Man, that would suck. Glad you found the bass. Pretty brazen of the guy who took it, that's a shameful thing to do. Plus, who wants a Steinberger anyway? Ba-Dum Cha! (Just kidding).
Exactly! I have a very compact amp that comes in two pieces (power amp plus 10" speaker and horn in one cab, 15" speaker in another cab). Fully modular, so if I don't need the 15, I can leave it behind, but each piece is small and weighs under 30# each. I can carry both at the same time. I bought these from Carvin years ago when they were running a super special, and the price was so good I actually go two sets (for around $650 total, iirc). So I could bring a backup amp, but who wants to lug an extra piece of gear around like that, even if it's small and portable? It sort of defeats the purpose.
My backup plan is also, like you, to run direct into the PA. The Zoom b1on has amp and speaker emulation (which I don't use, but I could apply it with ease), so I'd just have to use that into the board and depend on the monitors for the stage sound. Not optimal, but it would get me through an emergency.
I'm selling my active basses. One is already gone, and I don't think I'll ever buy another active instrument. I just don't need it, I tend to be more of a "set it and forget it" person when it comes to controls, though I am varying the tone control om my Muckelroy fretless a bit for a few songs when I want a bit smoother sound. So the variables of batteries and extensive wiring will be diminished.
I think the determinant for me will be the number of gigs I play. EO gigged so rarely, it wasn't a big deal to make sure everything was in tippity-toppity shape before the show. I still had an issue with the power supply to my critical effect unit at one gig, which mercifully I was able to limp through as the problem was intermittent. I also had a problem with one of the Carvin's not too long ago, which turned out to have been caused by a faulty speaker cable. That's why I'm sensitive to these particular issues, amps and effects. But I'm pretty solid on just the one bass for gigs. Plus, if I really needed backups, I'd need two basses, one fretted and one fretless. The thought of having two more instruments sitting around barely if ever getting used is pretty distasteful to me, so unless I really perceive a need, I'm going to gamble and stick with the one.
Of course the traffic light never goes in until after the fatal accident, so maybe I'll live to regret this decision some day.
Bill
It's actually worse that that; in the meantime I've actually built a new UK rig, too!!
My own wonderful wife has adopted a posture of what I would term 'tolerant stoicism' in the face of my acquisitive instincts for both musical and photographic equipment...However, my wife remains highly skeptical, and with good reason
For electric gigs I always bring a spare guitar - mainly because almost all of my electrics have either a Floyd or Kahler trem system, and so they go hopelessly out of tune (no Ibanez, your 'Zero Point' system makes not one jot of difference to this) if a string breaks, and it's impossible to change them quickly. That said, i can't actually remember when I last broke a string on an electric guitar - and I've been playing a lot recently, too. I don't bring a spare amp, but do carry around a mobile electronics shop of valves, strings, fuses, leads, wirecutters, guitools, strip sockets etc., in case there are any electrical gremlins. As regards pedals, given that I mainly use distortion from the amp, I can largely do without pedals if I need to, so if any of my pedals crap out, I'm generally minded just to disconnect the pedalboard entirely and go into the amp directly.
On acoustic gigs it's just 6 and 12 string guitars and a couple of leads, mainly because I don't have backups!! Again, though, it's a rare thing for me to break a string on either guitar, especially since I moved over to Elixirs.
That may be a popular stance to take, but I LOVED that bass! I looked SO 80's playing that bass! and a couple years back I snapped up a court version of that bass for $100. I now play that more than my Ibanez. Its just more fun to play, and I can fly on that bass. I have been working on YYZ for a few weeks, and suddenly, I can play it! I also get some pretty decent tones out of it. Not just the Steinberg sound, but pretty decent Geddy Lee sound - But I credit the Boss guitar pedal for that sound, and not so much the bass itself. Its just more fun to play than your average bass. I'm probably going to replace my Ibanez Roadstar with a Jazz - which was my first decent bass.
I got nothin' :
...avoiding any implication that I have ever entertained a cognizant thought.
live samples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbCFGbAtFc
https://youtu.be/AEE5OZXJioE
https://soundcloud.com/yodelgoat/yod...om-a-live-show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUe3YhCjy6g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VOCJokzL_s
Man, you've got your work cut out for you if you want to pare it back! Good luck!
LOL! That's a good description, and probably applies to a lot of gearhead's wives.
Yeah, totally. I dodn't gig with guitar, but if I did I'd definitely bring two, partly for different sounds and partly as a backup for string breakage, etc. Definitely worse if you're at higher risk of breaking strings due to more extreme bending, which I generally don't do.
Bill
Those of you feeling burdened by too many guitars can send your castoffs to me up here on the frozen tundra. They will be given a loving home. I won't play them as well as you but I'll play them!
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
Just bought a set of four 15" raw speakers at Carvin - they are $79 each and zero shipping. I'm planning on copying the dual 15 - 3way cabs I bought from Carvin last month. It will eventually be a decent PA system (small to mid size club), 2000 watt system. 2x15 subs, 2x15 mids and horns on each side. driven by 2 Behringer 1000 watt bridged amps. Should do for any gigs I may be running sound for in the near future.
I'm looking forward to building a decent PA. That'll keep me busy this spring. Ive heard that its getting harder to find people willing to do sound for smaller venues.
