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Also, while I think about it. I'd like to say a big thank you and well done to the moderators on here. It's a thankless task and there's a fine line between over moderation and allowing things to just run rampant. I think this forum has got the balance just right.

I think you’ll find we’re well known for being a very open and friendly forum. Naturally things get heated now and then but usually during the holidays when people are stressed. At the end of the day, be the change you want to see. More often than not any ‘hostility’ is closed down by sensible members. Also, there’s a report button.

That must be a hard job, with "no indication" of when it's all going to kick off.

I've occasionally been sad to see spelling pedants jumping on dyslexics, but on the whole... If you look at some of the deeply personal stuff on OT and the community of support there, BC is an oasis of civility compared to (what I hear of) most other social media. I've been in one other such (and left it for that reason) but comfortable here. Add my thanks and appreciation to the mods. Under-appreciated.

This is still the best place to find out about all things 'bass' IMO, whether that's double-bass, bass guitar, EUB, amps, cabs, FX etc, etc. Sure, some of the threads are a bit repetitious and some of the same topics produce the same arguments...which every now and again get a bit fractious..handbaggs at dawn and all that.. 😁 But by and large, those things are far outweighed by the positives that Basschat provides on tap, every day, week, month without fail! Gear advice, technical advice, music theory advice, support from a community of like-minded people (broadly speaking), for sale forums, off-topic debate & discussions.. The list of positives is almost endless. If there'd been somewhere I could get all this for free when I first started playing bass in the mid 70s, I'd have absolutely loved it. And I'm sure it would have made me a better bass player and musician.

I’m on here quite regularly nowadays, I’ve noticed so many BC’ers are fast to create drama and hostility towards each other and jump down each other’s throats, what’s the deal? What happened to peace & love among bassists???

Stick with us @Bassislife16, I’ve been in the middle of some discussions that made me want to leave, I’ve also occasionally said a thing or two on here that I regretted, but the longer you use BC the more you’ll see that most of the time it’s actually one of the more reasonable corners of the internet and a huge wealth of knowledge and experience is on tap. Lots of people are opinionated, sometimes vociferously so, but 9/10 it’s wisdom and occasionally that wisdom is a bit angsty.

I was worried that this thread might have disintegrated then and although I’m not the OP this thread has completely revolutionised my approach to bass amplification and I’ve noticed it seems to attract folk from other forums or just random Googlers who are interested in this subject. I’d hate people to be put off by bickering when this is becoming a really valuable resource, phew.

This forum is a very warm and friendly place, with occasional spates of passion & strong opinion. People have different opinions & some are more ready to push them than others. I'm very grateful for the friends & acquaintances I've made in the short time I've been on here, but I hate the idea that Basschatistas would be put off by the posts of others. People can be stroppy, but its worth bearing in mind that things & problems happen in real life outside BC that can cause this - no excuse though. The Admins & Mods do a fab job & I'm very grateful. Play nice BC peeps, & if anyone wants a fight, I'll be in the car park after lasties

I've been here nearly 12 years and in that time I have blocked 4 members - 2 of which don't frequent the forum anymore. Considering that there are thousands of members, that's pretty good going. I've been on the receiving end of trolls and do-gooders and they can go and do one AFAIC. I used to allow myself to get annoyed when someone said something designed to gain a reaction to start an argument or do-gooders who think that they are protecting the streets of bass land but now I figuratively walk away. The reasons being that I am sure the vast majority of us are decent people, things can be read differently to the poster's intended meaning and I'm sure that some of these people wouldn't say these things if face to face. I like it here. Overall it's a good place to be and I won't let a small minority of argument starters spoil it

Being fairly new here, I personally think it's one of the better forums I've ever used, especially considering the quantity of posts and the number of members. People will always disagree on certain issues, and things said tongue in cheek can often be misread and misunderstood. But I've yet to see any active trolling or outright nastiness, which is more than you can say for the internet at large, and I'm quite a sensitive soul, having left Facebook and all other forms of social media for that exact reason. Well, that and unregulated public displays of stupidity.

In some respects I think it’s the words written, most of communication is taken by visuals, as well as tone of voice - remove those and you’re left with just the words which will more than likely seem much harsher than were intended.

Al, without wishing to derail this thread, I'd just say that I'm currently sorting out some flat pack kits that anyone who can assemble an IKEA wardrobe can make in a weekend. You do have a point that players in the UK seem to be reluctant to roll their own (unlike in the US). So I'm trying to make the whole build as easy as possible, with easy-assemble flat-packs and pre-built crossovers. In theory, all you need to build one of these is a screwdriver and some wood glue. To make the project more attractive to potential builders, I'm also working on branding - so that the finished product will look quite swish, and not in the slightest bit home-made. All of this is a part-time effort - so progress is a bit slower than I'd like, although I am getting some great help from a few fellow Basschatters. Off my soapbox now......

