than a P bass or many other instruments with limited onboard options. Saying all of that, if I pick up a Jazz bass or a 2 pup instrument with 3 band EQ etc, I find my favourite sound and then use that. I'm not sure I know many bassists who tweak their onboard tone settings through a gig, set it at sound check and then play. The neck is slim but not silly, if you want a big baseball bat or chunky P style neck then look elsewhere. Again, maybe I'm weird but I can happily swap between basses and I wouldn't say that I find one 'the best', I'm happy so long as the action isn't stupid (which no bass should have). The weight is an absolute pleasure btw!

I've been playing live in bands for 42 years and not once have I needed to engage/use a ground lift... maybe I've been lucky. re. DI - most decent gigs where you are using a PA supplied in situ they will have a DI box which negates the need to even worry about that. Wattage - It's been said before, watts are cheap these days so you may as well have 200 - 500 watts as opposed to 100 - 200w. A few years ago you'd be in a position where wattage could be achieved at a ratio of about £1 per watt (even used), these days you can buy brand new 500w amps for £200, less used. Saying that I own a valve 120w amp that I can gig with a loud drummer and guitarist, I'd really struggle to do that with a solid state amp but I have managed with 250+ watts and efficient cabs. One consideration might be to ensure you get a speaker with decent efficiency and if possible multiples of it aligned vertically, ideally with drivers near level with your ears (which will obviously have ear plugs in). Caveat... 42 years of gigging and loads of cabs/amps etc and I'm going down the route of a preamp pedal (Sansamp) into the desk and an aux send to IEM (via wireless).

Fake news!

Citroen Berlingo / Peugeot Partner - As big as any estate car BUT you can stack gear higher or stand cabs upright where less tall estate cars you'd need to lay them down. You can get models (I have the XTR) which allow you to completely remove 1, 2 or 3 rear seats independently (and they are reasonably light).

Cheers for that, informative and glad that it confirms what I thought. TBH we play small > medium size venues and my main gripe has been that we are just too loud on stage (even with me wearing custom molded attenuated plugs) and before you ask; no turning down is not really an option! Drummer is old school loud (kick and snare through FOH), guitarist/vocalist was running IEM (found them uncomfortable but does wear ear protection) AND an RCF PA cab/monitor (guitar through FOH), now just the monitor. I was running my backline as only sound source (rarely PA support) but competing with drums and guitar back through monitor on stage. Going forward unless we do all go IEM and upgraded desk, I'm going to have to take my vocal monitor (Mackie SRM350) for the drummer to get bass unless he hears it from FOH. We use RCF 715s for PA but wondering if it would be wasted getting a (small) active sub to assist bass... though I have a niggly feeling it would add very little that the RCFs already manage. Yes, time to talk desk (with guitarist/vocalist) and IEM (with drummer).

Bog standard 12 ch 2 aux type analogue desk (vocalist owns it so no idea of make). What were you thinking?

Dear me, this bloke isn't some poor deranged soul who got swept up in the odd dodgy deal. He's patently an organised, systematic criminal... IMHO.

TKS do a 112 that should be on your list. You can't get them new any more but they pop up used regularly. They clock in at 10kg and have plenty of output; no tweeter but you really don't need it.

I've hummed and hawed about the IEM thing for years and as with everyone else I had the nagging feeling I was going to 'lose something'. Well I bit the bullet and bought the KZ ZS10 pro IEMs this week (following @EBS_freak 's recommendation for introduction to IEM) and last night was my in at the deep end moment! I bought the IEM with the view to trialing the guitarists spare (as he has moved away from IEM) XVive transmitter/receiver. Turned up to a lively small pub gig I was familiar with (always good for trialing something) to find that the band area was reduced by 1/2 and we could barely fit the THREE of us in without cabs. Time to ditch my idea of running my amp/cab + my IEM + my vocal monitor, I also ditched my bass wireless gear as it was one less thing to potentially go wrong/worry over. Long story short: bass > Sansamp > PA // PA send > splitter A+B > A = XVive to IEM. B = vocal monitor (essentially for drummer). I also had my vocal mic going to the desk to be sent to the Aux send for IEM+Monitor. Well it worked... I think! It was a bit fraught as I needed to get the FOH sound sorted (we mix ourselves and leave it set as is) + my balance in my IEM + the drummer hearing me. I wasn't convinced that I got a great mix but I was pleasantly surprised that my vocal mic gave me an ambient sound when I wasn't singing (backing vocals), so I could hear the guitarist/vocalist and the drummer... and some of the audience! I'm really not convinced that I need the vocal monitor as the drummer seemed to think he got enough bass from the FOH, so I may ditch that, especially as my IEM give me exactly the same mix from the splitter. This post is more a 'Here's how it went for me' post but have I missed anything that I could improve on or what could my next steps be? Obviously I may upgrade the KZ ZS10 pro and I will need to buy a transmitter/receiver (anything in the XVive price range to consider?) but as a novice have I omitted anything. I should add that the guitarist doesn't use backline but instead goes AXEFX > PA > floor wedge monitor. He used to use IEM AND wedge but ditched the IEM (he does wear plugs to prevent damage).

I've had Yamaha PA gear in the past and while it was rarely 'the best' it certainly lived up to price point... Yamahe / Alto / Headrush. I may need to visit PMT or similar.

The downside of soliciting answers is that those who own your type of bass will give you an unrealistically high figure, those wanting a steal will give you are knock down price. You'd think the average of the 2 sets of prices would be about right... rarely happens, those with money in their pockets are the only 'true' indicators of value and that is likely to be ebay prices!