Just a little research as I'm in the market. I'm about to permaloan a Fender Bassman head going to buy a cab. Genres span from post rock to shoegaze into some post metal and doomy stuff.
I've been using guitar rig for recording and now I want to take this to the stage.
I've been borrowing amps to play live and need my own setup!
any particular reason for not wanting to use Guitar Rig live? you are going to have your laptop running everything else anyway. or are you worried about stability and CPU load?
I have been using guitar rig live. Split w a 1x12 combo amp. At this point in tr game shows have been 2 dudes w guitars and 2 laptops.
I'm moving toward a full band setup. Drums on stage means I want to match stage volume-wise. Plus when it gets heavy I want it to move serious air. In the past we would bring out additional PA for the drums and bass coming from the computer, 2 double 15" cabs w a horn for either side of the stage.
I want this project loud. Like, dumb loud live. If you've seen My Bloody valentine, or Torche or The Swans live you'll get what I'm hinting at... Which it has been in the past but I'm taking a new approach.
It's about creating an experience in conjunction w presenting the music. I enjoy metal shows more than any other live music. Want to create that sort of experience, with pretty music.
Fender Bassman is cool. If you want to buy something new, my first thought was one the AC30 variations, as they sound great clean and take pedals really well (I imagine you'd be into trying overdrive/distortion options) and LOUD.
DIY 80W tube amp that my dad custom-built for me - a mix between a Fender twin reverb and a VOX AC30.
Laney 2x12" cabinet and a DIY 1x12" cab with a celestion greenback.
Laney VC30-212 combo amp
Custom Roscoe LG Signature (5 string, strung E-C) is my main weapon of choice, though I am missing my old fretless massively and have my eye on a LeFay Remington Steele.
When I was gigging a lot my main amp was an EBS Fafner, which will always remain my favourite sounding bass head of all time, into either a Barefaced Big Twin T, or two EBS Neo 212's.
Recently though, I have completely dropped the rig and just DI'd on stage, ensuring I only play shows with adequate PA support.
I have spent thousands on heads, preamps, poweramps, cabs in the past... sold it all when I had to stop playing for a year or so.
Then one day I found this in the trash, a Traynor Guitar Mate from the mid seventies or so. One channel, all tube. Fucking loud. And very round sounding, the kind of sound the rest of the band likes. Doens't hurt the ears like a Roland jazz combo I had for a while.It just sounds godly. In fact, and I'm just realizing this now, the tremolo on it is what got me going on a few surf rock tunes that I'm really taking my time writing. I have recorded bass through it but never played at drummer levels. I wouldn't, either. That said if I have to replace that thing I will probably go for the current reissue. I really, really love it. Very ditorted, bassy tones sound really good. I use an od 3 overdrive pedal and it's a really good sound that, again, suited the ears of the rest of the people I played with.
I have been using guitar rig live. Split w a 1x12 combo amp. At this point in tr game shows have been 2 dudes w guitars and 2 laptops.
I'm moving toward a full band setup. Drums on stage means I want to match stage volume-wise. Plus when it gets heavy I want it to move serious air. In the past we would bring out additional PA for the drums and bass coming from the computer, 2 double 15" cabs w a horn for either side of the stage.
I want this project loud. Like, dumb loud live. If you've seen My Bloody valentine, or Torche or The Swans live you'll get what I'm hinting at... Which it has been in the past but I'm taking a new approach.
gotcha. makes sense. i can't really contribute much here, since i haven't played live in about a decade and sold all my amps and went fully ITB. but going by what you wrote and the bands you listed, the immediate thing that comes to mind is
ok, ok, i still have my DOD distortion pedals that i mean to run stuff from ITB through them back ITB, so i can say i have hardware and work OTB too... but who has time for that. some day, perhaps.
well, i do still use guitars, so i guess i DO have hardware and i AM OTB. whew. i'm ok. i'm not full ITB. i'm sorry. but no amps though. so, yeah.
JUST GET SOME FUCKING ORANGES AND MAKE EVERYONE DEAF!!!
I play two guitars, one is a "custom" ESP Ltd. with swamp ash body and maple neck, 2 cheapo humbuckers on a three way switch. Tune'o'matic bridge. This guitar plays great and sounds good despite the stock pickups. It's a limited edition, I think they just slapped some left over parts together and called it a model. It was exclusive to some guitar warehouse place in the late 90's/
The other is a Ibanez RG### (can't remember the numbers, 536 or something). It's identical in almost every way to my favorite guitar that I had years ago. It plays well and has two PAF pro's and a stock Dimarzio single coil. It's cool, but I don't do much of the shredding metal thing at this point. Plus that locking trem is a pain in the arse if a string breaks live.
I drive a 4x10 cab loaded with Celestion Greenbacks with a Laney GH100L and I run a Zoom G2 for some effects.
After some research, since I am getting my head for FREE, I'll be looking into some Marshall and Orange Cabs. Debating whether to go Bass or Guitar cab as my intent as a guitar player and bass player is to eventually go with a baritone guitar to cover a little bit of both territory, plus the voicings are nice when doubled with a standard 6 string (which is my buddy Mike's preference to play).
We'll have a pretty broad range of tones available as he's splitting up time between Orange and Mesa heads, I def hold down the clean parts. My weapon of choice for dirty is a Big Muff and I think driving the input on the Bassman should be really adequately big sounding. I'll miss an efx loop (i have a few rackmount things i'd like to use in the future) but perhaps i'll get a Strymon Timeline down the road so I don't even really consider it.
well... there is a 4x10 80's Fender Concert used at my local guitar center.
spent about an hour with it and a fuzz pedal. sounds pretty great.
all tube, 2 channel. The dirty channel doesn't really play so well with the fuzz, but the clean + fuzz sounds like billy corgan when he was still good. the dirty channel doesnt get heavy, thats ok w me, but is really responsive to volume knob/dynamic playing.
I have half a mind to just bite the bullet and get this thing. the price is right and it has a parallel effects loop.
Bassman is still an option. Perhaps down the line I will use both. :::mad scientist laugh:::
I've owned a Peavey 3120 and a Marshall Lead 1960 (straight front) and loved it. If you're looking for a looser, spongier sound rather than tighter more controlled I'd recommend maybe an Orange Rockerverb or a Thunderverb. They get up there in price just like Mesa amps which get up to ridiculous prices even for a 1x12 combo. I'd suggest, at least with me personally being the litmus, getting an amp with 6l6 or KT66 power tubes in it mainly due to the deepness of tone especially for the doomier stuff.
Another thing is, again, for me, I don't like open-back amps and prefer closed-back cab enclosures mainly for the compression and the chug factor it brings.
Like a few folks in here, played in bands for many years but got frustrated/annoyed by it all and the guitar got shoved under the bed for the last few years (80s Aria Pro CS-400).
Chase's posts about getting loud again inspired me to pull it out and dust it off to see if I can use it in my music.
Just had a quick plug in and test:
edit: guitar is a little bright in places. Sorry 'bout dat.
