I play electric bass in my school`s pep band where we sit in the bleachers in our gymnasium and play music for basketball games. The same group is also the marching band and I`m thinking of playing electric bass for that too. I`ve been looking into what sort of portable amp to buy and I`ve got my eye on the Pignose Hog 30. Anyone have any thoughts or prior knowlege about such a situation? Thanks.

wow ur scool has a pep band too! thats cool. o and srry i know nothing of portable amps.

i`ve seen those marshall portable amps. they hook onto your pants like a pen.

I`ve used various portable amps, and I`ve
also tried [without buying] the Hognose
and the Crate Taxi/Limo. Having played
400watts outdoors through a 2x10 without
having to cut through an entire marching
band [that`s 400W NON-portable] and seen
how severely sound disipates outdoors, I
can`t imagine amplified bass on the march
with a battery powered 30 watts being of
any use whatsoever. That`s why they have
Sousaphones and Steam Calliopes. A horse
drawn wagon with a huge supply of battery
poweer [or super well muffled generator]
could run you electric bass and would be
no bigger than a Steam Calliope. However
for the same horse drawn hassle, a Steam
Calliope certainly delivers more musical
varieties than you`ll ever get from bass
guitar. Of course, if such a power wagon
were to be deployed, it could also carry
a fine electric keyboard as well, but if
you have an electric keyboard, the bass
player is redundant.

First off, bass in pep band is awesome, but
If you are serrious about playing, and marching, I would say to get a good wireless system and a decent 30 watt amp to have in the pit during marching, because anything like that marshalle mini, is only about 3 watts, and behind a band of 100 or so(or how many ur band has) isnt much. You can get a good wireless for $150 USD

[quote:]
( Greg ) 17:38 on Wednesday, February 02, 2005

First off, bass in pep band is awesome, but
If you are serrious about playing, and marching, I would say to get a good wireless system and a decent 30 watt amp to have in the pit during marching, because anything like that marshalle mini, is only about 3 watts, and behind a band of 100 or so(or how many ur band has) isnt much. You can get a good wireless for $150 USD
[close quote]

For indoor rallies etc the wireless idea
sounds ideal, but 30 watts for a bass in
a band full full of brass etc ? 400W is
not really loud, but will drive the sort
of cabs that will put a great foundation
tone under your tunes with minimal or no
noticeable distortion. In a medium size
club situation with only one or two horn
players, 300W or 400W of bass dissipates
without shaking the walls or putting the
bass sound above anyone else. [And, I`m
NOT referring to club gigs "featuring" a
screaming SRV-Wannabee stratowackster up
front, I`m never at those gigs.]

WHAT THE HELL DOES A MARCHING BAND NEED A BASS GUITAR FOR? TOW OR THREE TUBAS CAN MAKE AND BASS SOUND LIKE A BANJO.
HAVING A BASS GUITAR IN THE MARCHING BAND DEFEATES THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF HAVING A MARCHING BAND. IT`S NOT EVEN A MARCHING INSTRUMENT. IF YOU PLAY BASS GUITAR AND WANT TO JOING MARCHING BAND i RECOMEND THAT YOU PICK UP A BARITONE OR TUBA. tHE MUSIC IS VERTUALY WRITTEN THE SAME exsept TUBA IS WRITEN A OCTIVE LOWER.

Wow. The above post makes me laugh. Enough said. Whoever posted it, get a life.

In case anyone cared or wondered whatever happened in my situation, I now march my four-string Epiphone bass in my marching band with a cart pained our school colors with a 100-watt Fender bass amp powered by a boat battery and 400-watt power inverter. I just have one of the pit members who wouldn`t normally march push the cart. Everyone in the band loves it.

Austin - Nice Job! I think a bass guitar in a marching band is outstanding! I work with my daughter`s HS marching band and we have 2 sound systems - one in the rear with a stage and full electronic drum kit and 2 keyboards, and the usual percussion pit, with 3 wireless systems and its` own sound system. You would fit in great! We set it all up in 3 minutes.