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We did the Gifford Arms in Wolverhampton on Saturday night. I've been having some serious stress recently and was really looking forward to a few beers, a curry, and playing f|_|ck out of the drums. Google maps directed us to the wrong side of the pedestrianised high street. 20 minutes of manoeuvring and bickering about signage and fines later, we got to the back door of the pub. The load in was punishing and I was drenched and out of breath by the end of it. Our roadie stood on a bench to hang up some merch, and the sound engineer immediately told him to get down. Apparently it was a health and safety concern. A little alert went off in my head and so I opted for my quieter, dampened snare drum, just in time for him to start telling us that we'd need to keep the stage volume down. There are only 2 monitors, one at each edge of the front of the stage. Our guitarist doesn't use an amp, and all 4 of us sing, so it was quite a challenge to get a sound. The engineer insisted our bassist turn down to almost zero, but then fed a load of bass through the stage monitors, making them work far too hard, and making it weird on stage with no low end. We play a lot of gigs, so we're used to compromise and the occasional sub-par PA, but this engineer was talking to us in a very patronising manner, as though it was our first gig. I'm sure he sensed the frustration as after our sound check he tried to win us round "That was amazing guys, is that song on spotify? I love it" etc. 🙄 The support bands turned up, and we start discussing kit share and stage space between ourselves, which is all pretty normal, but then the engineer started speaking to the whole room, over the PA. When he realised we were still talking to each other, he turned up, and literally said "lend me your ears for just a minute" in a tone that I can only describe as "caricature of bingo caller". He wanted to tell everyone the stage times, and the very strict load-out times. Obviously you'd usually get this info from the promoter/rep before hand, and maybe on the night too, but I've never had it announced at top volume over the PA by a sound engineer. It was all very bizarre Anyway, we trudged off through the rain to find a curry. We failed. I got some chips. I don't think I've ever been that grumpy getting on stage before, but as usual, the crowd cheered me right up. Ace gig, and by all accounts the sound was excellent, so I guess the engineer knew what he was doing (although our bassist turned up quite a lot, and I switched to my louder, un-damped snare drum). Nightmare load out through a wasted crowd but paid and home before 1AM

We played the Grand Union in Leicester on Saturday night. Our first outing of 2024 and it went really well and the crowd loved it. We're a Country band so hats and boots are de rigueur for us, but the bar staff joined in and also wore their western gear. Pre-gig photo with said bar staff We got free food and a drink post gig so all in all a good un. The band is Southern Frontier Country Band and I was using my Mike Lull P4 through a Handbox R400 and matching Handbox 1x12 cab. I used my Thumpinator, bought off here, for the first time live and was pleased with results. I'm not sure what that gizmo does but it seems to focus the sound somehow

Did a dep gig yesterday with my Police tribute guys (their normal pub band) I decided to use my Ltd Edition Hofner 500/1 union Jack bass. The whole band have just gone IEM and my bass sounded unbelievable in my ears. Great gig, we wheeled out lots of Beatles songs, some Small Faces, The Who, The Jam, The Police, Oasis IEM have totally changed gigging for me

Those are my babies, one of the best purchases I’ve made for gigging. Apesticks by ApeLabs. I got a tour pack of 10 from Thomann, which means you can charge them in their flightcase, plus you get 20 small metal panels you can attach to anything suitable (I got a load of cheap photography stands off amazon) so the lights magnets can clamp on. You can operate them with a remote but I forked out for the wireless Bluetooth controller, which means you can control them via an app. The app will run 4 groups, you can assign the lights to any, and you can create your own colours and programs, then design a scene for each song. You can set the sensitivity to sound or speed a cycle runs in seconds. I’ve had a ball coming up with different set ups using the stands then having different moods for different songs, plus the controller will send DMX to other devices, so all our old up lighters match the scene as well. Here’s a few set ups I’ve used over the past year.

My band played a new club for us on Saturday, with a dep drummer. We have gigged three times since Xmas, but the last one was 3 weeks ago. This was a cut-price gig and was two 1 1/4 hours sets that inevitably turned into a 1 hour 20 and 1 hour 40. I found out again why we need to play every day. My fingers were raw at the end of the night. It was great fun, though (the masochist in me?). They want us back, but I think I will insist on our normal rate at least. I thought I had a bad night, but the drummer said he found it easy to play along with me. Incidently, I have just bought the CQ20, first outing may be this Friday.

