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Thanks for having me today, I really enjoyed meeting everyone and checking out all the gear! Glad to hear my ramblings made some sense 🤣 I’m off to check out some Barefaced cabs online! 👍🏻

Prague last night was hot and sweaty, a perfect end to the tour. On the way home now. What an experience! Hopefully I'll get to do it again some day

Cracking day - thank you @Hamster and @ceteraand all others involved in making it happen. @Kingbassist’s talk was superb. A lovely guy, fantastic player and some really useful tips and interesting stories. Looking forward to his bass course as it sounds like a really interesting approach which I think will work really well for me. My friend’s son absolutely loved it, though I think I’ve now caused an issue with his desire for expensive toys 😂 Here are some pics, apologies I’m not tagging everyone as I’ve already forgotten everyone’s names 🤦🏼‍♂️

Knows his plaice Has good herring Good drum tuna

No @Silvia Bluejay no blog? 😳 I didn't take any pics too busy chatting and playing gear. Highlights included @orangefriday's exhaust pole bass; @Merton's new Trace amp - the only one in the UK; @Happy Jack's lightweight not-a-Lull made by @Andyjr1515. Ian King's talk was entertaining and informative with some sublime playing. I made it back to that London before the downpour so had a dry load in.

"Bass is cool. Today is a great day" Noam Chomsky 🤠

Had a support slot for Ipswich based 80s metal band Woden Forge's reunion gig. Venue 77 in Ipswich, which is basically a warehouse tucked behind a pub with a tented ceiling. Stage wasn't massive, Woden Forge boys had set up by the time we arrived so we had to squeeze onto the tiny bit of space left available to us. Sound was amazing, absolutely crystal clear. We've had the same engineer on other gigs and he is great. We played a 45 minute set to the sell out crowd of 200 and I reckon most if not all of them were there when we fired up. We played well (I made a couple of mistakes but nothing crazy) and we went down really well with a crowd who were absolutely up for it. Lots of people came up afterwards to say how much they enjoyed the set. Apparently the whole of the Woden Forge gig, plus our last two songs, went out on a live radio stream. I also understand that our set was recorded on the desk, so hopefully we can get our hands on that. A great night, assisted by a completely hold-up free journey home along the A12.

It was a Grand Day out and I hope you good folks who attended got home safely as the rains and stormy weather came down just as we left. Thanks to all involved in organising the day @Hamster@cetera Mrs.Hamster etc and I loved Ian King's chat. What a great, solid and versatile player and it was great to get an insight into pit playing. Thanks to all who allowed me to get my Greek mits on your wonderful gear. It was certainly something to hear @Merton new Trace Eliott head and the basses in that corner ? ACGs and thanks to @Simon Cfor letting me try the Laney 85 Octaver - it's a cracker, as well @prowla EBS Octabass (original) and sorry I didn't see you Paul to say goodbye. Right. Off to look at Ebay and Reverb to look for an EBS Octabass..anyone? All the best Cos

Just remembered this for a couple of weeks ago...played a gig at the bar mentioned above, and there was a nice couple in their 50s, seen them before in there, sitting at a table by the very small corner stage where we were playing. They were enthusiastic, listening, and applauded, even shouted for an encore. After we'd finished, some friends of ours were playing across the road, a couple of doors down, and we could hear they had a later slot than us, so before we broke everything down, we popped across the road to see how it was going. Ten minutes later, I'm outside having a vape, and was standing next to the same couple...this was the conversation: Bloke from couple, pointing to band still playing: 'They're good, aren't they?' Me: 'Yeah, very.' Wife from couple: 'There was a good band over the road, too; they've just finished.' Me: 'Yeah, you were at the table at the front' Couple: 'Errr...yeah?...' Me: You know that bloke stood on stage for two hours eight feet from you? On the left? Your left?' Couple: 'Errr...yeah?' Me (pointing to my head, doing the Fozzy Bear thing): .... Couple: 'Errr...yeah?' I gave up at that point...sometimes picking up a bass does activate the Klingon Cloaking Device...

