Bankai Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) You've got a gig booked at a local music venue, and the night has arrived. Eager to get started, you turn up for sound check a couple of hours before doors and as you enter the room you spin the wheel of fortune as you find out what the house bass amp that you're going to play through will be this time. Shock horror, it's yet another Ashdown combo. Well it doesn't always work out like that, but usually it does! Which begs the question; what's the best house rig at a local/small venue you've ever come across? To clarify, it doesn't count if it was brought by one of the other bands, nor if it was hired in backline as you often get with events. I'm asking purely about the house backline at permanent music venues. Edited March 20, 2020 by Bankai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bankai Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 I'll start it off; once I encountered an Ashdown ABM instead of a MAG or EB! It was a good day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow_22 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Played the Night & Day in Manchester years ago and we're told bass backline only was supplied, dreading an old clapped out 1x15 combo imagine my surprise to find an Ampeg SVT VR and an 8ohn 4x10. I pointed out the head cant do a single 8ohm cab they laughed and said it had done 3hr gigs pretty much every night for nearly a year! Sounded glorious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikon F Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 why cant the ampeg do a single 8ohm cab ? 40 minutes ago, Pow_22 said: I pointed out the head cant do a single 8ohm cab they laughed and said it had done 3hr gigs pretty much every night for nearly a year! Sounded glorious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 At The Hairy Dog in Derby they have a TC Electronic BH250 into a really old 610 of some sorts. They prefer bands to use it to make changeover quicker. I looked at it and thought it would struggle, not a chance, plenty loud enough - too loud if not kept under control - and a really full sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 The best rig I have played through was at the Ipswich Maritime Festival last year. It is an event that BBC Radio Suffolk put on and the bass backline was an Ampeg SVT pro24 into an Ampeg 8x10. First and only time I have used one. Sounded amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Slight off-piste as its my rehearsal venue (Brixton Hill Studios) but see pic. . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow_22 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 1 hour ago, nikon F said: why cant the ampeg do a single 8ohm cab ? its an all valve head as such it is highly recommended the impedance matches the amps outputs which in the SVT's case is only a 4ohm or 2ohm output Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikon F Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 ah ok ,,,,thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 400+ 4 x 10" The house was shaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 IME if you are using a venue provided backline for the bass it is there for on-stage monitoring only as you will also be going through the PA, so for FoH it doesn't matter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Lozz196 said: At The Hairy Dog in Derby they have a TC Electronic BH250 into a really old 610 of some sorts. They prefer bands to use it to make changeover quicker. I looked at it and thought it would struggle, not a chance, plenty loud enough - too loud if not kept under control - and a really full sound. Last time I played at the Hairy Dog the bass rig was an old Trace Elliot rig with either a 6x10 or 8x10 cab. Since as I said previously the FoH sound is provided by the PA it hardly matters anyway. Edited March 20, 2020 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stofferson Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Lozz196 said: At The Hairy Dog in Derby they have a TC Electronic BH250 into a really old 610 of some sorts. They prefer bands to use it to make changeover quicker. I looked at it and thought it would struggle, not a chance, plenty loud enough - too loud if not kept under control - and a really full sound. That cab has had some hammer in its time! it is beefy though, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 10 hours ago, Bankai said: it's yet another Ashdown combo. That'll do me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashdown Engineering Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 11 hours ago, Bankai said: Shock horror, it's yet another Ashdown combo. 🙄 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) Played a festival couple of years back, I emailed the tech guys to ask about the house rig and whether I'd need to take mine and was told "we're getting an 800 watt Markbass head and a 4x10 cab, hope that's ok..." Yeah, I guess I can slum it with that EDIT: just realised the thread is about backline at permanent venues. Ah well. Can't be bothered to delete this Edited March 20, 2020 by Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 12 hours ago, Bankai said: you spin the wheel of fortune as you find out what the house bass amp that you're going to play through will be this time. Shock horror, it's yet another Ashdown combo. There's probably a reason you find a lot of Ashdown combos. They're pretty reliable and don't cause a problem for FOH engineers. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Agree re Ashdown, it was playing through a good few as hired in rigs that made me switch to their gear, sold my more expensive gear and ended up with a sound that worked far better for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Lorra Lorra Lurve for Ampeg.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 The tech spec my band gives to venues insists on Ashdown. Doesn’t always work but when it does its glorious - last year at the Southbank Centre I was greeted with a wonderfully looked-after MAG 4x10 combo and it was ace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbandit599 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) Somehow the concept of supplied backline has never filtered out to ANY of my venues, ever...only been gigging about 25 years though, so maybe I'll find one before my back gives out.... Is this more of a city centre/originals circuit thing in reality? Edited March 20, 2020 by redbandit599 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryancowell25 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Played a gig years ago In Islington. Loud band - two guitarists. Was about to load my Markbass head and 4 x10 into the van before we left and my guitarist told me that the promoter was supplying ample backline. Turned up to one of these........ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryancowell25 Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 and since then I have never used provided backline 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Many moons ago we played the Catapult Club in New Cross. 410 trace combo. I presume it lived there after the owner a) left in a hurry (the clientele were characterful compared to the sticks where I'm from) and b) it weighed more than the building it lived in. Sounded great, and great gig. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I've had a few with varying degrees of quality! I'm usually so delighted not having to hump gear that I don't mind if it's a shoe box with a drawing of a cab on it. The most shocking one was a lovely looking old Carlsboro combo. It kind of looked a bit like a cross between a rolltop desk and a cooker and either would have sounded better. I assume I was the last person to use it before the trip to the skip. Again my gear was in the car but I was out of there so easily and quickly. Get paid, get out and don't hurt your back! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.jpg.7e18f76540598a8efc0e6ca9be453059.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.