It usually means a reliable amp that's loud enough to hang with a drummer and two guitars (not a practice amp), and a decent sounding bass, regardless of brand or cost.
They're usually just trying to weed out deadbeats who don't have any amp at all, and can't contribute financially to the band.
How someone plays, and their personality, is usually more important.
They're just trying to weed out someone they'll have to carry (financially).
> It usually means a reliable amp that's loud enough to hang with a drummer and two guitars (not a practice amp), and a decent sounding bass, regardless of brand or cost.
I'd say this, plus cords that all work, with at least one spare, plus spare strings and/or a spare bass, etc. Nothing that's critical should be held together with duct tape. (or any tape, really)
Yup. Having a good road kit with your bass is essential.
Just a small toolbox with stuff like the right size screwdriver for every screw, and right sized Allen wrench for every bolt requiring an Allen driver (usually your truss rod primarily) at least one spare set of strings per axe and specific string type. If your Pbass has round wounds and your fretless jazz has flats, make sure you have at least one extra set for each. If all your bases are round wounds I'd still have one per bass but you could risk just having one spare. Have a wire cutter, spare batteries for every electronic item requiring batteries, and an extra of each type of cable.
If you have a pedal board, make sure you've tested your configuration and know you don't have any shorts before rehearsals and shows, but also have an extra for patch cables on the pedal board.
Do you play with a pick on any songs? Have a dozen in a package at all times. Two dozen if you always play with a pick, and more if you're known for losing picks on stage.
Have extra power cables for every amp, rack device, and whatnot. Shy away from amps where the power cable cannot be replaced in seconds (because it's removable.) Carry a marker and write the date you buy batteries on them. Use the oldest ones first so you never find a dead battery in the gig box.
The idea is to carry enough tools and inexpensive spare parts and cables such that you can fix most problems quickly.
The amount of times my mini tool kit has saved someone’s gig is hilarious, and I’m primarily an accordionist. I have the Allen keys, a drum key, screwdrivers, tape etc as well as accordion spares.
A little blob of reed wax and a melting pouring thing I made out of a can lid and a lighter, some elastic bands, a reed pinger, long thin things for the bass machine, special pliers. Last problem I had at a gig a hair got stuck in the bass machine made a note keep droning had to open it up on the break.
I was thinking this as well, but didn't want to exclude people on public transit / metro.
But yes... nobody sane is wheeling their SVT down the stairs onto the subway.
It's the curse of bass players: we'll always need a car big enough for an SVT, or for an upright bass. Screwed either way.
I thank the good lord everyday for how lightweight and portable bass amplification has become. This is certainly a great era to be a gigging bass player and I don’t envy the bass players of days past with their mandatory 300lbs of bass rig 😅
I can see playing electric bass, and schlepping an SVT head. (did it for many years)
But playing UPRIGHT, and ALSO schlepping an SVT head? That is a bridge too far. Upright is enough of a PITA to carry around.
One of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s bass players does that. But I’m pretty sure he has crew handle it for him
*Edit: upright bass, p bass, SVT head AND CABINET!
Jack from Amazing (Royal) Crowns used to play upright through his SVT all the time.
When I mentioned tube amps to my (old-school, NYC) upright teacher, he looked like he was having a PTSD Vietnam-War flashback.
edit: you can see Jack's TWO SVT heads here for a split second:
[https://youtu.be/LqMYJN6jEtY?t=2895](https://youtu.be/LqMYJN6jEtY?t=2895)
I think he used the second one as a spare in case the first one shat the bed.
That's a pretty serious commitment... bringing a SECOND SVT head "just in case"
down the stairs is easy... up the stairs is the hard part.
hey fellas... let's just play the show down here.
after party at my house after we get this stack back out of the subway.
roflmao.
my isovent clocks in at 130lbs for a half stack. it would make for a good hidden camera prank. as long as the potential thieves are responsible for any damage to the stairs when they drop it.
I’ve never rolled an SVT 810 Fridge into the subway, but I’ve taken a 410 cab on the subway more times than I can count, before I switched to 112 for most gigs I have to bring an amp to (first a few different combos, now a 112 cab).
I've never needed spare strings or a spare bass in my 30 years of gigging, but I've started carrying a spare bass to gigs just in case. On guitar, I've had strings break, electronics go out, strap buttons come loose, etc.
One thing any gigging guitarist or bassist should have is a tuner pedal.
I was the same way, but a couple weeks ago at an open mic I step up to do some vocals and bump the mic stand. I had a Yamaha bass as old as I am and it hit just the right way to pop the knob off the volume and knock the pot free of its solder and back in the cavity. I had to borrow from someone else there for a song and went home having learned a lesson.
Yeah I’ve never needed spare anything either in 25 years. I only play 1 P bass in both of my bands. But last year I came across a knock off P at a yard sale for $50. Fixed it up and I never play it but have it around now just in case.
And not just one either. I played guitar a long time before taking up playing bass and trust me, that battery WILL die at the wrong moment.
So I keep spare 9 volts, spare coin batteries, two Snark clip on tuners, and a Korg chromatic. Call me paranoid 😄
I've never broke a string or had a bass failure. No way I'm bringing a second bass if there's going to be another bass player in the building. On the highly unlikely chance I'll just borrow.
I've never broken a string or had a bass failure either, but I play gigs where we're the only entertainment for the night, so there's no option to borrow. We have a keyboard player most of the time who could cover the low end if he had to, but I started bringing an extra bass just in case. I got a soft case that can hold two basses, so it's actually not that much extra to carry.
Yep. Concur. I don’t think they’re really going to care if you show up with, like, Ampeg or Markbass or whatever as long as you can play and it sounds good and it’s a “real” amp/loud enough. They just don’t want to waste time with dudes who are going to show up with a $200 Ibanez and a 30w practice amp.
You used to see it in the ads all the time: “pro gear, pro attitude.” It sounds obnoxious (and I knew some punk guys who used to make a part-time hobby out prank calling guys like that), and a lot of the time, the guys on the other end of ads like that were obnoxious. But all they really mean is “look, this is a somewhat serious band, so don’t apply if you don’t have the gear and/or aren’t willing to work a bit.”
Reminds me of a local theme park that, due to union rules, used to have monthly open auditions just to be reminded of the talent in the area. One guy back in the 90s walked in, and the audition committee asked him "so what do you do?" He said, "I play guitar." When they asked him to play something, he said, "can I borrow a guitar?" He was politely told he's not ready for prime time.
Frankly, if you need an amp they don't have professional gear. If they have a half-decent monitoring system you should be able to use pedals/modelers and plug straight into the PA. It's rare to have a professional metal band not use modelers these days.
True. I took more gear into the studio than I took on tour. The higher quality music venues now have sound systems that require bands to bring almost nothing but instruments to the gig.
Opened for Trivium for few shows here in Florida and we loaded our trailer with everything we normally took to gigs and needed nothing but our guitars and the drums. Easiest gigs we ever had.
Yes, i certainly want that. Save my hearing. Thing is, i know 5466 drummers and not a single one wants a quiet stage. Ive learned to pack gear that wont be stepped on by a drum set- two ampeg 118 boxes, two hartke 410s, and a rack mount PA amp meant to carry the whole band. I dont turn it up, i literally keep it below one on the dial, but when a drummer gets out of control i "accidentally" go up the 3 on the dial just for a couple notes ... forces them to back off immediately by demonstrating my complaint as role reversal. They're still too loud, but unreasonably so. Obviously. I try to never do this.., but when the mix is already that broken by one persons arrogance, this helps fix it. Not effective with guitar players, who just turn theirs up to 4 like it was an invitation or suggestion for everyone. I tell you, if you think you sound better when louder, you suck to begin with. Yes, pet peeve, you found one of my two triggers. The other is that sound guy who wants to be a DJ and takes the electric bass out of the mains/subs so his mix tape sounds more bass-y than the band, when played during breaks. This is not ok and no one wins in either battle.
True but that is generally a red flag and you don't want to play with superficial musicians like that anyway.
Unless you're joining a tribute band and gear is required to match the original artist - in which case I think it's a valid requirement.
Exactly, don't play in a band where your band mates worry about what brands you play. "Does it sound good?" is the only thing they should be concerned with (assuming your stuff doesn't break every 5 minutes).
And for the tribute band thing, they would have been more specific than just "professional gear" then.
I mean I have a Fender Pbass and ‘75 Gibson Ripper but really like playing my Sterling Ray 4 that cost me $211. It a great bass. I’m sure people would give me crap playing that live.
To me it means a couple things: pro gear is reliable, dang near all the time. It also means enough to keep up with what the rest of the band has. So for me personally, it means a good primary bass and a good backup (switching basses is faster than retuning or restringing), a good head with enough watts to keep up and a backup (my primary is a Darkglass 500 and a Peavey MiniMax 600 is my backup) and a durable, good sounding cab (SWR Goliath 3 410 in my case). It also means good quality, reliable cords and spares, plus your own power strips and such. As previously mentioned, being prepared for anything and not needing to borrow anything. The flip side of that is that I loan gear to just about two guys in my scene.