1. Sober 2. Reliable 3. Owns a drum kit sized car Ability to play drums would be a bonus

The journeys, both ways, were simply dreadful... ...but the Bash was sublime. Some great basses, great playing, great bunch of folks, great venue and organisation and great talk and ultra precise playing by @Kingbassist. Perfect day and well worth the pain of getting there and back Thanks, folks!

Cheers all - that was a fun day! I blinked and missed most people's kit, but I might've made a couple of Rickenbacker converts, so not a bad result...

My blues rock trio have been offered one gig a month throughout 2023 at our favourite pub and we have accepted. Obviously flattered, at first we hesitated but, discussing it, we couldn't actually flag up too many cons whereas the pros were tumbling around freely. It is a big commitment on both our parts but potentially win/win. And, of course, not set in stone so we, or the pub, could change it if required. Being genre specific like this we struggle to go down well in the 'average' pub band environment. Playing where we know we go down well once a month kind of takes a huge pressure off trying to find gigs. They say we are the best band they have had so want us to play there as much as possible. People will know where to find us - 3rd Friday of the month, Toredown will be playing at the Shamrock. Easy. A venue specific con, Load/unload is OK but parking nearby is a problem. Will people get bored? Up to us to make sure they don't I guess. Keeping the set fresh with new songs - a responsibility lies with us to learn new material but I think of this as both a pro and a con. It's possible we might lose out on other gigs but the regularity of those in the diary would make up for it. Has anyone done this and can flag up potential pitfalls?

First practice for us in over 2 years, and the first since losing Kev, our guitarist to covid in January 2021, we'll be having more.

What a fab day today - so great to see good Basschat friends again after all this time , and to make some new ones too... 😊 Big thanks to @Kingbassistfor his fantastic talk - it was such a great insight into the world of the professional West End bass player! Thank you Ian... 👏👏👍 And a big thanks also to @Hamsterand Sarah, aka Mrs Hamster, for sorting out the venue and for looking after us so well today.. The coffee & pastries were perfect! 🙏 And lastly, thanks to everyone who let me have a go on their amp, bass, fx pedal etc ... I had a lot of fun. 😁 Too much nice gear to single out to be honest, but got to say that @Merton's new Trace amp, @WalMan's SkarBassOne pedal, @Captain Rumble's Vanderkleys and @Happy Jack's new build by @Andyjr1515we're all GAS inducing! Photos and videos to follow soon...

Quick phone call and send it back would be my advice, either for a set up or a refund, take your custom elsewhere.

