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And I got the gig! Only 30 more songs to learn now

Well, shirley an envelope filter would be .....The Sorting Office? I'll get my coat.

- how did you work out / stumble on what sound you were after? Was it a particular bass player or a bass line on a music track (if so, who / what?) = Was told to go and get a Jazz bass for a gig I was doing at the time by a band member. Did so to solve an argument and found out THIS was the bass that made all the sounds that were in my head. Bass players on a lot of records I grew up listening to used a Jazz so I'm guessing that's how the sound got in there in the first place. - if you know your sound, how would you describe it? (May be a tricky one to put in words, I guess!) =Not "my" personal sound but borrowed. Back PU gives me a tight and defined Jaco type thing.(the yanks call it burp?) Both PUs gives me Marcus Miller slap thing or deep and round for grooving. Then there are other variables but mostly its these two simple settings that work over just about anything. (that I play on or bands I play with. Covers mostly.Pop.Funk.Soul.Rock.Indie) - what are the key ingredients in your signal chain that are essential to delivering 'that sound'. (Hopefully we'll get some great suggestions for combinations of strings, PUPs, EQs, amps, cabs and pedals, depending on which are the most important /really key bits of the chain for you). = Recording or low volume - Passive Jazz straight into desk or amp. Tone all the way off. PUPs back or both depending on tune. Gigs - Passive Jazz bass into sadowsky preamp pedal into EBS HD350 amp then EBS neo cab/s. In descending order of importance in the chain: Passive Jazz bass My fingers and where I pluck. Usually over near the bridge side near the back PU regardless of PU setting. Regardless of the bass I'd probably always do this anyway for finger style. That's how I get "my" borrowed sound. Strings by D'addario because they are nice to the touch and less effort due to low tension. From there its a preference but not essential. EG: I prefer the EBS stuff but its not the only amp that can achieve what I'm going for. I like the simplicity of it more than anything. There is a plug and play element to it that appeals to me. I know quickly if I'm going to get an ok tone or a great tone depending on the room so I can get on with accepting what its going to be on that gig and get on with it. The Sadowsky preamp pedal is more to give a signal boost than any major tone shaping. I use a touch of bass and treble boost. It works like that so I stick with it. I also use a Chorus pedal when I want a bit of sparkle for a riff or maybe in a solo if it fits with the tune.

I barely had time to photograph it, never mind upload pictures last night, it's too good... However, now I am at work I will be sure to take some better composed images at some point soon to show off how well this has been put together, but for today this will have to do. As you can see, it is bog standard, apart from some extra feet and a rotated badge to allow for portrait and landscape (default) orientation. 12 mm ply, and ceramic magnets in case anyone was wondering. An easy carry (scurry!) from the post office to home!

The nastiest drum I've ever heard is a piccolo snare. As a non-drummer, if there is one contribution I can make to this thread, it's DON'T LET HIM HAVE A PICCOLO SNARE!!!

I think this is accurate. For the record, I hate ‘acoustic nights’. Usually some over-earnest scrotter with a beard and unbuttoned lumberjack shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a Jack Daniel’s tshirt underneath playing ‘his take’ on classic rock numbers.

Hi All Lots going on at Chowny at the moment. So am sponsoring a thread to put you in the picture We've new offices in Bristol (in scenic Lawrence Hill) and would love to invite anybody who fancies it to pop by and have a play on our basses or pedals. Just give us a heads up when you want to come. So first stock updates: Stock in of all of the following: Retrovibe EVO Davie504 Basses Retrovibe EVO Retrovibe Volante Retrovibe Vantage Fuzzster Pedals Pitchcraft Pedals Stock incoming over the next month SWB Pro SWB-1 CHB-1 and CHB-2 (2018 editions) We've added a new video studio and are adding new videos to our Youtube channel twice a week. They will be a mix of things (jams, talks etc) Here is Scott Whitley and I talking about the SWB and how we came to make it. And here is Danny Sapko playing on the very first ever CHB that we made. Finally we are releasing our new Bassmosphere Pedal soon. It's boutique designed Chorus/Reverb pedal. Manufactured in China and sold for the price of £62 (plus the usual "basschat" discount). Anybody who wants to come and play some bass (and drums) or just bring your band into our studio to do a song - get in touch. Thanks! Will add to this thread as new stuff happens.

