Portable solution for busking on bass - new amp or battery/inverter

[mcnach]

My band has decided to have a bit of a busk this summer, and for that we're going acoustic... except the bass.
Three acoustic guitars, singing, a trumpet (that's going to be loud!) and a drummer who will bring things to hit, maybe just a cajon and a tambourine.

Now, bass... I'll need amplification, so I am looking for something that will do the job, cheapest and lightest wins.
I am tempted by the Crate Taxi. Friends of mine had the TX15 and it was not extremely loud, but with acoustic guitars etc I think it'll be just fine if I cut lows a bit and use a midrangey sound (which is what I normally prefer, with my Stingray), and it's small, light enough and reasonably cheap. They used to make a 30W version, but not anymore. I wish I could have deep lows, but I am realistic...

Does anybody else know of other alternatives?

I do have a small, light and powerful Markbass combo, but I imagine getting a suitable battery/converter for it to work for longer than 30 minutes will result in probably about the same expense as the Crate, and a lot heavier overall... although I could probably just get a trolley for it too.

Any ideas?

[mushers]

generator and 4x10 with a 500w head ?


wouldnt fancy carrying that lot about tho

Edited July 11, 2013 by mushers

[tonyquipment]

Generator and 900w 12" car sub with mid range hump

[MarkWJenkins]

Could have a look for a s/h Roland Street Cube. I've done a few busking sessions with some friends, my bitsa Pbass sounded ok through it (not a lot of low end, but I like a middy tone anyway)

[gjones]

My band decided to do a gig on the Royal Mile but we didn't do it by halfs. We hired a portable generator for the amps and our drummer brought his full kit. After a couple of tunes things were going great and we'd attracted a huge crowd, until out of the corner of my eye I spied a gentleman in a wig and a dress gesticulating wildly, with policeman in tow. What we hadn't realised, is that we had set up outside The Scottish High Court and the judge (it seemed) was put off by hearing rock loud music while he was sentencing murderers.

Spoilsport!

[skankdelvar]

Bit more expensive at £162.50 + shipping but 50w and a 10" speaker. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/traynor_tvm50.htm"]Traynor TVM50[/url]

[Beer of the Bass]

I've not been particularly impressed with the Crate taxi amps on bass when I've heard buskers using them - they've just sounded like a distorted mess, although perhaps they were running on low batteries. The Phil Jones briefcase sounds great for a battery powered amp, but is more expensive than you'd want for the occasional busk. Double bass can be a good option for busking if you're away from noisy traffic, but you have to want to play double bass in the first place. Making bass work outdoors can be a bit of a problem. I find myself getting jealous of tuba players!

[miles'tone]

This looks good for a busk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0039OQD5U/ref=pd_aw_sbs_MI_6?pi=SL500_SS115

[mcnach]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1373554836' post='2139005']
My band decided to do a gig on the Royal Mile but we didn't do it by halfs. We hired a portable generator for the amps and our drummer brought his full kit. After a couple of tunes things were going great and we'd attracted a huge crowd, until out of the corner of my eye I spied a gentleman in a wig and a dress gesticulating wildly, with policeman in tow. What we hadn't realised, is that we had set up outside The Scottish High Court and the judge (it seemed) was put off by hearing rock loud music while he was sentencing murderers.

Spoilsport!
[/quote]

[mcnach]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1373554970' post='2139009']
Bit more expensive at £162.50 + shipping but 50w and a 10" speaker. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/traynor_tvm50.htm"]Traynor TVM50[/url]
[/quote]

That does look interesting, thanks!

[TheGreek]

I've got a PJB - ideal for just what you want other than the price tag...I'm sure that you can find a way of justifying the purchase..after all it isn't just GAS..

[pete.young]

A Yamaha THD10 might fit the bill, it works off batteries and has the bass amp modelling that apparently makes it sound OK with bass, unlike the THD 5. I say apparently - I've not tried one in the flesh, went for a Bass Briefcase instead.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1373555589' post='2139018']
I've not been particularly impressed with the Crate taxi amps on bass when I've heard buskers using them - they've just sounded like a distorted mess, although perhaps they were running on low batteries. The Phil Jones briefcase sounds great for a battery powered amp, but is more expensive than you'd want for the occasional busk. Double bass can be a good option for busking if you're away from noisy traffic, but you have to want to play double bass in the first place. Making bass work outdoors can be a bit of a problem. I find myself getting jealous of tuba players!
[/quote]

The small 15W watt ones do have a tendency to sound distorted if you try to crank it up. I think you really have to reduce the low end from the bass, but still, it's not very loud, so people tend to push them hard.

A tuba!!! Oh, I'd so love to play one!