My name is Pete, and I play bass in a tribute band - The ELO Experience. I've been doing it for around 10 years now, with the band being formed a few years before I joined. When the band first started I believe we were the only one on the go, now there's a few more appearing. So, here we go! Do you have to be a fan of the original artist, or maybe you become one? I think it definitely helps, although in my case I wasn't a full on ELO nerd - actually prefer Roy Wood's stuff to the later ELO albums. Have grown to like most of the ELO stuff now though, especially the crowd pleasers. How important is it to be visually/musically identical? How much latitude are you allowed? A difficult one this - when the band first started out, the visual thing wasn't so important, with all the effort being put into sounding authentic. However, mainly due to people coming to our gigs it was decided to make our singer look more like Jeff Lynne. At first I went for a bit of a 70's look with my stagewear, but this has gradually changed to more how Jeff Lynne's band have looked recently. (If any people here know how the late great bassist Kelly Groucutt looked in ELO then you'll understand my relief!) We do try to sound reasonably authentic, with some changes being deemed okay to fit in with our line up, Never had anyone call me out for anything yet, so think it's okay. Do you ‘get into character’ or is it just a gig? As I'm not playing anyone in particular then this isn't an issue. Never see it as 'just a gig' though, I always approach it with a positive outlook, thinking the paying audience deserve to see a band who look up for it. Does it feel musically limiting, or is it fulfilling your needs? (Maybe you have a side band?) I don't find it limiting - I'm no amazing player and some of the lines do stretch me a bit which is probably a good thing. I still do other things outside the band - I'm in an acoustic duo which is great fun, along with an occasional gigs in country/rock band 'The Fork Handles'. I also really enjoy doing occasional deps. As the tribute band gigs are mainly in theatre type environments, these other gigs are usually in smaller venues - pubs, clubs etc, which I've done for over 40 years now. Do you have any qualms about tributes ‘stifling original music’? None. As others have mentioned, it's only a type of cover band at the end of the day. Hope this doesn't sound overblown, but Jeff/ELO didn't play live for years, and I like to think we played a small part in keeping his music going with all his fans through that period. Have you ever met or been seen by a member of the ‘originals’? What did they say? Our singer and keyboard player were invited to Birmingham when Jeff Lynne was visiting to immortalize his handprints on Broad Street. They got to meet him briefly, and were suitably blown away. (Also met Jeff's mate Jasper Carrot too!) When ELO were rehearsing for their 'comeback' gigs we had some of the band come to see us at Richmond Theatre. They were rehearsing nearby so thought they'd come and check us out. Fortunately I didn't see them until after the show when they came down to talk to us. I met Lee Pomeroy, who was absolutely fantastic. He said some nice things and even had a go on my bass! All the band were lovely and happy to chat for ages, & we were absolutely thrilled to meet them. What is the overriding thing being in a tribute act has taught you? Never underestimate your audience. Also always remember how much love they have for the music you're playing and try to do it justice. We have some fans who follow us all over the place, and I never forget their commitment and support which allows us to keep going. Having done it once, would you do it again? If so, would the musical angle be very different? This is actually the 2nd tribute band I've been involved in, the first one being a Neil Diamond show. That got rid of some of my doubts over the whole tribute thing, so by the time I was asked to join my current band I kind of knew what to expect. I would consider another tribute band if the situation ever arose, and would most enjoy something like a Stones / Motown / Springsteen type of thing (although don't think I could do Jamerson's Motown bass lines justice TBH). However, I'm approaching 65 and hope that I can carry on with this band until I decide to slow down a bit gig wise - doing gigs all over the UK does push me at times, but still absolutely loving it!

I was in a Bon Jovi tribute band, Just Jovi, for around 5 years. That sounds a long time but the last 2 years were during COVID so only really count nominally. It morphed from a classic rock covers band where there was a feeling that we would play better gigs and generally have a better time of it as a tribute band. Bon Jovi was picked as we did a few songs in the set and it suited the singers range. We made the change 2016, I stepped down in 2021 after lockdowns gave me time to reflect, Warren @hiram.k.hackenbacker replaced me. Do you have to be a fan of the original artist, or maybe you become one? Fair to say I only knew a handful of Bon Jovi songs when we started. Learning the basslines I grew to have enormous respect for Hugh McDonald as a bass player but, ultimately, not particularly liking the songs was the main reason I stepped down. How important is it to be visually/musically identical? How much latitude are you allowed? We decided to do the whole dressing up thing - wigs and costumes for the main players. 99/100 Bon Jovi fans most likely couldn't pick out Hugh Mc in a lineout as he always took a step back from the limelight so visually my role wasn't so important. Physically I bear little resemblance to him but nevertheless wore similar clothes and the same shape sunglasses - that was about it. Musically was a different matter. I tried, best I could, to replicate the basslines note perfect. Do you ‘get into character’ or is it just a gig? Just a gig, although I did a lot of reading around the band and HM in particular. Does it feel musically limiting, or is it fulfilling your needs? (Maybe you have a side band?) At the time it was one of 3 bands and different to the others so, no, not at all limiting. If anything it made me grow as I was playing with some of the best local musicians, making me keep at the top of my game. Do you have any qualms about tributes ‘stifling original music’? Not even remotely. Tribute bands have a very definite and distinct place in the market. Have you ever met or been seen by a member of the ‘originals’? What did they say? No. What is the overriding thing being in a tribute act has taught you? Discipline, as a player. It has given me experience of playing larger venues and also taught me the value of tribute bands as a whole. Having done it once, would you do it again? If so, would the musical angle be very different? I'd do it again but only for music that I enjoyed myself. That said I am knocking on a bit at 65 so opportunities and ambition may be a limiting factor! I am currently in a 3 piece blues rock band. In one sense it is a tribute to a genre of music but a different approach - we interpret songs rather than cover them, which is very rewarding. It is the music that I grew up listening to, it is a part of my DNA, it feeds my soul. I enjuoy it far more than any other band I have played in and hope it lasts until decrepitude forces me to give up.

