Personal concerns about your rig.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Bobo_Grimmer' timestamp='1353089429' post='1871615']
Ok so your saying the amp and cab are the over kill bit? or all of it? The rack effects and the pedal board are all stuff for sounds we use..... The good thing about the amp is that it goes loud enough for playing big venues like the O2 and is tonally lovely at a lower volume in my local
[/quote]
I wouldn't take out an amp that big for small gigs.It would be way too much..I reckon you could get your sound out of a much smaller
amp. Even for big venues like the O2,you could use a much smaller rig because you'd have massive PA support. If you feel
that the rack is a necessity,that's fine,but again I wouldn't be happy carrying an 8u rack to gigs and you could probably downsize.

I'm not telling you what you should be doing,just what I'd do,and while it's great to have a big fancy rig with lots of gear
(I know,I have more than most) it all starts with your hands.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Bobo_Grimmer' timestamp='1353088648' post='1871599']
This is exactly what the missus and i have just been talking about. It kind of feel like i have a justification hat for my GAS and that hat goes on a lot. That then in turn feeds the negativity i feel from looks and wonders about thoughts other musicians are having of me at gigs.... If that makes sense.
[/quote]

Trust me when I tell you that even if other musicians are making judgements about you based on the gear you use at gigs , they are not likely to any more rational in those judgements than you are being irrational in fearing their judgement . Who are they anyway , and whatever judgement they were to make about you , what possible difference could it make to you ? Who is listening to their opinions ? Try having some faith in your own choices . If you like a particular piece of equipment for whatever reason that should be reason enough for using it . Let other people have whatever opinion of it they like- you will never be able to control what other people think anyway, no matter how hard you try . Excessive worry about what other people think of us is another classic symptom of various neurotric psychological disorders , including social phobia and much more rarely, scopophobia . It's always a good idea ( within reason ) to resist avoiding the everyday things we are frightened of , because in avoiding them they become more powerful in our imagination and more frightening over time . If you feel self -conscious about your equipment choices then make a point of using it and enjoying it . You will soon feel better about things as a result.

[Lozz196]

I`ve recently been through a "finding myself" sort-of time re my rig. And so I`ve downsized to what amps/cabs I can carry easily, and also decided to sell my two 70s Precisions, as I don`t really need basses of that value.

Nothing to do with being worried over gear getting trashed, I`ve just now got the rig I need for my bands, as oppose to the one I thought I needed. And man, does my back feel better for it. And so will my bank balance when I`ve finally sold the items below

[chrismuzz]

Personally, I like seeing lots of gear behind the band

My approach to my own gear though is to try and make it as easy as possible to carry my own into the venue. I've got it down to two quick trips now!

Trip 1: Backpack with amp, tools and leads, two basses in one hand, pedalboard in other
Trip 2: Carry 4x10 in on my own

Job done!

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Bobo_Grimmer' timestamp='1353089429' post='1871615']
Ok so your saying the amp and cab are the over kill bit? or all of it? The rack effects and the pedal board are all stuff for sounds we use..... The good thing about the amp is that it goes loud enough for playing big venues like the O2 and is tonally lovely at a lower volume in my local
[/quote]

I wonder how many bits of kit make a big difference in the band mix- and how much makes a difference for the audience? But from the players perspective I don't think that that is primerally a physical thing as much a mental thing- how little would you/me feel comfortable using?
Personally I have a bass amp I like the sound of (with a nice compressor on it) and basses that sound nice - and for me unless I need OD of fuzz or chorus or something thats enough. When I did use more effects I built something with 3 effects in the same box- fun but ... often not needed.

I think sometimes gear can become a crutch - all this fancy gear makes up for a lack of confidence in our playing.

[thebrig]

I used to fill a large car with my rig, now I have my GB Streamliner (in it's bag) on one shoulder, a backpack with bits and pieces on the other shoulder, my American Standard precision in one hand, and my Barefaced Super 12 in the other hand.

It's everything I need for any gig that I will ever do, and sounds great!

[chris_b]

Two points: if it's the sound for you, why are you changing it? If you change anything you [i]will[/i] sound different.

If you [i]have[/i] to change any part of your rig then you’ll just have to get a [i]new [/i]sound out of it that you love as much.

[Spike Vincent]

Bass
lead
Amp.

Works for me.

[rOB]

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1353084934' post='1871517']
my approach is "What can I do without?" I'm constantly tweaking and refining things, so that I can take less gear with me. [/quote]

This is how I approach gear and gigs too. I want to make the logistics and setup at gigs as simple and easy as possible. I try to remove as much complexity as possible and focus on the fun and creativity of playing.

[steve-bbb]

i only have one practical concern and that is volume - pretty much every pub gig my HA2500 head gets flogged to the limits with both the input gain and the master somewhere around the 9.5 mark!! yet it stays clean and consistent

it always seems loud enough for most pubs so maybe i should just stay with it and use it as leverage to get the pesky guitarers to turn down a bit rather me needing to turn up

can just about manage the whole kitload in two trips from the car!

Edited November 17, 2012 by steve-bbb

[Thurbs]

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1353155099' post='1872139']
Bass
lead
Amp.

