lowhand_mike

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='218164' date='Jun 13 2008, 10:55 AM']There are some fantastic quotes around from Charles Mingus complaining about the fact that, as the 'powers that be' can sell anything to anyone, why don't they sell things of artistic quality over shallow nonsense. His guess is that it is because it is easier to recreate the superficial again and again and not to have to rely on the individual muse of a unique artist! People can't dance in 5:4 but I get requests for 'Take Five' at every other jazz gig I do (hate that one as well). I think (and this is a generalisation) that people don't actually know what they want because they don't actually THINK about what they want - most people go to functions not because they want to see a band but because a, the boss or their colleagues expects it or b, they are related to the bride/groom/birthday boy or girl/retiring employee etc. I would be interested in finding out how many people in the audiences at these function gigs actually OWN copies of the tunes being played by the bands on show. I bet its not 20% of them, maximum. I mean, how many people in the audiences at jazz function gigs (with the exception of the jazz clubs) actually KNOW 'All The Things You Are'? I only ever hear it at the gigs I play.... I actually think the most played jazz standards are not the ones people [i]like[/i] but the ones that saxophone players can play easily and with minimal rehearsal (Softly, Canteloupe, So What/Impressions etc). When was the last time anyone called 'Lush Life' or 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most'? So, my point is, if the audience don't OWN any of the tracks we play, how can we say that they LIKE or even PREFER them? I think they just take what we give them fairly passively and are grateful. So why not give them something fresh and original? Of course, there is the point that all of us, as well as being musicians, are also an audience. Every function band I have ever seen moves me not a jot. So who is meeting MY needs as an audience member at a function. I know I am not alone in this and many rock/funk/jazz/folk/classical/world music fans hate covers/function bands as much as I do - do these people never go to functions? Yes they do - they are the ones outside ignoring the band. I actually believe that the function band culture, like the industry of beans and breakfast cereal, is all about generating the most income balanced against investing the least time it takes to develop a product. No shame in that but I think the protestations about 'giving the people what they want' are a justification for that fact. I think most (not all) covers bands operate on a 'good enough' basis and, whilst there is no shame in 'having a good time' when we are playing, quality, integrity and expression of a personal perspective on music have a place too. The ideal is to have a good time doing something of lasting value. 'Professional' is no guarantee of quality - it is only a guarantee that money is changing hands![/quote] hmmm, i dont think it is even fair to ask how many of them own it, that, to be honest is pretty irrelevent. how many in the audience have heard alot of the stuff? i would imagine that at most function/cover bands gigs that the audience will be familar with a large chunk of the stuff. if they are not then arent we providing them with something fresh even if it isnt to people who know it? as to wether they like it that is completely out of anyones hands. i'm not in it to make money as i would imagine alot of function/ cover bands arent. it may make a handy second income but few would make enough to live on. also to assume "most" covers band work on a good enough basis is a little narrow minded, i am assuming by this you are saying that 'only' original bands make the music as best as it can be because it is there own, where as this can be the complete opposite as they become blinded by their own goal and what they think it perfect. I know in our band dont settle for "thats good enough", if its not right we dont play it live till it is, simple as that. i'll reiterate my point on the fact that as a cover band we are not the orginal writers and as such will put our own stamp on the final product, our own style change albeit small at times or an almost rewrite as we interpret or adjust. and has already been said this in istself can and does produce a fresh take on a known track. as you have geussed i play in a covers band, its not what i would say is my dream gig but i enjoy and make the most of, i try and produce and play the best i can and as do my band mates. we may not be the best but we put effort in producing the best reproductions of songs we know (or ones that some of us in the band have never heard and take them on board) the whole process of writing orginals or learning and performing covers envolve in my opinion the same amount of attention and desire to get it right. Writing is a much longer process and one i would like to tackle but i have yet to find like minded people with which to do that (and not sure if i even could). not wanting to start a fight or owt just i dont feel covers musicians are any less a musician that someone writing orginals stuff. the orginals guys my be better but then that is down to personal taste as if you dont like it then you wont think they are any good at all. i'll shut up now.

hand crafted from the ugly tree, obviously. frankly its rancid

[quote name='Doc B' post='218223' date='Jun 13 2008, 12:12 PM']I've had 2 Ashdowns a Mag 250 1x15 and an Electric Blue 130 with 1x12 (my current amp) and found it very hard to get a sound I liked out of the preamps in them so I use my SansAmp BDDI. The EB 12 seems much better than MAG to me.[/quote] thats odd, as the EB is essentially the mag with a small power output, the eq is the same. what you may be judging it on is the speaker size and the ability of it due to its size. it may simply be you prefer the 12 over the 15 rather than the EB over the MAG.

so can i clarify, if i were to buy an extension cab for my mag 210, it would therefore be advisable to buy another mag 210 cab, not (as i thought) a mag 115. and it would be even more unadvisable to buy a different brand. correct?