Great timing (no unintentional drifting). Good ears (listens to the rest of band). Affable (you don’t want the next Vinnie Collaiuta, who is then a complete butthole). If allowed a 4th: the ability to play softly as well as hard, although this should go hand in hand with #2.

Any chance we can have a day on here with no Drama, politics, trolling or arguing? how about we just… Bass 😄

Great day for a mix'n'match meet up once the clouds parted. It's always interesting to see all the kit variations that work for each of us and get some ideas for what to try next. A good insight into another world from Ian King along with some enjoyable demos. Thanks to all those who did the work behind the scenes and here's a few pics for the peeps that didn't make it today.

Norwegian Wood - Decca Rejects

Did with the Zoom B6 - but the effects used are available on their cheap pedals too. Its quite close (forgive the sloppy playing!) It's two of their synth sounds blended...

Now, you say it's impossible to play at the first fret, but blame the nut. Do the strings choke when played open or do they buzz when you play the first fret. If they choke on the first fret when played open, have a look at how the E and A strings are sitting on the string posts. There is supposed to be a decent break angle of the string over the nut which means the string actually rises slightly as it leaves the nut. If the strings approach the nut quite straight, if the strings are sitting high on the tuning posts, they will choke on the first fret. Loosen the strings and push the windings down towards the headstock, then tune up, making sure they don't just lift again. It would be very, very rare for an instrument arrive with a nut cut too low. They usually leave them way too high. If they are ok when played open but buzz at the first fret, it's likely the truss rod is too tight, causing the neck to arch back slightly. The easy way to check is to sit the bass on your lap as if you were playing it and hold the E string down at the first and last fret. There should be a very small - business card width - gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the frets at around the 8th and 9th frets. If there is no clearance there at all, loosening the truss rod slightly should cure that. Take pictures and post if you're not sure.

Hi Ben, just look here for headless designed basses as he is still using this design today : Another headless specialist is David King as he only builds headless basses : https://www.kingbass.com/

Agree with a lot of the points made so far. The smaller the kit, the bigger the talent, from my experience.

To improve your playing you need to listen to other bassists from genres you don't normally listen to and learn to play their bass lines. You need to be a sponge and soak up as much influence as possible. You don't need to become an expert in how to play other genres but just pick up how bassists from those genres approach writing bass lines. For example, if you play rock and listen to stuff like Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Nirvana etc. then go listen to some reggae and start learning some Bob Marley tracks, or go and learn some early The Police tracks. I guarantee you'll learn something new that will start to come out in your playing. Just be open to all genres of music and listen to the bassists that are well known and regarded and listen to what they do. You don't have to like the music but as a musician, you need to be open to everything and as a musician, you never stop learning. The other thing to do is look at your bass lines and start the root an octave up to just add a bit of variety. For example, if you are doing a walking bass line starting on the A on the E string, then the C# and E on the A string and then the F# and A on the D string. Try starting by playing the A not on the E string but on the D string. So look at the notes you are playing on your bass lines and see if you can play any of the notes elsewhere. This will create a bit more variety and movement in your lines. Even better if you can slide up to a note or play one as a harmonic instead.

The ability to actually play it straight without endlessly adding unnecessary stops/starts, fills or frills. Owning a car and having the ability to drive it. Taking the time to learn what’s actually going on in the song.