[mcnach]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1373563710' post='2139132']
I've got a PJB - ideal for just what you want other than the price tag...I'm sure that you can find a way of justifying the purchase..after all it isn't just GAS..
[/quote]


I'd have to be sure it's going to be used more than a couple of times in August... but it does seem like a good one. If we end up wanting to do it regularly, it's on my list of amps to check!

[mcnach]

Still wondering about a little trolley, a battery, an inverter, and my MB CMD121 combo...
Anybody has any idea about what would be a good battery/inverter and what sort of playing times I could expect? The amp would not be cranked up very loud... although I suspect I'd be tempted to turn it up higher than I need and run out of juice quickly.

[pete.young]

Cheap invertor from Maplins will do the job. The problem is the battery - car batteries really don't like deep discharge cycles, you really need a leisure battery and these tend to be more expensive.

I doubt that the volume setting of the amp will have a huge difference to the battery life - I'd be very surprised if the relationship was anything like linear.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1373564180' post='2139142']
Still wondering about a little trolley, a battery, an inverter, and my MB CMD121 combo...
[/quote]

Never mind the power drain, chum. In your position, I would be asking myself 'How much will this rig slow me up if I have to run away?'

Fact is, when the psycho drunks start circling even the Cajon player will be up the street in front of you.

[Mottlefeeder]

I've run a 300w Hartke amp off a 150w Maplins invertor, and the only problem was a slight buzz when you take your fingers off the strings - that was with an 80 AmpHr caravan leisure battery.

Another option that might be worth considering is a high-powered car-audio amplifier. They appear s/h on ebay frequently, and will give a respectable 100W into 8ohms bridged, or more into 4 ohms bridged in some cases, but you would need a Behringer BD121or sansamp xyz or equivalent to drive it. The main advantage is that they don't hum or buzz, and you can sell it on again when your needs change.

The PJB specifies a 7AHh battery with a life of about 60 minutes, and that size of battery is going to cost you about £15-£20, so you could have your amp and power source sorted for about £60 for a 45 minute set - longer sets would require a bigger battery.

David

[mcnach]

Well, I went for one of these in the end... cheap enough for a try.

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Qtx-QR10PA-portable-PA/dp/B009L4KZ8I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373654107&sr=8-1&keywords=qtx+qr10pa"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Qtx-QR10PA-portable-PA/dp/B009L4KZ8I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373654107&sr=8-1&keywords=qtx+qr10pa[/url]

I'll report back.

[tonyquipment]

that looks alright actually! - 8 hours battery life/ 10kg??

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1373554836' post='2139005']
My band decided to do a gig on the Royal Mile but we didn't do it by halfs. We hired a portable generator for the amps and our drummer brought his full kit. After a couple of tunes things were going great and we'd attracted a huge crowd, until out of the corner of my eye I spied a gentleman in a wig and a dress gesticulating wildly, with policeman in tow. What we hadn't realised, is that we had set up outside The Scottish High Court and the judge (it seemed) was put off by hearing rock loud music while he was sentencing murderers.

Spoilsport!
[/quote]

Brilliant ! Nearly choked on the cafe.
Btw; outdoors the sound is. Mainly crap anyway.
I think maplins do something.(can't remember now) I've often wanted to busk( even for no cash), but I'm band less and to scared to go solo

[mcnach]

[quote name='tonyquipment' timestamp='1373655587' post='2140339']
that looks alright actually! - 8 hours battery life/ 10kg??
[/quote]


we will see... when it sounds too good to be true...
I suspect it's the wattage that they exaggerate, but then I don't really need it to be very loud, just to go with acoustic guitars unamplified...

[oggiesnr]

Take up double bass or buy a decent acoustic (Gibson, Guild or Tacoma Thunderchief).

Steve

[mcnach]

[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1373839027' post='2142216']
Take up double bass or buy a decent acoustic (Gibson, Guild or Tacoma Thunderchief).

Steve
[/quote]


Double bass is appealing because I love the sound of it, but I would not call that a cheap portable busking solution

As for acoustic bass guitars... sorry, however good it is you cannot bend the laws of physics: small body = not loud enough regardless.
I haven't found a single one that can do the job, volume wise.

[mcnach]

The QR10PA arrived today at work.
It had some charge already but I plugged it in to charge while I was at work, just in case. I tried a USB stick with some RATM on it (it has a built in MP3 player) and it sounded alright... it seems a lot louder than the Crate Taxi TX15 and it's only a little bigger. It really surprised me how compact it is, and light, which makes me think the battery life cannot be all that long... but we will see.

I arrived home and plugged my Stingray into its "guitar input". It's actually a quite nice fat tone! And it sounds loud at home. Definitely more than an acoustic guitar or even a couple of three of them. Looking promising! But we will see how it behaves on the street.

In about an hour, Sea Bass Kid will be assembling at the Meadows in Edinburgh for a test...