Works for me.
[/quote]not sure it would be loud enough for me... I prefer going with a speaker as well

[Lozz196]

Yep, leads, tuner, mic, spare strings aside, my set-up is:

For The Tuesday Club - bass, combo (1 trip from car)
For The Daves - bass, combo, ext speaker (2 trips from car)

Now having finally found the exact rig/sound I want, no need to change at all now.

[Dingus]

To echo what a couple of the previous posters have said , my approach is to take a bass that is easy to play and that I like the sound of , plug it into an amp and cab that is loud enough for people to hear me and then play the bass . In my experience everything else is pretty superfluous . The only really neccesary effect to have in your arsenal if you are a bass player is compression , and most amps have some version of that built in nowadays anyway .

[bassninja]

+1 to insurance providing peace of mind.

Also, has your worry actually turned out as badly as you thought before? I'm not saying it won't, but actively considering the 'worry about damage' thought relative to likelihood (from your previous experience) might minimse your concern.

9/10 worry vs never happened before = probably a safer risk to take, which would be further mitigated by the reassurance of your kit being insured.

9/10 worry vs happens regularly = a reasonable degree of concern, should you look for more demure gigs or a more genteel band?

Also, how much is 'meta-worry' (worrying about worrying).

[Bobo_Grimmer]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1353091885' post='1871640']
Trust me when I tell you that even if other musicians are making judgements about you based on the gear you use at gigs , they are not likely to any more rational in those judgements than you are being irrational in fearing their judgement . Who are they anyway , and whatever judgement they were to make about you , what possible difference could it make to you ? Who is listening to their opinions ? Try having some faith in your own choices . If you like a particular piece of equipment for whatever reason that should be reason enough for using it . Let other people have whatever opinion of it they like- you will never be able to control what other people think anyway, no matter how hard you try . Excessive worry about what other people think of us is another classic symptom of various neurotric psychological disorders , including social phobia and much more rarely, scopophobia . It's always a good idea ( within reason ) to resist avoiding the everyday things we are frightened of , because in avoiding them they become more powerful in our imagination and more frightening over time . If you feel self -conscious about your equipment choices then make a point of using it and enjoying it . You will soon feel better about things as a result.
[/quote]

Hit the nail on the head the man. Thank you. I had a gig last night and all this was still fresh in my mind. the head lining band didn't bring any bass amp nor did any other band so everyone used my rig. I have had a very busy time in my head caught up in thoughts about all this but today i'm feeling better. (main because of things people have said here. I love BC. )

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1353096754' post='1871698']
Personally, I like seeing lots of gear behind the band

My approach to my own gear though is to try and make it as easy as possible to carry my own into the venue. I've got it down to two quick trips now!

Trip 1: Backpack with amp, tools and leads, two basses in one hand, pedalboard in other
Trip 2: Carry 4x10 in on my own

Job done!
[/quote]

Ha ha! yes! i love seeing this. I do just the same. Although my gear is heavy it does condense down into about 4 things plus basses.



[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1353116505' post='1871897']
I think sometimes gear can become a crutch - all this fancy gear makes up for a lack of confidence in our playing.
[/quote]

Yep. I know i have a huge problem with how i see my playing ability but the gear i have helps me get what i hear in my head out to people's ears. ( and no i'm not the bassist equivalent of edge... that could be an interesting mix though...)

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1353153169' post='1872113']
Two points: if it's the sound for you, why are you changing it? If you change anything you [i]will[/i] sound different.

If you [i]have[/i] to change any part of your rig then you’ll just have to get a [i]new [/i]sound out of it that you love as much.
[/quote]

True sir. changing things will change things but as i said i am after a slightly more low mid growl i'm not getting in live situations with my Trace head. But After thinking on things, talking to the band and this thread i have made some adjustments and i have ideas on what i need to do to: 1. make myself feel better and 2. Have a more modular rig for a wider variety of gig, stage, venue ect.

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1353155099' post='1872139']
Bass
lead
Amp.

Works for me.
[/quote]

He he! if only i could get away with that. saying that i do something similar for acoustic gig's.

Upright
Lead
Head
Cab.

[51m0n]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1353162456' post='1872273']
To echo what a couple of the previous posters have said , my approach is to take a bass that is easy to play and that I like the sound of , plug it into an amp and cab that is loud enough for people to hear me and then play the bass . In my experience everything else is pretty superfluous . The only really neccesary effect to have in your arsenal if you are a bass player is compression , and most amps have some version of that built in nowadays anyway .
[/quote]

Compression built into amps is at best a poor alternative to 'the real thing', and more often completely rubbish IME. Avoid at all costs....

[51m0n]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1353096754' post='1871698']
Personally, I like seeing lots of gear behind the band

My approach to my own gear though is to try and make it as easy as possible to carry my own into the venue. I've got it down to two quick trips now!

Trip 1: Backpack with amp, tools and leads, two basses in one hand, pedalboard in other
Trip 2: Carry 4x10 in on my own

Job done!
[/quote]

Thats how I roll too. Its two trips for me, One for the cab, one for the bass (on my back), cable bag (on my chest), rack (left hand), pedal board (right hand).