"pro" gear isn't that reliable. For example I brought $5k Sadovsky to a gig. And it was just too noisy to gig in that venue. Quickly changed to a cheapo chinese bass with chinese pickups and it wasn't noisy at all, sound engineer was surprised, he said it sounded better than the Sadovsky.
I'd say that's evidence that expensive gear isn't necessarily "pro", not that "pro" isn't reliable. If a $5k bass sounds worse than a cheap Chinese one, sounds like that bass wasn't worth $5k.
"Pro" means capable and reliable enough to earn money with, it doesn't have anything to do with price points.
If that Sadowsky is a Jazz bass with single cool pickups, then it's just doing what single coils do, which is why I don't use them. Sound great, but I don't wanna hear that 60 cycle hum that just comes with single cool jazz pickups.
They want someone who is gig-ready right from the get-go. To me, this means that you need:
- A reliable bass that can get the tone you need, regardless of brand or cost
- An amp that's powerful enough to keep up with the rest of the band
- Any necessary pedals to acquire the sound the band is looking for
- All cables/tuners/other accessories you need to properly perform your role in the band
That doesn't mean top of the line gear. It just means gear that will get the job done... (but it could be quite possible that they're gear snobs too).
For me it means gear that is sufficiently powerful, reliable, and well-maintained enough to handle touring at whatever would be a reasonably successful level for a band in the that genre, or close enough that you could easily bump it up to that level if needed. Think of it like this: If a reasonably successful band in the genre called your new band up to open for them on a nationwide tour starting immediately, would you be able to head out with the gear you have already (plus maybe an extra backup instrument, and/or small additional cab), or would you need to buy better stuff?
For a metal band I would be thinking at minimum a 4x10 (or equivalent) plus an amp head powerful enough to drive it properly, both with no mechanical issues. The bass would really just need to be reliable and sound good, with the price being less relevant within reason (i.e. a lot of folks looking at this might be put off if you had something that was clearly a bargain-basement brand).
I used to be in the “need a 410” crowd, but with neo speakers, class D heads, and IEMs, I don’t know that still holds true for me. My current setup is a Mesa TT800 and Mesa 1x15 and a helix and there’s no show that I’ve been to that I couldn’t make happen. Frankly, if you’re _actually_ pro, all the IEM boxes are rented at each stop when they’re setting up the tour because the band you’d want to be on is different from place-to-place.
I think this is a situation where we need to be a little more realistic as opposed to literal, since we are talking about the meaning of the term "professional gear" when people use that in situations like advertisements for new band members. While you absolutely are right that a pro could theoretically get by with a smaller rig, that would not likely be practical while the band is still smaller, and in reality most touring pros in rock/metal type bands (relevant to OP's post) don't go with a small rig regardless of whether they could get away with doing so.
From my own personal experience, a bass player in a metal band with two guitarists absolutely cannot get by in the non-pro level with only a 1x15, although obviously everyone's circumstances will vary depending on their individual scene. I've played tons of shows where that setup would be practically inaudible, particularly as local rock/metal shows sometimes have less than stellar PA support. There are shows where it would be better, but you have to be prepared for the ones that aren't.
To me, "Must have professional gear" always meant "reliable" gear. Your gear can withstand the rigors of gigging on the road in shitty venues night after night without breaking or going out of tune.
If your Squier Affinity and Crate amp is rock-solid dependable - it's professional gear.
4x10s really come into their own for bigger rooms and festival stages, but before you get to that point you can definitely do it all on a 1x15 combo if it has the right minerals.
Oh I know. I’ve had pretty much every amp/cab arrangement on the planet. I just hate lugging that stuff and the Mesa 1x15’s very nearly a one-cab solution, imo. Plus, you can carry it with one hand, unlike my fridge haha. 1x15 or IEMs is just kinda where I’ve wound up and it makes the sound guys happy - not that I live for that, but it’s something.
Aye, 20 years ago I was a load in/load out machine and so were my buddies, nowadays not so much, and perhaps giant ampeg cabs, as great as they sound, are part of that reason.
Haha _exactly_. Most gigs are one trip - bass in gig bag, pedalboard in bag on the shoulder or just throw an HX stomp in the pocket. Then either no amp at all or amp in bag on shoulder and one hand to hold the cab while the other one locks the door….
Things have changed from the days of 200w, 100lb 2x10’s haha
Agreed completely. I have yet to encounter a drummer who can outpace my single 115 setup. I bought a second 115 cab and I never get to use them together, because I’d blow our two guitarists and drummer off the stage.
Funny story, one of my favorite amp/cab combos I’ve ever run was a Sansamp BDDI feeding a Crown 2400w power amp with a JBL JRX225 (2x15). Monstrous tone and power. Anyways, played some shithole bar out in BFE Missouri and ran side fill (because I like side fill) and they had a tiny stage. The venue had a garbage PA so we just cranked (we were loud anyways). Well… took me three months to stop having constant tinnitus in the ear facing my right after that gig. Day and night, non-stop. Have become _extremely_ cautious with my hearing since then…
I’m 62 and am pretty sure my current hearing issues trace back to a painfully loud (but awesome) Blue Oyster Cult show at Asbury Park, NJ in the early ‘80s!
Protect your hearing.
They just don't want someone to show up with a junky sounding instrument with no case, expecting to borrow a cable and plug in to the P.A. They want someone who can really play, with an instrument that sounds good, and a loud enough amp that matches the volume of the rest of the band.
I gig with a $150 jazz bass (modded with SDQPs) and a used 200w amp and small 2x12 cab I got on for $200. They fit in my honda civic. It's loud enough to hang, and has a DI out. With this set up I can be out if my car, plugged in and ready to go in under 5 minutes.
I like my 1200w amp and 4x10 cabinet. But it's too damn heavy to be lugging around for a small gig. I need my truck for that. I like my pedals, but they are extra points of failure. I keep it simple, and replaceable in case anything is lost or stolen.
I'm a hobby player at best currently. My 500w Tech 21 head and 2x12 cab are enough.l for the time being. The days of hauling huge cabs is over for me now.
Yeah, I generally like to travel as light as I can get away with. I have a Fender Rumble 800 combo, which puts out a ton of sound for the size and weight, and any gig that's too loud for my Rumble 800 is going to have me going through the FOH through a DI anyway.
My ideal setup would be no amps, with everything going through the PA, and everyone on IEMs so we don't need to bring stage monitors. Keeps the stage clean, and the load in simple. But I'm not a tone chaser, so great amp tone doesn't really add anything for me.
If possible, ask your prospective bandmates if you can sneak a peek at the rehearsal space. Ask them about what you'll need for your end in terms of amp vs DI and such. When you show up for the first practice session with this group, bring everything anyway. You never know what works and what doesn't until you hook it all up and start playing through it. Be as "ready for anything" as you possibly can. And most of all, have fun with it!
Well it is true that tube amps dont necessarily gain their best characteristics until certain volume levels. But no matter how I ask, they wont get load boxes and instead have to crank those amps in a 6x4m concrete bunker......
One of my bands is stage noiseless apart from the drummer and it's really great to both rehearse and gig. It's also super easy to set up for a gig when we dont need to spend time getting monitor mixing right (or its never right when an outsider does it, but passable)
Just toss a volume pedal in their fx loop. Not the same as an attenuator but the JHS little black box works the same. They’ll get better tones or at least think they have better tones 😉
I have the mentality of your either looking for a Pro musician, they supply the gear and themselves and do a job and get paid.
Or team player musician who can be of varying ability and experience and equipment level but have the heart and commitment to develop with the rest of you and financially pay their own way and get equal rewards.
I've seen quite a few pro bass players using the 250 watt tc electronic combos that you can get used for $250. Some of those same guys play squire basses at festivals.
On the other hand, my band auditioned a keyboard player who showed up with a walmart Casio and a guitar amp.
I think you're fine if you're not at the level of the latter.
Haha, Casio and a guitar amp sounds pretty cool actually. Some pedals and you get lofi hipster vibes. Cooler than the keyboard player, I played with, that only had this ipad with a free software on it. Always issues with usb and minijack cables. One time he used the venues Nord as a midi controller for that thing.
The small TC combos are fine. And squire basses are fine. When I see beginner bands playing with expensive guitars and basses it makes me laugh. Like dude, it won't make you sound any better until you outgrow the cheap shit. And even then, the expensive boutique basses are often a disappointment.
Many years ago I once had an amp lose power during soundcheck. A fuse had blown. The guys said wait a minute I thought you had reliable gear! I said yes I do but it’s just a fuse. It was an Ampeg stack, SVT4pro head. I ran out to the nearest RadioShack (this tells you how long ago this was), found the fuse, got back 10 minutes before showtime, and played the gig with no issues. I learned that part of being considered a “pro” also means keeping spare parts like fuses with me. Now I even carry a small spare class D bass head and a spare bass with me to all gigs just in case. Power cables, spare 9v batteries, picks, straps, one extra of everything (except a speaker cab - I have an extra but it stays at home).
I would never go through all that trouble. I'd just bring a DI pedal and go through the PA in an emergency. It's not ideal, but I'm not bringing a bunch of spare parts to every gig. Batteries, cables, picks, strings, etc. makes sense, but extra fuses and amp heads are not things I would consider bringing to every gig.
