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What essentials do you take to a gig? Kettle lead?


stefBclef
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[quote name='stefBclef' timestamp='1338156007' post='1670278']
This thread has made me reliase that maybe I should have a spare bass. I only have 1 bass, so I only take my one bass and sometimes we are the only band playing. I guess that is pretty risky right?

Do any of you just take the one bass?
[/quote]
Not only do I only take one bass, I only own one bass. Hasn't let me down so far...

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All the usual spares:- leads, strings, fuses, batteries, pliers, screw drivers, DI, etc but also:-

Sharpie and A4 paper (in case some bugger changes the set list, or to mark some possible last min changes to an arrangement)
Deodorant (for before and after gig)
Hand sanitising gel (some venue changing rooms are a health hazard)
Business cards (never miss an opportunity)
Comfy shoes to drive home in

But only 1 bass.....

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[quote name='oldslapper' timestamp='1338202184' post='1670653']
All the usual spares:- leads, strings, fuses, batteries, pliers, screw drivers, DI, etc
[/quote]

When you say fuses, what type of fuses are you referring to? Do you have a set of fuses that will fit a variety of amps? Or are they pretty standard?

When you say DI, are you saying that even if you are going to be playing the house backline and PA you still bring your own DI box in case?

Thanks

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I take a spare of each lead, screwdriver, allen keys, adjustable spanner, small torch, extra picks, and a Behringer BDI21 in case of amp failure. As have now bought an active bass, a spare battery will join in.

If my tuner or compressor goes, I`ll survive the gig without them.

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[quote name='stefBclef' timestamp='1338210251' post='1670815']


When you say fuses, what type of fuses are you referring to? Do you have a set of fuses that will fit a variety of amps? Or are they pretty standard?

When you say DI, are you saying that even if you are going to be playing the house backline and PA you still bring your own DI box in case?

Thanks
[/quote]

I take spare 5 Amp fuses for the amp's mains lead ("kettle" lead).

I take a DHA DI box, in case I have a fail with my backline and have to go direct through a house PA. The DHA has eq & volume pots, so I retain some control over sound, and I can't guarantee the quality of some in house DI boxes. My amp has DI out and, to date, most if not all sound guys take the signal straight from there, rather than a DI box link from amp's input.

Hope that answers your question.

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[quote name='stefBclef' timestamp='1338210251' post='1670815']
When you say fuses, what type of fuses are you referring to? Do you have a set of fuses that will fit a variety of amps? Or are they pretty standard?

When you say DI, are you saying that even if you are going to be playing the house backline and PA you still bring your own DI box in case?

Thanks
[/quote]
You need spare fuses for your amp, they aren't always the same rating and so you need the appropriate ones. Also 5 amp fuses fro the leads.

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[quote name='stefBclef' timestamp='1338156007' post='1670278']
Do any of you just take the one bass?
[/quote]

If I can possibly manage to take two then I will.

There was a video on here a while ago (can't seem to find it now) of a double bass player soloing. At the end of the solo, the neck separated from the body of the instrument and the whole thing collapsed.

More likely to break a string but still.

Edit: thought I'd found the video for a second.... but I hadn't :blush:

Edited by rOB
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Bass, spare bass (if space allows), pedalboard, 2 30ft cables, 20ft cable, tuner, spare batteries, screw driver, allen keys, spare strings, picks, guitar stand or two, power extension, gaffa tape, earplugs (usually juse use my earphones, they work really well), towel, deoderant, atleast 2 bottles of water and 2 cans of monster. If i'm taking my amp head too, i bring spare speaker cables and power cables. My Behringer has a DI out which can be used in a hurry, but i'm planning on adding a DI to my pedalboard as well.

Liam

Edited by LiamPodmore
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Apart from a bass in a gigbag or a case to fly, amp in a 3 U rack and cab on wheels....
a large-ish lockable fibreglass case (stolen from British Aerospace in 1992 !) foam lined, waterproof which carries, 2 of every lead I need plus an extra long speaker lead, many spare strings, 2 straps, tuner, overdrive pedal, batteries, gaffa tape, toolkit with enough tools to strip a bass or guitar down to the frets !!! Soldering iron, solder, small-ish adjustable spanner, 4 sizes of screwdrivers, pliers, cutters, string winder, needle files, superglue, marker pens, stanley knife, Starbucks strirrers for repairing worn screwholes etc etc etc... I cant remember it all... then spares like fuses, jackplugs, strap locks, jack socket and so on......
A. I need to be totally self sufficient
B. I'd rather be able to repair the problem than the gig be over because the guitarist has broken the jack on his guitar
C. I super keep on top of my rig maintenence so sod's law dosent apply !!!
D. I got caught out too many times not being able to put stuff right early on.
E. When its all packed away, it stacks up on my cab and rolls along.

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  • 9 months later...

A multi tool, door wedges (nothing worse than propping a door open with your foot when you are trying to load in and out), torch (dark stage area and clumsy band members always dropping stuff and an emergency drum key

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On one occasion, I was playing guitar on a gig, when the bassists amp (Markbass LMK)went up in a puff of smoke.

She had no spare with her. However, in my "box of leads and other misc gigging stuff that comes on every gig" I had my GK MB200. Much, it must be said, to the amusement of the rest of the band.

I am not sure how amused they had been if I had not had it with me.

Oh, and another one. I was on bass, and one of the guitarists amps failed - Ashdown Peacemaker valve combo. So, MB200 to the rescue again - his overdrive pedal into the input, and patched directly into those combo speakers. Actually sounded better than the ashdown itself usually did, but that is another story.

I always carry 4 guitar leads, 2 basses, a spare kettle lead, and some basis tools. I order that the basic tools in my band can be bailed out....lol

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:hi:
Sorry! not a spare pair of pants in sight... tbh not much out of the ordinary in the bag... loads of leads (most are spare) - including a spare surge protected kettle lead; bulk supply of spare 9v batteries (for the basses); some chord charts; the small green bag has got some allen keys in it; and some straps... that's about it.

No strings? :o

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