Leaderboard

It is all a ruse. You don't need books, CDs, hifi system, magazines, videos, DVDs or TV...all you need is your laptop and a subscription to lots of things at only £9.99 per month each. Oh, and cloud storage for all your backups at £9.99 a month for when your laptop breaks. "Why am I so poor?" the junior office worker mused, listening to Spotify though bluetooth headphones on his iPhone X while clicking away at his laptop. His £4.20 large coffee with cream from Starbucks cooled next to him.

We're vinyl lovers in this house, we invested in a decent system just as CDs were being released and have stuck with the medium throughout making further investments along the way. It was only very recently we bought our first CD player, 4-5 years ago? Now I admit our vinyl player is of a far higher quality than our CD player even though it was still quite expensive but vinyl has a big edge over listenability in my opinion as long as the vinyl is spotless (we have a record cleaning machine). There is also something more of an occasion to playing a record the set up, the album art, it's less so with a CD but not gone and let's face it the sound quality isn't bad at all with minimum fuss and it still gives that sense of ownership. Downloads, we did try but it seemed wrong somehow, download, click/play despite the excellent sound quality it feels disposable somehow. So are CDs going to become relics of the past? I hope not, there is something extra to owning a physical medium Gratuitous photo of my two Tbirds next to the hi-fi

"do you really need to put all your stuff where the other members of the band need to set up before a gig? We say yes".

On your marks!

I've been using an RCF HD 10A (the "traditional rig" equivalent would be perhaps a 450W 1x10" combo with a tweeter) for the last few months mainly as a monitor - but I doubled up and used two of them as backline last night while depping with a louder band than my usual one, with minimal PA support. During sound-check, I compared the difference between using one and two. I think I could have just about got away with using one at high volume - but two of them definitely gave a richer tone. The volume on each was set around 35-40% - so I could have gone louder had I needed to. In fact the keyboard player asked me to turn down. I was using a five-string - the tastefully-occasional low notes were deep and full, but with clarity, producing large grins each time on the drummer and guitarist - they were loving it - so there was no problem there. I know it's only one note lower, but there really is a big difference between a normal low E and a low D! Incidentally, my HPF is 24db/octave at 40Hz - paging @Al Krow Loading is a delight as each is only 12kg and 12" wide, so fit easily through doorways, narrow staircases, and squeezing past the waiting staff while you're hauling gear to the ballroom via the hotel kitchen The speakers have live-in soft covers (with flaps in all the right places) which also adds a small amount of convenience. I'm aware there's probably a psychological effect to being happy with gear one has recently spent money on - but really, I am very happy with these.

Have waited a few days before writing this up until I was able to use if at home and out in a gigging situation. So what is the Helix HX? It is basically all the effects you get when buying a full fat or LT Helix, plus some more added from the big 4 button and M series pedals, minus the amp and cab modeling in it’s bigger brother. In addition the HX can be used to control your pedalboard switching and routing needs. It has 2 FX loops to incorporate and switch existing pedals. There are 2 basic settings, stomp box mode and scene mode. In stomp box mode you switch individual pedals/loops on and off with the foot switches, in scene mode 1 button would switch on/off a specified group of pedals and loops. Very flexible and both settings give you real control of your pedalboard. At 43 I have one foot in the analogue era, but have been exploring DSP based effects for years. I am happy, although a little melancholy at the same time, to confirm the hype is real. Line6 have cracked component level emulation and the end result is that the HX delivers 117 or such emulated pedals that can fully compete directly with their stompbox (often analogue) brethren. There is a lot on BC and other forums on Helix, so it makes sense to not spend too much time on the technical aspects and focus on what it does for me as a frequently gigging, sometimes depping and periodically recording part-time musician. How have I set it up? Bass goes to my preferred compressor the Keeley Compressor Pro (the onboard compressors actually are very good, but I own the Keeley so might keep using it), into the HX. Loop 1 has my Future Impact and a COG Octaver (the FX loop has a blend function which is so handy), loop 2 has my long time favourite low gain Bearfoot Blueberry BOD and a DG Duality. These loops can be allocated to any position in the FX chain, so e.g. the Dirt loop can be the latest in the chain or earliest as required. My main issue with DSP effects WAS that dirt, octave and filters were generally okay but not a viable alternative to my stompboxes. I am amazed to report that I would be perfectly happy for Helix to cover my dirt. It is that good. So much so that I no longer have a B3K in loop 2 and use the emulated B7K instead. I simply cannot tell the difference in a real world situation. The Duality and BBOD are still on as I prefer them over equivalent emulated pedals, but if Line6 would emulate the Duality and BBOD I am comfortable they could be replaced. There is a really good Octaver in the HX, but I doubt the COG (or FI for that matter) will ever be replaced. But I have 2 switchable loops so who cares right? The envelope filters are very good. I use filters only in combination with octave and fuzz. Built in are more than acceptable for my application. Other may feel they still need a separate filter pedal, difficult for me to judge. All in all the HX is a compact (slightly larger than an M9) multi that doubles as a control centre for your board. Sounds great, is intuitive, is flexible and appears to be built as a tank. Some Zoom B3(n) users might think, why pay so much more for getting rid of the amp and cab emulations etc? Understandable question: I own a B3n, great fx unit in it’s own right, but totally and utterly put to shame by the HX on application, flexibility, sound quality (especially dirt and filter) and construction. DSP is here to stay and I am fully bought in.

