First, this may get a bit long. The bottom line (TLDR) is that I’m considering getting rid of every piece of gear I own and starting over from scratch. I’m curious to know if anyone else ever gets to this point, and what, if anything, they did about it. Read on if you want the longer version.
I haven’t played in a band in about 3 years. During that time, all my playing has been at home, and it’s been very, very productive from a woodshedding standpoint. I’ve now begun venturing out to open mic nights and playing with some folks I’ve met locally. When I took my rig out to play live, I discovered that I didn’t like the sound as much as I used to.
My current rig is a GK MB800, played thru a pair of Accugroove Tri110’s, or in the case of an outdoor gig, a Tri110 & a Tri112 (non-neo). In fact, over the years I have amassed a lot of different gear, including another Tri112 (totaling 4 Accugroove cabs), a QSC PLX 1602, Eden Nav preamp, etc. I don’t know what tonal solution I’ve been trying to achieve, but I feel like all of this hasn’t gotten me where I want to be, or maybe I’m just not headed in that direction anymore.
Current basses include a pre-Gibson Tobias Classic 4, a Suhr Jazz, a Roscoe standard SKB 4, and a ’65 P bass. I may end up keeping one, but mostly I think I’m ready to let them all go as well. They are great instruments, but my longer term life plans don’t really allow me to keep all of them. I’ll always be a bass player, but I’m not defined by my gear.
So, the way forward?
I think it’s time to sell off all the Accugroove gear and go with something newer and, in the case of the Tri112’s, lighter. The Tri112’s weigh only 55lbs, but it’s inevitable that as I get older, I’m going to want something lighter. Might as well do it now before I’m forced to. Also, even though I like my MB800, it’s time to try something different.
My current thinking is moving to a Mesa D800+ (lots of love for those on TB lately, and I do like Mesa amps), and a smallish super 12 cab, perhaps a Bareface BB2 or the like. Almost all my playing involves only a single cab these days, and I’m not interested in playing at warp volumes anymore (or at least, I want PA support when I do.)
Of my basses, I think I’m most likely to keep the Roscoe, but who knows? It has all the elements I seem to want in a bass these days; 24 frets, active EQ, plays great both finger style and slap. My other basses sound great too; the Tobias gets an amazing slap tone, and the Jazz excels as what a Jazz bass should do. I don’t really play the P bass; it’s something I acquired on a whim and I need to let it go.
So here I am. Probably conflating several issues; a desire to simplify my life, a desire to continue playing but more on my terms, and wanting to achieve a tone that I can almost taste, but can’t describe. It’s time for a change.
Thanks for reading if you got this far. Oddly, I feel better now that I’ve written this out.
I haven’t played in a band in about 3 years. During that time, all my playing has been at home, and it’s been very, very productive from a woodshedding standpoint. I’ve now begun venturing out to open mic nights and playing with some folks I’ve met locally. When I took my rig out to play live, I discovered that I didn’t like the sound as much as I used to.
My current rig is a GK MB800, played thru a pair of Accugroove Tri110’s, or in the case of an outdoor gig, a Tri110 & a Tri112 (non-neo). In fact, over the years I have amassed a lot of different gear, including another Tri112 (totaling 4 Accugroove cabs), a QSC PLX 1602, Eden Nav preamp, etc. I don’t know what tonal solution I’ve been trying to achieve, but I feel like all of this hasn’t gotten me where I want to be, or maybe I’m just not headed in that direction anymore.
Current basses include a pre-Gibson Tobias Classic 4, a Suhr Jazz, a Roscoe standard SKB 4, and a ’65 P bass. I may end up keeping one, but mostly I think I’m ready to let them all go as well. They are great instruments, but my longer term life plans don’t really allow me to keep all of them. I’ll always be a bass player, but I’m not defined by my gear.
So, the way forward?
I think it’s time to sell off all the Accugroove gear and go with something newer and, in the case of the Tri112’s, lighter. The Tri112’s weigh only 55lbs, but it’s inevitable that as I get older, I’m going to want something lighter. Might as well do it now before I’m forced to. Also, even though I like my MB800, it’s time to try something different.
My current thinking is moving to a Mesa D800+ (lots of love for those on TB lately, and I do like Mesa amps), and a smallish super 12 cab, perhaps a Bareface BB2 or the like. Almost all my playing involves only a single cab these days, and I’m not interested in playing at warp volumes anymore (or at least, I want PA support when I do.)
Of my basses, I think I’m most likely to keep the Roscoe, but who knows? It has all the elements I seem to want in a bass these days; 24 frets, active EQ, plays great both finger style and slap. My other basses sound great too; the Tobias gets an amazing slap tone, and the Jazz excels as what a Jazz bass should do. I don’t really play the P bass; it’s something I acquired on a whim and I need to let it go.
So here I am. Probably conflating several issues; a desire to simplify my life, a desire to continue playing but more on my terms, and wanting to achieve a tone that I can almost taste, but can’t describe. It’s time for a change.
Thanks for reading if you got this far. Oddly, I feel better now that I’ve written this out.
