Too many redundancies

[chris_b]

I don't understand buying a cheap amp as a backup.

 

For many years the back up for my TH500 was another TH500.

 

If I ever have to use the second amp I want it to be as good as the first amp.

[chris7273]

Spare cables (same length)

spare amp with Di (Warwick gnome)

spare bass

spare set of strings

tools for a bass setup and string change (hex keys, …)

 

maybe too much but I don’t want to spoil a good moment. 

[Downunderwonder]

16 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

I have lent it to the guitarist who's leads have failed a few times

Everyone else I ever read about only ever makes 'permanent loans' of leads to guitarists, until they break that one.....

 

and the possessive of who is whose, standing in for Dad.

[Downunderwonder]

I only ever broke 1 string. It broke some time between last rehearsal and taking it out of the case on the stage. Playing the whole show on the upright was less than ideal.

[uk_lefty]

For me I have a spare bass on standby usually. Sometimes I like to use a different bass for a second set, sometimes it's cased up and in the boot of the car. If I don't have a spare bass I definitely have spare strings. If my amp goes down I can DI off my pedalboard. If my wireless goes down I have a spare cable on stage with me. If my pedal board goes down I just won't use effects. I've never had a spare amp because I don't want to pay out for something I hope to never use. I carry a bag of leads, speaker cables and so on to bigger gigs.

 

The thing I find most useful is a £15 battery tester off Amazon. I've had a Stingray battery go weird on me and I have spent tons making sure I have new batteries for gigs.... Well, gigs don't tend to drain batteries much. Since buying the tester it's probably paid for itself in stopping me buying new batteries. Now I'm on a wireless and I have an active bass a quick check with this before going out... It's not priceless but it saves me about a tenner per gig. 

[SamIAm]

19 hours ago, gjones said:

As I've got older I get less optimistic that everything will run smoothly. I bring every conceivable tool know to man/woman, strings, batteries, spare amp, spare pair of underpants.

 

In 99% of gigs my gear works perfectly but other band members gear malfunctions, batteries go dead, fuses blow, jacks cease to work, etc, and I am the savior of the day.

 

 

Is one of those to throw to the adoring fans?  

S'manth x

[Bassfinger]

I pack an extra condom, and im good to go.

[Nail Soup]

9 hours ago, chris_b said:

I don't understand buying a cheap amp as a backup.

It's cheaper, and IMO justifiable in terms of risk management.

Risk management is about taking into account a) the likelihood/probability of a thing happening and b) the consequence of the thing happening.

• Amp failures don't happen very often
• The consequence of having no amp is massively worse than having an OK amp. The consequence of having an OK amp is only slightly worse than having a good amp.

 

[Nail Soup]

56 minutes ago, Bassfinger said:

I pack an extra condom, and im good to go.

In terms of redundancy, is this serial or parallel usage?

[FinnDave]

I always take a spare bass and spare amp plus a DI box to every gig. 

 

I have had both amp and bass failures - the amp was brand new and died on the first song, I had a spare in the car and we carried on after about one minute, the bass was on a stand which 'fell over' (I still think someone knocked it) and damaged strings and fretboard on a cymbal as it fell through the drum kit. The spare bass was put to use. Both of these happened at the same gig - still carry spares of everything but haven't need them since.

[ubit]

I've never had an amp fail but on one occasion we were playing in a barn with very dodgy electrics. My valve amp kept cutting out. I would play for 30 seconds then it would go iff for 10 seconds os so then repeat. I eventually went through my spare di and went straight into the pa. Problem solved although I struggled to hear myself. I thought my amp was knackered but next gig everything was working fine so it was definitely the dodgy electrics.

[Machines]

My Ashdown DI was a bit dodgy at the last gig so am considering a Behringer BDI121 as a backup, or even a Warwick Gnome as they're cheap as cheaps.

[BigRedX]

But where do you stop? And do you regularly test your backup equipment to make sure it is in good working order.

 

When The Terrortones were gigging at least once a week I had a spare amp that lived permanently in the band van. I never had the need to use it. However, when we had to stop doing gigs and I got it back, I discovered that a some point over the 2 years since I had last tried it out, it had stopped working.