Back at Birchanger Social Club last night. First gig for us since just before Xmas, and first gig with new Allen & Heath CQ18T mixer and my new Sennheiser IE 400 Pro IEMs. It's a regular venue for us, but unfortunately it was rather on the quiet side, not to mention we had to wait for the rugby to finish before we could start. But that meant we could take advantage of the excellent food and cheap beer before we started. Every cloud... We played well enough, but as I say, it was a quiet night, so only a few dancers. But they seemed to enjoy it. And even though we've had a few rehearsals since Xmas and I've practiced at home, we were clearly out of physical "gig shape". All of us, apart from young Sophie, were broken by the end of the night. Hopefully, another couple of gigs should do us good. Really happy with the new mixer. I'm glad we had a technical rehearsal a few weeks ago to set it up but it's going to take a few gigs to properly dial it in and get the in ear mix just right (we're sharing a single mix for the time being). Talking of which, I'm very happy with the new IE 400 Pro IEMs, none of the irritating harshness of my previous ZS10 Pro X set, with a lovely full range and deep sound. And the sound from the new mixer seemed to be much clearer compared to the old Yamaha desk. Next gig in 3 weeks time back at the Cow and Telescope. Looking forward to that one.

I've been a TV a few times. The first was a music show that Garry Crowley presented. He interviewed us and then we played a few live tracks. Be kind, its 27 years ago and we had no idea but we got signed after this TV show. A lot of our music also got features of extreme sports shows on Eurosport etc. for stuff like snowboarding, water skiing etc. so they then did a special feature on us. Be kind, this was 26 years ago I was a little wasted on various substances. We then had one of our tracks used in a Casio advert to advertise Casio G-Shock watches in Spanish cinema's. We got paid £500 for this and I actually wrote this track on an acoustic guitar that only had 2 strings on it whilst sitting on the landing of some ones house in Farnborough. The main part is just the bass line which is used here with the drums and feeding back guitar.

you reminded me of this:

That's a superb analogy. I find that technical playing (of any sort, not just bass) usually turns me off, as I prefer the music to serve the song rather than just show the skill of the players. I'd rather hear one note that really makes you sit up and pay attention to a hundred that are all icing and no cake.

For me, it's always been about the song. Everything is the song. So I really really don't get 4 minutes of just bass, banging, slapping and confusing everything - at the detriment of the song. I don't get people playing full songs just on bass. There's so many more better full range instruments for soloing on.

Two can't really be considered a collection, but I'm working on it!

Hot on the heels of the Barbanera is another filter I ordered several months ago. Both filters were worth the wait but it does mean things are pretty quacky over here now. The Nimbus was ordered in August but held until the XD was also ready. @pantherairsoft The Dusk does look great. I don’t think I’ve played a Dr Scientist pedal yet but I’m definitely curious.

Not really a gig, but went to an acoustic open mic tonight. Got up and added acoustic bass for the last half hour or so, utterly random and great fun.

Met plenty of already well-known musicians, but in terms of unexpected trajectory we played with Idles in a tiny little Sheffield basement in 2016. Well Done had just been playlisted but there were as many people onstage as paying customers so we played to them, and then they played to us. They were pretty much fully-formed already and the atmosphere felt genuinely dangerous, like there was about to be a fight onstage and they weren't too fussed if it was between the band or the audience. We did an EP swap after the show and theirs is now heading for triple figures on the second hand market - ours of course is still worthless. They kindly invited us to support at the significantly bigger (and sold out) Plug down the road when Brutalism hit and made enough of an impression that we pretty much broke up after that second show: we were getting tired of trying to push forward in aggro music and Idles were doing it so much more effectively that it solidified our need to do other things. I went into pop music and the singer went the other way into extremely hardcore electronic noise. Didn't play with them again after that, but I still deal with them occasionally through Hiwatt work and took a bass amp down to the Ally Pally shows in 2019 - went from 10 people to 10K in three years and have only really got bigger since then. You could see they were going to do well, but I absolutely didn't have them pegged as arena headliners. In fairness I also didn't peg Snow Patrol, Kasabian, or Bring Me The Horizon when they played the 100 cap venue I worked at over the years, so perhaps I'm just not that well tuned!

To take a different approach, Sid Vicious. Growing up listening to punk, people raved about him but Matlock was obviously the talented one. Sid Vicious had the image but made a mockery of the music / the instrument. It's not some sort of snobbery - people like Dee Dee Ramone played very simple root note based stuff but he wrote and brought something to the group.

After reducing the weight and throwing out unused ones...2024 layout is here.