I haven't missed many - at my school from the mid-70s we had a geography teacher who ran a music library from his own stock of albums - for 5p on a Friday you could check an album out for a week. That way you could at least give a fair run to things you'd hesitate to stump up your precious spending money on on a Saturday in Piccadilly Records in Manchester. As well as being able to sample most of the 'Classics', I got to listen to things like Can, Bong, Tangerine Dream, Blue Oyster Cult, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Einstürzende Neubauten, Tomita, ELP, and an awful lot more. Some I liked, some I didn't (including the 'Classics'), but at least I got to hear them. In later years, when spending money for an album was less precious, I'd buy albums much more freely, but still in the spirit of 'A Belgian electric sousaphone quartet, you say? Let's give this a go' which that teacher had developed in us. It was only years later that I really appreciated what this chap had done for me and a lot of my fellow pupils. I never did get to thank him. So thank you, Mr.Murphy; you started something.

It's a place full of mainly grumpy, old, over-entitled men who have vastly over-stayed their welcome on the stage and whose opinions are, frankly, almost irrelevant. But that's the House of Lords...thank god BC is nothing like that.

I think the same experience had the opposite effect on me - I discovered all sorts of music I never knew I disliked!

*I would have 'liked' all the above posts, but yet again, I'm too reactionary & have had my little picture-thingies revoked

This place is great. As with any ‘community’ there will be people you agree with more than others or just get on better with for whatever reason. I have met loads of people off here and they have been brilliant without exception. There are a couple of people who seem intent on being offensive, but the report button can be used as mentioned as above, or the far better tool - the ignore setting. Life is too short to waste it on negativity so just switch them off and the world is a nicer place.

I’m on here a lot, not always posting but always reading, and learning about my passions ‘ The Bass’ , and music. IMO The majority of bc members are really nice decent honest people ,but there are a few who deliberately post things just to annoy people and gain a reaction but they are quickly warned by the mods , this is the only social media I do because I feel I can trust bc 🙂.

Personally, I think the idea of 'being in touch' is over-rated.. And also a bit erroneous. For example, does someone who listens to Bach, Mozart and Monteverdi get accused of being out of touch on a classical music forum and told they should be listening to Steve Reich, Philip Glass and Aaron Copland instead? I doubt it. The fact that we have a wealth of amazing music to draw on from the last 500+ years or so (in the Western world that is) to listen to, inspire us, make us feel happy, feel sad or feel like dancing or playing the bass etc, etc, is a gift we should be ever grateful for IMO. I love the music I grew up with in the 70s and early 80s, but I've found other brilliant stuff too - from the 90s, 2000s and 2010s as well. But equally, I've discovered loads of other music made way before I was born that's blown me away.. So it's all good really. However, just to be a little bit contentious, I do kind of agree with Blue that - in so far as the rock music idiom is concerned - the best music of that genre was made in the so called golden age of rock music that spanned the 60s and 70s decades. But its only important to old farts like me when I want to wind up my son's generation of dubious dubsteppers and techno, R&B, rap, Grime headz! 😄😎

I protect the finish on mine by putting a large gut between me and the bass. Very effective, and super-attractive.

I gave myself a warning

The forum is only as good as it’s members, so feel free to help us. Start by reporting the stuff you’ve just mentioned and we’ll get on it immediately. We always do.

is that Michael Jackson

chocks away

Thanks, in the name of all the Mod and Admin folks. ... Now be off with you; get back to practising the bass lines for your next gig..! ...

Buy a fridge or tv, accept delivery, then discard the tv/fridge and cut the polystyrene packaging panels sides down such that you end up with a piece of around 12 inches square. Glue this to the back of your bass. Now your belt is distanced from your bass’s rear surfaces. 7-8 inches of separation should be adequate

Why not indeed! Surely though, if you’re in the sort of band where you wear a bullet belt, then the bass should be waaaay below the belt line! 😁😂😜

Sign of the times to an extent, just look at political debates etc. BC certainly is significantly more friendly than most forums but alas we are not immune to people getting aggravated and aggressive. We do however take all reports very seriously and will intervene as required (as Ped and Dad said, use the report button).

Bilbo, so sorry to hear the news, but very glad you're still here to tell us about it. Please do not think for one second that BC is the place to ask for advice. Nothing is worth the risk, least of all a gig too soon. You will have hundreds of gigs down the line, but you've got one heart, look after it mate. Cheers. Chris

II

And also, when two of the feet fall off, you'll get tiltback monitoring anyway.

A good video if for no other reason that it reveals a lot of 'classic' bass parts in isolation sound like a mess of string noise, fret buzz and unbalanced tone, yet in a mix they sit perfectly and sound awesome. For a bass amp / cab noob like myself mucking around on a Helix Stomp it's quite a lesson on NOT setting up patches that round and full through headphones at home only to find they disappear or don't suit in a band mix; better to try and get something similar to these isolated tracks that, while not perhaps 100% satisfying to listen to at home, sound much better in context with drums + guitar etc.

