WalMan

Got to a gig a couple of weeks back and plugged the shortboard into my BOD xT Pro. Lights cycled but that was it otherwise, no backlit display and the board had no effect on the BOD. Next morning I proved the board was OK by plugging it into a POD xt I also have at home and a couple of posts on the L6 community led to the comment "get an RN and send it to the service centre". Was going to do it through Andertons, but they helpfully said it would be cheaper for me to go direct, so I did. Couriered the unit off to L6 UK expecting some sort of hit for the repair as the unit, though it looks brand new, is way out of warranty. However, a week later it arrived back at the office fixed and no charge. So, a big [url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url] from me to them

[quote name='northstreet' post='620058' date='Oct 7 2009, 10:42 PM']What's really odd about this is that I'm not even very good - steady and reliable are the most appropriate adjectives I would use. Nearly anyone could play me off the stage. Turning up on time, learning the songs, and remembering you're rhythym not lead seem to have got me a long way. ....if there is a moral to this story, it's if you're sitting in your bedroom saying to yourself you want to play in a band, then go for it.[/quote] and also all those things you mentioned in the preceding paras. Surely most what bands want is just that, a solid reliable rhythm section to hold it all together. Not everyone wants or needs a virtuoso Pastorius, Sheehan or King going nineteen to the dozen - and before you all flame me for that yes I do realise that all three can tone it down and play what's needed. Nice one [EDIT]....and then TheFunk beat me too it

[quote name='Linus27' post='616074' date='Oct 3 2009, 09:27 PM']Thanks Jack. Well from a health point of view, it went ok. Made sure I had lemsips, strepsils and pain killers every four hours. Had the chicken soup as recommended for lunch and by the evening I was feeling much stronger. The only downside was, because of the amount of fluids I have taken in, I was going for a long wee every 10 mins. Playing wise I actually did really well. Felt totally locked in and after the gig had quite a few compliments on my playing which gave me big smiles Lots of people there and we went down really well. First gig with my new Fender MIA 75 Jazz and it is the most beautiful, easy to play bass in the world. I love it. As for the band, well, what can I say. Last week, the biggest issue we had was no drums and our drummer saying he can't get to the gig on time for sound check. We needed to be there for 6pm and to give him credit, he made the effort and actually arrived before all of us However, as per usual, our singer and percussionist (a couple) were totally late by an hour. Same as the last gig and the same as most rehearsals. He then did his usual and dumped all his gear all over the stage and where I would normally stand so again, I have to ask him to move it. He then as always blasts his guitar full volume needing to be asked to turn down. As the rest of the night is kind of open mic with acoustic acts with two full bands, the general vibe is chilled, sit down and listen to audience. So the band think it would be cool to just tone it down a bit and play softer to fit in, all that is apart from the singer who says he would like to play loud and blow there heads off The show is also running a little late so I say we may have to drop a song. I mention the last song into the set which is the weakest and more a filler and one the singer said sounded ropey at last practise only for the singer to say he thinks we should play it as its a good one. I asked him to name a weaker song in the set and he did not answer me. His reply was then we should not think about dropping songs but which extra ones we should add and then the rest of the band discuss which songs to add At that point I walked off. Then as the other band play their set, I noticed the singer had left his guitar pedal board all over the stage and his guitar tripod with two guitars on right in the centre of the stage with all the other acts having to work around it . Oh, and we had a discussion some weeks ago about image and we said the geeky scruffy 70's look would be cool. Similar to Weezer with Polos shirts, shirts with ties etc. So I turn up in my tight black polo shirt and blue jeans and the drummer in black shirt and blue jeans so both very similar only to be told by the singer and percussionist that I look to normal and could I change. I thought ok but then thought, no, I am matching the drummer, wearing what we discussed, actually match what the percussionist is wearing. So in my head I said f*** off, they never got to the gig on time which is more important and so never got changed After that I never really spoke to the band all evening and I think they noticed as after they kept asking if I was happy. So, at this stage, I am unsure what to do. The songs are amazing and we always seem to go down so well but the band as people are so frustrating, especially the singer who seems to be totally on another planet, unable to accept self critisism, accept others opinions and is oblivious to his own actions. Despite the band having a great chance musically to do well, I can't see them actually doing well due to lack of comitment and the singers ego. I am 50% set on sending an email saying I am leaving and 50% set on staying but taking a more back seat role not giving a sh*t and in the meantime look for another band.[/quote] Good grief that sounds like a lot of hard work & tongue biting!! Just back from my second of two. Thought I was going to hurl towards the end of the second set due to over indulging the throat lozenges

