why not get a deep cycle batter and inverter? I've done that before to play on the street with my Harp Gear amp. The battery I have will run about 50 hrs from one charge.
like a marine battery. Look for one that is for solar applications but a Marine Battery will do.
All you need is a dolly to make one trip with everything. If you don't have a dolly, I just picked up a new one at costco for $20. It's nice and foldable. I bought two to keep in the trunk of my car and another in my truck.
Another bit of busking equipment that is really handy is to take along a wife or friend. That way, you can double-park and unload stuff at the site--then leave somebody with it while you park.
It also saves a lot of hassle and worry if you have to go pee.
I use one amp (a hog 30 rechargeable) and a little 8-track Behringer mixer that has a battery option. That way, I can connect everything--guitar, two vocal mics, one harp mic into the mixer and adjust the outputs from there. You can get low and hi Z into the mixer--then a short patch cord into the amp.
The Hog is good for about 8 hours and the Behringer will need two new 9-volt batteries after about 5 hours. That is as long as I ever want to busk anyway.
That arrangement will usually make as much noise as the laws allow wherever I have tried it. If you get too big a sound, the merchants start getting pissed--unless maybe you are like as good as Satan and Adam and everybody just loves your ass so much you can blast the trees down and everybody is cool with it. . .
Last Edited by on May 28, 2009 10:03 AM
Oldwailer Thanks you make some good points. I don't need a mixer just two amps. One for harp one for stomp box. I've only done it acoustic before and that just isn't getting the point across.
I'm pretty fond of the Roland Micro Cube; that and an old Green Bullet is the sum of my busking equipment. It runs on six double-A batteries and gets anywhere from 20-25 hours of life. Nifty effects if you wanna mess with 'em, but a great sounding, LOUD, and cheap traveling amp.
Personally I like the Pignose Legendary 7-100. It runs off 6 AA batteries (I use rechargeables). It's loud and has a great tone and looks as funky as hell. Great for anything you want to throw into it.
Really small and ultra portable and has little tabs for linking a guitar strap to, so that it can be slung over your shoulder.
Simple to operate just one control switch and if you want more bass you keep the cab closed. If you want more treble open it up.
It also has a pre amp out so it can be used into bigger rigs, recording etc.
Oh yeah and did I mention it's really cheap to buy!
Check it out!
Last Edited by on Jun 10, 2009 12:14 AM
With the Roland cube you can hook both up, mic AND stomp box, so you need just one amp, PLUS it has some cool amp "simulators" you can choose from, and when you're not running on batteries, you can plug just in..... small, light, handy, great sound and affordable.... I would like to say "I never leave home without it!" but that's not true.... ---------- DutchBones Tube