All clean and shiny now, might not look much different but I can promise my bin is half full of absolutely disgusting paper towels. Still need to sort a shim for the neck as the reason the pickup casing cracked was because the previous owner screwed them down as far as they'd go so they weren't too close to the strings, bridge is bottomed out so it needs the neck angle sorting. Touched up some of the headstock chips and found some screws for the truss rod cover which had been glued on. Think I'll get away with the stock bridge unless it gets any worse in which case I'll get the AliExpress one .

Can’t say that I’m into any “solo” bassists tbh. I appreciate really tasteful playing, good songwriting and well crafted bass parts within a song much more than I care about fast playing or technical wizardry. Its like someone having brilliant handwriting but no interesting stories to share.

Jaco... I don't really like fretless bass. I don't like burpy bridge pickups soloed. (I mean, who wants to listen to burps?!?) I can appreciate the musicianship, but I really don't care for what he does. It doesn't speak to me at all.

Most definitely interested. It’s been a while since my last bass bash. Can bring along my pair of Zoots, an ACG and my Cortrick NSJ5. Peter

Kimono Ver To My Place - The Drifters

Talking of TV appearances, I managed to get 2 tracks from our home-recorded demo on the telly. One was background on a John Craven's Newsround piece about raves (!) and the other was on Crimewatch as the music playing at a party while someone got murdered. Fame!!!

It seems that a lot of people seems to be of the assumption that technical playing is the opposite negation of serving the song or soulful playing, which is just nonsense. Of course it can be, but so can just turning out root notes, or any other type/style of playing for that matter, but it all depends on the context. From what many people are writing here it sounds like some of you are automatically dismissing everything as soon as it gets a bit too technical as bad, without actually listening. Context, context people. Also, do some people have an aversion against solo pieces, or is it just bass solo pieces, if then why is this, and if not, how can a solo piece serve the song, it is the song? Also I love the sound of bass as an instrument, one of the main reasons why i chose it as my main instrument. Why chose it as your main instrument of choice, if you don't like the sound of it?

If portability is a factor then a Fender Rumble combo - either the 500 or 800 - would work. They’re plenty loud, lightweight to carry and can be picked up used for good prices.

Back home after a few years, my Noguera Yves Carbonne Signature 8 Fretless. It shouldn't have left home, now it's here to stay.

To sum up this thread:

Give it long enough and every bass player who's ever lived will be in this thread 😀

I did post this story on BC a while ago, but I'm posting again as I think it still proves that truth is stranger than fiction. In 1975 I was playing on the island of Jersey with the remnants of a 60's pop band called Love Affair. (Remember them?) We were doing some sort of cabaret show at a big hotel there. We'd finished our set in the main ballroom, and then picked up word that Robert Plant and John Bonham were in the bar. Went and had a discreet look, and it certainly looked like them. Plant was on crutches - I knew he'd had a car crash recently. Bonham looked completely out of it. They were surrounded by a posse of hangers on and music biz people by the looks of it. Next thing we know, everyones cheering, and Plant and Bonham are heading towards the stage. Plant stops and talks to our drummer briefly, and then our drummer points to myself and the guitarist, and indicates we should go up on stage with Plant and Bonham. The rest was a bit of a blur, quite honestly. Bonham was clearly more than a bit worse for wear but started fiddling with the drum kit. Then someone fetched a stool for Plant to perch himself on, and Plant suggested over the mic that we played 'Red House' Sorted out the key, and we were off. I was doing my best, but was only one step back from pissing myself with fear, god only knows what it sounded like. Luckily our guitarist was an excellent player and carried things along, as Bonham was hardly able to keep time, let alone play well. We played two lengthy numbers, half drowned out by whooping and cheering from the crowd, possibly undeserved. I cannot remember for the life of me what the second number was. Most unexpected thing that's ever happened to me at a gig.

When Affordaboard reduced these already inexpensive pedals to twenty quid, how could I say no? How does it sound? Dunno. But it looks cool!

Been on here years and seen you lot snagging vintage bargains, well today was my day as I spotted this old thing for £60 in a charity shop window. It's a Hondo II Professional with what I assume to be a Dimarzio, no Made in Japan on the neckplate so is this Korean/Samick or a later MIJ Tokai or something? Serial is 0110454. Sounds impressively loud unplugged, looks all original (to my untrained eye anyway) aside from the janky knobs. Pickup housing has cracks but not completely broken, parts rusty and definitely showing its age but should clean up to a less ratty state and the neck is straight. Some weight to it, given the rust and the fact I found it in the port town of Fleetwood I wonder if it actually has been used as a boat anchor at some point. Obligatory rubbish car seat shots.