Memories of inter band fighting date back a way to the first punky originals band. Guitard was a bit of a shorthouse with a chip who could throw wobblies at will. We were playing a pub around Easter and for some reason he decided it would be good to hand out Easter eggs to the crowd - don't ask, I cannot think [i]WHAT[/i] possessed him. So he brings a bag of mini eggs along. Gig is going OK and the vocalist takes give the audience Easter eggs to mean lobbing handfuls in their general direction. Not what guitard had in mind at all and he proceeded to put his guitar down and walk of in a hissy fit. Cue end of gig ad a blazing and frankly ridiculous slanging match. He left shrtly after as I recall. As for punters we've seen a few that looked a bit like an Andy Capp bundle

Drummers I would sort of expect to be use your own cymbals, snare and possibly pedal - there are some shed builders who your drummer would probably not want laying into cymbals. Backline I would take to mean amps & cabs. You say you chatted with them re setups for the sound check and they left it to a MySpace message to have a go. Seems a bit of a cop out to me. If it was that much of a deal perhaps they should have grown a pair or two and said something on the night

One down (made it OK but ducked some of the BV's) One to go

Think I'm over the worst of mine now but still working from home. Doc out Wednesday who confirmed it wasn't swine or bird just a bad virus and left a prescription for penicillin. That and the paracetamol seems to have got it pretty much in check, though as ever for me all I can drink at the mo is honey & lemon. Doc also confirmed that it wasn't man flu in MrsW's earshot. No comment as to whether it might be woman flu, which I am reliably informed by my drummer is the most deadly of all Shortish gig tonight - 2 x 1 hour Tomorrow will sort the men from the boys as it normally ends up running to around 3 hours total [quote name='Buzz' post='614841' date='Oct 2 2009, 02:29 PM']Have a good poo. You'll feel a fair bit better.[/quote] Just don't insist on it being at Paul's

Flu pretty much gone now, but I still put the wind up #2 guitarist that he might need to step in Cheers tomorrow and the glorious Fountain in Chi on Saturday - there that'll put the kibosh on it

[quote name='Tee' post='613718' date='Oct 1 2009, 12:06 PM']Just wondering. Does anyone here have any pre-gig rituals they perform, to get them in the mood for a show. Loud music? booze? meditation? shutting yourself in the toilet? Do share [/quote] Our vocalist has to have a lucky dump and I do have a phone photo taken over the trap door while we were in the stars dressing room (that'll be the bogs to you) but I won't inflict that on you - rather too much information all round. We generally sneak off and leave him to it, particularly if he is chatting through the door and a punter walks in Otherwise [list] [*]slash [*]check the first two numbers in the set [*]go for it [/list]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='612125' date='Sep 29 2009, 04:02 PM']No, but my girlfriend had an odd one the other day: She took a mix CD into work (she's a drama teacher) to stick on while something or other was going on, and one of the kids was surprised when she told them it was several different bands because he thought they all sounded similar. My girlfriend was busy telling her that there's nothing similar about the tunes on this CD when another lad - who plays bass - piped up and said "It's because they've all got good bass lines, Miss".[/quote] Has he been recruited to the BC fold?

Possibly. It's been in my diary for a while, just depends on what's happening otherwise on the day

Messing about with my new Stealth pedal tonight hence [attachment=33624:Stealthy.mp3] A sort of riffy thing using a couple of the patches from Metal and some John Tempesta loops from Drumcore 3

[quote name='leschirons' post='610456' date='Sep 27 2009, 11:39 PM']Jeff-row as in Tull or as in the remarkably unfunny "ooh aarrr, ged orf moi trac-der" one?[/quote]Unfortunately the latter

Two gigs and two quite different sets. Both OK. Saturday we had a bad feeling as there had been much sucking of teeth when the venue was mentioned, a new place #2 guitarist had played with his duo years back and had a bit of a rep. Got there and waited 20 mins for the footie to end then started loading in. A group of punters on a table in the alcove the kit & I were in who decided it would be helpful not to move straight away when the gear started coming in and then sat for a while with stuff going up around them to be bloody minded - oh joy. Looked like it was going to be hard work with the crowd generally, and #1 guitarist forgot the light boxes so we were under normal lights - not good for a bunch of old farts - but actually it went quite well all in all. Didn't bother asking about any more though until I have had a chance to get feedback from the others as there was much muttering on the way in abo9ut checking new places out etc etc - fair enough but some of them can be such fussy b@sr@rds we'd never get [i][u]any[/u][/i] new gigs Still next week there's two more and the Saturday is normally a hot, sweaty and good affair so here's hoping!!!