Acceptable use ^ ...just.

Our Keys player uses a keytar for one tune, Van Halens Jump ! We big it up and gets him out front, the audiences lap it up Tasteless probably but then we are an 80s rock tribute show www.that80srockshow.co.uk Dudes and Dudettes I give you Fish Fingers ...

Pair of ‘61 ‘burst Jazz basses

The job is done 😎 Started the tung oil coats very early yesterday morning and did last coat around 11.30pm. Gave it a buff over this afternoon then came assembly. Still a small amount of fettling to be done, couple of touch ups to the finish and a wee bit off the saddles to tighten up the string spacing. Comes in just shy of 10lb.

An example of BC goodness... Not naming names, but I found one member's avatar somewhat offensive, contacted him by pm and explained, very mildly without confrontation, why. Avatar changed immediately. Mods not involved. 🙂

TBF Steve Jordan is not hurting anything either.

Yeah but it kind of seems a bit redundant to drill 8 holes in your bass so as not to damage it.

Very sorry to hear about this development, chum. Hope you're feeling a bit better now. If you're sufficiently doubtful as to be asking BC / your cardiologists whether you should take your DB out then don't, particularly as: "On electric, I can play for hours without a problem but, on double bass, I struggle by the end of two sets". Onward and (cautiously) upward

Very interesting as always to read everyone's different opinions on live sound... Ultimately (and as a regular gig-goer, player, and someone who has toured at several levels through several continents in several capacities....) I personally conclude that trying to get a great sound at any live gig is kind of like trying to polish a turd a lot of the time; unless you're in an acoustically wonderful and probably designed-for-purpose venue, you're at a place that can never sound like your record player speakers, so don't expect it to.. Some of the best sound I've heard at gigs has been at small pub venues with just a basic PA with a not-overly-experienced sound person simply mic'ing vox and PA, perhaps with kick as well, and just balances the backline. In fact, my favourite venue for sound has this setup. It takes a bit of common sense and equally co-operation from the band; in this case, the sound person is balancing the backline before dealing with their own mix, so it's up to the amp users in the house not to flip the gig up for everyone by turning up during the gig or being a pink torpedo during soundcheck. And equally, some of the worst sound I've ever heard has been at major venues and festivals; as others have mentioned the typically poor sound found at outdoor festivals, and I concur; I've been at huge metal festivals watching name bands and for example, cannot hear any bass whatsoever, to the point in which I'm certain that the bass-player must be muted, but the gig goes on that way, and nobody seems to bat an eyelid... so, I guess it must be on... FOH guys have one of the hardest jobs around I personally think, and there are, like musicians, countless incompetent and arrogant ones, but trust me, it takes a flipping lot of effort to get it right. As I say, unless the venue is a God-send, 90% of the time the FOH has their work cut out for them, and is battling acoustics, time constraints, technical issues and egos... so, when they do get it right, they deserve a f*cking medal really... And crucially, with exception to what people can now do on their iPads, FOH guys are working from a single spot usually two thirds at the back, and have to factor in a compromise for everyone in the venue, so if you're stood at the very front, or very back, or to the left, or the right, or the middle, you'll hear differently in all of these positions - FOH guys aren't actual magicians, guys. Really, like everything in live music, you get what you get. You get which sound engineer the venue has, until you can afford your own. If you're that worried, hire your own. But even then, you can't expect them to pull the rabbit out of the hat at every gig... I think every tour I've been on there have been both rave reviews and terrible criticisms of the live sound within the same run of dates with the same FOH engineer, often even from the same gig... I think that says a lot. Respect your local engineer, they've got a harder job than you.... and when you come across the grumpy c*nty ones (of which there are a few...), their c*ntiness is usually an expression of their own incompetency, so bark back and tell them what to do.... IF you know better

Well for me to keep an amp for 2 years and not even think of offloading it, well it means I like it.

I finished the pedal last night after a hiccup (LED around the wrong way!). It bloody works! I can't believe it! I'm so chuffed. Can't wait to try another one

I’ve got mine too, very light and nice padding, and the width is just right, thanks ped for recommending 🙂

Best rock bass sounds - shouldn't have included Wilton Felder and James Jamerson... they are brilliant lines, not sure they are great sounds - and they definitely not rock. Same with Paul Mcartney to some extent. And Tony Levin. Not rock. Billy Sheehan is a huge miss. His bass SOUND was a huge change. Lemmy - I'm no big fan of Motorhead - but what a SOUND Steve Harris - those clattery triplets on a precision bass... amazing SOUND. dUg Pinnck - love his SOUND. Phil Lynott - plectrums and p-basses... what's not to love. In my opinion. Love Rick Beato by the way.

Thank you all for your words of wisdom, after much thought the Yamaha BB734a in coffee sunburst has won it for me. Now comes they hassle of selling my Jazz ....wish me luck.

Great band. And adding the fantastic Dave Bainbridge, formerly of Iona, on guitar has done them no harm at all!