Whilst I`m not exactly keen on bands playing for nothing, sometimes, when starting out on the originals circuit it`s one of those things that has to be done. You either get 5 paid gigs a year, or you take a punt on a few more unpaid as well, knowing you`re expanding your audience/merch sales/fan-base. Additionally, and in regards to the op, they agreed to play for nothing. Now irrespective of whatever any other band is getting, if you make an agreement you should stick with it imo. Again, not wonderful but you can gain a reputation as trustworthy, which can work in your favour - it`s how we`ve done things. An example of this is we were playing Gateshead on a Friday night, Blackpool on the Sat night afterwards. A big gig in Glasgow was offered to us at very short notice. So we did all three, doing an early afternoon Glasgow set, we wouldn`t bin the small Blackpool gig for the better Glasgow one. It was knackering, but in honouring our commitments it further cemented our reputation as a band that can be trusted.And the band is now self-funding, we don`t take any money from it but it pays for all recording/merch/hotels/flights/ferries/van & driver hire etc. But if we`d binned all the early unpaid gigs I wonder if we`d be in that position now.

You know I’m just messing with you Al

This is looking very tasty Ref the headstock veneer - if I get time tomorrow I'll do a quick A-Z of how I iron on veneer rather than clamp. Great thing is that it gives pretty much instant results and you can see what you're doing. I did a live demo of the technique at the Midlands Bass Bash.

I essentially picked up a yamaha gigmaster kit for about £60 (gumtree - parents desperate to sell a poorly thought out xmas gift lol) and a yamaha electronic kick, hihat and ride cymbal from ebay for £55. The module I use is a Megadrum which I use to trigger Superior Drummer on a laptop. To convert the toms I used some cone triggers i picked up from ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-pak-drum-trigger-replacement-DIY-foam-cone-Convertible-Percussions-/152148530322 They're nothing more complex than a piezo and a little foam cone but thery're really very good. I followed this technique The cymbals are pretty simple with two piezos on each, some thick clear 3m sticky back plastic (the stuff some people put on their cars to prevent stone chips) and a little plastic box inside which I wire the piezos to a jack. There are some far more advanced ways of doing this to allow cymbal choking etc. Try this for an idea (sorry the guy is pretty annoying but its a good demo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npnuaguzq6Y Any questions just ask. I'm really looking into a 2box drummit 5 module so we can work live without the laptop but it might mean a bit of work needed on the cymbal set up and a better hihat system. More often than not, if we have to use it for gigs we use a real hihat and ride cymbal as they are so much better than any of the edrum conversions I've been able to sort.

I took a picture of it for someone else, and it seems to work ok visually. So I did some other stuff, I got some veneer, spent a bit of time fitting it, overnight glueing etc, and then removed the clamps to reveal: Ok, so that didn't work and I peeled and sanded it off again! I finished the holes, and redid the lower horn as a friend of mine pointed out the angle was wrong, even though it didn't really matter (it isn't a clone), I decided to route it out a bit more: I bought a bit of rosewood as I decided I wanted a bit of contrast for the electronics cover. Not done that perfectly but I am pretty happy with it: And finally, bought some Stunning Stain from Crimson Guitars in crimson red and a black concentrate so I can mix them. This is what the red looks like after a coat, so I think that is what it is going to be done in, maybe a bit darker at the edge

It's the way things are going certainly and round our way there are a LOT of acoustic om nights. A lot of the bedroom warriors need to learn how to project a song and entertain an audience, but I've seen some stand out performances from singer/guitarists or on one occasion a ukulele duo! If it keeps live music in places that would otherwise not bother, I think it's a good thing as long as the quality is there

With no pay there's no Contract. I wouldn't play

Ron's answer to the question at 45:59 reminds me of a passage in Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance where Robert Pirsig wrote that when on the road he would check the bike over every morning . He had done it so many times that just the act of laying out his tool roll on the seat had become the ritual that readies his mind to see the state of the machine as it really is . With peace of mind gained about the equipment he is then able to enjoy the moment .