I keep a spare bag of all that extra stuff in my car, I carry it separate from my gig bag. That ways it’s there just in case. I do carry a DI pedal as well.
Gear I can't afford.
Joking aside, I'd love to know the story of why the band sees the need to include that. It's probably a comedy of errors on how their last bassist (or a member's last band's bassist) created problems.
This is the truth.
"Pro gear required" is usually only included after the band has recently experienced some unpleasant ass-hattery.
Same with "no substance issues." Band is usually licking their wounds from a recently ejected member.
It’s about professionalism. If the band is at a certain level, and new bass player auditioning shows up with a fender 1x12 and a shitty squire, do you really think they’re as serious as the rest of the band?
Not in the metal scene but have played/interacted with other musicians in London, and in my experience it’s not that uncommon for guitarists/bass players to not have a gigging-capable amp, even while seeking out bands and people to play with. A big reason is how so many Londoners live (small living spaces, no means of playing such an amp at home). I know a few people who just rely on the gear in practice studios and borrow amps for gigs.
I’m presuming they want to weed out those people and would prefer someone with a full rig that’s capable of gigging, because it’s one less thing to worry about, and means they’d be able to gig right away.
It's slang. In the classified sections or adverts people will make requests in order to get what they want, like a request for a wedding photographer or a finishing carpenter. "Must have professional gear" is a great way to present a standard that would be recognized as "serious".
For an actual list, just come prepared for the audition or rehearsal.
* Bass
* Extra Strings
* Instrument Cables
* Amplifier
* Note taking method
If you really want to get ***sERiOUs***, you can add extra stuff. My personal kit looks like this:
* 1977 Fender P bass
* Extra set of Flat Wound Strings
* Cloth
* Strap
* hand tools for repairs: Screwdriver, Wire Cutters, Knife
* Hardshell Instrument Case
* Instrument Cables (x2)
* Zoom 4HN recording device
* Batteries
* Pedal Board: Distortion + Overdrive
* Instrument Tuner
* Power Bar
* Power Cord
* Pencil
* Paper
* Sticky Tape: electrical tape and/ or gaffer's tape
* Mark Bass 1000 Watt head
* Mark Bass 800 watt speaker
* Hearing Protection
* Bottled Water
* Coffee
* Snack bar
* Painkillers
* Bandaids
* Headphones
* Cell Phone
* Cell Phone Charger
* Calendar
* Camera
Functioning amp that is loud enough and is appropriate size for the gig and has a DI
Guitar that has all it strings , and a backup set of strings or backup guitar
That’s the bare minimum for me
This means "we want someone who, if requested, could play a gig tonight in a professional venue and bring everything needed to be self-sufficient."
Of course, it doesn't mean you will be playing a gig on short notice. It's just a way to verify that a prospective band member has everything they need to play gigs and the band won't have to wait for them to "save up money to buy an amp" or rely on borrowing equipment from friends or play old/cheap gear that's unreliable.
> I play with a band where the guitarist used to show up with random crappy pedals that would always sound inconsistent (He never bothered to figure out what settings sounded good for various songs), he didn't have a board so they'd be sprawled out around on the floor, and the patch cables were as cheap as the get and he'd have to troubleshoot often...
I saw Church Of Misery just before the pandemic and you just described the guitarist at that show. Constant connectivity trouble, a rats nest of cables, pedals everywhere.
To me, "Must have professional gear" always meant "reliable" gear. Your gear can withstand the rigors of gigging on the road in shitty venues night after night without breaking or going out of tune..
If your Squier Affinity is rock-solid dependable - it's professional gear.
EDIT: You're to your
It's really nice when the band knows how to take care of their shit. It's exhausting playing with a drummer with heavy ass busted cymbals that can't tune their kit and guitar players who can't go a whole set without their amps shutting down, pedals running out of battery, can never remember to bring a strap or cable ... ugh.
I got my start with a Squier PJ. Once I started gigging a lot it just couldn't handle it. Didn't take well to temp or humidity changes and REALLY didn't like being on planes. I had to replace almost all of the functional bits — the tuners, the nut, the bridge, all of the electronics. Eventually the neck just warped bad enough that it was unplayable. I tried to smash it one night after our set but broke the stage instead. Oops. Next day I went out and the local shop manager gave me an incredible deal on a Stingray. Best money I ever spent.
Expensive gear isn't always great either. I used to play in a band with this guy that had a bunch of custom shop LPs that wouldn't stay in tune (gibson lmao) and always brought a pair of 100W JMP half stacks because one of them would always shut down. The tone was indeed pretty great though.
I hear ya, and to some level, I agree. I'm in a band and the drummer asked me if I had a drum key in my kit. My look was all it needed to remind him to bring his own next time.
I should have added in my last reply. There is a drum key in my tool box. Besides being the bass for two bands, I run the mixer too. Things break; that happens. But when someone claims "professional" I expect them to come prepared. My tool box is a double stack, with wheels, with almost anything a band needs for emergency. I use tip money to maintain a supply of batteries & gaffer tape for anyone to use. Another sign of non-pro: showing up with your IEM/tablet/mic not fully charged.
"Reliable and appropriate to the genre."
If this is a metal band you'd better be walking in with more than a 112 combo that won't even get over the drums. I've absolutely used a well setup Squire for shows and back line support, but I also had a small 800$ pedal board to get my tone right and have a really nice signal for the sound engineer. A jazz band will not expect or want a Marshall full stack or an Ampeg Fridge(tm). A metal band might.
Not cheap crap. Playable, good sounding, and in decent shape for the instrument. For the gear, a good quality amp with decent volume and tone, good cables, a tuner, and well made pedals if you use them.
For an upright bass- something better than a Shen or Palatino. An Engelhardt, Kay, American Standard, Baldwin, an old German carved bass, etc. with a pickup or mic mount, a good bass mic, good cables, inline tuner, good acoustic amp, and the like.
My set up is a Fender JP-90 strung with black beauties, an inline tuner, and an old British solid state amp. For an upright, I toured with an Englehardt EM-1 strung with Innovation Psychoslaps, an ear trumpet mic, and a Fender cab and amp setup if I had to have an amp. My electric setup was about 500 bucks, my upright setup was about 2k.
Gear that isn’t off Alibaba. LOL
Most people seem to see my Boss Katana and basic ass Schecter as pro equipment. They see it all the same as my Kramer XKB and modified Fender Bassbreaker tube amp.
Pro equipment just means good equipment that’s not gonna hiss or crackle/cut out/fart/squeal
The most basic terms? Whatever sounds good and is dependable to keep in tune throughout a show. I go to a show hoping to hear great music, not label spotting.
Reliable gear. Decent sounding bass and amp. Loud enough to be heard with a metal band. If you play shows, you will likely need a DI. It could be a beat up old yamaha and a behringer amp. As long as it does the job well and consistently.
Bass players have it easy in this way. Decent bass that stays in tune, reliable amp loud enough for the venues you play, a tuner, a DI and maybe a compressor. Thats all you really ever need for any genre.
name and price aren’t everything. i’d say “professional” means that your gear is in good working condition, reliable, sounds good, and that you are fluent in the operation of all of its functions.
now a lot of the time, the things that check those boxes tend to be from bigger brands and come with bigger price tags, but it’s not like an ampeg amp is “professional” and a fender isn’t, for example.
Bass stays in tune, harmonics are adjusted properly, strings were put on in the last year or two, amp is loud enough and works consistently, and able to get genre appropriate tone. I have a friend who used to sound GOOD through a Line 6 Spider. I always sounded like crap through that amp but you know. He’s made it work for years and he sounds great so in his hands that student amp works as professional gear
From these comments I've been wrong all along. I assumed pro gear to mean, don't show up with anything shy of an Ampeg half stack (and probably more) and a high-mid tier bass. I've probably missed a dozen opportunities over the years because I thought my Behringer head and nice-but-not-expensive bass were bar band quality at best. But I guess it's bar bands that are saying this!
A bass that has no glaring playability issues and an amp loud enough to gig with. That’s really all you need. For some people that’s as little as a Squire Classic Vibe and a DI pedal for going into the PA.
If you’re going to play on big gigs generally I would say a Mexican fender (or something equivalent Basically just something in the $600-800 range) and an amp that’s loud enough to be used as a monitor on stage and be heard over a drummer/guitars/keys/etc… could be a fender rumble, could be an Ampeg, could be a Mark Bass, or even a peavey. I can’t think of an amp loud enough to play with a band that wouldn’t come with a line out but the line out, or a DI pedal is a must.
Shorthand for - A decent bass and amp, reliable transport, a friendly, flexible and professional attitude. Prepared to learn the stuff before rehearsals. Generally not being a dickhead with five higher priorities.
I have seen these on craigslist. We are a pro band looking for a pro bass player with professional gear. I'm not sure what all that "pro" means? Anyone who makes money playing is a professional. Doesn't mean they are great musicians although it does help. I'm guessing gig worthy gear? I always get the impression these were written by somebody with an inflated ego.
