Live rig: amp vs digital

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  • Start date Start date

Your live rig

  • Tube amp

  • Digital rig, but I have a great amp at home

  • Digital, but I don't play analog

  • Not gigging atm

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romanianreaper said:
Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever had a tube or fuse blow during a gig? That is something I've always worried about but wondered if that is even a common thing?
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The "something happen to the tubes in a gig" is the main reason why I am considering going with an Amp1 Mercury.
 
romanianreaper said:
Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever had a tube or fuse blow during a gig? That is something I've always worried about but wondered if that is even a common thing?
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It’s why I practice with different system Vs the rig. And why I keep an extra amp handy during a show. Broken string is number one issue. Crowd fight number two. Oddly if anyone recalls, my friend was run over and killed at one of my shows; It don’t get worse than that so I don’t stress too much about failing song. Now, I start every show with; guys this is 100% live music show and shit happens. Fortunately most people are forgiving for screw ups.
 
Both. I have an FM9 in 4CM with an EVH head, it’s easy enough to configure everything so I can use one or the other if need be, but I don’t live in an area where I ever expect to be playing on a silent stage or even one that’ll bat an eye at a 4x12.
 
The comfy digital rig is just for practical home use.

I've always played an amp at gigs. I can roll with a 1x15 combo, a 2x12 cab & head, or a half stack.
 
romanianreaper said:
Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever had a tube or fuse blow during a gig? That is something I've always worried about but wondered if that is even a common thing?
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I thought I blew a fuse in my Deliverance a few years ago, we got to a gig and it just wouldn't power on at all.

Luckily we were the opening band and I was friends with the guys playing after us. Their guitarist let me use his Marshall MG half stack. I just used the dirty channel on whatever settings he had dialed in; not my best gig tone-wise, but I made it work more or less.

When I got the amp home it worked fine. That was an outdoor gig at a Harley Davidson dealership, they had a pretty sketchy stage setup & power situation going on there. I guess whatever mess of extension chords they were running from the show room just wouldn't power it.

At some point in the future, I'm probably going to get one of the little quilter amps or maybe one of the UA amp-in-a-box pedals in the off chance this happens again.
 
alund said:
It’s why I practice with different system Vs the rig. And why I keep an extra amp handy during a show. Broken string is number one issue. Crowd fight number two. Oddly if anyone recalls, my friend was run over and killed at one of my shows; It don’t get worse than that so I don’t stress too much about failing song. Now, I start every show with; guys this is 100% live music show and shit happens. Fortunately most people are forgiving for screw ups.
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Fighting sucks. I laid a dude out once with a 70’s Les Paul deluxe. The term poleaxed springs to mind. Place got wild. We tore down and hit the road. After we left there was some shooting and the place burned down. Good times… I remember when that happened to your buddy. That was horrible.
 
MOOER-S1-Thumb-696x464.jpg
 
I’ll never own, nor gig digital or modelers. I have tube combos and heads, as well as various size cabs. So I have many options available. I take the appropriate size rig for the venue.
 
RevDrucifer said:
Both. I have an FM9 in 4CM with an EVH head, it’s easy enough to configure everything so I can use one or the other if need be, but I don’t live in an area where I ever expect to be playing on a silent stage or even one that’ll bat an eye at a 4x12.
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Yeah the places we have played so far are cool with any setup. I'm sure some places in the future will pucker if a cab arrives.
 
One of my best gig rigs back in the day was a Sansamp PSA-1 (analog) into a used Mosvalve MV-962 and a 4x12 cab. I got such a great tone from that setup.
 
started with a 30W combo, peaked at a MkV and Port City 212OS vert, then kemper, helix LT and ended my pro gigging career with smallest aplifire (3 button).
Whilst my live rigs got digital and smaller, my studio rigs expanded with more and bigger tube amps.

I do hope to end up in a choppy dad rock band playing for beer. I will gladly bring a half stack out for that gig
 
My gig rigs were an 82 2204 or a Jube 2554 combo into a 79 Marshall 412. 50w Marshalls are enough for any gig; and can also be dialed down quietly enough for any volume conscious club owner.
As my back isn't the best anymore, I can totally see using a modeler as they are certainly popular, and sound great though the PA. On stage, I'd have a hard time not having that big swirly sound all around me. It would take some getting used to.
 
I actively gig, mostly through the summer/fall months.

Currently using: Kemper Stage > KSR PA-50 > Hiwatt 412 w/ Celestion G12-35xc

I'd much prefer to use my GZ modded Mesa Dual RevF, but I need to solve for the pedalboard tap dance. I'm torn on what to buy. EHX Super Switcher, Boss ES-8, Gig Rig etc. etc.
 
My last actual live playing was for a church. I was using an hd500 floor unit and it was great. Guitar, hd500 and cables…done. That was nice.
 
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If I played live again, I'd use either my Mooer Prime S1 digital modeler or my ISP Theta Pro Michael Sweet.

My tube amps are too valuable for the dive bars I'd be playing. That said, my Theta Pro is also too valuable for that...I'd probably get the latest cheapest Zoom modeler with an integrated expression pedal if I was playing out again.

...or just bring a keytar instead. :D
 
I play sludge. We bring two full stacks and two 8x10s. I did go to a digital board though with the FX8. I didn't want to buy all the same pedals again for a new board, so I just went Fractal with the effects. I control channels on two amps, and have compression, EQ, boost, phasers, delay, and reverb all without tap dancing. It's been fun watching the bassist try to figure out how to tap dance his effect changes, where I hit one button to go from syrupy phased trippy reverbed out cleans to brutal straight high gain with one tap.
 
Tube amps… Current live set up for the past 2 years, and putting together a fly rig based around the IR-X. I’m not a tweaker, set it and forget it works for me. The digital thing doesn’t do it for me.
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Smashedguitaris⸸ said:
Honestly, at death metal shows, i dont know the difference between a kemper and a 5150 when i am in the crowd unless i watch them set up. (Going to front of house, of course)
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Oppressor was using a Kemper last night and I wouldn’t have known except for the toaster on the cabs.
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Racerxrated said:
My gig rigs were an 82 2204 or a Jube 2554 combo into a 79 Marshall 412. 50w Marshalls are enough for any gig; and can also be dialed down quietly enough for any volume conscious club owner.
As my back isn't the best anymore, I can totally see using a modeler as they are certainly popular, and sound great though the PA. On stage, I'd have a hard time not having that big swirly sound all around me. It would take some getting used to.
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Yeah two hernia surgeries later, I can't do 4x12s for gigs anymore. I'm 54 and don't want to completely wimp out but lighter is better for sure.
 
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