JTUK

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1390047281' post='2340832'] More than likely transformer weight, then - which would back up my completely unscientific and unproven theory that it is these which are responsible for heft, twang, beef, thump and 'the bounce'. [/quote] ...................... I'd agree.... can't explain it but I can hear it. It is also the amp that gets the most comments on sound. It FILLS the room.... whereas some amps are just heard. In this regard, it can be too loud...if that makes sense.... as what sounds great to me on stage is rocking the back walls.

Depends on the SS power stage. IMO The Ag DB amps more than keep up with the big valve jobs, but the output stage is VERY wieghty...which is needs to be, IMO.

yep...why do you trust this pile of poo, if you never know what state or what kit is even going to be there...? I always ask... and tbh... my kit will trump theirs 99% of the time. For me, its the bass.... without that, you have no chance and you'll be forever at the EQ stage of the amp... I'd invest evenly in all 3 stages myself. A poor cab is going to ruin everything but as long as the signal going into the amp is good, you don't need to twiddle much, IMO.

I prefer passive, for the most part, but active has its adavantages on the type of gigs we do...which are much more fraught sound wise than a pro stage would be. So the convenience of the active has its place, IMV.....for those quick adjustments when someone else in the band alters the sound dynamaic. We are pretty good at keeping our sound though and we can always hear ALL parts that are played and sung. My sounds never strays too far from a passive sounds anyway...and it is insist on using all your boost from the pre.... you get away from the character of the bass and into the character of the pre... For me, it is merely an inhancing tool.... not a sound in itself..and once I have set the tone for the evening, which in itself takes merely a couple of minutes, that is me for the evening. I tend to go passive, when the P.A and monitoring is very good.

Depends if I know the gig and what the space is like. Am undecided about 2 basses tonight as I may need new strings on my second bass, and not sure if I want to do that.... For the louder numbers at the end of the set, the 'second' bass works well as it is a fuller jazz sound, but I prefer the thinner vintagey character on number 1 bass. Tonight we have a new drummer, so I think I'll take just the one.

Never think a 5 is a good idea unless you KNOW you'll need it and you are already hearing it in context with what you are playing. I am a commted 5 er but I think you need to KNOW you need a 5, rather than maybe think you do..IMO.

If you want to be good, you'll need some natural aptitude. There are degrees of natural aptitude tho..... But the more you play and listen, the better chance you give yourself

My DB212 slaughters my 2xAE112's, IMO Fuller down low for a 5... and smoother in the mids that matter. I use a thin-ish sound and I need the top strings to bite thru...and the DB212 does this better than the Bergs.... The Bergs stay because of the weight and they aren't bad cabs

I think you need to get MB to tell what chassis they are and if they still have the coning kits. If you can't do this or get the info, you have no choice but to replace the units. Chances are the chassis aren't that special... this is not a big deal and may well make it easy to get a matched replacement... and if the can works well to your ears, then that is the final arbiter on drivers, IMV. Many cab makers will tell the chassis units are bespoke... and that keeps you inline to use them for replacements. Doesn't help at all, when the speakers are out of production However, there may be one or two chaps on here who could backward-research/guess/esitmate what chassis you actually have and could make a fair stab at pointing you in the direction of a good replacement. If you have model numbers, that would be a start....they may then ask for cab and port dims etc etc ... I am sure one or two will be along at some point Just don't assume that a 10" will fit right in... there is way more to it than that... I found this out with SWR PAS units

JFDI.....

Depends how good the monitors are..and generally monitors are poor unless you pay very good money. This makes them tend to be Vox only....and especially if hearing vox is the issue. So, priority is to get the level and sound up to be able to hear the lead vocal... and if the mix is unattended, then the band needs very good discipline not to 'blow; the mix. Vol creep is almost a fact of life and gtrs and drums can't help themselves and turn up. Depending what your line up is and how many mixes you have, you will probably have to sacrifice everything for the lead Vox mon mix.... In this scenario, backline becomes the monitors for instruments and the drums get an acoustic mon....i,e you play to his level. You have to really be keen to keep the mix as with your line-up, there isn't anyone to compensate or adjust it anyway.

I'd loved Aguilar to make a DB610... but the SWR610 would be my choice. The only thing about that would be the drivers are nigh on impossible in the U.K to replace... IME.

I don't mind paying a premium for western made goods...as long as they deserve that mark-up but production in the far east is only because the labour is cheaper, imo. That saving should be passed on to the buyer, and if it goes straight to the shareholders, then the brand deserves no loyalty. Cheap tacky trick... on the face of it, and has demeaned the brand. IMO.

I'd also consider 'burn-out' My idea of 'hell'..and this is relative, of course, is bombing up and down the M1 for a wedding on a sat...with a round trip of 4-5 driving hours, for £350 per man. You need that gig as it would be half your weekly money..assuming what you needed to earn... and you'd need it 52 weeks a year. That is when it is HARD work. I'd hate it for a wedding type gig. It is also why we set the gig conditions that we now have.... which is 2 hrs max playing time to start with and the material that we want to do... That is our/my way of extending our playing 'career'

I wanted to buy a house and I recalled people who were considered as not so capable at school having all these things around the age of 30... That is when I realised that you needed an income 52 weeks a year. Earning 'good' money in a week wasn't so much the problem...but being able to do it week-in, week-out was... To this day, this is still very true with all my 'pro' mates. Also, I didn't know, or wasn't as confident as to how good you had to be... I am far more comfortable with that equation now...but am not remotely interested in it.. having said that........... should a good tour come along, yes, I'd do it.. but that is because I can afford to.