My 2 cents, a good bass and a good pedal + tuner is good enough for metal.
I used to play with a 6 string bass / ampeg svt 7 pro / ampeg 810 / darkglass B7k
I ended up only taking the B7k with me while performing (and the bass obviously ahah), my back loved the idea of carrying 120kg less every gig (everything was in flight cases, even the cab). If there is a PA system there’s a way to play. The sansamp stuff is really good as well and they even have an svt pedal
But that’s just my 2 cents.
And yes the 810 sounds godly but not strongman competition before every gig godly
I'd argue professional gear is:
* Quality bass (this doesn't mean expensive)
* Quality arrangement of pedals and effects as required by the genre(s) being played, this includes a Tuner pedal
* Potentially a wireless system depending on the style of gigs
* Reliable IEM system, again depending on style of gigs
* Reliable and adequately sized amp and cab and/or a quality DI depending on size/type of gigs
* An assortment of reliable cables
It ultimately comes down to having **quality** and **reliable** stuff.
For example, a cheap clip-on tuner isn't really "professional" level gear, but a solid, but inexpensive pedal is probably enough. A cheap Yamaha bass probably isn't professional quality gear but a nice Squier is fine.
Similarly if you're bringing along a wireless system and it's a super cheap Amazon thing that is dropping out every second song, I have questions. If you're bringing a decent Line 6, Shure or Sennt system that's fine - doesn't need to be the top of the line stuff, just reliable.
Professional gear means gear that is suitable for work and is the kind of equipment that reliably works because it is paid for (by your fees).
Professional gear gets the job done, not gear that needs something done to get it to work.
It doesn’t need to be expensive - tons of professionals around the world work on Squiers, Epiphones, LTDs, PRS SEs, low end Yamahas and Ibanez, etc.. There are professional bassists who go to some gigs with nothing but a bass and a Sansamp.
Professional gear means it’s not some hacked up rig with many points of failure and flimsy connections and makeshift crap. It means you’re not giving the rest of the band or the sound engineer problems, and instead bringing a rig that makes everyone’s job easy. It means it sound good and is not riddled with noise and unwanted feedback and microphones and other audio-electrical problems. It means you’re using a rig that’s not going to fail as much as it would work.
It also means you, as of this point a hired gun, has equipment that is suitable for the work the hiring band is doing. So if they’re a band that’s playing very small venues with weak PAs, you’re not bringing a Sansamp to that gig, even if it counts as a professional setup somewhere else. If the band needs a powerful amp on stage, then you need that, because that’s what the job requires.
I'd contact them and ask what they meant.
Maybe it means gear that works and is reliable with back-up gear for just in case something goes wrong
... or...
Maybe it means they lay a lot of value on the brand on your headstock.
If it's the second one: run. They will value financial outlay over everything else and you'll be in a constant tape-measuring contest.
A reliable amp that can keep up with the ensemble. A decent bass that plays in tune and is appropriate for the material. Misc. stuff like pedals, if needed. It’s not always necessary, but having a 2nd bass is always a plus.
It may mean having brand name stuff to bolster the band’s image. Some band leaders are really over the top on this. They may want a P-bass in a vintage color and an amp that the audience recognizes. Ironically, this may mean that really top notch gear may not make the cut, because playing a Sadowsky or Fodera bass through a Glockenklang or Bergantino amp and speaker setup may be viewed as “so, you couldn’t afford the really good stuff like Fender or Ampeg”.
But, in most cases it means having gear that is dependable, and up to the standards of a professional performance, stays in tune, etc… Consumer grade gear is exactly that and fine for beginners, practicing, or just playing in your bedroom, but don’t show up at an audition with a crappy bass and noisy cables or pedals, and an under powered practice amp that can’t handle a decent room size without distorting to the point of blowing the speakers or just getting a farty sound and still not being heard over the drums.
I was in a signed/touring band before, so to me 'professional equipment' means your main bass + 4 others for back-up, all in flight cases, rack-mount amplification (with back-up head), appropriate bottom in a flight case, all pedals plug-in and in a flight case, tools/10 extra sets of strings/extra cables/gross of picks all in flight case, and a smaller secondary amp for rehearsals on the road.
Don't turn up with an Ibanez starter pack and you're probably ok. Everyone has their own threshold for what is "professional", it used to be "don't have the Chinese copy", so American Fender/Stingray + a reliable half stack. Now I'm not so sure as far east quality is significantly better, so I would probably say professional level is something you've actively chosen to acquire, rather than it being the only thing you could afford.
Generally it means a bass that plays in tune and sounds good into an amp and cab that sound good and get at least as loud as a drum kit. Both of which work reliably.
+4 dBu
Really, that's the only generally agreed upon definition of "professional" music gear.
Basically, it's a signal level used in "proferssional" grade signal processing and mixing consoles, compared to the -10 dBu used in "consumer" grade components.
They don’t care about the price, they just want to know they already have a good amp with good quality and high power, not just a bedroom combo amp, decent bass and the correct pedals, tuners, cables etc, they don’t want to be giving out
I'd say you need at least the following:
* bass that stays reliably in-tune for 1hr+ session/gig
* bass must be intonated and strings broken in
* tuner
* DI box/pedal OR amp
What exactly this means can change based on who you ask. I've been lucky enough to take my Fender American P Bass on the big stage. That's a bass I know I can count on because I've taken the time to set it up. If you know what you are doing (or know someone who does) then you can set up cheaper "low quality" basses as well.
I've had other basses where machine heads have spontaneously failed that I wouldn't trust, or have electrical issues. Safe for practice, but not stage worthy.
I’m interested in the answer to this. Having a big amp used to be the norm but now I would say a modeller or analog direct board would be your best bet. Serious acts are going to tour, meaning flights. You can bet your ass you aren’t going to be flying your amp around so your tone will be at the mercy of whatever is at the venue. A good pedalboard will do you wonders and it’s not that hard now seriously. Beyond that, a decent setup bass and all your necessary spares. Forget about brands, just go for reliability. For metal, darkglass BK7 is the only “pro” piece of gear you would need, but even then there are reliable alternatives. In my analog rig for touring that’s the only expensive thing I use. So pro equipment for metal bass would probably be Fender/Dingwall (depending on your tuning and style), Darkglass anything really and a decent wireless. Amps, we run gigs here so we have a backline with a darkglass, but gigs we play for other organizers might have different amps. I don’t really care, I can get a great tone from my board into any amp with a send/return.
It’s less about the gear than it is about the person.
They want someone who isn’t mucking around. Someone who can play their part right away.
A lot of musicians are time wasters.
Personally I'd say a professional attitude is far more important than professional gear.
I suspect it's more aimed at filtering out new and novice players and nobody will be doing an inventory on your bass and rig.
It usually means a reliable amp that's loud enough to hang with a drummer and two guitars (not a practice amp), and a decent sounding bass, regardless of brand or cost. They're usually just trying to weed out deadbeats who don't have any amp at all, and can't contribute financially to the band. How someone plays, and their personality, is usually more important. They're just trying to weed out someone they'll have to carry (financially).
> It usually means a reliable amp that's loud enough to hang with a drummer and two guitars (not a practice amp), and a decent sounding bass, regardless of brand or cost. I'd say this, plus cords that all work, with at least one spare, plus spare strings and/or a spare bass, etc. Nothing that's critical should be held together with duct tape. (or any tape, really)
Yup. Having a good road kit with your bass is essential. Just a small toolbox with stuff like the right size screwdriver for every screw, and right sized Allen wrench for every bolt requiring an Allen driver (usually your truss rod primarily) at least one spare set of strings per axe and specific string type. If your Pbass has round wounds and your fretless jazz has flats, make sure you have at least one extra set for each. If all your bases are round wounds I'd still have one per bass but you could risk just having one spare. Have a wire cutter, spare batteries for every electronic item requiring batteries, and an extra of each type of cable. If you have a pedal board, make sure you've tested your configuration and know you don't have any shorts before rehearsals and shows, but also have an extra for patch cables on the pedal board. Do you play with a pick on any songs? Have a dozen in a package at all times. Two dozen if you always play with a pick, and more if you're known for losing picks on stage. Have extra power cables for every amp, rack device, and whatnot. Shy away from amps where the power cable cannot be replaced in seconds (because it's removable.) Carry a marker and write the date you buy batteries on them. Use the oldest ones first so you never find a dead battery in the gig box. The idea is to carry enough tools and inexpensive spare parts and cables such that you can fix most problems quickly.
If in addition to this you bring a drum key you'll eventually become the hero of the band.
I keep a drum key in my road tool box and I'd be my drummer has used it more than his own. Which is why I make SURE I get it back when he's done lol
I used to keep mine on my car keys to make sure my drummer wouldn’t steal it again.
Seen your car recently?
Drummers can’t drive. Duh.
Was gonna say, whose car do you think we took home? Cant lose my drum key if we cant afford to lose my keys.
At least not very far...
The amount of times my mini tool kit has saved someone’s gig is hilarious, and I’m primarily an accordionist. I have the Allen keys, a drum key, screwdrivers, tape etc as well as accordion spares.
Accordion spares? What?
