How many items do you take to gigs?

[silverfoxnik]

Hi Folks,

Just got back from a gig tonight and was thinking about how many seperate items I'm constantly moving around every time we gig. It's currently standing at 8 seperate, individually portable items as follows:

1 x Bass in semi-flight case
1 x Bass in gig bag
1 x Bass in gig bag
1 x Amp in gig bag
1 x Leads bag
1 x Fx case
1 x 410 cab
1 x bag for guitar stands

Obviously, I'm also moving myself around in my car to transport this stuff from A to B, but I'm thinking specifically of bass related items here! Have tried but can't seem to get it down less than this at the moment.. How about you?

Nik

[Dood]

Pretty much the same actually. I have resorted to trying to get my gear as light as possible as I can't see myself taking fewer items out.

um...

2xbasses in cases
1x 4u rack
1x 6x10 cab
1x flightcase with leads / additional gubbins
1x Midi Controller
assorted stands

Thats it!

[Kiwi]

ATM:

Bass 1, Akai Deep Impact, DHA VT1 compressor - in gig bag 1
Bass 2, Bass 3, Leads + adaptors - in gig bag 2
Combo
stands

Or

Bass 1, Akai Deep Impact, DHA VT1 compressor - in gig bag 1
Bass 2, Bass 3, Leads + adaptors - in gig bag 2
Head
Cab 1
Cab 2
stands

[stewblack]

I will never use gig bags since dropping and breaking a bass in one - saving a little weight by not using hard cases is never worth it. Also I always carry spare amp and cab. I mean what are you going to do if it all goes pear shaped?
So:
Two basses in hard cases.
Two heads.
Two cabs.
Two stands.
Big wheel about tool box full of leads, pedals, tools etc.
Stair climbing sack trucks if venue up or down many flights of stairs.

[Aussiephoenix]

why 3 basses guys?

I just take 2 basses in hardcases, amp and voltage regulator in rack, 1 cab, and one pedalboard, including a DI (in case sh*t happens with the amp)

[narnia]

The sack trucks are a good idea...........................the bass player in hubby's old band uses one and it really saves his back a lot of pain,when shifting his gear about

[wateroftyne]

2 x basses in Tribal Planet gig bags
1 x amp in 2U rack case
1 x manageable but hyoooge-sounding cab
1 x 40's style travel case containing cables, straps and 2 x stands (just!)

[JD1]

Bass x 2 in Ritter Double gig bag.
Cab x 1 (Schroeder).
Amp (GK) and tuner in rack together with lead, power leads and speaker cable (or EA amp and gubbins below in a bag).
Spare strap, strings, lead, speaker lead, power lead, tuner, batteries, a few tools, fold away stand etc. all stuffed in various pockets of gig bag.

Two trips to / from the car.

Only use hard cases if they are going in the van.
I might get an F1 or similar in the future to keep as a back up amp, but only once has an amp let me down. Got through by using DI box straight into the rig and into a powered monitor. Could hardly hear myself, but the punters didn't notice.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='Aussiephoenix' post='101585' date='Dec 9 2007, 08:47 AM']why 3 basses guys?[/quote]
Smith 5 for all the modern club and latin choonz
Pre EB Musicman Stingray for the Chic/Bros. Johnson numbers
Celinder Update P for motown, Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder

Admittedly if I had a Stingray 5 or Sandberg Basic 5 I could probably leave the preEB Musicman and Smith at home.

There are some pretty good value sack trucks [url="http://www.primrose-london.co.uk/truck-best-garden-trolley-there-p-17.html"]here[/url] for £40 + £7 delivery: They're out of stock ATM though but you can look up on Google and find others for sale for about £20 more. (How about that out for a mark up, eh?) I'm almost certainly going to get one once I can decide where it needs to be delivered.

EDIT: Just found a [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190181375733"]seller with 29 of them on Ebay[/url] for £35 each and £8 delivery!

[obbm]

2 x bass in Hiscox cases
2 x 1x12" speaker cabs
1 x 4U rack case with amp, tuner, power strip and speaker leads
1 x Gramma Pad
1 x case with footswitch, cables, spare mic, torch and tools
2 x guitar stands
1 x mic stand
1 x set of ear-plugs
1 x pack of Ibuprofen

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='Aussiephoenix' post='101585' date='Dec 9 2007, 08:47 AM']why 3 basses guys?

I just take 2 basses in hardcases, amp and voltage regulator in rack, 1 cab, and one pedalboard, including a DI (in case sh*t happens with the amp)[/quote]
Good question..

I always take a back up 5 string, so that's two 5 strings.. Plus one 4 string bass which is tuned down a tone for about 4 numbers in the set.. I keep meaning to relearn those tunes on my 5 string in the dropped key but keep forgetting to get around to it.

