basstheface

I have 2 Spectraflex cables bought in the mid 90s from The London Bass Centre. Both going strong and never any problems despite massive usage over the years.

Hi - like many others on this forum, I've played in many bands over the years. Virtually all the gigs have been pub venues. I've never been in a band that has taken out public liability insurance and when I ask around my muso friends neither have they. In my county there must be getting on 50 bands that you see regularly advertised as doing gigs. I wonder how many have considered PLI or have taken it out? So my question is - how common is it for bands just playing pubs perhaps a couple of times a month to take out PLI? What are the risks and do pubs generally have their own PLI that would cover if say a drunk fell over a floor monitor and broke his/her nose? Views and advice welcomed please. Thanks.

I remember The Bass Centre at Wapping very well and fondly. It was a regular haunt. I bought and sold a number of guitars there and some Trace Elliott amplification. Always helpful staff - if I recall right Nick was particularly helpful. I bought my MM Sterling there in the mid 90s - still my main bass today - and Nick threw in a hard case complimentary which has the The Bass Centre logo embossed on it. Still use that today too. A sadly missed store.

If you need to take it to a specialist, I recommend John Kelly (previously owner of Kelly Amplification). Based in London N1, he's a nice guy, honest and knows his stuff. He recently serviced my AMPEG V4B. His number is 020 7359 8001.

I started off learning bass on a short scale Jedson and then went on to long scale cheapy basses which was all I could afford at the time. My first 'proper' bass was a Fender Mustang. It was short scale and I loved it, both the action and the tone. I upgraded from that to a MusicMan Stingray. In those days, I had to sell a bass if I wanted to buy one. However, in hindsight I wish I'd been able to keep my Mustang as well! Since then I've always used 34" scale. Though I have smallish hands and a short scale would be more comfortable, I prefer the tone of long scale basses. I also have a Pangborn which has a 36" scale which is a beast to play but sounds wonderful!

I've been using Elacin ER15s for a year now. At first I hated them and would only use them at rehearsals and not gigs. Everything seemed so muted and boring. Then I started wearing them at gigs and as I became more accustomed to them, I started to enjoy using them. Now I wouldn't be without them. It's great to drive home from a gig or rehearsal without my ears ringing and wake up in the morning the same. And I find it makes me feel calmer post gig. I also use them if I go and watch a band now. At first the guys in the band took the mickey. Now they treat it as business as usual and in fact our drummer has now ordered some for himself. So, use of ear plus - highly recommended!

I'm a relatively new contributor to the forum though have been a member for a couple of years. I've found it to be a source of very useful information and have received some really great and friendly advice on a query I published recently. I haven't advertised any gear for sale but probably will do at some time and £20 seems to be very reasonable compared with other ways to sell equipment. My personal view is to stick to bass related stuff and don't get involved in OT. There's plenty of other forums and websites to use if you want to get into those sort of debates. The Mods have a difficult job at times and from what I see do it well - let's face it, they are holding this forum together for the benefit of the community.

I've used them once but for a big purchase - Little Mark III, two Mark Bass 2x10 Traveller cabs and associated leads. The transaction was smooth and the items were delivered within five days, well packaged. I probably saved £150 compared to buying them in the UK so I was happy.

We are all united in our love of bass but I was wondering what other roles we play in our bands. For example, I also organise the band (rehearsals, diary etc), deal with all the publicity and websites, get some of the gigs and sing backing vocals and introduce most of the songs during gigs. Very often we do so much more than just turn up and play bass eg we can be publicists, agents, vocalists, leaders, arrangers, advisors and sometimes counsellors! So, what other roles do you play?

So my first gig after my original post starting off this topic was last evening and I tried a completely different approach which was not to use the filters at all and concentrate purely on the bass and amp EQ. The result was a massive improvement. Not quite how I want it still but I feel I'm on the right road now. Thank you again for your inputs and advice.

Hi - in good to excellent condition I have seen them advertised for £300 to £350 for private sale. That doesn't mean they sold for that of course! I have one myself. They are excellent, very punchy but also very heavy!

Well I asked for tips, advice and wisdom and I've got that in bucket loads! I'm really grateful for your helpful and positive responses. It was always going to be a challenge for me changing rig after using my previous one for 15 years and I think I have got too hung up on using the filter controls. Will take a fresh look the whole thing and work through all your suggestions and see how I get on from there. Many thanks again for sharing your experiences and views. Appreciated!

Hi PTB and thanks for responding. I've tried all sorts but my last settings from a pub gig on Saturday was this (I've based it on clock settings): Gain - 11 o'clock (no clipping) Master - 10 o'clock Low - 10 o'clock Mid low - 12 o'clock Mid high - 2 o'clock High - 11 o'clock VLE - 9 o'clock VPF - 3 o'clock Controls on the bass are high, mid and low set to half way and volume on full. I tend to tweak the tone controls up or down slightly during the set. I generally switch the horns off on the cabs or keep them very low because I find them too toppy otherwise. Cheers Steve

Hi Six months ago I bought a Little Mark III and two Mark Bass 2x10 traveller cabinets, having done lots of research, spoken to other bass players and tried the kit out (albeit in a shop). I generally use a Musicman Sterling bass with roundwound strings and play rock and blues. Venues tend to be clubs and pubs. My problem is getting clarity and punch. As you'd expect, I have experimented with different tone settings and I have recently started to use a MXR M87 compressor which has helped to tighten the sound a bit. Has anyone else found this with Mark Bass gear? Could it be the rear porting on the cabs? I have been playing for many years and have used Ampeg and Trace Elliott with 10" speakers in the past and have done hundreds of gigs so am reasonably experienced. I love the weight advantage of Mark Bass gear but am struggling to find a sound I'm comfortable with. I want to perservere and crack this, so tips, advice and wisdom are welcomed please! Cheers Steve