[quote name='ste_m3' post='218175' date='Jun 13 2008, 11:13 AM']Ashdowns one of the few companies that i find sound really great with almost overdriven high mids through their speakers. Something nice just happens when you push them just a little too hard up there, nice! However, not enough punch for me [/quote] by that do you mean cranking the high mid on the amp eq? if not could you expand on it a bit more, i'm interested.

i like the idea just have no way of recording it, but might have a crack just to learn something new.

i had the same question about 2 years ago when i started up again as previously all i had had was a little 15watt combo. i now have the afforementioned ashdown mag 300 2x10 which for all the gigs we have done so far (up to 300 people) has been MORE than enough on its own, however we do have a gig in 2 weeks outdoors that i feel adding an extension cab would be very beneficial, as that would then allow the use of the full 300 watts.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='217323' date='Jun 12 2008, 12:56 AM']Some amps have trick curcuits for what they call soft clipping - basically they have a limiter built into the power stage and buffers built into the input stage to stop clipping.[/quote] some peaveys have that, i know the 115 combo that i used to use had it and it ment it could be pushed much harder than most amps at the same size, and in that respect it did change the sound, but as its almost a pre effect built in then its not really the boost in gain that changes the sound rather the 'effect' that does it. heres a nice bit about clipping on the peavey site [url="http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/concepts/clippingrevisited.cfm"]http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/co...ngrevisited.cfm[/url]

when you turn up the volume do you get a slight crackling noise? i get something similar if i dont use my bass for a while but turning up and down (not while playing) seems to clean the pot, maybe a corse of action you could try, like merton says it could well be dirty/lightly corroded

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='217330' date='Jun 12 2008, 01:08 AM']Chances are they never do, since almost no amp around is actually flat. Most have some sort of pre-shaping built in. Quite right. The thing about EQ is that if you're using it correctly you should be cutting as much as you're boosting, and neither cutting nor boosting at anywhere near full capacity.[/quote] and then there is the eq on your bass, mine seems pretty hot eq wise and on my current amp needs only very small changes to get a big change on the output. on another cab that may well be different. personally i dont take the flat response of an amp and cab/combo as thats what the eq and shaping is for imho and only judge it based on "do i like the sound of the whole amp" not just the pre stage.

[quote name='P-T-P' post='217039' date='Jun 11 2008, 05:01 PM']Also, on the new music front, there's thousands (millions) born every year for whom old music is new music. It could be the case that at your next gig, you might play Mustang Sally and someone there will be hearing it for the very first time.[/quote] case in point, there are a couple of young guys at our agency that hadn't heard some of the old music before, like the beatles (yeah honestly) madonna, michael jackson etc, pretty big name stuff and they had never heard any of it. so just think of all the songs that i am now playing that i hadn't heard before i started playing them and then passing that on to a crowd, who then pass it on. spread the love and all that.

the solo in my generation, when i practice it at home, no trouble but as soon as i try and play at a gig it suddenly becomes impossible. people sitting down cos they basically cant be arsed to stand up and enjoy it (could try loosing all the chairs before a gig)

[quote name='Ham fisted Bass' post='216972' date='Jun 11 2008, 03:45 PM']Brought a tear to my eye....[/quote] amen to that. personally i just like playing, my musical aste isn't really most of the music that our covers band plays, but i enjoy it, and if the audience enjoy it then job done. and the songs we play though they are near to the original they all get a bit of our own character on it, like it was siad, they are never the same twice, similar but never the same and if you strive for that perfection the music will become clinical and flat. the integrity is in playing as you, no one else. not being false.

just read this and i got the bug again (i'm sure the cream will get rid of it though) was thinking of the omni 10 but i really like the idea of the tallboy 12. and from the looks of your shots it would fit exactly in my my car too (being the same car and all )

doesn't it say at the bottom of the bass player review that he plays a G&L L-2000 fretted and fretless? but yeah i agree it does indeed look like an asat.