I just about fit through doors - that's not so different from when I'm completely unladen sadly....

Edited November 17, 2012 by 51m0n

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1353171319' post='1872395']
Compression built into amps is at best a poor alternative to 'the real thing', and more often completely rubbish IME. Avoid at all costs....
[/quote] I bought an amp, it has one button and one knob for a compressor - it does things nice to my sound depending on how I use it. I like it. If I didn't have that knob on my amp I wouldn't have gone for a "real thing" as everything I have tried labled compressor up to getting my amp seemed to suck the life out of my sound. Mind you- like you said 'the real thing' - and knowing how to use it - probably wouldn't. But hey my 1kW amp with a one knob and one button compressor weighs less than 3kg!

[Dingus]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1353171319' post='1872395']
Compression built into amps is at best a poor alternative to 'the real thing', and more often completely rubbish IME. Avoid at all costs....
[/quote]

I would agree that an outboard compressor is usually much better ( depending on which outboard compressor you choose of course , but thats a whole other subject ) but there are one or two notable exceptions . The old Trace Elliot two band compressor on the GP12SMX preamp was good for example , , and the single band compressor on the cheaper GP7 was even better . Built -in amp compression might not be ideal in absolute terms , but in the real world if your playing in a pub or club and you need to limit your amp a bit , it can be a handy tool to have available and is better than nothing in that situation .

Edited November 17, 2012 by Dingus

[TimR]

I think it's an experience thing. If you are gigging regularly you soon start to rationalise the amount of effort you put into carting gear versus the amount of pleasure you're getting setting up and fiddling, and breaking down versus the amount of fun you get when playing.

For me the multiple trips to and from cars in lifts and up stairs and ages fiddling setting up gear got boring real quick. Who wants to spend an hour setting up when you could be arriving later or chilling with the rest of the guys.

At our last gig, I was set up in under 5 mins then helped with the PA and lights while the guitarist spent ages messing around with 4 guitars and countless pedals. We were all changed and having a beer while he was still tuning his last guitar.

Then there is the cost versus leaving gear unattended issue. I was about to buy a £2k bass when I thought whether I was going to be comfortable gigging such an expensive bass. The answer was no and I could still get the sound and live with a sub £1k one.

[Bobo_Grimmer]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1353261223' post='1872997']
I think it's an experience thing. If you are gigging regularly you soon start to rationalise the amount of effort you put into carting gear versus the amount of pleasure you're getting setting up and fiddling, and breaking down versus the amount of fun you get when playing.

For me the multiple trips to and from cars in lifts and up stairs and ages fiddling setting up gear got boring real quick. Who wants to spend an hour setting up when you could be arriving later or chilling with the rest of the guys.

At our last gig, I was set up in under 5 mins then helped with the PA and lights while the guitarist spent ages messing around with 4 guitars and countless pedals. We were all changed and having a beer while he was still tuning his last guitar.

Then there is the cost versus leaving gear unattended issue. I was about to buy a £2k bass when I thought whether I was going to be comfortable gigging such an expensive bass. The answer was no and I could still get the sound and live with a sub £1k one.
[/quote]

I can see your POV but for me setting up and fiddling is always fun. I have valid reasons for each thing i bring with me too. I think I can get fully set up and all basses tuned in about 10 min's or so. In any case i know i can get sorted waaaay before the drummer!

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1353155099' post='1872139']
Bass
lead
Amp.

Works for me.
[/quote]

Mine is

Bass --> Lead --> DI-Preamp pedal --> PA

Sounds good enough for what I do (noisy rock) and is light/small enough I can carry all my gear in one hand.

[Truckstop]

I care more about basses than my rig, always have!
I'd cry if I dropped my instruments, but if I dropped and broke my rig I'd just claim on the insurance and get another one. Every bass is different, finding one you like can be hard work; amps and cabs are made the same and are easily replaceable!
I'm responsible for the PA, so I want as lightweight a bass rig as possible; hence trading my Ampeg rig for a GK MB210. Great tone, ultra-lightweight and looks big enough for the people that like to see a decent backline(!)
I'm one of those guys that isn't too fussed about my tone. As long as it cuts through and its relatively pleasing then I'm happy.

For some people though, finding the perfect tone is the biggest thing ever and you know, so what if you gotta hump around a huge rig to get that sound that's in your head? I'll bet it all sounds awesome and if youre playing venues like the O2, then go for it!!

Truckstop

[Clarky]

Double bass anyone?

I have to have a car (or taxi). Its one trip with DB and another to get amp (combo or head +cab; preamp and leads stuffed into padded bag side pockets) plus DB stand. Trying to carry it all in one go is a recipe for disaster ... ie, smacking or snagging the DB on doorways or stairwells

[rOB]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1353332187' post='1873695']
Mine is

Bass --> Lead --> DI-Preamp pedal --> PA

Sounds good enough for what I do (noisy rock) and is light/small enough I can carry all my gear in one hand.
[/quote]

That would make me very happy. If I could guarantee helpful sound engineers and decent monitors (which I can't at the venues we play) I'd be doing this too.