vintageHIWATTconvention.com

Hi everyone,
I'm going to play with my band talkshow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... h0MO7KdP6o or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LS0TnYERpg) on SXSW in Austin, Texas. We're from Europe (Slovakia), and we cannot take all our backline with us (I'm afraid to take my bass if it gets lost - I'd rather buy some in the U.S.), so we are searching for gear rental, best would be rent guitars too. Can you advise me some places/someone to rent gear? We should arrive to Dallas on 16 March, then drive to Austin, and we are scheduled to play at Karma Lounge on Wednesday, March 18 from 11:00 PM to 11:40 PM
Current gear we are using is:
bass (me): fender jazz bass (precision or rickenbacker 4003 is fine too), vintage hiwatt amp (any all tube ampeg - SVT/V4 or orange - OR120 is fine), box is least important (ampeg 810/610/410, hiwatt 4x12...). I'm searching for effect pedals too (my pedalboard is big and pedals are hard to get out) - tuner, some overdrive (I'm using ebs valve drive), boss line selector + some fuzz pedal (eh big muff, lovetone big cheese, shin ei fy-2). not so important but welcome is chorus and octaver (I'm using ebs unichorus and ampeg sub-blaster).
guitar amps: one fender twin reverb plus one vox ac30 (anything similiar is fine)
guitars: one fender telecaster deluxe (humbuckers), one "standard" telecaster (single coils), gibson SG and/or es-330 are welcome
drums: Ludwig Legacy Classic or American Maple Custom (or DW or GRETCH) - 24" bass drum, 16"/18" floor tom, 12"/13" tom, stands etc

any help or info is welcome, thanks!
you can write me email too: juraj.labaj@gmail.com

A quick google brings up a number of backline companies, here's two.

http://www.soundcheckaustin.com/backline-rentals/
http://www.musiclabaustin.com/backline/

Long way to travel for a 40 minute gig...

No advice on a backline... but I hope you have a place to stay already lined up!

until now I thought everything in US is cheaper than in EU. now I can say it isn't true for backline. or they just want to makey money from poor bands coming outside US wihout gear to SXSW...
musiclab gave us ridiculous prices - about 1200$ a day for what I described here - without guitars and pedals! (only drum kit, 2 combos and 1 bass rig)
we play 2 gigs at SXSW, and we simply cannot pay that much... more than for flight tickets!
any other suggestions?

durike wrote: musiclab gave us ridiculous prices - about 1200$ a day for what I described here - without guitars and pedals! (only drum kit, 2 combos and 1 bass rig)

That seems opportunistic to me - especially considering they probably already have rigs in the area during those days. Unless they've already rented their existing stock and have to sub-lease from someone else?

durike wrote:any other suggestions?

Perhaps try to network with other bands playing the festival and see if they'd be willing to loan or rent you their backline? Or, check with the venues directly and see if they have other options (like house equipment)?

good luck!

Dave

OldSchoolDave wrote:

durike wrote: musiclab gave us ridiculous prices - about 1200$ a day for what I described here - without guitars and pedals! (only drum kit, 2 combos and 1 bass rig)

That seems opportunistic to me - especially considering they probably already have rigs in the area during those days. Unless they've already rented their existing stock and have to sub-lease from someone else?

There's likely a lot of demand - hundreds of bands coming in from all over, more than a few probably without their own gear.
I can imagine equipment rentals are priced accordingly. Just like the hotel rooms - if you can find one.

SXSW is a crazy week... fun to walk around downtown during the festival, but it basically shuts down Austin for anything else.

Hey - check out these guys http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_MS29146

mikhailwatt wrote:Hey - check out these guys http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_MS29146

Nice tune!
--mark

thanks
fortunately, we have place to stay at friend of our friend
just found http://www.loudmouthrentals.com and they have very good prices! i hope it'll work out. we are in touch with stagemanagers, but its hard.
very weird. even on showcase festival in our country, bands have backline prepared, or they just tell what they need and festival will do its best to satisfy their requirements...