I'll write a chord chart out after a few listens and that is it. Not interested in any parts until I know what everyone else is doing with it...waste of time otherwise. My bass parts will change with a different drummer anyway........ and since we use a few drummers atm, then I need to be fluid in order to make it work.

When Kent Armstrong did this for me, he had to take the pickup out. He rewound another one as he had the right cases around in his workshop. I can't recall if he wanted to do this to demo a new approach to the MM or whether he had to use another pickup. I wasn't fussed about keeping the MM tone anyway...I'd done all that and gotten bored with it... but it extended the use of the bass by quite a while as everythng else on it was great... Rock solid neck, great player...etc etc So, yes... this is a mod, I'd recommend...but keep the old tone stack for when you sell.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1389533325' post='2335136'] +1 We might drop a slow number if the floor is full but we've used our experience to design the set and that's what we play. We have paced the gig and we've been doing this long enough to be able to bet on our judgement. I see it as part of being in a band with a "professional" approach. [/quote] 100%... If you can't really cut down your playing time...and that is the real hard part, and you have to do it straight thru... as it is easy to lose control otherwise... then we find a slow section absolutely mandatory.... We pick numbers to add to the set on the basis of where we think we will put them. We have about 5 barnstorming closers, openers mid setters, .... You can't pick or play all your best numbers all the time.... as you will end up pretty predictable otherwise and people will have seen all your best moves in about 3 gigs..

12" and 6"..... and poss a horn on top..?? depending on the horn..

We run the set as per how we want to run the gig... so the agenda is all ours... The worse thing about this with a pub set of 2x45 is that you have to let the first set go and do it all over again. For certain gigs we don't like to do 2 sets but then again 2 hrs in one hit is very draining... Some gigs you can compromise, some you can't.... but I think the ability or lack of...being able to set the tone will impact of the shows you do and the money you get. Basically, if bands NEVER get away from a pub set...then they'll never get away from pub money. Bands round here may think £350-450 for pub beer festival is good as it is £100 plus more than a pub money, but then all you do is get event organisers say they know what you earn in a pub..why should they pay more for more of the same..???

You have to be careful running 212/410 and a 210.... UNLESS the 210 is twice the impedance...as the 210 will get the same power as the larger more powerful cab. You may well find you are pushing the rig hard and caning the smaller cab. You might be better off just running the 212/410. unless the idea is visual..

hmmm used to play with a drummer who had a drink problem... and would be so p****** that a p** break was needed exactly when it was needed. We booked a horn section and the first gig in a marquee... I looked round to see why the drums had stopped and his backside was disappearing under the marquee panel to take this 'break'. The song was Knock on wood... and I thought we'd blown it with the horn section, but they saw the funny side and stuck around and are still with the band 12 years later... ( the drummer isn't ) The drummer was known as this sort of character and I have zillions of stories....BUT.. I did have to warn him that I wouldn't tolerate losing money because of him... I left because they started to get good function money and he wasn't able to adhere to that discipline... Very good player and alright guy.... but he is a drunk. I don't need that on gigs. I think we only got away with it on 'piddly' little gigs as the audience all knew and loved him..but you couldn't have that away from that environment..and I didn't..

And it depends how well you can read the mood of the evening. As I say, I have only come across one act who made it work. We plan the event for light and shade, big start or good start or low key start ...and we will even choose songs to do on this basis..as in, opening number only. The easiest thing is the ending.... as that is almost a given. The pace of the rest of the show is quite a 'skill', IMO. So the idea is for the band to set/determine the tone, rather than follow, react to it... And this is also why you would do well to play straight thru ...ore else you will have do it all twice... which is a pain, plus it gives people excuses to drop off... all to be avoided, IMO...

My first proper gig was in a fucntion band with a very established local act. The had all the numbers on a list on the floor and we used to follow the leaders lead...but that was the only time EVER I have come across an act that could read and set the mood perfectly. I didn't appreciate it at the time as the skill it was...but I do know. So, for the rest of us, we rehearse the show.... and write it in advance. If that is a set down the pub, then so be it...but for bigger gigs it is critical, IMO. If you do pubs, and want to do better paying gigs...not necessarily functions, then you need a planned show...IMO otherwise what disguishes your pub gig for pub money from other better paid gigs?

Lot of thought goes into a set list as keys and gtr needs to re-program...and they are doing this with the minimum of space between numbers. Some people can carry this space though and it can add to the gig... but they are few and far between, IMO... If you are going to work towards shows, rather than pub sets then you need to try and give the audience something more to justify ticket prices. Deoends what gigs you see yourself doing or want to do. We have a few decent shows this year and I want to be planning the set and line-up now... Something tells me that I am leaving it late...again..for the summer. which will be VERY frustrating. People say they want to do this to generate better fees but it is a lot of work...