It's the same material (3mm cast Acrylic). The flipside to having great optical clarity is that it does have some reflections but not that you'd notice in any of the playing environments my screen protecctor has been in over the past few months - indoors with lots of stage lights and outdoors. I'm just finishing off the design for the Helix Floor model as well ready for prototyping

An excellent thread! For me the sound I like comes almost entirely from the bass itself. Pedals to some degree too, but that’s only to provide sounds which would be impossible to achieve with the the bass alone. I never really found “the tone in my head” until playing a Yamaha BB1025x a couple of years ago. It was grin inducing in a way that I’d never experienced from a bass before. Since then I’ve made sure I have at least one P-style bass in my arsenal. A recent discovery is that I have a lot of love for MM humbuckers too - they seems to cut through certain mixes better than a P, yet retain a degree of fullness often lacking from soloed Jazz pups. I’ve found my MTD Super 5 (dual coil-switchable MM buckers) to be the perfect Neo-Soul/R&B machine. Smooth and deep yet defined and cuts through a mix surprisingly well. Once upon a time I might have been in the camp of having “my sound” and sticking with it regardless of the context but now I think of myself as a bit more of a tonal chameleon. I’ll play the bass with the tonal configuration that works best for the music at the time. As has been said, though, the goalposts do shift if you’re in a covers band vs an originals band. I’m not in a band at all, so I suppose I play covers by default! In summary, I guess I don’t always know the bass sound I want immediately but I do know that I want the bass itself to be the primary factor and that I don’t want the amp to be colouring the sound at all. Those are the only two constants.

I bought one of those new years ago for £365, couple of surprising quality issue with loose pots and wobbly input that wouldn't tighten... That tone though! I've never been as satisfied with a tone before or since that bass...

+1 to the above as starters, just to get the principle established. Nylon-tipped sticks won't help (they're what I use exclusively, but they're no more quiet than wooden-tipped...). Another 'ruse' might be to get him to use Vic Firth hickory sticks. If he's a hard hitter, he'll soon get tired of 'em busting..!

Good, dynamic drumming, at any appropriate volume, is largely a question of technique. The real solution, if the bloke is up to it, is a good, competent drum prof to teach how to get the best from the kit, in all styles, at all volumes needed. It won't be over-night, but it' the 'real deal'. Meanwhile, there are solutions that work, but always, as usual, with a downside. Hot rods..? A very useful tool, indispensable in some styles, but a 'heavy hitter' will probably trash 'em pretty darned quick; they're not the strongest sticks around. This could cause budget issues, as they're not cheap, either. Worth a try, but not much to gain, without restraint from the fellow, I'd say. Drum screen..? Excellent as a solution, but very expensive, much stage footprint lost and one heck of a 'faff' in intimate venues. Worthwhile if the cost, weight and space are not an issue; I fear it'd be tiring over time, though. When I was playing in folk-rock bands, 'back in the day', I made up a set of covers from linen sheets and knicker elastic (don't ask how I acquired that..! ) to slip over the drum heads, a bit like a shower cap. That certainly muffled the drums (I've never been a 'lumberjack', but we were rehearsing and playing in very quiet venues...). The sound of the kit was, of course, radically changed, so if big, expansive 'Queen'-type toms are required, it won't fit the bill, but it may be worth trying (cover the heads with a cut-up tee-shirt to see if the tone is workable..?). Drum lessons, though. That's the secret. Technique, learned, as quickly as possible from a good teacher, that's my 'top tip'. Good luck with it; it sounds as if he's worth it. Keep us posted as to progress, please..?

