Muzz

I'd forgotten the 1100S came in white - sadly (tho I have previously admitted to being as shallow as a puddle in this regard) the aesthetics are as important as anything in the selection of any possible upgrade, which rules out all the new range, but I'll have a look at that 1100S...it'll be dependent on weight and neck profile...

Just a quick update on the reunion gig which I'd bought my white 414 for...it was a blinding success, and the 414 was perfect. The best bass (for the money) I've had since my old £75 BB300 back in the day (which, ironically, was my backup bass for the BB3000A I had in the band 30 years ago). We've got some more gigs on the back of the reunion one, so I'll be needing a white BB for some time to come. I'm just wondering what I might upgrade the 414 to (I tried a BB1024, but didn't like the neck as much as the 414 (too big), so it got sold), and if I really need to... 3000As are now daft(ish) money, and I'm not sure about the neck profile of the 2024s...

Wouldn't that make it an Extra Road Worn one? 😀

I've got a lead from OBBM on here which is a dual 1/4" and 3.5mm one, which, before I had a wireless pack and receiver in the PA rack, I used to run from a headphone amp on my rig. you just plug your inears plug into the 3.5mm socket at one end of the cable, and the plug at the other end into your DG headphone out. Definitely the cheapest way to get bass monitoring to your ears...tho you'll miss some of the main band sound, possibly. I still think the drums and the bass should be balanced on stage, tho...if the drummer's louder than you are, then won't the moaners start on him...no matter how cute he is?

That bottom picture has the body language of a bassist thinking "Oh, no...what have I brought this for?". My sympathies: anyone who has more than one option for a gigging rig has been there... 😕

There's your issue; keep your SC, take your £1k budget down to a beauty salon and get them to do what they can for a grand...

Thanks Bill; the speaker I'm looking at is an Eminence, so I'm hoping it's not all completely made up...

I think this one might benefit a wind back from the giddiness of new kit*....is your drummer amplified at all? I'm reading he isn't, so he's the limiting factor (one way or the other) in the band volume. Earlier in the thread, you said "But the problem is if it's loud enough for the audience it's too loud for the singers, when it's in backline." So how loud do they consider the drummer? If you position your backline close to the drummer and set the levels so that the rhythm section is balanced (dunno about you, but we always start the sound check with the drums, then balance the bass with that, then add guitar/keys/vocal on top of that foundation), would the singers still complain about you? Why don't they complain about the drummer? * I knowww...contrary to the spirit of Basschat, I know, but bear with...

Much as the title suggests, does anyone (and I'm thinking of our more technically adept contributors here) know if a higher sensitivity speaker has a trade-off in another area? This is prompted by my consideration of a replacement speaker for a 12" combo (which has good feedback from folk who've done it, so I'm not fretting too much about the actual speaker's suitability for the cab) which is IIRC 5db higher in sensitivity, and so should produce more volume per watt than the incumbent factory effort. Does this come with a downside?

But...but...the logo... 😕😁 I know what you mean about backline, if that's the situation I put my cab close to the drummer, which kinda gets around that sort of 'it's the bass' issue, and makes the rhythm section more of a sonic unit* If you do give it a go, I'd be first in line to hear if it works... * Possibly a 70s Hawkwind album, possibly not... 😁

If the SC gives you a sound you like but isn’t loud enough, I’d be inclined to add another for a more modular rig that’ll cover everything* rather than a cab that needs to be positioned in a fairly strange place: that rear-firing speaker will be a nightmare if the venue/stage shape/size means you have to position it in the tradition Pantomime position**, possibly near a wall... I’m not keen on even rear-ported cabs for this, let alone an actual rear driver. Again, I don’t see a 10” speaker at floor/ankle level giving much monitoring, unless you’re on a bigger stage... If the SC is loud enough, then just wedge it to point at your head: I have one of those kinda deckchair wedge stands for when I’m playing tight small gigs with my 112 combo, and it works a treat...it’s also my cure for guitards who always turn up too loud; point their cab at their head... Multi-monitors for a small pub gig is just daft, and that sort of decision-making was borne out by the balls he obviously made of running it, too... Out of interest, are you gonna run a long speaker cable, or have your amp on the cab at the front? * I’m basing ‘everything’ on my ST, which, with the right amp, will go much louder than any drummer...and that’s all backline needs to do 😁 ** ‘It’s behiiiind youuuu... 😁

So the cab will be front of stage in the way, and the monitor (back speaker) is at the bottom pointing at your ankles? There's a reason monitors are wedges... It might sound '3D' in a home studio environment in splendid isolation, but I'm still not buying this as a practical cab for the vast majority of gigs - if you're out without bass-capable PA, you're in a smaller room, and speakers facing both directions and your cab in front of you indicates (to me, at least) more trouble than it's worth...

Most gigs I love the audience reactions, and I'm lucky to be playing with the best drummer I've ever played with, so even the iffily-attended gigs are a joy. We've also got our gigging gear down to the absolute minimum carry for most gigs, so the heavy lifting and shifting is a thing of the past, too... 😁 That's the covers/function band, the originals band just did a 30 year anniversary gig which was bouncing and a whole different kind of joy. We've been picked up for a couple of big gigs next year, too 😁

Tricky to get the bass sound just right, despite Bernard allegedly using one in the studio...