Stewblack: like you, our guitarist always takes a spare amp and a spare cab. In fact, he takes spares of everything! I figure that if my amp goes I can DI straight out of my Zoom B2 1.u.

[markytbass]

Depending what I'm doing, a gig or open mike.

For a gig:-

1 combo,
1 bass in hard case with strap leads,
1 D.I. box (which fits in hard case) incase of amp failing.

For open mike evenings:-

1 bass in hard case with strap and leads and 1 D.I. box.

[Machines]

I've never taken more than one bass.. haven't played anywhere so far that would warrant it. Spare cables / battery a must though.

[tonybassplayer]

Progressively less and less to try to reduce the stress on the back and the clattering about at one in the morning when I get home but minimum of two bass's amp, tuner leads and two cabs.

[stingrayfan]

11 things including the PA and a powered wedge.

[john_the_bass]

2 basses (one for a backup) in hardcases
head
cab
small tool box (has all leads, mini stand, straps, pics, tools, etc in)
Pedalboard

on the odd occassion i've prearranged to borrow an amp, i have turned up to a gig with a bass in its case with a strap and a lead and a pic and my earplugs in my pocket

[alexclaber]

Bass
Rack
Cabs x2
Bag of random things

Alex

[chris_b]

[quote name='Machines' post='101622' date='Dec 9 2007, 10:39 AM']I've never taken more than one bass.. haven't played anywhere so far that would warrant it. Spare cables / battery a must though.[/quote]
+1...... I have never had need of a backup bass! It's has been over 20 years since I needed a backup amp or cab!

1 5 string bass in a gig bag or hard case depending on who is carrying the gear. This works for the acoustic duo, through cover bands, original bands, rock, blues and soul bands.
1 500w amp.
1 4x10 or 1x12 for duo.
Bag: 4 leads and a back up of each, but I haven't needed a back up lead, ever!
Spare battery. I have needed one of those.
Fuses.
Music stand.
Music.
Tuner.
Stand.
ACS ear plugs, with foam spares.

[Alun]

It varies a bit depending on the gig but generally..

Main bass in gigbag ( usually the Cort Curbow or Squier VM Jazz)
2nd bass in gigbag ( could be the Squier, Ashbory, Washburn fretless or NS Wav depending on the gig)
LMII head in an aluminium camera case
2x10 cab
Knackered sports bag containing leads, stands, loose pedals,DI, etc

Occasionally a small pedalbaord too, and if there's a van involved then the bass guitars go in Hiscox cases.

Very rare that I'll take more than two basses, unless the gig requires fretless, upright and fretted in which case I will. even rarer that I'll take only one as I live in fear of not having a backup ( even if its only the Ashbory, it'll get me through the gig)

Cheers,
Alun

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='101642' date='Dec 9 2007, 11:35 AM']Bass
Rack
Cabs x2
Bag of random things

Alex[/quote]

Minimalism must be an "Alex" thing...

Bass (x1)
Head
Cab/s x1 or x2 as required by size of gig
Bag- (actually it's a laptop case) containing cables, Korg GT3, Spare battery, limited tools, spare cable and patch leads for guitarists and a strap.

With the castors on my 1x15 in play, I stack it all up, strap it together, and can move it all at once. I've gone half a mile from car to venue before (Camden) with it like that. Only problem is if it rains!

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Machines' post='101622' date='Dec 9 2007, 10:39 AM']I've never taken more than one bass.. haven't played anywhere so far that would warrant it. Spare cables / battery a must though.[/quote]

I'd agree. 1 bass unless I'm trying something new out then I'd take my regular bass 'just in case'. In addition;

1 cab
1 amp
1 FX case (4 foot-pedals)
1 laptop case with leads and assorted spares/tools/tuner etc
1 laptop case with a BBE acoustic Preamp (used as a back-up preamp for bass or guitar) and a volume pedal

[spike]

1 x Bass (like Chris_b ^^^ never needed a backup in over 20 years)
1 x Amp (as above)
1 x cab
1 x bag containing -

leads
DI box (can be used in case of amp failure)
bass stand
music stand
tuner
extension power cable
spare strings (only needed once about 20 years ago)
band uniform
book to pass the time between soundcheck and gig

[Damien1080]

2 basses, wireless kit, and 2 sets of leads incase a. the wireless goes or the other ones break, efects,cab+head,tuner and thats it, seems a bit short by others lists.

[carlosfandango]

I like the minimistic approach too:
- bass (bass pending on gig)
- amp and cab (set-up pending on gig)
- rucksack with:
- guitar leads, speaker leads, kettle leads, batteries - all of this x 2
- Di box
- Music Stand
- My pad (with whatever music that's on show)
- A new set of strings

- A little case with some good tools for fixing broken stuff

on occasion I try new basses, pedals otr other stuff but alwys bring them as extra to my normal gear.

[metalmaniac]

2 Basses, Lead, Strings, battery, food