Kept it simple last night. My 1974 Precision straight into a 1966 Ampeg SB-12. Beautiful beautiful tone

I have a super nice Bulgarian upright bass, a custom built - but not for me - instrument with some strange dimensions. The scale is 4/4, but the body is 3/4, built with massive tone wood. It is nothing short than huge. I had to get a new car to be able to transport it smoothly. Anyway, the bass is huge, the tone is huge. The instrument is built 2012, so I wonder how the tone will be in a hundred years when it is this big and full now... I've used a David Gage Realist on the bass, but it didn't work well. A lot of ugly "mid artifacts" that demanded heavy filtering to sound decent amplified. I sold the Realist and bought a Realist LifeLine and an adjustable bridge. The bass loved the LifeLine; it was the opposition to the Copperhead... I've used the bass with a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ/DI, and with my BasSwitch preamp, but when I got my little Quilter BassBlock 800 I could amplify the bass without preamp. Then I got a Vanderkley Spartan, and that one did NOT like the piezo pickup at all. The input impedance on the amp was a real mis-match to the LifeLine. Then my eye caught the little Redeemer Beltpack from Creation Audio Labs. It has an input impedance over 20 Mohms(!!!) making any pickup work well with any amp. I ordered one, and Lo and Behold! The tone is big and full. No gain problems. No need for eq-ing other than cutting some low bass. Best preamp I've ever used. So far the Beltpack isn't finally mounted on the tailpiece of the bass, I have to think a bit more before I get the proper design for the fastener. Anyway, the bass hasn't sounded petter amplified...

I use one of these: http://www.radialeng.com/bigshotio.php Simple, robust and nicely put together. Basically one signal is adjustable to match the straight through item. Put the hot bass through the channel with the pot.

Thanks Rob. It is and more... Thanks for all your sound advice during the ordering stages

Me too. check his ABBA versions too. The harmonies work really well.

... goodness me look at that Everything you'd hoped it would be?

My instinct is to agree with this, but one thing gives me pause for thought: the promoters who do no promotion often have a lot of free time to get their version of the story out if they feel slighted by a band. This guy's clearly chock full of s**t, but there's a risk that he'll decide to spread a load of "fake nooze" about you guys cancelling and being unprofessional or whatever. If you wanted to hedge your bets...you said you've got some interest. Play this gig. Bring your crowd. Demonstrate just how good and professional you are - like Lozz said, watch the other bands, have a drink with them, make connections and flog some CDs if you can. Better still, asking the other bands seemingly innocent questions like, "oh, are you getting paid for this gig, then?" might help to sow the seeds of discord and quietly let them know that the promoter's trying to shaft you. If the promoter asks you whether you'd like to work with him again, you're in a really strong position to give him both barrels. If he doesn't, there are plenty of groups and message boards online where you can tell other musicians everything you've told us. E.g., if you're on Facetube, the "advice/blacklist for uk bands promoters and labels group" has about 17,000 users who could (should) be warned off working with the guy.

I'd pay to go to such gigs..! Nostalgia, you see.

As a beer enthousiast, I was referring to IdrinkHeineken

OMG! John Entwistle is definitely one of my bass heroes. "My Generation" is both iconic and just a great bass line. Apparently Tech21 have managed to bottle his tone with their dUg P pedal More seriously (and to my shame) I wasn't aware that he was also a master 8 string player!! Which tracks was he playing 8 string on? - Homework for me is to listen to all of them... But the bad news is that the Schecter Stiletto 8 I had previously toyed with getting, is going right back onto my GAS list. Why I thought this thread wasn't going to result in additional GAS (for folk other than @HazBeen) was a definitely naive on my part

I was fortunate enough to have a few prompts throughout my time as a bass player. Tone 1: John Entwistle's clanking Precision tone on The Who Live at Leeds, Live at the IoW 1970, etc - drove me towards Precision-type basses and valve amps. Tone 2: John Entwistle's more rounded-but-still-wonderfully-articulate Thunderbird tone circa Quadrophenia / Who by Numbers - inspired initial purchase of EB-3, which I felt outperformed the Epi 'birds at the same price point, and later an actual Gibson Thunderbird. Tone 3: John Entwistle's enormous 8-string bass tone on songs such as Success Story and Trick of the Light - OK, I'm never going to make my Hagstrom sound like a custom-built Alembic, but it's been a good starting point. Unfortunately, along came Tone 4...and as far as I'm aware, The Ox never played fretless, so I've had to look to other sources with that. But it's been a very enjoyable exploration.