When it comes the world of bass amplification, aguably few others have the lineage and accolade of the legendary Ampeg Company -Stanley Micheal and Everett Hull's first bass amplifiers even pre-dated Leo Fender's electric 'Precision bass'. By the mid sixties, the distinctive 'Portaflex' series (most notably the B15) were (and still are, possibly?) the standard by which most other 'bass' amplifiers were measured - there were few products that were designed specifically for electric bass back then. Early examples such as the Fender Bassman 4x10 combo, the VOX AC50 / Foundation 1x18 and the Marshall JTM 45 with it associated 4x12 all worked but each had their own short comings. By the mid / late sixties, musicians were asking for more power and volume so in response, a number of manufacturers, notably Marshall amongst others had designed and built 100w amplifiers but Ampeg ripped up the rule book and presented a 300w amplifier at the 1969 NAMM show. Designed by Bill Hughes and Roger Cox, it was capable of playing clean and loud, had a reasonably comprehensive EQ that actually worked and was to be ordered with two(!) 8x10 cabinets tuned to roll the low end off a little earlier and at a smoother rate than the competion - there was no bump or percieved 'hole' at the bottom anymore. This was almost certainly the first high power, real bass amplfier and so, SVT rig had arrived.. Early examples (known as 'Blue line' due to the print on the control panel) seemingly had some reliability problems when they first went on tour with the Rolling Stones in US; a design issue in the driver stage caused the control grids of the 6146B output valves to be driven positive when pushed very hard. Prolonged use at high levels would eventually result in failed valves so during the tour, SVT amplifiers were occasionally swapped mid-show to keep the music going. Within a year, however, the SVT had been re-designed to use 6550 output valves with changes to the mains transformer spec and power supply rails which seemed to all but eliminate these faults - the Ampeg was to become a solid and reliable performer. The SVT Classic (or CL) was introduced in 1994 as an up to date version of that original 'blue line' amplifier but with some useful modern additions. Most notably, a single input channel design with an improved EQ, sporting a 5 (up from three) position mid frequency control, user adjustable bias, and a balanced DI out to name a few. Several opinions over on the 'other bass forum' suggest some struggle to tell the difference between the 70's and more recently built units. Personally, I've never played through a vintage example although it seems even today, in the era of the modern and lightweight amplifier, the heavy iron, 6550s and useable EQ are still very much a winning formula. Despite being in production since the '90s, the CL is still available as a new product with very few changes throughout that time. Original Classics were built at St Louis Music in the US although production has also been in Vietnam, Korea and most recently China. Spec: All valve design 300w RMS at two or four ohms from 6x 6550 Baxendall style EQ with semi-parametric mid range Additional 'Ultra Lo' and 'Ultra Hi' EQ switches Active (-15dB) and passive jack inputs Master volume Patch points for pre-amp and power amplifier Balanced DI (XLR) output User adjustable bias Front Panel: There's nothing fancy on the largely black and white front panel, it's straight forward and un-cluttered - very much what you see is what you get here. Two jacks, two buttons, six knobs, an LED and two switches. Thats it! Dual jack inputs on the far left are then followed by an input gain control - there's no indicator to show input level so judging it by ear is required. Two vertically stacked buttons engage the 'Ultra Lo' and 'Ultra Hi' which add a degree of 'boom' and 'ping' respectively. The active, three-band EQ is controlled by the following four rotary controls with bass, mid, mid-centre frequency (which changes the character of the sound) and treble controls. The final control is the master volume to control the output and DI level. On the front, there's little else of note other than a slightly noisy, centrally located cooling fan. At the far right are the mains and standby switches with an LED indicator showing the power or a fault status. Rear Panel: The Ampeg has an equally simple rear panel with an IEC connector for power, a polarity switch (which can help with hum - I've never had an issue) and the user adjustable bias controls for the power tubes. Arranged as a pair of controls, LED indicators show the status of each bank allowing the user to keep the 6550s within their ideal operating range over the lifetime of the set. In the middle is an unbalanced (jack socket) slave output (post master) for use as a line out. Further to the right is an XLR