Played my first DB gig this week, need live sound advice!

[lobematt]

I played my first gig on my upright this week - woohoo! It was a duo gig with an acoustic guitarist in a small cafe and I haven't got a pickup for my bass yet so I thought I'd just test it out without and see. A friend of mine who came to watch said it was definitely loud enough for the gig but I really struggled to hear myself, i'm guessing because my practice room at home is quite small but this cafe was large enough for me to not have the sound bouncing back for me.

Am I best just getting a little amp for monitoring purposes for gigs like this or are there any other options like better bass positioning?

Thanks!

[JoeEvans]

A little amp is a good move, down by your feet and angled upwards so that you can hear it - as much a monitor for you as a volume boost for the audience. It also helps you not to play too hard just to be heard, which is not great for the finger dexterity. I currently use a cheap Laney with most of the treble rolled off, to boost the bottom end rather than to produce the full sound on its own.
Obviously bigger gigs are a different matter but for acoustic plus a little bit / singer-songwriter stuff that works for me.

[SubsonicSimpleton]

How were you positioned in relation to the guitarist and the nearest wall?

Getting close to a wall will increase the bottom end (same coupling effect as putting your bass rig in the corner of a room) and can reflect some sound back to you, but being in the firing line of an acoustic guitar will make it really difficult to hear yourself regardless (at a local community center group that play in a circle facing each other, I can never hear myself (although everyone else comments on how the bass fills the room)).

[Rabbie]

I can normally hear myself totally acoustic in a trio with drums (brushes) and jazz guitar, in fact I often prefer it to having an amp in these small settings as the amp messes with my dynamics. Still, all changes if the guitarist has a loud amp and vocals in the monitors, in which case a small amp may well be the best thing for you, something like the Genz Benz 3-10 would be great for that, with something like a realist pickup or just a bassmax for ease and cheapness.

PS - well done on your first DB gig. May it be the first of many many more!

Edited August 23, 2015 by Rabbie

[lobematt]

Thanks guys, I was fairly close to the guitar although it was a nylon strung guitar so not too loud. I was quite far away from the nearest wall too and definitely got a sense of the sound flying away from me! I'll pick up a pick up (ba dum!) this month and let you know how the next one goes!

EDIT: Is this the one? http://www.thomann.de/gb/david_gage_the_realist_kontrabass.htm

Edited August 25, 2015 by lobematt

[Rabbie]

[quote name='lobematt' timestamp='1440500087' post='2851239']
EDIT: Is this the one? http://www.thomann.de/gb/david_gage_the_realist_kontrabass.htm
[/quote]
Yes that's one option, good sound but open to feedback at high stage volume (I.e. Rock n roll volume).
Sorry to be a pest but it's worth noting that although most manufacturers state that their pickups can be happily used straight into an amp, you will almost invariably need a preamp to match impedance and produce a realistic sound. There are oodles of preamps available, I suggest starting with a second hand one like an old fishman platinum pro bass from this forum or eBay. That gives you a reliable gigging tool while you enter the never ending quest that is finding an amplified tone that really makes you happy.