=1 another 1 for the SR 505, i'm not a 5 string player but i did try the 505 (cos i wanted the 500 but they only had the 505 in the shop i was in) and it was very playable, the soundgear necks are lovely, they are narrow and slim and very well finished, they look sweet too. the whole package feels alot more expensive than it is. but then i would say that as i am slightly biased

does look pretty sweet, though i wouldn't have realised it cost a grand, half that maybe.

might sound silly but do you drink alot of water, a lack of water intake can cause dehydration and the muscles can suffer from that. it could just be over playing however. playing over the bridge i find hard work as the strings have no give there, maybe try playing over the split pup where the strings are more flexible and easier on the pinkies, you might have to change the eq though. what ever you do hope it either sorts itself or gets sorted quick.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='203501' date='May 21 2008, 09:10 AM']Duracells and Energizers... Although I have had to scrounge an "Early Learning Centre" 9v from one of my daughter's toys on occasion [/quote] hehe, yeah done that, though not your daughter obviously (just wanted to make that clear before a law suit starts ) use what ever i have, used durcell and some cheapies and they all last really well in my ibanez, only change before we do a gig (as we dont gig too much) just to be sure so have a few kicking around that probably work fine. the only way they could change your sound would be how they were charged which in turn would effect the discharge characteristics. higher charge voltage with a fine peak detection would make them pump out power harder. but really all it would do is make the output from your bass a tad hotter not change the sound but they would die quite quickly too.

you could try this as long as the blisters haven't burst or have gone down. put some super glue on your finger tips. WARNING!! don't be an idiot though and touch ANYTHING while it dries, for obvious reasons. the glue forms a thin hard layer and is ok for short periods, might do a gig on one coating but you may have to reapply. i have done this a couple of times and you do lose a little feel but not as much as tape. but be sensible and don't rush it. if the blister is popped i wouldn't do it till i has healed a bit as it could cause infection, also don't do it regularly as you could get a skin reaction. Really its only a last ditch thing but does work and I'm sure i've heard of other players using it. best thing though is let the blisters heal and work them till you get hard pads, my fingers don't blister at all now but just stay firm and don't get too hard so i guess I'm kinda lucky that way. also heard that vinegar works too but i've never tried it.

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='202693' date='May 20 2008, 10:50 AM']I was thinking of starting one of these topics. I’ve got a massive problem…I am constantly getting moaned at for music/band/bass related things that take time away from me hanging out with her. I get accused of purposely arranging band practise at a time which is inconvenient to her as she “might have wanted to do something” with me. Then I get moaned at because I’ve not told her long enough in advance about a gig next month or something and she throws a hissy. When I try to arrange practice sessions and gigs around what will suit her I then get accused of purposely changing stuff to annoy her so she can’t “plan” anything. It’s not like I’m actually doing that much with the band at the moment – we practise on a Monday and Wednesday evening from 5 till 7, and that’s only because that’s the time we can practise for free. Were not even playing gigs yet cos it’s a completely new band – first gig on 10th June btw. We’ve been together for about 2 years now so it’s not like she doesn’t know what I’m about because in that time I’ve played X number of gigs with about 4 different bands. Not to mention the financial side of it… moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan etc... But apart from that she’s a great girl and loves me playing piano to her [/quote] hehe sounds very familiar. except we only practice once a week on a monday night, we gig rarely, my amp now lives at the practice room cos she hated it in the house, and it was pointless me having it there anyway cos she gets the hump if i so much as pick up my bass in the house so it sits in the corner of the living room in its bag. not worth the hassle getting it out. she has been to a couple of gigs and seems to enjoy it but kinda just ignores/refuses to get involved with my bass stuff. oh and whoa betide me if i try and buy stuff.

+1 yeah i though something was wrong with my amp when i first turned it on (having never had a fan cooled amp before) very annoying at low volumes

[quote name='twentyhertz' post='200426' date='May 16 2008, 02:04 PM']I always found Ashdown stuff to be mostly decent - I currently use the MAG410 cab, and I've always thought the MAG heads were pretty decent too. However, one of the practice rooms I went into a few times used to have ABM300s into Ampeg 8x10s in all of the rooms, and they were all absolutely crap - completely wooly and sounding like I was just playing through a big pillow.[/quote] that would probably be the ampeg cabs, really does depend how the cab is tuned. though the ABM's do have a 'different' tone to the mag, certainly alot less bright and punchy

might be a problem with the tube, but to be honest it could be any number of things, any idea how old the amp is? is it one made in the uk or one of the newer japan ones? give ashdown a shout as they get back to you very quickly and they could give you a better idea of what to do.

john the fisherman is actually suprisingly easy. tommy the cat, forget it i still cant get my head round that even with the numerous youtube vids on it. Jerry was a race car driver is again fairly easy your bass just needs to be very sensitive