socket which is a balanced DI output allowing connection to a mixer or interface for both recording or reinforced live use. Patch points follow the DI with vertically positioned jack sockets for pre-amp out and power amp in connections. Towards the end of the panel, a recessed switch flicks between the 2 and 4 ohm taps on the output transformer with speaker connections at the far right sporting both conventional jack sockets and Speakon outputs. Above the panel, a grille protects the heavy transformers, driver and output valves - all engine room components are clearly visible. Sound: I have to admit, I expected it to be something of a 'one trick pony' simply doing 'the grunty Ampeg rock thing' but was actually very impressed with the scope and power of the straight forward EQ. That 5-position mid frequency control is the jewel in the crown of the SVT allowing significant character changes without altering the other controls. The Ultra Hi and Lo buttons are also very useful for character changes too - the Lo button seems to be more of a low-mid cut than any kind of boost and would suit those looking for a softer, warmer sound - by contrast, the Hi switch brings about a degree of bite and really seems to get the HF unit singing. Personally, I prefer to keep the lo switched out and the hi, in as I particularly like the influence it has on the sound. The big CL is very much a plug and play amp given it's straight forward presentation so even if a player is unfamiliar with it, a good sound shouldn't take too long to dial in. As can be seen in the pictures, my example is used (pretty much exclusively) through the Ampeg cabs, namely a 410HE and 115E so any references to how it sounds (always difficult with words, I appreciate) are with influence of them, too. Whilst the basic identity of setup is quite low-mid heavy which works well for my tonal preferences, I would imagine the EQ has enough control to get most users in the ball park of their own sound. Personally, I use a bit of cut on the bass and mid-range with it on position 5 and leave the treble flat with the Ultra Hi in - it seems to work well enough with most of my basses. There's definitely some natural compression that occurs through the pre-amp stages allied to bit of the valve saturation in the sound too - niether are a bad thing in my book. If the gain control is turned fully clockwise, the drive isn't the sweetest - I find it a little 'edgy' and generally prefer the clean / saturated character. As a player, I'm more Stuart Zender than Lemmy. I do like to use my Digitech Dual Bass Squeeze with the setup (when I'm playing, at least) but feel it's not absolutley essential and for recording a rock sound with a player using a plectrum at the studio. Using the DI and / or miking one of the cabs gives super results with nothing being lost in translation. It's funny, whilst the SVT does exactly what I thought it would, I'm genuinely impressed with just how flexible it is and how convincingly it turns it's hand to any number of other sounds. The other thing these big-bottled-beasts are known for is their grunt and power. It's not lacking! The claimed 300w seems pretty genuine as the EHX branded 6550s play plenty loud enough before breaking up - by the time they do, it's a bit much, frankly. Even on a festival stage or the loudest of rooms, I can't really see the Ampeg running out of steam. I haven't gigged it yet but it's done plenty of sessions at the studio with most players loving it in an instant. Build Quality and Reliability: According to many online reviews over the last fifteen years or so, Ampeg seems to have gone through phases of questionable build quality and QC even before the bulk of production was moved out of the US. Made from all Chinese examples built within the last five years, I bought 'the stack' from a chap who'd bought it all new but simply found it too heavy and bulky to move around. He'd clearly looked after it very well as it still looks new. There's very little to be critical of and irrespective of it's country of origin, both the cabs and amplifier are very well built throughout. Both wood-work and metal chassis / panels feel solid, all upholstery is cleanly and accurately finished along with quality fittings and hardware. All of the jack connectors, the XLR and Speakon all feel solid with a positive 'clunk' when plugging in; the rotary controls on the amplifier are firm without feeling stiff and all the switches have a heavy feel to them which is reassuring. Looking inside, JJ and EHX valves allied with (exceptionally!) heavy transformers are usual hall marks of a well engineered amplifier plus a sneaky peek behind the (removeable) front panel where the fan is mounted exposes heavy looking wires, chunky connector blocks and reasonably thick PCBs. It's probably fair to say the finish is less glamourous than that