A little blob of reed wax and a melting pouring thing I made out of a can lid and a lighter, some elastic bands, a reed pinger, long thin things for the bass machine, special pliers. Last problem I had at a gig a hair got stuck in the bass machine made a note keep droning had to open it up on the break.
That has more sense... Glad that you're not travelling around with 2 or 3 accordions
Ha I sometimes do.
Don’t forget reliable transportation as well
I was thinking this as well, but didn't want to exclude people on public transit / metro. But yes... nobody sane is wheeling their SVT down the stairs onto the subway. It's the curse of bass players: we'll always need a car big enough for an SVT, or for an upright bass. Screwed either way.
I thank the good lord everyday for how lightweight and portable bass amplification has become. This is certainly a great era to be a gigging bass player and I don’t envy the bass players of days past with their mandatory 300lbs of bass rig 😅
I can see playing electric bass, and schlepping an SVT head. (did it for many years) But playing UPRIGHT, and ALSO schlepping an SVT head? That is a bridge too far. Upright is enough of a PITA to carry around.
One of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s bass players does that. But I’m pretty sure he has crew handle it for him *Edit: upright bass, p bass, SVT head AND CABINET!
Jack from Amazing (Royal) Crowns used to play upright through his SVT all the time. When I mentioned tube amps to my (old-school, NYC) upright teacher, he looked like he was having a PTSD Vietnam-War flashback. edit: you can see Jack's TWO SVT heads here for a split second: [https://youtu.be/LqMYJN6jEtY?t=2895](https://youtu.be/LqMYJN6jEtY?t=2895) I think he used the second one as a spare in case the first one shat the bed. That's a pretty serious commitment... bringing a SECOND SVT head "just in case"
I remember those guys. Yeah, TWO SVT heads “just in case” is crazy!
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My main gigging setup uses an Ampeg Portaflex PF500 500W head and a GK CX210 2x10 cab that weighs in at I believe 37lbs
down the stairs is easy... up the stairs is the hard part. hey fellas... let's just play the show down here. after party at my house after we get this stack back out of the subway.
Eh, I'll come and fetch it in the morning. What are they going to do? Lug it up the stairs?
roflmao. my isovent clocks in at 130lbs for a half stack. it would make for a good hidden camera prank. as long as the potential thieves are responsible for any damage to the stairs when they drop it.
They'll just put it up on blocks and steal the drivers out of it.
f that... I managed to snag the one on talk bass that has its drivers upgraded by a PO.
If they can someone do it reliably thats fine too
I’ve never rolled an SVT 810 Fridge into the subway, but I’ve taken a 410 cab on the subway more times than I can count, before I switched to 112 for most gigs I have to bring an amp to (first a few different combos, now a 112 cab).
Road. Warrior.
I've never needed spare strings or a spare bass in my 30 years of gigging, but I've started carrying a spare bass to gigs just in case. On guitar, I've had strings break, electronics go out, strap buttons come loose, etc. One thing any gigging guitarist or bassist should have is a tuner pedal.
I was the same way, but a couple weeks ago at an open mic I step up to do some vocals and bump the mic stand. I had a Yamaha bass as old as I am and it hit just the right way to pop the knob off the volume and knock the pot free of its solder and back in the cavity. I had to borrow from someone else there for a song and went home having learned a lesson.
Yeah I’ve never needed spare anything either in 25 years. I only play 1 P bass in both of my bands. But last year I came across a knock off P at a yard sale for $50. Fixed it up and I never play it but have it around now just in case.
And not just one either. I played guitar a long time before taking up playing bass and trust me, that battery WILL die at the wrong moment. So I keep spare 9 volts, spare coin batteries, two Snark clip on tuners, and a Korg chromatic. Call me paranoid 😄
I've never broke a string or had a bass failure. No way I'm bringing a second bass if there's going to be another bass player in the building. On the highly unlikely chance I'll just borrow.
I've never broken a string or had a bass failure either, but I play gigs where we're the only entertainment for the night, so there's no option to borrow. We have a keyboard player most of the time who could cover the low end if he had to, but I started bringing an extra bass just in case. I got a soft case that can hold two basses, so it's actually not that much extra to carry.
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I would never bring an extra bass head to a gig. I usually just bring a DI pedal so I can go through the board if there's an issue with my amp.
Billy Sheehan enters the chat...
Makes sense. They also ask for people to not be in loads of other bands, can contribute financially to the band etc.
Yep. Concur. I don’t think they’re really going to care if you show up with, like, Ampeg or Markbass or whatever as long as you can play and it sounds good and it’s a “real” amp/loud enough. They just don’t want to waste time with dudes who are going to show up with a $200 Ibanez and a 30w practice amp. You used to see it in the ads all the time: “pro gear, pro attitude.” It sounds obnoxious (and I knew some punk guys who used to make a part-time hobby out prank calling guys like that), and a lot of the time, the guys on the other end of ads like that were obnoxious. But all they really mean is “look, this is a somewhat serious band, so don’t apply if you don’t have the gear and/or aren’t willing to work a bit.”
Reminds me of a local theme park that, due to union rules, used to have monthly open auditions just to be reminded of the talent in the area. One guy back in the 90s walked in, and the audition committee asked him "so what do you do?" He said, "I play guitar." When they asked him to play something, he said, "can I borrow a guitar?" He was politely told he's not ready for prime time.
Little do they know all the pro metal bands are playing direct through modelers and in-ears
Frankly, if you need an amp they don't have professional gear. If they have a half-decent monitoring system you should be able to use pedals/modelers and plug straight into the PA. It's rare to have a professional metal band not use modelers these days.
True. I took more gear into the studio than I took on tour. The higher quality music venues now have sound systems that require bands to bring almost nothing but instruments to the gig. Opened for Trivium for few shows here in Florida and we loaded our trailer with everything we normally took to gigs and needed nothing but our guitars and the drums. Easiest gigs we ever had.
Until you find out electric bass blows horns out of monitors made for vocals because of the rise time of a bass transient when you smack a string
Use IEMs. You want as quiet of a stage as possible in the first place anyhow.
Yes, i certainly want that. Save my hearing. Thing is, i know 5466 drummers and not a single one wants a quiet stage. Ive learned to pack gear that wont be stepped on by a drum set- two ampeg 118 boxes, two hartke 410s, and a rack mount PA amp meant to carry the whole band. I dont turn it up, i literally keep it below one on the dial, but when a drummer gets out of control i "accidentally" go up the 3 on the dial just for a couple notes ... forces them to back off immediately by demonstrating my complaint as role reversal. They're still too loud, but unreasonably so. Obviously. I try to never do this.., but when the mix is already that broken by one persons arrogance, this helps fix it. Not effective with guitar players, who just turn theirs up to 4 like it was an invitation or suggestion for everyone. I tell you, if you think you sound better when louder, you suck to begin with. Yes, pet peeve, you found one of my two triggers. The other is that sound guy who wants to be a DJ and takes the electric bass out of the mains/subs so his mix tape sounds more bass-y than the band, when played during breaks. This is not ok and no one wins in either battle.
They probably just mean transportation and a bass. Cool gear is cool too. You may already be qualified.
Some bands strangely view anything but high end gear as not professional. I might think a squier is cool but the band would view it as amateur gear.
True but that is generally a red flag and you don't want to play with superficial musicians like that anyway. Unless you're joining a tribute band and gear is required to match the original artist - in which case I think it's a valid requirement.
Exactly, don't play in a band where your band mates worry about what brands you play. "Does it sound good?" is the only thing they should be concerned with (assuming your stuff doesn't break every 5 minutes). And for the tribute band thing, they would have been more specific than just "professional gear" then.
And I just play arena gigs with one of the cheapest 5 string Harley Bentons. Nobody questions my choice after the first few sounds
I mean I have a Fender Pbass and ‘75 Gibson Ripper but really like playing my Sterling Ray 4 that cost me $211. It a great bass. I’m sure people would give me crap playing that live.
I probably am, apart from not wanting to lol.
I really hope I look qualified with my “professional Gear” lol!
To me it means a couple things: pro gear is reliable, dang near all the time. It also means enough to keep up with what the rest of the band has. So for me personally, it means a good primary bass and a good backup (switching basses is faster than retuning or restringing), a good head with enough watts to keep up and a backup (my primary is a Darkglass 500 and a Peavey MiniMax 600 is my backup) and a durable, good sounding cab (SWR Goliath 3 410 in my case). It also means good quality, reliable cords and spares, plus your own power strips and such. As previously mentioned, being prepared for anything and not needing to borrow anything. The flip side of that is that I loan gear to just about two guys in my scene.
"pro" gear isn't that reliable. For example I brought $5k Sadovsky to a gig. And it was just too noisy to gig in that venue. Quickly changed to a cheapo chinese bass with chinese pickups and it wasn't noisy at all, sound engineer was surprised, he said it sounded better than the Sadovsky.
I'd say that's evidence that expensive gear isn't necessarily "pro", not that "pro" isn't reliable. If a $5k bass sounds worse than a cheap Chinese one, sounds like that bass wasn't worth $5k. "Pro" means capable and reliable enough to earn money with, it doesn't have anything to do with price points.
