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Gigging without a spare bass

Nicko

By Nicko,
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Marc S Veteran

Marc S

Posted
Posted (edited)

For those who may be limited on space in the back of the van / car. Looks like a relatively inexpensive backup, small & lightweight too... 2.9Kg

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221904870728?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.co.u...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT[/url]

Edited by Marc S
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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1472025736' post='3117699']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Yes, some of the smaller modern cars don't carry a spare tyre / wheel[/font][/color]
[/quote]

And the current Mercedes E class, which isn't so small.

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1472025736' post='3117699']
It is true that many people never get a puncture, but I've had a few, and wouldn't buy a car which didn't have a spare.
Are you seriously blowing engines up on a regular basis? :o
[/quote]

I have lost 3 tyres in my time (one vandalised, one probably vandalised, one on a bike my fault). I have blown 5 engines.
Luckily none of them for a while.

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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

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Posted

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1472039951' post='3117906']
Because tyres are a consumable component, like strings or batteries in an active bass, and eventually will fail.
[/quote]

But not necessarily when it is on your car. The last one i mentioned, the bike accident, that was my fault, the tyre should have been replaced. I would not make that mistake again. A tyre gets replaced here long before it legally has to be.

In the last decade I haven't had a tyre failure in 100s of thousands of miles, and wouldn't at all concerned leaving the house without a spare tyre.

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mcnach Grand Master

mcnach

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1472042401' post='3117926']
For those who may be limited on space in the back of the van / car. Looks like a relatively inexpensive backup, small & lightweight too... 2.9Kg

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221904870728?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.co.u...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT[/url]
[/quote]

that's pretty cool!
and they come in red too :P

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Painy Proficient

Painy

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1472039951' post='3117906']

For this failure case the normal solution is the AA/RAC/Greenflag.
[/quote]

That gives me an idea. Maybe we should start a Basschat "Gig Assistance Service" (see what I did there B)) for people who can't take a spare bass with them to their gig.

If a string breaks then we'll come and replace it.
If an electrical connection goes then we'll resolder it.
If for any reason we're unable to repair your bass there at the gig then we'll tow it to the nearest garage.

I might need to give the last point a bit more thought... :crazy:

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FinnDave Grand Master

FinnDave

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1472075529' post='3118387']

If for any reason we're unable to repair your bass there at the gig then we'll tow it to the nearest garage.

I might need to give the last point a bit more thought... :crazy:
[/quote]

Repair [i]and [/i]relicing, that's good service!

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Marc S Veteran

Marc S

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1472075529' post='3118387']
That gives me an idea. Maybe we should start a Basschat "Gig Assistance Service" (see what I did there B)) for people who can't take a spare bass with them to their gig.

If a string breaks then we'll come and replace it.
If an electrical connection goes then we'll resolder it.
If for any reason we're unable to repair your bass there at the gig then we'll tow it to the nearest garage.

I might need to give the last point a bit more thought... :crazy:
[/quote]

Sign me up for this service! No, wait...... I carry a spare - I don't need it! ;)

:) :) :)

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Les Rising Star

Les

Posted
Posted

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1472170039' post='3119173']
I don't know if it's been mentioned, but an amp is a lot more likely to fail than a bass

"Gigging Without A Spare Amp"

Blue
[/quote]

Never had a bass fail but I've actually had an amp fail, just put what I could through the monitors and finished the job, got paid, went home.

Wasn't a pleasurable experience by any means but I'm certainly not carrying a spare just in case, this has happened once in 35 years of gigging.

Les

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blue Mentor

blue

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1472172991' post='3119179']


Never had a bass fail but I've actually had an amp fail, just put what I could through the monitors and finished the job, got paid, went home.

Wasn't a pleasurable experience by any means but I'm certainly not carrying a spare just in case, this has happened once in 35 years of gigging.

Les
[/quote]

Happened to me last Friday night Les. I Sans Amped through the PA. Sucked :(

Blue

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FinnDave Grand Master

FinnDave

Posted
Posted

Have had both fail (though not at the same gig!) My Sans Amp will be plugged into the PA and sitting on my bass tonight at tonight's gig. My spare bass will be tuned, strap on it in a stand next to my amp, just in case. It's rare i have to use either, but better to be prepared than faff about mid gig.

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mikeycrikey Proficient

mikeycrikey

Posted
Posted

I did a gig recently and had a pretty catastrophic failure with my Yamaha 424x. When the Barrel Style Jack socket decided to throw its hand in.
It wasn't a wiring issue that could of been repaired with a soldering iron, it was a component failure. The bass had been fine for the sound check but dead as a dodo for the start of the set.
Luckily I always carry a spare bass with me so just plugged that one in and carried on with the gig.
Replaced the faulty barrel Jack socket the next day and the bass sprung back to life. Quite a fiddly job to replace the barrel Jack and not something I would ever carry with my spare strings, cables, battery's etc

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blue Mentor

blue

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1472172991' post='3119179']


Never had a bass fail but I've actually had an amp fail, just put what I could through the monitors and finished the job, got paid, went home.

Wasn't a pleasurable experience by any means but I'm certainly not carrying a spare just in case, this has happened once in 35 years of gigging.

Les
[/quote]

I know what you mean Les. I carry a spare head, but I really don't want to be lugging a spare cab.

Blue

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Marc S Veteran

Marc S

Posted
Posted (edited)

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1472170039' post='3119173']
I don't know if it's been mentioned, but an amp is a lot more likely to fail than a bass

"Gigging Without A Spare Amp"

Blue
[/quote]

I've broken far more strings than amps.
BTW, as I mentioned in an earlier reply, I have a spare amp! Mind you, it's tiny.... I mean really tiny. It's a Euphonic Audio 550W head, and it fits into the pocket of a gigbag, with room left for spare leads. I keep it in a hidden compartment next to the spare tyre in the boot of my car. I'm not massively keen on its' sound - it's rather too "clinical" and hi-fi like for my ear, but it's just so small, it's really handy as a spare...

But I really doubt that players break more amps than strings - unless they're seriously overloading the amps? Maybe you should start another thread Blue? :)

Edited by Marc S
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jazzyvee Mentor

jazzyvee

Posted
Posted

I have never carried a spare bass on a gig. Some I have taken two because I wanted to use a 4 string and a 5 string on a gig. So far none of my basses have let me down. However one multi band gig the bass player from the band on before us came into the dressing room mid set asking if he could use my bass because his had failed. I said politely no and that my bass is only for use by me. Moments later he was back on stage with his bass playing normally. I remember him looking intently at my bass during soundcheck so I guess he wanted an excuse to try it out. The guitarist in my band never carries a spare instrument either nor the drummer, or any of the three brass players but both keyboard players use two keyboards each so I guess there is some backup for them.

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blue Mentor

blue

Posted
Posted

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1472544443' post='3121896']


I've broken far more strings than amps.
BTW, as I mentioned in an earlier reply, I have a spare amp! Mind you, it's tiny.... I mean really tiny. It's a Euphonic Audio 550W head, and it fits into the pocket of a gigbag, with room left for spare leads. I keep it in a hidden compartment next to the spare tyre in the boot of my car. I'm not massively keen on its' sound - it's rather too "clinical" and hi-fi like for my ear, but it's just so small, it's really handy as a spare...

But I really doubt that players break more amps than strings - unless they're seriously overloading the amps? Maybe you should start another thread Blue? :)
[/quote]

I can't speak for others. I play a lot and haven't broken a string in over 50 years.

Blue

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