of my Trace Elliot V4 with it's ceramic sockets, gold-plated jacks, enamled panels plus it's fancy black, silver and green livery - the Ampeg doesn't have quite the same standard although it is no worse made than my other GP12-SMX based Trace amplifiers and associated cabinets. Arguably the difference between an '80s Mesa and a Marshall. My only slight criticism of the setup day-to-day is that front mounted fan as it's a bit noisy. I understand that air flow through the amp is essential given the heat given off by those big tubes but I'd prefer one larger fan running at lower speed on the rear panel like vintage SVT models although, it's far from a deal breaker. Inside the cabs reside Eminence drivers - no complaints here. I've had no need to pull them apart but the 15" driver housed in the 115E is apparently based on a Delta Pro with a cast frame albeit de-rated to 200w whilst the 10" units within the 410HE are slightly less impressive pressed-steel frame drivers, probably variations on the standard range (also possibly Deltas?) with a 2" voice coil and a 125w rating - 500w for the complete cab. The 410HE also has the Fotex high frequency unit used by nearly all the other manufacturers and, much like my SWR cabs, it is well implemeted and adds a lovely sizzle. Having owned it since July 2022, it has been so far 100% reliable. It has done plenty of hours in service at the studio but arguably has had an easier life than most not being lumped in and out of sweaty venues or being stored in cold vans. Time will tell but it's currently not giving me any cause for concern. Other thoughts and observations: As I've hinted at previously, this particular range of gear doesn't fit into the 'lightweight' category - quite the opposite. The SVT head is by far the heaviest amplifier I've ever owned at the best part of 40Kg (90lbs). Oddly, the cabs don't feel quite so bad and are roughly what would be expected for traditional boxes of their size loaded with conventional ceramic magnet drivers at about 30Kg (70lbs) and 40Kg (90lbs) for the 115 and 410 respectively. When lifting them, the balance of both the amp and cabs is generally pretty good with no arkward 'all the weight on one side' issues, handles in unuseable places or anything frustrating like that, thankfully. Since I started playing, I've pretty much only used Trace Elliot amplifiers in various shapes and sizes as they (give or take) do the sound I want without fuss. The V-Type needs a bit of help with an additional EQ unit but it really hits the nail on the head tone wise and is always my go-to. Being satisfied with my sound for the most part, I've never hugely lusted after an SVT or indeed anything else but as the owner of a studio, having an Ampeg option in addition to my existing Trace and Fender setups is pretty useful. Originally, I was looking for a V4BH as the pre-amp is identical to that of the CL so figured tonally, they wouldn't be a million miles apart with the added bonus of not having the monsterous weight or expensive replacement 6550 valves of the SVT. Sadly, I looked for a few months to no avail - here, eBay and Facebook turned up nothing. Eventually, I gave up on the V4BH and looked a bit wider deciding that an SVT was also an option. Having spotted this lot on FB, I hashed a deal out with the seller who was reasonably local (a lovely chap from Southport) plus the charm of the matching cabs proved to be irresistable. I spent twice what I was intending to but it's earning it's keep and is proving to be a hit so I guess it's money well spent. The history of Ampeg is well documented, so much so, there's even been a book written on the subject (which is a great read, btw) so there's no need for me to re-tell the story here. What is worth mentioning is that Ampeg is now owned by one of the largest music companies in the world - Yamaha. Whether they'll feel the need to reinvent the brand with a new line of products in the coming years or will simply leave Ampeg to do their own thing remains to be seen but the all valve flagship models (SVT-CL and SVT-II) seem to still be firm favourites in post-pandemic 2022 - even against their own line of smaller and lighter PF series of amps and cabs. It's unavoidable to point out that both have been in production for a long while now with the original non-pro version of the SVT-II even pre-dating the CL and going all the way back to 1990. There's not many products in the industry that have managed sustain that level of popularity over such a long period of time so in my humble opinion, the SVT deserves legendary status alongside other classics such as the Fender Strat and Jazz Basses and the Vox AC30 amplifier - all time proven. 😃 It looks great, sounds great, is far more useable and versatile (assuming I don't have to move it!) than I would have ever given it credit for - a superb tool. 😃

