NJW Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 I was playing a show in Dundee last night, and I came to realise that trends in gear seem to have changed a HUGE amount in the past 2 years. Back in 2005 when my band first started playing, crate + line6 gear was a common sight, and not many tube amps were around. We played regularly with bands of a similair 'size' as to the bands we play with now, and there was very rarely nice gear - especially when it came to bass amps. Now, the last two gigs i've played were a different story. One a few weeks ago had 3 bands playing, and amongst us there were a JCM800, ENGL tube head, Marshall JMP, Orange AD30, Ampeg SVT-CL, Ampeg SVT, Mesa 400+ and last night was a similair story, with three SVT's (a 70's, an 80's and a CL). Also, everyone seems to be playing Fender. Is it just my town, or is this happening across the board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 could it be anything to do with a certain music shops market share here in scotland and the fact that 2 years ago the were pushing crate and line6 and now they push ampeg? Also if you have a limited budget fenders are quite a safe buy.you know what you are getting, what it will sound like(ish) and that it will still be cool looking in another few years. If your local music shop/superstore doesnt have a big selection of other makes that you can try out and see if you will like then ppl are more likely to stick to the safe bet. It's a shame as there are many really cool basses out there that people won't try because fender seem safer. Same with the amps, most ppl from first reaction would go for ampeg/orange/mesa/ashdown over say markbass or warwick or someone cos they have heard of these classic rock brands and seen whatever big name 'stars' are using them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJW Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 i would agree with you, except that of all the SVT's i mentioned, only one of them was new... the rest were all old models which didnt come from said music store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 yeah as i was typing it i kinda realised that. my bad. from an art point of view it would be quite an interesting exercise to work on the promotion of one of the smaller/european brands of bass gear. Try and find new ways of selling it. I guess as someone pointed out in the ashdown thread they managed it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 (edited) yep same... have an ampeg svt and trace elliot all valve head plus, 2 ampeg 410hlf - dont use my fender pbass though! Edited October 26, 2007 by andy67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbloke Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Amp modelling was all the rage 2 years ago - Vox, Line 6 everyone was desperate to get in on the act. A former bandmate of mine, now living in the states, summed it up perfectly. He said Line 6 stuff was a fad. Granted, it has it's place and for a lot of people in tribute bands or doing session work where you need to nail a specific sound and a close approximation will do just fine, PODs are great tools. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, having umpteen amp and cab models, effects, biamp capabilities, etc... just detract from the most important part - namely turning up, plugging in and playing. As for Fender gear. Well, guitar brands like ESP Ltd, Dean, Schecter Diamond Series all kind of sound the same - basswood or mahogany bodies, EMG Hz pickups, etc... whereas a strat, tele, precision and jazz have completely different sounds and you can get so much variation out of a couple of volumes/selector switch and a tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 I think a lot of the gear 'trends' are based on what retailers are pushing at the time. That depends, in turn, on distribution agreements and a touch of the old boys network I suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Ampeg who? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 ampeg purveyors of bass sounds!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Is irony dead...? Trends seem to come from whos playing what in the limelight..... I find Line6 gear to be greta for recording,but not for live work....Gimme Tech21 anyday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 irony id dead long live sarcasm....? horses for courses mate, see it year in year out with my job....this year students appear to be falling for 450 watt berhinger bass heads and 4x10 cabs............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJW Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 ouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 [quote name='andy67' post='79939' date='Oct 26 2007, 08:18 PM']irony id dead long live sarcasm....? horses for courses mate, see it year in year out with my job....this year students appear to be falling for 450 watt berhinger bass heads and 4x10 cabs............[/quote] Yeah and 3 years back it was all musicman Subs...and PRS's for the guitarists,Eden rigs..or SWR... Its geographical,this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusionbassist1 Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 [quote name='andy67' post='79939' date='Oct 26 2007, 08:18 PM']irony id dead long live sarcasm....? horses for courses mate, see it year in year out with my job....this year students appear to be falling for 450 watt berhinger bass heads and 4x10 cabs............[/quote] Oh dear god. Tell them they can't come in unless they promise to not buy anything with the dreaded 'b' word on front. I had a 450watt B*******r and it decided to kill itself from the inside out. I've never liked amp modeling and that stuff, gimme a good ol' amp with turny knobs, no parametric EQ and a back panel you can fry eggs on any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 When I joined BassWorld as it was then everyone was using EBS gear, which was reassuring because I had just ponied up lots for an EBS rig. Now everyone is using Markbass but am I bovvered. Some things are always in fashion - Fender and Ampeg. If you are bothered about fashion, trends, fads whatever, Fender and Ampeg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99ster Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 (edited) [quote name='bass_ferret' post='79991' date='Oct 27 2007, 12:00 AM']When I joined BassWorld as it was then everyone was using EBS gear, which was reassuring because I had just ponied up lots for an EBS rig. Now everyone is using Markbass but am I bovvered. Some things are always in fashion - Fender and Ampeg. If you are bothered about fashion, trends, fads whatever, Fender and Ampeg.[/quote] Other stuff can come and go but... It always has, & it always will still come back to those two - 4 string Fender basses and Ampeg valve amps. The foundation of it all. The basses and amps that are used on innumerable great records & in concert, by the greatest bass players, for the best part of 50 years. Edited October 26, 2007 by 99ster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman7 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 (edited) Ed Straker says: "Bass amplification...it's about the music, the tone, the sound, isn't it, the best we can achieve (subject to whatever we can afford)??? Not about what's fashionable surely or the current flavour in the stores due to whatever marketing push is being orchestrated in the background and whatever colour is in ie yellow and black and vintage looking VU meters and silly knobs and faddish features??? Answers on a postcard to S.I.D. please. Caption: "Where's my 'Mid' control...?" Edited October 27, 2007 by Bassman7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 [quote name='Bassman7' post='80045' date='Oct 27 2007, 08:58 AM']Ed Straker says: "Bass amplification...it's about the music, the tone, the sound, isn't it, the best we can achieve (subject to whatever we can afford)??? Not about what's fashionable surely or the current flavour in the stores due to whatever marketing push is being orchestrated in the background and whatever colour is in ie yellow and black and vintage looking VU meters and silly knobs and faddish features??? Answers on a postcard to S.I.D. please. Caption: "Where's my 'Mid' control...?"[/quote] MB1. Are you sure Your not Peter Gordeno? he was also a bass player! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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.