Yup. Beyond boring. If it was just these new soooper-dooper models, for me they could change the strapline to 'Never play a Fender again'...

OK, before I start, it's worth saying I've loved every Berg cab I've owned or used. This, however, rather looks like a solution to a problem no-one has asked for...a 3 dimensional soundstage? Good luck positioning that in 90% of real-world venues.

In the covers/function band, we have played SOF and Chelsea Dagger and lots of those pub classics, we don't play them any more unless we get a request from the person who's paying, mostly because there are lots of other bands who do play them. As we gig a lot, we keep the setlist freshened up more for our own sanity, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of songs out there which will get a pub up and dancing/singing as long as you play them well. I have to say I've never heard a fellow musician say they wouldn't play a particular properly requested (see 'by the person who's paying' above) song on a paying gig. If it was as a one-off, I'd think less of anyone who did. Oh, and Don't Look Back In Anger takes the roof off every time. If having a pub full of people singing it back to you doesn't give you a thrill, you're at the wrong end of the business.

Nope, doesn't do a thing for me, like a lot of bass solo virtuosos. I also think his influence is overestimated (not difficult with some of the hyperbole given out) - yes, he influenced a lot of players that followed him (and strove to sound like him - that parpy back pickup stuff), but not many of the bigger players I like. All IMHO, YMMV, etc, etc...

I play a lot of gigs without back line, and tho I've never been a pedalboard junkie I've had single multi-units like the Boss ME-50B, the Zoom 60 and B3, and a HD500x, but I have a Stomp now which does everything I need (and a whole lot more). I should add the B3 and HD500x were good units, I just needed the pitch shifting to be a bit less warbly down to D (or even C), which I found the Stomp to be ideal for; it's not cheap, but it's brilliant at what it does...

Played a 29-year anniversary/reunion gig with an originals band which split, erm, 29 years ago. We'd all got chatting at a wedding a year or so ago and decided to do it, so we had half a dozen rehearsals and went for it. Great venue - well, soundwise, anyway (great house PA and engineer), but the stairs were a bit of a trial - Gullivers in Manchester. We'd shifted tickets and it was busy. Had a ball, the crowd loved it, it was great to play the songs live again, and good fun to take the full rig (Walkabout, Super Twin and Compact) for once. I played my white BB414 (I had a white BB3000 back in the day), which is the best sub-£200 bass I've ever owned. All in all a terrific night

Yep, had something similar recently: 40-something chap sees us in an Irish bar while he was with his mates and full of Guinness, books us for the following month. Gig is 25 people in a posh suite in a posh hotel for his parents' 50th wedding anniversary. He was the youngest person in the room. Was still a good gig, though, as we just turned right down and played an appropriate set of songs. They enjoyed us, but it was a bit like playing for your Gran and her friends... 😕🙂

I've had the MB 112 (and a 115) combo, and while it was a while ago, so I'm going off memory here, judging from the volume available from the Rumble 112, I'd say if the Rumble 200 is of a size and weight you can hoick about comfortably, then it'd do as good a job as the MB 112...

Fair point Blue, but when you work with deps (or as a dep), you get what/who you get on the night, and if it's the wrong guy, there's your gig in the bin...

The giddy ten-year-old in me loves Jens' more OTT elements (50,000 year old mammoth ivory nut, anyone? Wonder where that sits with the whole Tonewoods debate?*), but his blobby shapes just aren't me. Possibly just as well, as they're not something I'll ever afford. Plus, a pal of mine** kinda calmed the whole thing down for me when I showed him Jens' site and he said "It's all a bit vajazzle, tho, isn't it?" 😕 * 'Gives an old-school vibe, but not as well as proper 60,000 year old mammoth ivory...' 😃 ** Same pal who ruined Corvettes for me by looking at the top horn and saying "That looks like a nob". I can't ever not see that. I've stopped showing him basses now. 😕

As with all these sorts of situations, it very much depends on your band - I've got a Rumble 100 for the small trio gigs when there's some PA support, and for smaller bars with vocal-only PA, which is even smaller and lighter than the 200, although with a giddy drummer I've found myself on occasion driving it quite hard. I'm seriously considering spending £65 to put a much better speaker in there (and another tenner to line it: it's an unlined cab, and I've experienced it feeding back when I'm standing close and cranking it), as I like the weight and small size. I should add that I have a Walkabout and two BF cabs, a 115 and a monster 212, so if I need to step up I've got lots of options, it's just the verrrrry small Rumble combo is great to grab and go... I would say that the 'lightweight' part of the cab has nothing to do with the whooomph, heft, grunt or whatever - the BF 212 weighs 39lbs and will drown any drummer - I used to use it in a Rawk band with a shedbuilder and two Marshall/412 halfstack guitards, and it comfortably ran with them with headroom to burn...