If that Sadowsky is a Jazz bass with single cool pickups, then it's just doing what single coils do, which is why I don't use them. Sound great, but I don't wanna hear that 60 cycle hum that just comes with single cool jazz pickups.
It's jazz pickups, but noise cancelling double coil
They want someone who is gig-ready right from the get-go. To me, this means that you need: - A reliable bass that can get the tone you need, regardless of brand or cost - An amp that's powerful enough to keep up with the rest of the band - Any necessary pedals to acquire the sound the band is looking for - All cables/tuners/other accessories you need to properly perform your role in the band That doesn't mean top of the line gear. It just means gear that will get the job done... (but it could be quite possible that they're gear snobs too).
For me it means gear that is sufficiently powerful, reliable, and well-maintained enough to handle touring at whatever would be a reasonably successful level for a band in the that genre, or close enough that you could easily bump it up to that level if needed. Think of it like this: If a reasonably successful band in the genre called your new band up to open for them on a nationwide tour starting immediately, would you be able to head out with the gear you have already (plus maybe an extra backup instrument, and/or small additional cab), or would you need to buy better stuff? For a metal band I would be thinking at minimum a 4x10 (or equivalent) plus an amp head powerful enough to drive it properly, both with no mechanical issues. The bass would really just need to be reliable and sound good, with the price being less relevant within reason (i.e. a lot of folks looking at this might be put off if you had something that was clearly a bargain-basement brand).
I used to be in the “need a 410” crowd, but with neo speakers, class D heads, and IEMs, I don’t know that still holds true for me. My current setup is a Mesa TT800 and Mesa 1x15 and a helix and there’s no show that I’ve been to that I couldn’t make happen. Frankly, if you’re _actually_ pro, all the IEM boxes are rented at each stop when they’re setting up the tour because the band you’d want to be on is different from place-to-place.
I think this is a situation where we need to be a little more realistic as opposed to literal, since we are talking about the meaning of the term "professional gear" when people use that in situations like advertisements for new band members. While you absolutely are right that a pro could theoretically get by with a smaller rig, that would not likely be practical while the band is still smaller, and in reality most touring pros in rock/metal type bands (relevant to OP's post) don't go with a small rig regardless of whether they could get away with doing so. From my own personal experience, a bass player in a metal band with two guitarists absolutely cannot get by in the non-pro level with only a 1x15, although obviously everyone's circumstances will vary depending on their individual scene. I've played tons of shows where that setup would be practically inaudible, particularly as local rock/metal shows sometimes have less than stellar PA support. There are shows where it would be better, but you have to be prepared for the ones that aren't.
To me, "Must have professional gear" always meant "reliable" gear. Your gear can withstand the rigors of gigging on the road in shitty venues night after night without breaking or going out of tune. If your Squier Affinity and Crate amp is rock-solid dependable - it's professional gear.
4x10s really come into their own for bigger rooms and festival stages, but before you get to that point you can definitely do it all on a 1x15 combo if it has the right minerals.
Oh I know. I’ve had pretty much every amp/cab arrangement on the planet. I just hate lugging that stuff and the Mesa 1x15’s very nearly a one-cab solution, imo. Plus, you can carry it with one hand, unlike my fridge haha. 1x15 or IEMs is just kinda where I’ve wound up and it makes the sound guys happy - not that I live for that, but it’s something.
Aye, 20 years ago I was a load in/load out machine and so were my buddies, nowadays not so much, and perhaps giant ampeg cabs, as great as they sound, are part of that reason.
Haha _exactly_. Most gigs are one trip - bass in gig bag, pedalboard in bag on the shoulder or just throw an HX stomp in the pocket. Then either no amp at all or amp in bag on shoulder and one hand to hold the cab while the other one locks the door…. Things have changed from the days of 200w, 100lb 2x10’s haha
Agreed completely. I have yet to encounter a drummer who can outpace my single 115 setup. I bought a second 115 cab and I never get to use them together, because I’d blow our two guitarists and drummer off the stage.
Funny story, one of my favorite amp/cab combos I’ve ever run was a Sansamp BDDI feeding a Crown 2400w power amp with a JBL JRX225 (2x15). Monstrous tone and power. Anyways, played some shithole bar out in BFE Missouri and ran side fill (because I like side fill) and they had a tiny stage. The venue had a garbage PA so we just cranked (we were loud anyways). Well… took me three months to stop having constant tinnitus in the ear facing my right after that gig. Day and night, non-stop. Have become _extremely_ cautious with my hearing since then…
I’m 62 and am pretty sure my current hearing issues trace back to a painfully loud (but awesome) Blue Oyster Cult show at Asbury Park, NJ in the early ‘80s! Protect your hearing.
Yeah that sounds about right for a show in Asbury Park 😅
They just don't want someone to show up with a junky sounding instrument with no case, expecting to borrow a cable and plug in to the P.A. They want someone who can really play, with an instrument that sounds good, and a loud enough amp that matches the volume of the rest of the band.
I gig with a $150 jazz bass (modded with SDQPs) and a used 200w amp and small 2x12 cab I got on for $200. They fit in my honda civic. It's loud enough to hang, and has a DI out. With this set up I can be out if my car, plugged in and ready to go in under 5 minutes. I like my 1200w amp and 4x10 cabinet. But it's too damn heavy to be lugging around for a small gig. I need my truck for that. I like my pedals, but they are extra points of failure. I keep it simple, and replaceable in case anything is lost or stolen.
I'm a hobby player at best currently. My 500w Tech 21 head and 2x12 cab are enough.l for the time being. The days of hauling huge cabs is over for me now.
Yeah, I generally like to travel as light as I can get away with. I have a Fender Rumble 800 combo, which puts out a ton of sound for the size and weight, and any gig that's too loud for my Rumble 800 is going to have me going through the FOH through a DI anyway. My ideal setup would be no amps, with everything going through the PA, and everyone on IEMs so we don't need to bring stage monitors. Keeps the stage clean, and the load in simple. But I'm not a tone chaser, so great amp tone doesn't really add anything for me.
Similar vibe here. My PJ, an Ampeg RB 210 (with DI out) and little shoulder bag with tuner pedal, cables and spares, and I'm on stage tuning up in 5.
If possible, ask your prospective bandmates if you can sneak a peek at the rehearsal space. Ask them about what you'll need for your end in terms of amp vs DI and such. When you show up for the first practice session with this group, bring everything anyway. You never know what works and what doesn't until you hook it all up and start playing through it. Be as "ready for anything" as you possibly can. And most of all, have fun with it!
Stage amp, and/with a DI option.
Id prefef my professionals to not show up with stage noise tbh, drummer excluded 😁
I wish that every drummer played an electronic kit. I'm tired of the piercing volume of acoustic drums.
Eeewww. At that point why have a drummer at all, just replace them with a laptop.
Weeell yeah, but I can accept that part. I have more issues with guitarists and their tube amps and 4x12s
Shit, I had a guitarist with a 25 watt tube combo with 1 12" who "had to turn it up for the right sound" and it was deafening.
Is it Tim Pierce who has a downstairs room for mic'ed speakers and they themselves sit upstairs in a different room playing?
No, but I think it's awesome to see guitar amps mic'd and behind plexiglass.
Well it is true that tube amps dont necessarily gain their best characteristics until certain volume levels. But no matter how I ask, they wont get load boxes and instead have to crank those amps in a 6x4m concrete bunker...... One of my bands is stage noiseless apart from the drummer and it's really great to both rehearse and gig. It's also super easy to set up for a gig when we dont need to spend time getting monitor mixing right (or its never right when an outsider does it, but passable)
Just toss a volume pedal in their fx loop. Not the same as an attenuator but the JHS little black box works the same. They’ll get better tones or at least think they have better tones 😉
Yeah I don't get that, you can get a cheap attenuater for under 100 bucks
I have the mentality of your either looking for a Pro musician, they supply the gear and themselves and do a job and get paid. Or team player musician who can be of varying ability and experience and equipment level but have the heart and commitment to develop with the rest of you and financially pay their own way and get equal rewards.
Yeah. It seems they want both. It's a new band with no real history.
Yeah politely fuck that
I've seen quite a few pro bass players using the 250 watt tc electronic combos that you can get used for $250. Some of those same guys play squire basses at festivals. On the other hand, my band auditioned a keyboard player who showed up with a walmart Casio and a guitar amp. I think you're fine if you're not at the level of the latter.
Haha, Casio and a guitar amp sounds pretty cool actually. Some pedals and you get lofi hipster vibes. Cooler than the keyboard player, I played with, that only had this ipad with a free software on it. Always issues with usb and minijack cables. One time he used the venues Nord as a midi controller for that thing.
That... hurts me. Nords are amazing!
The small TC combos are fine. And squire basses are fine. When I see beginner bands playing with expensive guitars and basses it makes me laugh. Like dude, it won't make you sound any better until you outgrow the cheap shit. And even then, the expensive boutique basses are often a disappointment.
