Tony p Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 I often play through house backline at festivals due to the non existent band change over times, my "rig" is a tc bh250 with a tc 112 cab so imagine how impressed I was to find this concoction on stage at the weekend... Gk head , 2 x 10 cab mounted on what may have been another cab or maybe a cupboard... I'm 6'6" and it looked pretty impressive Anyone else come up against any weird and wonderfull set ups? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 House backline often seems to belong to someone whose arm the organiser has twisted. I've occasionally been asked if people can use mine. The answer is always a firm no. If I take an old rig I don't care about, there'll be moans. If I take my good stuff, I'll be constantly worrying that some idiot will damage it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Not quite in the same league but I was playing at a festival where the BBC were filming. You can see from my signature than I'm a fairly traditional type when it comes to gear. The previous band finish and we stroll on to get a sound together and check tuning and I am confronted with this Peavey digital set up. The previous guy played upright and didn't use the rig so I had to power it up. It launched into the type of light display you see on car stereos at Halfords and I didn't have a clue what anything did. I was DI'd from the bass and so I noted I was getting some noise at least and so I just stuck with it but you can see on the broadcast that I was like a rabbit caught in headlights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 We've done a few festivals this year and I was majorly spoilt at the first couple with an Ampeg SVT 810 cab. However the last couple obviously had sourced rigs from amps lying around in mate's garages - I had a tired looking Peavey combo that was nearly as old as me. I hate it when you get the tech spec through and it promises one thing and delivers another. We couldn't even get the Peavey to work at first due to a knackered input and they all had the audacity to ask me "is it your lead?"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I played the Beat Generator in Dundee last Saturday and the rig was an oldish Peavey head and a 15 inch cab. I left the settings of the previous guy and it was distorting a bit on stage but the di sound out front was pretty good according to the punters. I prefer to bring my own backline but if the sound guy has got his set up right, I will just go with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 (edited) When I'm told 'house back-line' or 'the promoter is organising it (especially the latter). I take my own. Last time there was some sort of combo of possibly 200 watts. If they are DIing, there shouldn't be any problem swapping the line. It's just a line level signal. If the house gear looks remotely OK, I'll go with it though and save myself some lugging. Edited July 7, 2017 by radiophonic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 had a similar thing at a multi band bill at Rock City (the basement alas) "Don't bring your own amp they'll be one there" turns out to a totally underpowered something or other, distorted like f***, somebody recorded the gig and the bass sound was wonderful front of house, so unless you can't actually hear yourself I don't worry about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agwin Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 [quote name='Tony p' timestamp='1499378653' post='3331235'] I often play through house backline at festivals due to the non existent band change over times, my "rig" is a tc bh250 with a tc 112 cab so imagine how impressed I was to find this concoction on stage at the weekend... Gk head , 2 x 10 cab mounted on what may have been another cab or maybe a cupboard... I'm 6'6" and it looked pretty impressive Anyone else come up against any weird and wonderfull set ups? [/quote] That bottom cab is very reminiscent of an HH Bass Machine 1x15 folded horn monster like the one I had back in the eighties. It could flatten buildings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyvee Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Most of the backlines I've had to use over the past 5 years not been to my liking. Usually they sound like they have been trashed or not very clean sounding and edgy/distorted even at the lowish volumes I prefer on stage. These days when I know in advance, i tend to carry my own rack pre-amp and go direct into the power amp of whatever head is on stage. If I'm just carrying the bass, well it has an external power supply which also handles the signal outs so sometimes on a quick turnover If the amp head is too complicated to get the sound I want or I don't like the sound, I will go direct from that psu signal outs into the power section of the bass head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I tend to use many provided rigs so always have my Sansamp Paradriver DI`d to FOH before the amp. I can live with being too quiet/bassy on stage as long as the audience hear what I want them to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 I've seen some right precarious looking rigs, mismatched cabs, one large cab stood on end of smaller cab on it's side then with a huge head overhanging the top cab either side, handles and feet glued back on and the tolex peeling off here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1499429208' post='3331511'] I've seen some right precarious looking rigs, mismatched cabs, one large cab stood on end of smaller cab on it's side then with a huge head overhanging the top cab either side, handles and feet glued back on and the tolex peeling off here and there. [/quote] Rock and roll, baby....rock and roll... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number6 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Always happy to lend my rig to anyone at a gig. It's only TC E gear, i'm not precious about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Did a party last week and was told by the organiser to use the headline band's Vase amps. Hand built and shipped over from Brisbane especially for them, decked out in white. 1000w head with valve pre I think, and 210 cab.Only 5 minutes before I was about to soundcheck the organiser/ drummer knocked it over, where at least it did a pretty set of flips and pirouettes. Needless to say when I plugged in it sounded dreadful and out came my tweedy beloveds. No issues at all then. I'm hoping someone knocks over tomorrow's rig for me as well, pretty sure it'll be the usual knackered and abused hire fare from the looks of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 My favourite "no need to bring your amp, you can use ours" was at a gig where the other band actively offered to share backline then brought a 1x8" practice combo just for us, but when it was time for them to play their bassist rolled his 8x10" rig out of his van. I've been wary of such offers ever since! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1499505015' post='3331904'] My favourite "no need to bring your amp, you can use ours" was at a gig where the other band actively offered to share backline then brought a 1x8" practice combo just for us, but when it was time for them to play their bassist rolled his 8x10" rig out of his van. I've been wary of such offers ever since! [/quote]similar thing happened to me except the band that said they'd provide the backline went on first, forget what it was but it was a decent amp and cab, went we went on there was a weedy combo there, I said to the bass player "Where's the other amp?" he said "you're not using that I've bought this along for every one else" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 I've played a few festivals, where I've felt crestfallen when I've see the backline I'm supposed to play through. Saggy old ashdown MAGs through, saggier MAG 4x10s and elderly looking, Laney heads through unidentifiable speaker cabinets. Weirdly though, maybe because I had low expectations of them, they never sounded as bad as I expected them to. And some sounded pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) - Edited February 24, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 I've had a couple of pleasant surprises with house backline - I remember one gig where the amp provided was a small, maybe 60W combo...and very much a 'Bobby's Bass Amps' brand, but it sounded awesome. One of the best gigs I played with that band and I attribute a lot of that to the pocket rocket behind me spurring me on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 I cocked up last year and confused the Musician in Leicester with the Soundhouse in Leicester, the Musician had a lovely up to date TE rig whereas the Soundhouse has a knackered 1x12 Carlsboro combo with a volume control that has been snapped off and all volume has to be controlled by a gain control, so I left the Mark Bass rig at home, I rocked up to the Soundhouse and as soon as I saw it I knew this was not the venue with the nice TE rig, however the sound guy knows his stuff and most importantly knows the venues acoustics so despite using the remains of a Carlsboro amp I could hear everything I played and people commented afterwards as to how good the bass sounded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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