dmccombe7 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 School gig circa 1976 with my Columbas Jazz and Selmer 50w head and Sound City 4x12 cab. Sure that was the amp i used but may have been my Carlsbro Stingray 100W 15" combo. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el borracho Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 1984 Ibanez Blazer Rotosound Trubass strings Carlsbro Cobra 90 combo Green curly lead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 My very first public appearance, a lunchtime gig with the dreaded 6th form band in 1983. - Höfner Artist II bass - Homemade 30w amp (made with substantial help from my physics teacher) - No-name 1x15" cab -- weighed as much as two sacks of spuds and sounded like them too. First 'proper' gig, August 1986, a support slot at the legendary Red Lion in Brentford (RIP). - Wal Pro II-E - Roland SH-09 synth - homemade A/B switch - Pearl flanger - Laney PB150 4x10" combo - two Klotz cables, both of which are still going strong Needless to say, the second gig sounded a lot better than the first..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeystrange Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 1981 Vox Custom bass Peavey TNT 115 That's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestar Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Kay precision bass copy HH vs bass amp A huge kind of orange/acoustic reflex bass cab type of thing that sounded fine closeup but would rearrange a persons digestive tract at 100 paces. and quickly curtailed my career with that band as my dad selfishly refused to transport it on the roof rack as it was denting the VW beetle roof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzodog Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Westone thunder through a curly telephone red cable into a laney linebacker. Loved it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Hohner B2a > Marlin branded cable that came with the bass when I got it second hand > 10W Goodmans double cassette deck karaoke machine that belonged to the drummer. Kinda glad there was nobody there but the barman to hear it now! Second gig (which was my first paid gig - I got £10) Aria Pro 2 Magna Series > same cable > Laney Linebacker 30W combo. By comparison that combo sounded absolutely amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 (edited) I'm right handed for bass. I first played on stage with a perspex bodied, lefty strung guitar with a 2+2 wood grained headstock. I can't remember who made it, it belonged to a mate. I also used his combo, also nameless (sorry) which was solid state and DI'd to the house system. It was Dublin's city centre. It was 1986. I was stuck in a rut at work. Having done a four year apprenticeship and qualified with additional engineering licences Aer Lingus had put me into a workshop that only handled aircraft wheels and brakes. Because of an ancient union arrangement with the company there would be no prospect of getting out of the shop they put you in and working on aircraft themselves for about seven years. I looked towards coming home to England and going freelance. It was a good move in retrospect. It paid for one of my houses. Thirty years on; I am semi-retired. I have come out of a long period during which my sole occupation had been to care for my mother in her last years. Now I want to spend a lot more time with music. Although I did not make a bad decision all those years ago when I gave up the band I have a need to see where it might have gone now that I have the choice. So thirty years later I got a second start. A couple of weeks ago I set foot on stage with a Steinberger fiver plugged into a portable house rig in Derby's Horse and Groom pub. Fellow BCer PaulWarning (guitar and vox) and Wendy (drums) had kindly invited me to join them as bassist. We did three numbers that Paul had clips of himself and Wendy performing. A brief practice with those clips during the preceding week and we were good to go. In addition, Paul and I had a tune in common that we had each learned independently. We did that without rehearsal. No-one was injured in the rush to go to the bar... Good times. I'm looking forward to more. Edited February 28, 2017 by SpondonBassed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Some people have better memories, or keep better records, than I do! First gig must have been around 1975/6, probably using a Framus Jazz Bass and Selmer TnB 50 into a homemade 2x15 cab. Lead, strap etc as required. All other details lost in the mists of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 My first private gigs (x3 of them) were: Fender USA Precision. Zoom multi fx. NO AMP! I somehow took an out from the zoom, into the desk, then went through the pa. to hear myself i stood right next to the main pa speakers! First public gig in a pub was: Fender Precision USA. Zoom multi fx. Trace Elliot Commando 12. I think my back up bass was a Westone Quantam headless bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushbo Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 1986...My first gig was supporting the amazing Noseflutes at the City Tavern in Brum. My "rig" was - A Carlsbro Cobra combo ( bought for £50 from the drummer of The Great Outdoors) and a custard yellow BC Rich Warlock. Jeebus knows what the lead was or how (or even if...) I tuned the bass. That bass would have been fine in a Poison/Crue type band, but I was in an REM styled janglepop combo. Oops. [attachment=239340:cobra bass.jpg] One of these... [attachment=239341:1980s-BC-Rich-Warlock-Bass-Guitar-Dark-Red.jpg] And one of these, but mine was in a nuclear yellow. The amp was OK, I think, but as long as it was louder than silence, I was happy. The BC Rich was brilliant, but totally wrong for the band. Hey ho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Columbus Precision H + H VS Musician head ( reverb on ) Coloursound Flanger Unbranded 1 x 15 W bin Trivia - guitarist was a chap by the name of Ian Dench who went on to do something called EMF and the drummer was my daughter's landlord a few years ago and I had no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 July 1987 - Shipdham Beeches Hotel. I played a Westone Thunder 1A. I had a Marshall Bass 60 (still have it), but I think I used the other band's amp which was a Marshall head + 2 x 15 cab. I have a photo somewhere. I'm wearing some absolutely terrible surf shorts and I'm easily the least 'metal' person in the room. The backdrop was that sliver foil strip curtaining, beloved of bad night clubs everywhere. There was an open fuse box behind it. Nobody died. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 (edited) [quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1488354701' post='3248086'] I'm wearing some absolutely terrible surf shorts and I'm easily the least 'metal' person in the room. [/quote] We need to expand this to what people wore for their first gig! I suspect for most of us that would provide as good a snapshot of the times as the bass setup does. For me (in 1996) it was a pair of those African dyed cotton trousers they used to sell to climbers at Tiso and an almost fluoro green t-shirt. I can't remember what the shoes were, but I wore Doc Martens a lot. Long hair tied back, no facial hair because I was 15. Edited March 1, 2017 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Korean Squier Jazz > Laney Linebacker 50 watt 12” combo. At soundcheck it was obvious the combo couldn’t be heard, so I think I borrowed a trusty Peavey TNT combo that WAS audible. Wonderful neck on that old jazz, I wish I’d known at the time that some decent pickups would have sorted out the thin sound before I regretfully sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Early 80's-Westone Concord I bass (still got it), Peavey Century head (damn good amp, I was advised not to sell it, but I did) and a pair of brand new Marshall 2x12's. No effects. I was told to turn down by a bloke who was an ex-soundman for the Who, which I'm very proud of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Laney Linebackers, Peavy TNTs, Carlsboro, Westone. HH. Seems like yesterday. Jumpers as goalposts eh? Old starter gear was [i]so[/i] heavy even when it was terrible. At least Westone et al had raised the bar from the era of Sattelite and Kay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 1980 I think! Sattelite Jazz Bass copy, defretted by Ashley Pangbourne Carlsboro Bass combo of some kind (150 watt, maybe?) hired from the fabulous, supportive and helpful guys who ran Gig Riggers in Reigate. Without their encouragement, support and help I wouldn't be still doing this, I suspect. What happened to music shops like that? The Satellite was actually a pretty decent bass, had a really nice growly mwahhh to it. Shouldn't have sold it. I saved up my paper round money for that bass..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 1963 Hofner 500/5 into a 1967 Selmer T&B into an Eden 210XLT cab (bit of a mis-match there). How anyone can remember what bloody lead they used is quite beyond me! I know I didn't use any pedals because I didn't have any. And I do remember very clearly that I quickly discovered that a semi-acoustic large-bodied bass makes a very effective feedback generator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 [quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1488366824' post='3248249'] Laney Linebackers, Peavy TNTs, Carlsboro, Westone. HH. Seems like yesterday. Jumpers as goalposts eh? Old starter gear was [i]so[/i] heavy even when it was terrible. [/quote] I used to put my Selmer head in a big rucksack and lug it down to the bus stop, 10 mile bus journey then over the Cal Mac ferry to Gourock each weekend to rehearse. Fortunately the drummer had an old PA cab that I could plug it into, though I did take the cab over a couple of times. I would have loved some of the compact setups that are around now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 [quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1488289600' post='3247557'] WEM Westminster 15 watt bass combo The WEM only lasted one gig and was replaced by an HH VS100 head mixed with a 1x18 cab - Woof. [/quote] [Pedant alert] The WEM Westminster was never a bass combo - I reckon you're confusing it with the WEM Dominator. The standard Dommie with a 12" speaker could just about be used for bass, but the Dominator 25 with a 15" speaker was actually designed to handle bass. [/ Pedant alert]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1488367780' post='3248257'] How anyone can remember what bloody lead they used is quite beyond me! [/quote] I think I can only remember because it's still around and working, though it's relegated to being a spare now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1488367932' post='3248262'] [Pedant alert] The WEM Westminster was never a bass combo - I reckon you're confusing it with the WEM Dominator. The standard Dommie with a 12" speaker could just about be used for bass, but the Dominator 25 with a 15" speaker was actually designed to handle bass. [/ Pedant alert]. [/quote] There was a Westminster Bass model, one of the black 70s ones. Not much of a bass amp, but it was called one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Well I'll be damned. http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/britamps/watkins/westminster/west6.html Never noticed that one before. Mind you, [Pedant] it is 10W rather than 15W [/Pedant]! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 And now my mouth is watering: http://www.amp-fix.com/Watkins%20Dominator%20Reissue.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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