GuitarTart

I do mostly amateur musical work these days with a pit band. Mostly in one of six local theatres and I've got to know the engineers fairly well. I use a Variax bass and Line 6 Studio 110 amp as a monitor. The DI from the amp carries the tone and compression settings to the desk and I just ask for a flat eq on my channel with the volume adjusted to mix with the band. This seems to work for me. Last year when we were doing "Buddy", I set up using the P bass model but played the first half with the upright bass model. In the interval, the engineer (who is a musician as well) came backstage and asked how I had got the double bass mic'd up! Most engineers appreciate being told politely what kit you've got and what you would like to hear FOH and will do their best to accommodate you. Myk

Final performance of West Side Story last night and we just about nailed it after struggling all week with Mr Bernstein's nightmare score. Many of the audience didn't realise it was a live band playing as we were out of sight backstage so it must have sounded ok. This was my third time playing this show and I'm not sure if I want to go for four. Still, I've got Starlight Express and Copacabana coming up. Should be a nice change. Myk

I'm playing bass in West Side Story this week and having a nightmare with the score. When I did WSS 10 years ago, I couldn't read music other than key signatures. So I listened to recordings, went to every rehearsal and virtually memorised the show. I was complimented on my playing. In the interim, I've taught myself to read a bass line reasonably well though not good enough to sight read yet. This time round I find myself trying to play all the dots and losing my place when I stutter over a line or phrase. I am not enjoying it as much. It's not helped by the director/producer putting the band in the scene dock instead of the pit and we haven't got decent vocal foldback let alone a video link so we often have no idea what is going on. The optimist in me says it will be alright on the night but the musician is wishing I could remember everything I did 10 years ago. Myk

I used my recently bought fretless for a run of CATS recently, despite only having had 2 weeks to set it up and get used to the lack of bumps. Loved it and the sound FOH was awesome. The only reason I'm not using it for West Side Story soon is that I want the double bass sound from my Variax 700. Myk

Currently driving an old Vectra estate which swallows everything I've got. I've downsized my bass rig so I'm looking to get a Fabia estate next. I once got a full drum kit in a Renault Clio. Amazing what you can pack in if you load it right. Myk

They're probably too young! Brilliance like this comes with maturity and experience. Be patient and persevere. Myk

What perseverence !! I only managed 32 seconds before I was reaching for the mouse and the pause button. Myk

John Lennon was once asked if he thought Ringo was the best drummer in the world. His reply -- He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles. Myk

Can't remember what music we had (it was 1972 after all) I recall years later playing the wedding video backwards just to see myself walking out of the church a free man! I'm divorced now. Myk

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1370767071' post='2105181'] BTW I've never managed to get a Ebow to work with bass strings. [/quote] It can be done but it's going to take an up-rated field generator for the heavier strings and properly spaced guide channels to make it work as well on bass as it does on guitar. Sustained notes are ok but arpeggios are almost impossible because of the string gaps. Maybe we should petition Ebow to make a bass version. Myk PS. I've even used the Ebow on my Variax bass, which doesn't have mag pups, by starting the string vibrating with my little finger behind the Ebow. Fun, but not good enough for band use.

I've got the 2005 "Hell Freezes Over" DVD which covers their reunion. A lot of interviews and backstage coverage showing that they never did quite "Get Over It". The musical performances were spot on. So much so that they might as well have played the original recordings. It's as if Henley and Frey thought they had achieved perfection and didn't want anything changed. That said, I didn't find anything surprising in the tv program. Myk

1. Bill Wyman looked sooo cool when I was 16 2. The bass player in my first band was rubbish so I took over and learned on the job The bassist in my second band years later developed MS so i swapped when he gave up playing 3. I keep getting asked if would [i]mind[/i] playing bass for amateur musical productions. MIND ??? I like playing guitar and drums, but I love laying down a foundation for the rest of the band to build on. Myk

Hi and welcome. No sign of Mep yet ! Myk

I've recently bought a fretless and the sound/tone I would love to get is on Chris de Bergh's "Lady in Red". Not by any means my favourite artist or song but the bass line just does it for me. If I believed in the concept of guilty pleasure, this would be mine. Myk

And we mostly speak proper English although I suspect the spell-checker is a Yank! Myk