I got nothin' :
...avoiding any implication that I have ever entertained a cognizant thought.
live samples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbCFGbAtFc
https://youtu.be/AEE5OZXJioE
https://soundcloud.com/yodelgoat/yod...om-a-live-show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUe3YhCjy6g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VOCJokzL_s
For a while I thought it would be fun to do sound and toward the end of my time with the '80s rock band I was playing with (up until a few years ago now) I did more or less cover those duties, but I was never allowed to do exactly what I wanted to do. Whenever we were getting set up I'd be out front with an iPad and the lead guitarist would be right beside me telling me to make everything louder, lol. Stage volumes were totally out of control too. My goal was to get stage volumes down nearly to absolute minimum so we could actually all hear each other better without killing our hearing. It was a losing battle.
At one gig we finally had a guy do sound for us (using my mixer) and he was somehow able to get our lead guitarist to turn down (and then supplement with some of his guitar in his monitor) and then everyone could turn down. It was the best sound we ever had. Could I get anyone to do that again? Never.
So every time I think it might be fun to go do sound for those guys (who have continued on without me) I think better of it. I was never able to do sound enough (since, after setup, I was always on stage playing) to really learn how to tweak things so it wouldn't sound like pure mush.
<sig out of order>
I have the good fortune to own a couple of Digital drum sets, and some pretty decent drum triggers. I plan of offering that to the bands, so they can keep stage volume as close to zero as is possible. If a guitarist refuses to turn down, I would just quit. There is no sense in trying to make a band sound good, when they have no idea what they are doing. I think its a sign of a complete musical idiot who cannot control his volume. If they don have the brains to understand that its what comes out of the PA that matters, and not what they themselves hear, why bother? Did I say I'm doing this just for the fun of it? THe good news is, I can tell them to do it themselves if they dont like how I do it. Take my PA and go home.
Using acoustic drums is a tricky thing, particularly in a small room. I can usually do it, but I prefer good, full drums sounds and good tones on instruments to the horrible cardboard crap that bleeds off of most stages. If a musician doesnt get that, all you can do is just protect your own reputation by not working with them.
I got nothin' :
...avoiding any implication that I have ever entertained a cognizant thought.
live samples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbCFGbAtFc
https://youtu.be/AEE5OZXJioE
https://soundcloud.com/yodelgoat/yod...om-a-live-show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUe3YhCjy6g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VOCJokzL_s
I agree. I wouldn't do it if it isn't fun. On the other side of it, it's usually the band that's paying you. Of course, as you say, you can still quit.
But yes, I was in a band populated largely by idiots.
<sig out of order>
I've been giving this a lot of thought recently, and have come to the conclusion that when I finally leave China I will give away most of the equipment I have here. This is partly down to convenience - it's a lot easier to give away gear than it is to receive the kind of price I think most of this stuff is worth, which I suspect many people here won't actually be either willing or (more likely) able to pay. Furthermore, it's really no skin off my nose to ensure this stuff goes to a good home: it's all bought and paid for; that money is gone and has been put to good use, and is accounted for; I don't really need to retrieve any of the money I've put into my guitar rig and I'd rather it went to people who will gain the benefit. Finally, if I can't sell it I'd be faced with the problem of what to do with it anyway - I don't want to take it home to the UK, which would be expensive and time-consuming to arrange, and I simply don't need it there. All in all, therefore, giving it away seems to be the best option all round.
Last edited by kid_runningfox; 02-22-2018 at 02:41 AM.
My latest purchase is a QSC K12.2 powered speaker. I bought a pair with stands, cases, etc. and my band mate is paying for one. He had a JBL Eon One that we were using which was great for tiny restaurant gigs, but we sometimes had to use my mixer to push the signal a little bit more to get the required volume. The K12.2's are 2000 watts, so hearing us should no longer be a problem.
<sig out of order>
I thought about getting some QSC speakers as well. How are they?
Coming September 1st - "Dean Watson Revisited"!
QSC are my dream speakers.
I too have the JBL EONs (second version) and I know the QSCs are much better. (But my big Mackie sub helps those JBL's sound better. I run my Taurus III's through that combo and the floor shakes quite nicely. )
Nice! Gotta love floor shaking bass.
So far we've only used one K12.2 for a duo gig that my bandmate did with his wife in a small restaurant. We used my mixing board and the K12.2 was set up in the corner behind them. Not ideal since the mics were essentially pointed back at the K12. I was able to find a couple of frequencies that were causing feedback and things went pretty smoothly after that except that I would have liked a tiny bit more volume and didn't want to risk feedback. If they do that one again I will bring the second K12 to use as a floor monitor and make sure they are behind the one that is used as a main.
But even with a couple of problem frequencies EQ'd out the vocals were still nice and clear. Haven't really pushed any significant volume with these speakers yet.
Friday night will be our next chance to try them out.
One thing I noticed in the specs for the K8.2, K10.2, and K12.2 - they are all 1800 watts, but they have different frequency responses due to the different size drivers. The K12's go down to 45 Hz, the K10's go down to 50 Hz and the K8's only go to 55 Hz. The K8's would probably be fantastic (plus be lighter and smaller) for monitors particularly if you were only putting vocals through them. I'd be curious to hear them as mains paired with a subwoofer too.
<sig out of order>
BTW I purchased the Roland HP-20 Handsonic and it is a fine instrument indeed. I've only scratched the surface and as a non-drummer so it might take me a while to get something really good out of it but it will eventually be a great asset for recording. I put some sampled Gentle Giant sounds and made up a kit and that's been quite fun. All you do is put a sound on a USB thumb drive and plug-it in and copy it to memory and viola. Everything can be tuned and finely adjusted and it plays well including damping and changes in tonality if you're playing in the center pad or close to the rim etc. If you have the time and patience (and talent) you can do a lot with it for sure.
Q: Does anyone have any opinions or experience with the Roland GR-55 Guitar Synth? I've been pondering this as the next possible addition.
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