Probably why I never go out of my way to listen to the house mix. Blue

Indeed the blend knob is a bit of a revelation when it comes to exploring grindy tones from the VT. As a low gain tube amp sim it's best to have the blend all the way up, but high gain with the character at noon or below turns to mush as a result of too much low end being fed to the overdrive section. Solution - whack up that character control to send predominantly mids to the overdrive section, then redress the balance by cutting mids and backing off the blend. It's a good way to approximate the sound of the new Tech21 DP-3X pedal if all you have to work with is the VT!

This is common here too (Northamptonshire) and imo is actually a sign of more sensible landlords. Too many pubs either just can't afford a full band or they're not big enough to cope with the volume. Some pub bands are great at getting the volume right but most are really way too loud with people still insistent on loud guitar amps and bass amps to get their sound. If you want to play these places as a bass player then either get involved with a band who are happy to work with electric drums and no backline or alternatively work on your bvs and sing a few lead parts so you become an indispensable member of the team. Of course there are exceptions. Two pubs round our way have stopped having full bands because they and their punters are sick of hearing the same old classic rock songs every week lol.

Good one this! As far as I'm aware, the sound in my head is a sound remembered - although I don't know from when or of what. Not to mention the fact that the memory can often play tricks. I guess it came from the players who influenced me in the '60s and '70s. However, they were pretty diverse (Jamerson, Macca, Jack Bruce, Andy Fraser, Ric Grech, John McVie, Pete Farndon) - so presumably an amalgam then. It's smooth but punchy, weighty but clean... well, I know what I mean!! But knowing that I'd recognise it when I heard it didn't help much, as there's so much stuff out there to try. I've been satisfied with my sound before but, after lots of trial and error, what really hits the spot now is my Subway 800 through a couple of BF SC3s. This seems to work with all my basses and the only pedals I use are compression and volume.

I’ve always been chasing the bass sound equivalent of a big lazy idling American V8 burbling away inside a Plymouth ‘Cuda. Randy HT’s work with Incognito reminds me of this.

Nice to see Diego Maradona keeping himself busy on BVs!

You sure it isn't one of those superinposed joke vocals over a video thing? Like

Blimey, they look like the boys down the local Quickfit tyres. Wheel balancing is extra, Sir.

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.

I completed the most important part of my build this week, which will help everything else: Yep, a shed, now I can do stuff that isn't outside! But having been busy all week and last weekend it has been slow progress. Never mind, I have next week off. But tonight I got a chance to do stuff, so I made a template for working out where the machineheads go on the neck, I placed and drilled the holes for the controls, in collaboration with my wife. I started work on the shaping of the arm rest bit, rounded off the corners (need to learn how not to burn the wood and chipped a few bits) I took out more wood in the electronics hole (need more out but I am taking that one slowly), and met with the long lost hole for the cables that I drilled when it was still two pieces of wood. Still rough in places, loads of things to correct but no major messups so far and nice to feel I am getting somewhere!

I generally brace the body between my knees and pull the head back, thus taking the strain off the truss rod/nut, make the adjustment and let go of the head. The bass goes pretty well back into tune though obviously needs minor tweaks. Never (yet) had a problem doing it this way.

Used the Dubster at band tonight. Two 3015 LFs with an adequate wattage made the earth move

It is a good set up with the 2x RM fifteens. Haven't yet done the 15+ 2*10 but the 2*10 on its own sounds good.