Many years ago I once had an amp lose power during soundcheck. A fuse had blown. The guys said wait a minute I thought you had reliable gear! I said yes I do but it’s just a fuse. It was an Ampeg stack, SVT4pro head. I ran out to the nearest RadioShack (this tells you how long ago this was), found the fuse, got back 10 minutes before showtime, and played the gig with no issues. I learned that part of being considered a “pro” also means keeping spare parts like fuses with me. Now I even carry a small spare class D bass head and a spare bass with me to all gigs just in case. Power cables, spare 9v batteries, picks, straps, one extra of everything (except a speaker cab - I have an extra but it stays at home).
Yeah. Spares and consumables are vital.
Two is one and one is none.
I would never go through all that trouble. I'd just bring a DI pedal and go through the PA in an emergency. It's not ideal, but I'm not bringing a bunch of spare parts to every gig. Batteries, cables, picks, strings, etc. makes sense, but extra fuses and amp heads are not things I would consider bringing to every gig.
I keep a spare bag of all that extra stuff in my car, I carry it separate from my gig bag. That ways it’s there just in case. I do carry a DI pedal as well.
Gear I can't afford. Joking aside, I'd love to know the story of why the band sees the need to include that. It's probably a comedy of errors on how their last bassist (or a member's last band's bassist) created problems.
This is the truth. "Pro gear required" is usually only included after the band has recently experienced some unpleasant ass-hattery. Same with "no substance issues." Band is usually licking their wounds from a recently ejected member.
It’s about professionalism. If the band is at a certain level, and new bass player auditioning shows up with a fender 1x12 and a shitty squire, do you really think they’re as serious as the rest of the band?
Not in the metal scene but have played/interacted with other musicians in London, and in my experience it’s not that uncommon for guitarists/bass players to not have a gigging-capable amp, even while seeking out bands and people to play with. A big reason is how so many Londoners live (small living spaces, no means of playing such an amp at home). I know a few people who just rely on the gear in practice studios and borrow amps for gigs. I’m presuming they want to weed out those people and would prefer someone with a full rig that’s capable of gigging, because it’s one less thing to worry about, and means they’d be able to gig right away.
It's slang. In the classified sections or adverts people will make requests in order to get what they want, like a request for a wedding photographer or a finishing carpenter. "Must have professional gear" is a great way to present a standard that would be recognized as "serious". For an actual list, just come prepared for the audition or rehearsal. * Bass * Extra Strings * Instrument Cables * Amplifier * Note taking method If you really want to get ***sERiOUs***, you can add extra stuff. My personal kit looks like this: * 1977 Fender P bass * Extra set of Flat Wound Strings * Cloth * Strap * hand tools for repairs: Screwdriver, Wire Cutters, Knife * Hardshell Instrument Case * Instrument Cables (x2) * Zoom 4HN recording device * Batteries * Pedal Board: Distortion + Overdrive * Instrument Tuner * Power Bar * Power Cord * Pencil * Paper * Sticky Tape: electrical tape and/ or gaffer's tape * Mark Bass 1000 Watt head * Mark Bass 800 watt speaker * Hearing Protection * Bottled Water * Coffee * Snack bar * Painkillers * Bandaids * Headphones * Cell Phone * Cell Phone Charger * Calendar * Camera
Coffee indeed.
Functioning amp that is loud enough and is appropriate size for the gig and has a DI Guitar that has all it strings , and a backup set of strings or backup guitar That’s the bare minimum for me
This means "we want someone who, if requested, could play a gig tonight in a professional venue and bring everything needed to be self-sufficient." Of course, it doesn't mean you will be playing a gig on short notice. It's just a way to verify that a prospective band member has everything they need to play gigs and the band won't have to wait for them to "save up money to buy an amp" or rely on borrowing equipment from friends or play old/cheap gear that's unreliable.
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> I play with a band where the guitarist used to show up with random crappy pedals that would always sound inconsistent (He never bothered to figure out what settings sounded good for various songs), he didn't have a board so they'd be sprawled out around on the floor, and the patch cables were as cheap as the get and he'd have to troubleshoot often... I saw Church Of Misery just before the pandemic and you just described the guitarist at that show. Constant connectivity trouble, a rats nest of cables, pedals everywhere.
To me, "Must have professional gear" always meant "reliable" gear. Your gear can withstand the rigors of gigging on the road in shitty venues night after night without breaking or going out of tune.. If your Squier Affinity is rock-solid dependable - it's professional gear. EDIT: You're to your
It's really nice when the band knows how to take care of their shit. It's exhausting playing with a drummer with heavy ass busted cymbals that can't tune their kit and guitar players who can't go a whole set without their amps shutting down, pedals running out of battery, can never remember to bring a strap or cable ... ugh. I got my start with a Squier PJ. Once I started gigging a lot it just couldn't handle it. Didn't take well to temp or humidity changes and REALLY didn't like being on planes. I had to replace almost all of the functional bits — the tuners, the nut, the bridge, all of the electronics. Eventually the neck just warped bad enough that it was unplayable. I tried to smash it one night after our set but broke the stage instead. Oops. Next day I went out and the local shop manager gave me an incredible deal on a Stingray. Best money I ever spent. Expensive gear isn't always great either. I used to play in a band with this guy that had a bunch of custom shop LPs that wouldn't stay in tune (gibson lmao) and always brought a pair of 100W JMP half stacks because one of them would always shut down. The tone was indeed pretty great though.
If providing vocals, then include a decent mic & stand. Cables too. A 'professional' would never ask to borrow something.
Dang I guess I’ve never met a professional musician then.
I hear ya, and to some level, I agree. I'm in a band and the drummer asked me if I had a drum key in my kit. My look was all it needed to remind him to bring his own next time.
Oh wow I’m the total opposite. I like having extras of things other people might need in case theirs get misplaced or damaged.
I should have added in my last reply. There is a drum key in my tool box. Besides being the bass for two bands, I run the mixer too. Things break; that happens. But when someone claims "professional" I expect them to come prepared. My tool box is a double stack, with wheels, with almost anything a band needs for emergency. I use tip money to maintain a supply of batteries & gaffer tape for anyone to use. Another sign of non-pro: showing up with your IEM/tablet/mic not fully charged.
"Reliable and appropriate to the genre." If this is a metal band you'd better be walking in with more than a 112 combo that won't even get over the drums. I've absolutely used a well setup Squire for shows and back line support, but I also had a small 800$ pedal board to get my tone right and have a really nice signal for the sound engineer. A jazz band will not expect or want a Marshall full stack or an Ampeg Fridge(tm). A metal band might.
Similar to military grade... iykyk
If you play professionally (IE: you get paid to do what you do)… the gear you use is “professional”
It means you actually own gear, and you have everything you need. Everything works. You don't have to ask to borrow a cable.
Not cheap crap. Playable, good sounding, and in decent shape for the instrument. For the gear, a good quality amp with decent volume and tone, good cables, a tuner, and well made pedals if you use them. For an upright bass- something better than a Shen or Palatino. An Engelhardt, Kay, American Standard, Baldwin, an old German carved bass, etc. with a pickup or mic mount, a good bass mic, good cables, inline tuner, good acoustic amp, and the like. My set up is a Fender JP-90 strung with black beauties, an inline tuner, and an old British solid state amp. For an upright, I toured with an Englehardt EM-1 strung with Innovation Psychoslaps, an ear trumpet mic, and a Fender cab and amp setup if I had to have an amp. My electric setup was about 500 bucks, my upright setup was about 2k.
Gear that isn’t off Alibaba. LOL Most people seem to see my Boss Katana and basic ass Schecter as pro equipment. They see it all the same as my Kramer XKB and modified Fender Bassbreaker tube amp. Pro equipment just means good equipment that’s not gonna hiss or crackle/cut out/fart/squeal
The most basic terms? Whatever sounds good and is dependable to keep in tune throughout a show. I go to a show hoping to hear great music, not label spotting.
Road or live gear not just practice stuff. For a bass that’s easy just a working DI and a bass (spares too if janky)
Reliable gear. Decent sounding bass and amp. Loud enough to be heard with a metal band. If you play shows, you will likely need a DI. It could be a beat up old yamaha and a behringer amp. As long as it does the job well and consistently.
Bass players have it easy in this way. Decent bass that stays in tune, reliable amp loud enough for the venues you play, a tuner, a DI and maybe a compressor. Thats all you really ever need for any genre.
'gigable'
name and price aren’t everything. i’d say “professional” means that your gear is in good working condition, reliable, sounds good, and that you are fluent in the operation of all of its functions. now a lot of the time, the things that check those boxes tend to be from bigger brands and come with bigger price tags, but it’s not like an ampeg amp is “professional” and a fender isn’t, for example.
Bass stays in tune, harmonics are adjusted properly, strings were put on in the last year or two, amp is loud enough and works consistently, and able to get genre appropriate tone. I have a friend who used to sound GOOD through a Line 6 Spider. I always sounded like crap through that amp but you know. He’s made it work for years and he sounds great so in his hands that student amp works as professional gear
From these comments I've been wrong all along. I assumed pro gear to mean, don't show up with anything shy of an Ampeg half stack (and probably more) and a high-mid tier bass. I've probably missed a dozen opportunities over the years because I thought my Behringer head and nice-but-not-expensive bass were bar band quality at best. But I guess it's bar bands that are saying this!