 

These days I have a spare of any non-standard lead I need (i.e. anything that isn't jack-to-jack or XLR -to-XLR) and a new set of strings. I'll take a second bass to any important gigs but that is it.

[Shaggy]

23 hours ago, neepheid said:

I have one of those Beringer BDI21 preamps/DI boxes in my bag in case of amp/cab failure. Tested it in rehearsal but never had to use it in action.

Likewise, plus just a spare set of strings, battery, allen key and screwdriver.

 

Though after struggling through a gig last night with an absolutely stinking cold, I’m considering a back up digital avatar of myself .......(see https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/465089-abbatar/ ) *🤔

 

* Edit: probably the 1985 bleach-blond mullet / spandex strides version, purely to annoy the band 😉

Edited May 29, 2022 by Shaggy

[GBH]

10 hours ago, chris_b said:

I don't understand buying a cheap amp as a backup.

 

For many years the back up for my TH500 was another TH500.

 

If I ever have to use the second amp I want it to be as good as the first amp.

Thats all very good and well, but not everyone can afford 2 top end amps, just in case. Any amp is better than none if your amp fails and it's more important that the gig carries on, at the end of the day the punters are more important than you having your preferred tone. 

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, Nail Soup said:

It's cheaper, and IMO justifiable in terms of risk management.

 

 

25 minutes ago, GBH said:

Thats all very good and well, but not everyone can afford 2 top end amps, just in case.

 

I get the comments, but I have 2 #1 amps. Doesn't everyone?

 

I take both to every gig and use the one that sounds best on that stage.

[neepheid]

38 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

I get the comments, but I have 2 #1 amps. Doesn't everyone?

 

I take both to every gig and use the one that sounds best on that stage.

 

Let them eat cake?

[Muppet]

I take a second bass, a head, and various spare leads. Never needed any of it. 
 

I know the first time I leave my back ups at home will be the first time I need them. 

[Bassfinger]

I take a second bass rather than spare strings.

 

Beyond that our 2nd guitarist is an electric engineer and loves nothing more than inspecting and servicing the noise making gear, so we've a very high confidence that it will function.

[Ed_S]

I decided that a backup instrument and the ability to bring it into use without any scrounging round is the most important thing to me. To that end I have a cheap spare bass in a gigbag with a strap, cable, tuner, passive DI box, a couple of picks and a fresh packet of screw-in earplugs in the front pocket. In the absolute worst case scenario of literally all my main gear being wrecked or nicked, I could get by with that into the desk - it'd be in tune and I'd not get blisters on my fingers or ringing in my ears. In the event that my backup bag got wrecked or nicked, I'd be annoyed but not exactly heartbroken. The DI box might get replaced by an Elf and its power/speaker cables depending on how it all tessellates.

 

I have spare cables, batteries, fuses, basic tools etc. in my main gear bag, but although I do carry spare strings, I've seen enough on-stage string changes to know it's not a good look.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Ed_S
Stray word located and evicted.

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

 

Let them eat cake?

 

'Après moi le déluge.' 

Edited May 29, 2022 by Dad3353

[ambient]

On 28/05/2022 at 11:30, Newfoundfreedom said:

I take an extra battery and an extra lead. That's it. 

Same with me. 
 

The only time I’ve ever taken a spare bass was when I did a month on a cruise ship. It spent the whole time in its case in the cabin.

[Boodang]

I've got 2 amps on stage, one either side of the drum kit so the guitarist can hear me. The spare left in car is an old HH and just seems indestructible!

[chris_b]

7 minutes ago, ambient said:

The only time I’ve ever taken a spare bass was when I did a month on a cruise ship. It spent the whole time in its case in the cabin.

 

Like all insurance, It's always a good thing if you never use it.

 

I've never made a claim for the car or house but it makes no sense (plus being illegal in the case of cars) not to have full insurance.

[Lowend soldier]

Had a couple of amps go down. Both times at festivals with questionable electric supply. Both times the guitarists amps were fine 😒. Also had a pair of swr henry the 8th cabs go up in smoke at a bikers festival. Half the crowd thought it was part of the show and congratulated us on the pyrotechnics 😯.

A pre amp pedal is no biggie too pop in a bag along with the usual lead ect. But i favour a screwdriver/hex key over a spare bass.