Our second Sunday afternoon at the Old Abbey Taphouse in south/central Mcr. We're on a stage at one end of a big beer garden - landlady loves us acoustic, but we brought very small amps for singer and my acoustic bass, but were told atm their license doesn't allow any sort of amplification outside, so no chance anyone more than 6 feet away from the stage could hear us. Which didn't matter, because there was literally nobody there apart from the staff and a few friends and a sausage dog. It's a funky community center as well as a very good pub, and for a while a couple of attractive scantily clad young people (one male one female) were practicing circus skills with hoops and scarves in front of the stage - an interesting contrast to the usual "punters getting up to dance"! We just enjoyed playing together without pressure, and it was perfect for our excellent lead singer who's trying hard to build up confidence. And we were given good food and beer and told we can come back any Sunday we want to. Happy landlady, happy band, happy bass player :-)

...it’s all about the TONE.

There’s a few videos on YouTube about it but it’s really simple: 1. You print off your logo on normal paper using a laser printer (won’t work on inkjet) 2 Cover your printed logo with sellotape then using the handle of the scissors rub the sellotape for about 1 min making sure all the sellotape is firmly stuck down and there are no air bubbles 3. Cut out the logo leaving a few mm’s round the edge 4. Put the logo in cold water for about 5 mins if it curls straighten it out again 5.Carefully rub the paper off the back of the sellotape and you will leave just the logo on the sellotape (if it feels slightly gritty then put it back in the water and carefully rub it again till you don’t feel any grit) 6. Wet the sellotape again 7. Place on your headstock or wherever you want the logo to go and blot with some kitchen towel remove any air bubbles and excess water then leave to dry 8. Once dry you can then apply your finish and flatten the same way you would a water slide decal See it’s simple and a very cheap way to do it In the style of blue peter here’s one I did earlier......

Wow, that's awesome... Now where are my f'ing pickups?!

We played a Skinhead pub in Brockworth in '94 looking like below. The lowest point was when a bar stool was thrown at the band onstage.... so we did an encore! They offered what could only be described as a "carry to the car" service once we finished. Apparently the pub closed down in the late 90s.

Sounds like a message to Skelf could be on the cards next month (I'm moving house first). @CameronJ, I'm up in Perth (not Oz, thankfully), but soon to move down to Falkirk, so ACG would be a little over an hour's drive away (about 70 miles). Though I'm not against the idea of a wee drive down to Warwick & London. If I wait until July/August, I'll hopefully have a lekky car, so no congestion charge. Guitar Guitar stock Sandberg, so a trip to Glasgow/Edinburgh is imminent too.

Mine went well until I got a music stand out...

My hard rock covers band was booked to play at a pub not too far away. It turned out when we arrived that it was essentially a harvester style restaurant/ pub. We played our usual sets and towards the end of the second set, I had a punter come to the front and ask very politely - "excuse me, I don't want to be rude, but how many songs do you have left?" Alwaysbmake us chuckle

I'm doing this remembering repairing kit back in the very early 70's, well 1970 actually. My memory may be a bit iffy at that distance. Compression is something valve amps do naturally partly down to the valves themselves but also due to the saturation of the output transformer. Basically they just peter out as the output rises giving a nice soft sounding distortion as they over loaded. Guitarists used this to create all the sounds of early rock music. Combined with the feedback you get at ridiculously high levels it also gave them a lot of sustain to play with. Everyone forgets that most of these amps were pretty unreliable and a band running four valve amps on stage plus often valve PA amps was experiencing a lot of technical failures. Plus back problems from carrying the amps. Having 20 KT88's on stage was a nightmare to be honest. Transistor amps were coming in by then WEM (not much more reliable) and later HH for PA followed by early guitar and bass versions. They were certainly cheaper and quickly became more reliable but transistor amps really distort unpleasantly when overloaded so we looked for a way of getting that gentle overload that the old amps gave. Compression was what was needed so compression on instrument amps started as an effect to give 'valve sound' The first compressors I encountered used ordinary car bulbs to compress the sound. At high power they get hot and their resistance goes up, put the signal through a bulb pick it up with a photocell and bingo, compression. The next stage was a voltage controlled amplifier. Take the output and use it to control the volume or gain of the amp and you get compression. These were often adapted from tape recorder automatic volume circuits and used FET's as the controlling element. By about 1974 integrated circuits took over thousands of components in a single package. You could get undistorted compression at will but you wouldn't do that complexity with valves. So you wouldn't simulate valve sound with valves for obvious reasons. They still make optical compressors as an effect but with VCA's you can get completely controllable compression which is largely done digitally nowadays anyway. Valve based computer anyone? If anyone is interested https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-what-optical-compression

Always liked the vibe of this one, about 30 years ago at the Crypt in Hastings.