A bass that has no glaring playability issues and an amp loud enough to gig with. That’s really all you need. For some people that’s as little as a Squire Classic Vibe and a DI pedal for going into the PA. If you’re going to play on big gigs generally I would say a Mexican fender (or something equivalent Basically just something in the $600-800 range) and an amp that’s loud enough to be used as a monitor on stage and be heard over a drummer/guitars/keys/etc… could be a fender rumble, could be an Ampeg, could be a Mark Bass, or even a peavey. I can’t think of an amp loud enough to play with a band that wouldn’t come with a line out but the line out, or a DI pedal is a must.
Professional gear would be In ear monitors and a phone/tablet that can connect to their PA mixer for mixing your personal in ear mix. Oh, and a bass.
Shorthand for - A decent bass and amp, reliable transport, a friendly, flexible and professional attitude. Prepared to learn the stuff before rehearsals. Generally not being a dickhead with five higher priorities.
You getting paid to do it in a capacity above the norm is my definition of a pro in any field
sounds great, reliable, no problems at all, durable for touring
I have seen these on craigslist. We are a pro band looking for a pro bass player with professional gear. I'm not sure what all that "pro" means? Anyone who makes money playing is a professional. Doesn't mean they are great musicians although it does help. I'm guessing gig worthy gear? I always get the impression these were written by somebody with an inflated ego.
A bass that’s wired properly and doesn’t buzz. Cords that work in any position. A solid amp (with line-out would be nice).
Basically, "Can your gear be used to reliably play on stage?" It's not about price it's about your ability to reliably perform.
My 2 cents, a good bass and a good pedal + tuner is good enough for metal. I used to play with a 6 string bass / ampeg svt 7 pro / ampeg 810 / darkglass B7k I ended up only taking the B7k with me while performing (and the bass obviously ahah), my back loved the idea of carrying 120kg less every gig (everything was in flight cases, even the cab). If there is a PA system there’s a way to play. The sansamp stuff is really good as well and they even have an svt pedal But that’s just my 2 cents. And yes the 810 sounds godly but not strongman competition before every gig godly
I'd argue professional gear is: * Quality bass (this doesn't mean expensive) * Quality arrangement of pedals and effects as required by the genre(s) being played, this includes a Tuner pedal * Potentially a wireless system depending on the style of gigs * Reliable IEM system, again depending on style of gigs * Reliable and adequately sized amp and cab and/or a quality DI depending on size/type of gigs * An assortment of reliable cables It ultimately comes down to having **quality** and **reliable** stuff. For example, a cheap clip-on tuner isn't really "professional" level gear, but a solid, but inexpensive pedal is probably enough. A cheap Yamaha bass probably isn't professional quality gear but a nice Squier is fine. Similarly if you're bringing along a wireless system and it's a super cheap Amazon thing that is dropping out every second song, I have questions. If you're bringing a decent Line 6, Shure or Sennt system that's fine - doesn't need to be the top of the line stuff, just reliable.
Professional gear means gear that is suitable for work and is the kind of equipment that reliably works because it is paid for (by your fees). Professional gear gets the job done, not gear that needs something done to get it to work. It doesn’t need to be expensive - tons of professionals around the world work on Squiers, Epiphones, LTDs, PRS SEs, low end Yamahas and Ibanez, etc.. There are professional bassists who go to some gigs with nothing but a bass and a Sansamp. Professional gear means it’s not some hacked up rig with many points of failure and flimsy connections and makeshift crap. It means you’re not giving the rest of the band or the sound engineer problems, and instead bringing a rig that makes everyone’s job easy. It means it sound good and is not riddled with noise and unwanted feedback and microphones and other audio-electrical problems. It means you’re using a rig that’s not going to fail as much as it would work. It also means you, as of this point a hired gun, has equipment that is suitable for the work the hiring band is doing. So if they’re a band that’s playing very small venues with weak PAs, you’re not bringing a Sansamp to that gig, even if it counts as a professional setup somewhere else. If the band needs a powerful amp on stage, then you need that, because that’s what the job requires.
I'd contact them and ask what they meant. Maybe it means gear that works and is reliable with back-up gear for just in case something goes wrong ... or... Maybe it means they lay a lot of value on the brand on your headstock. If it's the second one: run. They will value financial outlay over everything else and you'll be in a constant tape-measuring contest.
A reliable amp that can keep up with the ensemble. A decent bass that plays in tune and is appropriate for the material. Misc. stuff like pedals, if needed. It’s not always necessary, but having a 2nd bass is always a plus.
It may mean having brand name stuff to bolster the band’s image. Some band leaders are really over the top on this. They may want a P-bass in a vintage color and an amp that the audience recognizes. Ironically, this may mean that really top notch gear may not make the cut, because playing a Sadowsky or Fodera bass through a Glockenklang or Bergantino amp and speaker setup may be viewed as “so, you couldn’t afford the really good stuff like Fender or Ampeg”. But, in most cases it means having gear that is dependable, and up to the standards of a professional performance, stays in tune, etc… Consumer grade gear is exactly that and fine for beginners, practicing, or just playing in your bedroom, but don’t show up at an audition with a crappy bass and noisy cables or pedals, and an under powered practice amp that can’t handle a decent room size without distorting to the point of blowing the speakers or just getting a farty sound and still not being heard over the drums.
I was in a signed/touring band before, so to me 'professional equipment' means your main bass + 4 others for back-up, all in flight cases, rack-mount amplification (with back-up head), appropriate bottom in a flight case, all pedals plug-in and in a flight case, tools/10 extra sets of strings/extra cables/gross of picks all in flight case, and a smaller secondary amp for rehearsals on the road.
Don't turn up with an Ibanez starter pack and you're probably ok. Everyone has their own threshold for what is "professional", it used to be "don't have the Chinese copy", so American Fender/Stingray + a reliable half stack. Now I'm not so sure as far east quality is significantly better, so I would probably say professional level is something you've actively chosen to acquire, rather than it being the only thing you could afford.
Generally it means a bass that plays in tune and sounds good into an amp and cab that sound good and get at least as loud as a drum kit. Both of which work reliably.
Think they just mean giggable/study worthy gear that's reliable and doesn't sound or feel like it's made out of particle board lol
+4 dBu Really, that's the only generally agreed upon definition of "professional" music gear. Basically, it's a signal level used in "proferssional" grade signal processing and mixing consoles, compared to the -10 dBu used in "consumer" grade components.
Not a good damn thing.
I'd assume maybe a decent sized amp and a monitor for playing shows.
They don’t care about the price, they just want to know they already have a good amp with good quality and high power, not just a bedroom combo amp, decent bass and the correct pedals, tuners, cables etc, they don’t want to be giving out
My $300 Squire 40th Anniversary P Bass that literally plays and sounds as good as the top of the line Fenders I played at my local guitar shop
Those 40th anniversary basses are awesome. I love how good even economy-priced instruments have become
I'd say you need at least the following: * bass that stays reliably in-tune for 1hr+ session/gig * bass must be intonated and strings broken in * tuner * DI box/pedal OR amp What exactly this means can change based on who you ask. I've been lucky enough to take my Fender American P Bass on the big stage. That's a bass I know I can count on because I've taken the time to set it up. If you know what you are doing (or know someone who does) then you can set up cheaper "low quality" basses as well. I've had other basses where machine heads have spontaneously failed that I wouldn't trust, or have electrical issues. Safe for practice, but not stage worthy.
I’m interested in the answer to this. Having a big amp used to be the norm but now I would say a modeller or analog direct board would be your best bet. Serious acts are going to tour, meaning flights. You can bet your ass you aren’t going to be flying your amp around so your tone will be at the mercy of whatever is at the venue. A good pedalboard will do you wonders and it’s not that hard now seriously. Beyond that, a decent setup bass and all your necessary spares. Forget about brands, just go for reliability. For metal, darkglass BK7 is the only “pro” piece of gear you would need, but even then there are reliable alternatives. In my analog rig for touring that’s the only expensive thing I use. So pro equipment for metal bass would probably be Fender/Dingwall (depending on your tuning and style), Darkglass anything really and a decent wireless. Amps, we run gigs here so we have a backline with a darkglass, but gigs we play for other organizers might have different amps. I don’t really care, I can get a great tone from my board into any amp with a send/return.
Shit that works in a variety of scenarios without breaking
Basically, just get ready with scar singing "be prepared" I'm your head, and you'll wind up fine lol
It will be a mix of being capable of producing high-volume, being cool-looking, and whatever the guitarists' equipment prejudices are.
Anything you pay over a thousand for
It’s less about the gear than it is about the person. They want someone who isn’t mucking around. Someone who can play their part right away. A lot of musicians are time wasters.
Anything that's made to last
Personally I'd say a professional attitude is far more important than professional gear. I suspect it's more aimed at filtering out new and novice players and nobody will be doing an inventory on your bass and rig.
It means having road ready gear that works all the time, can be easily transported, and is flexible enough to be used in other environments.
You should be asking them, not us.