backup amp? yes/no

nickp

we gig - maybe 18 times a year.

use a engl screamer but am shifting to a blackstar head and cab.

would you keep the engl screamer combo as a reserve amp or flog it?

flog it is good as will aid GAS (more guitars!)

ICBM

What model of Blackstar?

If it's an ID series, no need to bother. If it's a valve one, keep the Engl unless you're confident about changing valves and fuses at a gig. Or replace it with a cheaper head, preferably solid-state... in fact an ID60 would probably be ideal. Or just get some sort of DI-able solution.

webrthomson

Backup amp - yes - what can go wrong will! I'd probably get something DI or board mounted rather than lugging the Engl

paulphoenix

Back up for your amp at gigs = absolutely always yes.

But, your back up option doesn't necessarily have to be another amp. 

impmann

Rather than lunk another amp to gigs, I always took something that would allow me to DI the pedalboard if the amp went down. Initially I took a Line6 Pod but until recently I was using the H&K Redbox. I now have a Sansamp FlyRig5 - and in fact, for a couple of small gigs I didn't bother setting the amp up!

Danny1969

These days with PA's and a mic you can get away with using some pretty small stuff. I use this little Fender Champion 110 for backup but also for a lot of gigs in it's own right. Here it is on the stage at Portsmouth Guildhall ...... looks stupidly small but it's fine once mic'ed up

crunchman

If you have a PA you can get one of the Joyo/Harley Benton knockoffs of the Sansamp pedals second hand for around £20.  Plugging that in will be good enough to get your through a gig without having to lug a second amp.

nickp

ICBM said:

What model of Blackstar?

If it's an ID series, no need to bother. If it's a valve one, keep the Engl unless you're confident about changing valves and fuses at a gig. Or replace it with a cheaper head, preferably solid-state... in fact an ID60 would probably be ideal. Or just get some sort of DI-able solution.

its a series one 100w head 6l6.

me - electrics - nah

nickp

Danny1969 said:

These days with PA's and a mic you can get away with using some pretty small stuff. I use this little Fender Champion 110 for backup but also for a lot of gigs in it's own right. Here it is on the stage at Portsmouth Guildhall ...... looks stupidly small but it's fine once mic'ed up

that's tiny  we only mike up the vocal although I guess I could DI

nickp

actually I've got one of those marshall avt 50w combo things in the garage for my son - maybe that will do run clean with a pedal in front to get through a gig - i've got a thorpy gunshot and also an ocd which make nice noises so maybe i'll try that out

and an id core 20 practice amp  which maybe if miked up would give me something - esp as we have two guitarists so it's not like my sound has to be perfecto  I'll have a fiddle

timmysoft

I had so many blackstar S1s fail on me while I was still a guitar tech for bands, to the point where I'd actually turn down work if they had blackstar backline.

nickp

timmysoft said:

I had so many blackstar S1s fail on me while I was still a guitar tech for bands, to the point where I'd actually turn down work if they had blackstar backline.

don't say that . boo hoo etc

nickp

ICBM said:

What model of Blackstar?

If it's an ID series, no need to bother. If it's a valve one, keep the Engl unless you're confident about changing valves and fuses at a gig. Or replace it with a cheaper head, preferably solid-state... in fact an ID60 would probably be ideal. Or just get some sort of DI-able solution.

so is it easy to change fuses and valves - if so I'll get some spares (s) as long as I now how to find out what's ferked

Jalapeno

nickp said:

ICBM said:

What model of Blackstar?

If it's an ID series, no need to bother. If it's a valve one, keep the Engl unless you're confident about changing valves and fuses at a gig. Or replace it with a cheaper head, preferably solid-state... in fact an ID60 would probably be ideal. Or just get some sort of DI-able solution.

so is it easy to change fuses and valves - if so I'll get some spares (s) as long as I now how to find out what's ferked

While the mob is baying and the drummer practicing paradiddles at full volume next to your ear ....... (as they do ....)

Get a spare or a DI box ...

Danny1969

nickp said:

timmysoft said:

I had so many blackstar S1s fail on me while I was still a guitar tech for bands, to the point where I'd actually turn down work if they had blackstar backline.

don't say that . boo hoo etc

Take it on a model specific basis, some Blackstars are incredibly reliable, my 2 HT5's have done hundreds of gigs with no probs at all except half a  heater failing in a valve .... which is still broke but who needs a whole heater

With amps it's a good idea to be model specific rather than just tarnish every amp a manufacturer built on the reliability of another ..... unless it's Ashdown of course

chromatuna

A backup something definitely although not necessarily an amp, some kind of pedal / preamp with emulated out that you can put into the PA and can stay in your bag or box is a good one. A 'lunchbox' head like the Tiny Terror is a good one too and be hooked up to speakers in a combo. Also it gives you a good reason to own two flavours of amp. :-)

TTBZ

I've never gigged with a backup or even spare fuses or valves - maybe foolish but I didn't have one issue in 4-5 years of cover gigs most weekends. I'll probably start taking something I can DI from the pedalboard in the future though - originals sets are much shorter so less time to faff with trying to fix an amp! The mooer jcm900 one will probably do the job for me.

vasselmeyer

I have a Zoom G3 which, when DI'd into the PA will get me through  a gig perfectly well, as long as I take care to set the  patches up properly. I tested it out for half a set at the last gig and  no-one in the audience even noticed I'd changed my gear out during the interval.

nickp

or maybe one of those old boss ME pdeals - nice n simple? - whatever it is it has to be nice n cheap so there are more GAS funds available

ICBM

nickp said:

so is it easy to change fuses and valves - if so I'll get some spares (s) as long as I now how to find out what's ferked

You need to remove the back panel of the amp, pull the power valves (it's almost always a power valve that dies), fit new ones, and change whatever fuse has blown - usually the HT. If you're not confident about it I would allow 5 mins. If it's a preamp valve it might take a bit longer since you really need to replace one at a time, unless you want to carry a full set. They don't blow fuses though.

If you don't normally mic up and would prefer a backup to use with your cab, an ID100 head would probably be a good match for the S1. You can pick them up for £250-£300 second hand quite easily.

Lestratcaster

I take an overdrive pedal with me to gigs in case my main amp goes down, usually we know one of the other bands on the bill and they'd understand if something went down and we'd have to borrow an amp. I can easily get through the show with it.
But ideally I would like to take a second amp there so I have all angles covered, or some kind of DI modeller thing.