I had thousands of lp`s, hundred`s of cassettes (all gone) and still own about 700 cd`s. I still buy the odd cd but I mostly listen on Youtube or buy digital downloads from Amazon. I know lots of people don`t like the quality of mp3`s and years ago, when I had expensive separate hi fi gear, the quality of the sound might have bothered me but now I don`t really bother too much. It sounds good enough to these tired old ears. I will keep my cd`s as I spent a bloomin fortune on them and they are nice to have but I`m afraid the digital download and internet services have won me over. I remember buying The Unforgettable Fire and Brothers in Arms about 1986 and they were £15 each!

Sorry @BrunoBass for the thread hijack

He speaks highly of you

I was in there the other day. They have got some amazing stock in at the moment. Some of the second-hand stuff is orgasmic. Not to sure whos been shifting stuff but wow!

Me too. It all depends on what else is going on. Add a Fender type maple headstock and you end up with a mishmash of tones. What you have here is a statement provided by the scratchplate, emphasised by the white - including the headstock. I wouldn't touch a thing. It looks splendid

Two grand could get you a custom build by Alan or one of the other BC luthiers - I'm sure you could commission something from Andyjr1515 or Jabba the Gut within that budget...

Kay EB100, available from Woolworth's in the 1970s. Very high action made it unplayable. Eee, you tell the kids today and they won't believe yer.

In about 1991 my band - a sort of glam/metal crossover in the style of Saigon Kick/Extreme etc - was booked to play a pub in the Swansea Valley. We only got as far as playing a quick soundcheck to a smattering of stunned looking old boys sipping bitter, when the landlord gave us our marching orders. He'd been expecting a female vocalist playing the usual hits apparently. We didn't get paid. To top things off, on the way home our van got caught up in a big scuffle between riot police horses and rival soccer fans in Swansea.

I'm wondering if an offcut of your pickguard, suitably shaped and painted gold, affixed to the headstock (truss rod cover?) might tie it in with the rest of the body a little more

Looking good.

In 77 I was in a punk band and we played a venue that was expecting something a little different. Half way through the first song a few people got up and tried to throw us out with undue violence (read that as a mass invasion and an attempt to kill us) so I hit one of them with a brand new Les Paul and broke it, I also got arrested (and released later on). That was a bad reception and one that is always on my mind even now before a gig. I was very very frightened by that

Sandberg bridges allow you to adjust the string spacing so it might be possible to squeeze the strings tighter together to find something that works for you?

Got home 45 mins ago from a gig in Didcot. Same line up as last night's gig, if we keep doing this, we might start to sound like we know what we're doing! Bigger, more enthusiastic audience than we had last night in Reading, but the on-stage sound was poor as we were in a box with one end open and sound bouncing back all over the place. I believe it sounded fine out front, just a bit difficult to hear what was going on where we were. Easy parking and load/load out, home by midnight, so a good night, with a few memorable moments. Can't think of a better way to be spending Saturday evening.

Hope "hard copy" in whatever form doesn’t disappear, if only because I’d miss the sleeve notes.

My mate has a Rickenbacker which he’s very proud of. I played it once - felt like a cheap 70’s starter bass. I just didn’t “get” it. So many do though. Strange. I don’t like marmite either.

Drop Alan a line and see what's possible in your budget...

Next month: "7 reasons you can't play metal on a strat" "How to convince yourself that watching YouTube tutorials all day is improving your playing" "$150 vs $5000 Les Paul: why only a true Gibson will do for your bedroom rig" "Dave Grohl explains why cocaine was the best thing to ever happen to him" "A look at the barre chord, and why you might as well ignore all other shapes" "Reliability is over rated - a run down of our favourite valve amps"

Here's a couple sorry about the odd one out!

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Two songs, jeered and threatened all the way through by inbreds with bad teeth and 6 fingers, then told to leave by a massive rugby player like landlord. Got paid though!

Did a fundraiser for one of our colleague’s daughter who has been recently paralysed from the waist down. We played at work in an outdoor area about 60’x120’. Sound was a nightmare due to the walls and the marquee roof, struggled to avoid sounding like we had permanent reverb. Floor was wobbly slabs which didn’t help the sound either. Mostly colleagues, friends and family and were up for it from the off. The support band played 40 minutes then we did 2x1hour sets with them shouting for more at the end (sadly we were bouncing off the licence curfew). A brilliant night and raised a load of money as well.

I actually started to get trolley GAS ... no, seriously, stop laughing ... and came up with https://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/clarke-cst12-industrial-sack-truck-oclarke_6500185?paid=googlepaidproducts&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0PTXBRCGARIsAKNYfG15YVWAjE6e5U9jhnKD4qWopfRbEjIUDHizjKwf5HHJoH089U7QP2UaAjCeEALw_wcB Luckily, I had the sense to ask what the (unladen) trolley weighed before I bought it. 21Kg. Ah, right, so now I need a trolley to move around my trolley ... perhaps not.

Squier Classic Vibe 70's Precision and Epi Vintage Pro Thunderbird.

Very excited to be able to post my new bands first track. We’re called ‘The Goodbye Look’ so if you like the song, head over and like us on Facebook. Our EP should be out by the end of the month