Paul - this is a very nice result, well done mate and, having seen you guys live, well deserved too! I agree with you that it's a good idea to keep things fresh and not get complacent. Pubs will usually have their "regulars" and if punters get bored with your material, they probably won't keep quiet about the fact - I mean that's not my experience of the effect of alcohol on the regulars where we have residencies anyway! And learning new material will keep things from going stale for the band too. Having a regular set of gigs is IMO the key currency for keeping any covers band motivated and tight. So definitely bank it, particularly as it's at your favourite venue.

I've had an Alder Jazz body off Northwest and it was superb.

I use a Line 6 Helix LT. It does just about everything - and if you can't work out how to get the sound you want, hook it up to a computer and you can download millions of patches. I've now got a very passable Bootsy distorted mutron sound, and a bi-amped Royal Blood noise as well. It also gives me the excuse of asking a sound man at a gig for 2 channels - one for the bass sound and one for the octaved up guitar autowah screaming thing...

We had a similar arrangement with two pubs. One booked us every 6 weeks weeks for about 18 months, the other was roughly every two months for a couple of years. I liked the familiarity and the certainty. We had enough material to vary the set, keeping a core of favourites to which we added as required. It was a good chance to try out new material on a known audience. Beware of becoming too complacent - it would have been too easy to treat them as easy gigs. We tried to approach them with the same attitude as other gigs, i.e. play well and we'll get another booking. One benefit was getting additional special occasion bookings at the same venue - Halloween and New Year's Eve were regulars even after we finished the residency. Another was getting bookings for private parties and functions from the regulars who saw us often. It looked good on our publicity, too. One downside was that we had very negative responses when trying to get gigs at other venues in the local areas of both residencies (which were themselves in different towns) which extended beyond the residency period. In one this was due to a rivalry between the venues themselves, we later discovered. Overall, I found it a positive experience and we gained more from it that we lost. Good luck. 😃

👍 PRO17s ordered and ear impressions booked for next week.

Reliable tempo. Plays WITH the bassist. Good groove, listens to the music, and good sense of humor.

A lot of truth in this - finding a decent human being who will listen trump's perfect time keeping in my book.

Yup - if anyone has a white BB2005 that is gathering dust and they want to move on, please give me a shout! Your musical ramblings are always a treat - thanks for sharing.

Great thread, really enjoying reading this. As a left handed bassist who fancies a bit of vocals I've always wanted to do a Beatles tribute, contacted someone a year ago who was setting one up but he'd already canned the idea and moved on to Cream, which I also thought about but realised the guy was flaky and changeable at a seconds notice. My current band did a 2000's night a few months back and we've been booked for another. That feels a good fit for us but we have been debating how far we need to go with the theme, how we dress, how we present the songs, to make it viable as a show and get booked for other venues. It's a long debate with no conclusion!

I like the brighter low mass bridge. Better twang.

I'm wide awake and bored so I'll wade in with my thoughts: Do you have to be a fan of the original artist, or maybe you become one? - I don't think you have to be a fan, but I would say it helps. If you're a fan, you will come pre-configured with a certain amount of knowledge of the material which should make things quicker to get rolling. So, not a necessity in my experience, but it's handy. How important is it to be visually/musically identical? How much latitude are you allowed? - I think this very much depends on who you're tributing. If it's KISS, you're rather obliged to go 'all in', but if it's Eagles, who cares? Do you ‘get into character’ or is it just a gig? - Again, I think it depends who you're tributing. It was difficult for me to know which 'character' I was supposed to be getting into as I was the bass player for a Bowie tribute. I had a Gail Ann Dorsey Stingray tribute hanging off me, but I'm not black or female, I don't wear skirts and she was playing a lot of material that was originally played by others. Does it feel musically limiting, or is it fulfilling your needs? (Maybe you have a side band?) - Personally, it never was. It was always a challenge. We had a high turnover of not difficult, but not particularly easy songs in the catalogue which had various arrangements attached to them. With my other bands, it always kept me busy. Do you have any qualms about tributes ‘stifling original music’? - None. We played. People paid to see us. Have you ever met or been seen by a member of the ‘originals’? What did they say? - Live, not to my knowledge. We were seen by some hardcore Bowie fans over the years and they're known for being hyper critical. They liked us. What is the overriding thing being in a tribute act has taught you? - You can't please all of them. There's always one or two that would say 'Bowie did' this or that on the original although we tried to remain faithful to specific versions of live versions of songs. Some had been adapted by Bowie over the years. Sometimes the key was different to the original (for good reason), the version was truncated/extended or segued. There were always the stick in the muds that lived and died by everything from the Ziggy era, but that's not where we pitched ourselves. We were very much, if Bowie was still touring, this is most likely what you would have got, not what he did 50 odd years ago. Having done it once, would you do it again? If so, would the musical angle be very different? - Done it once (Bowie), done it twice (Bon Jovi) and I'm about to do it again (Queen). Three not massively different musical angles. It has to be music I like or I wouldn't have the appeal. I honestly cannot wait to start with Queen, although finding a keys player that can also sing good backing is proving problematic.