Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Best venue amp you've ever come across?


Bankai

Recommended Posts

You've got a gig booked at a local music venue, and the night has arrived. Eager to get started, you turn up for sound check a couple of hours before doors and as you enter the room you spin the wheel of fortune as you find out what the house bass amp that you're going to play through will be this time. Shock horror, it's yet another Ashdown combo.

Well it doesn't always work out like that, but usually it does! Which begs the question; what's the best house rig at a local/small venue you've ever come across?

To clarify, it doesn't count if it was brought by one of the other bands, nor if it was hired in backline as you often get with events. I'm asking purely about the house backline at permanent music venues. 

Edited by Bankai
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Played the Night & Day in Manchester years ago and we're told bass backline only was supplied, dreading an old clapped out 1x15 combo imagine my surprise to find an Ampeg SVT VR and an 8ohn 4x10.  I pointed out the head cant do a single 8ohm cab they laughed and said it had done 3hr gigs pretty much every night for nearly a year!  Sounded glorious

Link to comment
Share on other sites

why cant the ampeg do a single 8ohm cab ?

40 minutes ago, Pow_22 said:

  I pointed out the head cant do a single 8ohm cab they laughed and said it had done 3hr gigs pretty much every night for nearly a year!  Sounded glorious

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At The Hairy Dog in Derby they have a TC Electronic BH250 into a really old 610 of some sorts. They prefer bands to use it to make changeover quicker. I looked at it and thought it would struggle, not a chance, plenty loud enough - too loud if not kept under control - and a really full sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best rig I have played through was at the Ipswich Maritime Festival last year.  It is an event that BBC Radio Suffolk put on and the bass backline was an Ampeg SVT pro24 into an Ampeg 8x10.  First and only time I have used one.  Sounded amazing!  :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, nikon F said:

why cant the ampeg do a single 8ohm cab ?

 

its an all valve head as such it is highly recommended the  impedance matches the amps outputs which in the SVT's case is only a 4ohm or 2ohm output

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

At The Hairy Dog in Derby they have a TC Electronic BH250 into a really old 610 of some sorts. They prefer bands to use it to make changeover quicker. I looked at it and thought it would struggle, not a chance, plenty loud enough - too loud if not kept under control - and a really full sound.

Last time I played at the Hairy Dog the bass rig was an old Trace Elliot rig with either a 6x10 or 8x10 cab. Since as I said previously the FoH sound is provided by the PA it hardly matters anyway.

Edited by BigRedX
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

At The Hairy Dog in Derby they have a TC Electronic BH250 into a really old 610 of some sorts. They prefer bands to use it to make changeover quicker. I looked at it and thought it would struggle, not a chance, plenty loud enough - too loud if not kept under control - and a really full sound.

That cab has had some hammer in its time! it is beefy though,

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Played a festival couple of years back, I emailed the tech guys to ask about the house rig and whether I'd need to take mine and was told "we're getting an 800 watt Markbass head and a 4x10 cab, hope that's ok..."
Yeah, I guess I can slum it with that :lol: 

EDIT: just realised the thread is about backline at permanent venues. Ah well. Can't be bothered to delete this :lol: 

Edited by Rich
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Bankai said:

you spin the wheel of fortune as you find out what the house bass amp that you're going to play through will be this time. Shock horror, it's yet another Ashdown combo.

There's probably a reason you find a lot of Ashdown combos.  They're pretty reliable and don't cause a problem for FOH engineers.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somehow the concept of supplied backline has never filtered out to ANY of my venues, ever...only been gigging about 25 years though, so maybe I'll find one before my back gives out....

Is this more of a city centre/originals circuit thing in reality?

Edited by redbandit599
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many moons ago we played the Catapult Club in New Cross. 410 trace combo. I presume it lived there after the owner a) left in a hurry (the clientele were characterful compared to the sticks where I'm from) and b) it weighed more than the building it lived in. Sounded great, and great gig.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had a few with varying degrees of quality! I'm usually so delighted not having to hump gear that I don't mind if it's a shoe box with a drawing of a cab on it.

The most shocking one was a lovely looking old Carlsboro combo. It kind of looked a bit like a cross between a rolltop desk and a cooker and either would have sounded better. I assume I was the last person to use it before the trip to the skip.

Again my gear was in the car but I was out of there so easily and quickly. Get paid, get out and don't hurt your back!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...