8 years ago I was smitten by a Patrick Eggle New York IV being played at a mate's birthday bash. I was so impressed by it's tone, compact attractive aesthetics and high quality build/hardware that I've been trying to get one since then. The only example I knew of in my home town got sold before I was aware and went to Nottinghamshire a few years ago . Anyhow, last week I spotted it on ebay and amazingly it's now back in Hertford . There's so little information on the Internet about this 1995/96 bass that I can't imagine too many were made or have survived? Anyone else had or still own one?

This Saturday my band are playing on this banger of a line up at the cart and horses, London. For fans of anything doom and heavy ✌️

My set up on Saturday night, unfortunately the Trace Elliot didn't even make it to sound check...thank goodness for the D-800!

I try to remember that but sometimes when you post regularly you do forget so a nice wee reminder every now and again is always appreciated @Mickeyboro Dave

As I'm in the US every other month, I recently discovered the Musician's Friend website, and more specifically, their "Stupid deal of the Day". First day I subscribed, the daily deal was a brand new Sterling Ray 34, reduced from $899 to $450 for one day only. I ordered, it was delivered a couple of days later (with a nice Ray gig bag), and I was surprised how well setup it was straight out of the box. The roasted neck is especially nice. I own a "real" Stingray at home, but this will definitely help with my US noodlings. I was actually surprised how similar the Ray34 is compared to the Stingray, and it made me realise that after 35 years of playing, this was my very first brand new bass! Not sure how useful this website info is to anyone outside of the US, but might provide a bargain or two for anyone stateside.

For years, mainly due to lack of funds, I struggled with underpowered amps, cabs and combos, where I was always struggling to be heard above the sound of the drums. So my advice is, if possible, go for something that is louder than you think you require, as it's better to have power in reserve if you need it. Now I have the cash available to buy whatever I need, I've gone for a Markbass CMD 102P combo, which gives me both power and lightness. But I'd also recommend the new Fender Rumble V3 combos. The Rumble 500 has a 500 watt amp with a 2x10 cab and allows you to add another cab if you really need the extra volume (which you probably won't). They're reasonably priced new and are even cheaper used (well under your limit) and really light.

Clearly someone at Ashdown has "had a word" and the video has been taken down. I mean, how did anyone let that out?! Guess who's never getting to demo an Ashdown pedal ever again? What a tool. Now, I have nothing for or against Youtubers, but someone has made a decision to give the pedal to that guy to not only review, but interview James Lomenzo. If he's not really a bass player, why would you do that? Wouldn't you go to someone else that is? I mean, Ashdown have Cici on the roster and she's very good. If it's a straight review surely they could have went after Patrick Hunter or any number of decent reviewers that wouldn't have made arguably a flagship product sound like a broken Behringer Boss pedal clone? The mind boggles.

It strikes me that the bass players most BCers don't get is the ones wot play a bit jazzy... The usual criticisms are "no musicality or feel" but I reckon much of that dislike is due to a hatred of jazz! The bass players I find over-rated are those who simply lay down the bottom end with minimal flourishes - in other words are basic bass-players allowing the rest of the players to be the actual musicians 😁 Calling Mr. McCartney!!

I am almost certain that it is that guy and his amp settings that makes the pedal sound like shit. He is a guitarist, not a bass player, and every single bass demo I have ever watched him do sound like shit (and somehow magically the same exact lifeless dull shit tone), no matter what he plays and what he plays through.

Thanks, read this half hour ago and 🎵I just can’t get it out of my head… 🎶🙄

I've got a black one, paid a mate £40 for it, a bit battered and heavy because it's ply, lovely bass though, I sound more like J J Burnel than with my precision, converted it to a lefty and got a new bridge from China for about 15 quid, the picture had Seymour Duncan quarter pounders pick ups on it but they made no difference so I put the stock De Marzi's back on

The great man said words to the effect that Jaco wasn't a musician, he was a dilettante.

Flea. Epically overrated. His performance playing the US national anthem at a Lakers game was unforgivably embarrassing.

I found myself humming a melody, over the space of a few days, and thought, after a while 'What is that..?'. Upon searching a bit, it turned out to be a piece I had, myself, composed a few years earlier..! Dummkopf..!

Jimmy Page stroked my lurcher.