It's 4:19 and I'm still on wind down from second of two, both OK. Bizarre conversation at the second. Him: "'ere mate you look like geoffrow" Me: "?" Him: "Jeffrow" Me: "??" Him: "Jeffrow" Me: "Jeff who?" Him: "You know Jeffrow" Me - eventually: "Ooooooooooooooh JETHro" Ever felt a fool

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='609408' date='Sep 26 2009, 05:33 PM']Thanks folks; it's an all round team effort though..as it will be on the day! You're right about the Raffle though Mert; must have a look and see what I've got to throw into the mix! Thanks also silddx (Nigel) re the POD X3 Live; that will add even more interest to what looks like a really brilliant idea for The Quiet Room! Not long to go now! [/quote] If my Bass POD xt Pro is back from Line6 service (the pedal board out got fritzed somehow) then I can bring that along for the quiet room with the associated pedal board 9it may even have a For Sale sign on it I can also bring along my IEM rack (db Technologies) if anyone were to be interested in trying. Bring your own headphones as you would not want to use my sweaty betty set and as they are ear canal types it's probably not hygienic anyway. To see what its like properly it might be worth having that in the jamming room so you can see what its like when playing in a semi live situation with other instruments going on around you - a better tryout than in a quiet room with nothing but the gentle clank of basses being played through headphone amps to contend with. IEM's are a different way of monitoring and can leave you feeling isolated in a gig situation.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='608768' date='Sep 25 2009, 04:44 PM']I have to confess that I thought I'd be losing some bottom end but that doesn't seem to be the case, I'd love to hear the science behind why that doesn't happen.[/quote] I picked up a Gramma Pad at LIM this year for around £25-30 as I recall. I used it once for one set and it has sat in its box ever since. The trouble was it isolated so well that the bass just disappeared and my drummer who was sat right next to it was complaining he couldn't hear (and feel) the bass. Perhaps I need to give it another go as without it I am presently barely tickling my rig in an attempt to stop the rest of the band and sound guy moaning at me for being too loud. The combo is sitting at 10 o'clock input, barely 8 o'clock output and I have had to roll all the EQ's back to around 8 o'clock as well to keep the level in check. Bizarre really as the equivalent combo I used in Andertons during the week while trying some pedals out was set at around 12 across the board in a tiny "quiet" room and was no problem at all!!

Hope you have both a couple of strong roadies and a van. Makes me feel weak just looking at that photo

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='608522' date='Sep 25 2009, 11:47 AM']I've bough quite a few things online from the US, here are my tips: - Ask the seller if they would mind marking down the price to $25 to avoid customs charges. I know a couple of retailers that do this by default, so I never pay taxes on my pedals![/quote] One day you run the risk of coming a cropper. By all means suggest this if you must, but please at least warn people of the potential downside, and what [i]could[/i] happen if your effectively fraudulently declared packet gets picked for a random check by Customs. Look [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60622&view=findpost&p=600695"]HERE[/url] for an example. I [u][i]know[/i][/u] I'm a bore to keep banging on about this, but I keep seeing people suggesting getting the seller to falsely declare the value to save you the Customs fee. Not only will you be screwed on any postal insurance claim if it gets lost in transit, but if it gets picked up by Customs you could end up with nothing but a bank account light to the tune of the item they have just confiscated as a result of the false declaration[/RANT] Also I have to say that IME even stuff perfectly properly declared can on occasion come through with no charge If the item costs more than £18 you just need to factor VAT at the prevailing rate on it and the postage plus a handling charge of up to £10 by whichever postal service the item gets delivered by in the UK into your calculations. If that still works out cheaper, and you are happy with having to deal with a foreign dealer in the event of problems with the item, then go for it, and you never know it could quite easily be overlooked when it hits out shores.

[quote name='NickSpector' post='198565' date='May 14 2008, 10:47 AM']Just seen a review of one of these and it looks impressive. Seen some sound clips and it soundsp retty decent too. Anyone know where I can try one? I hope they're not like Sansamp Bass Drivers in that they get bigged up, but are infact utterly sh*te and useless![/quote] GAK have them, I was looking last week. Around £150 I think Funny thing, but I borrowed #2 guitarists Sansamp Bass Driver tonight and I really liked it. Did just what I wanted (bit of grit) really easily. Also as another option the Fulltone Bass Driver I tried in Andertons a couple of days back did a pretty good job of getting that little bit of grit in along with the added advantage of a boost section for around the same price. Couldn't get the Radial Tonebone to do anything like what I was after. So many options to think about

The Swan tonight and a new one, The Silver Fern Warsash tomorrow. Keep getting people making veiled (and not so veiled) comments about the latter. Here's hoping.

[quote name='bassninja' post='600546' date='Sep 16 2009, 06:22 PM']...but Al, you looked so calm on the day... Bloody good job though, mate. It was one of the best organised and thought-out local fests we've done, so hats off to you all. Was anyone there from R*x picking up tips?[/quote] A belated cheers Wal. Current reckoning is we should have made about £4k for charity and there were around 2,500 punters through the door across the day. I think unfortunately you were on the stage where the multitracker was not working so there is only the ambient mikes on the sound tower which did not have their wind socks on. Next year [i]may[/i] be two days and possibly in a big top against falling foul of the weather after two fine years. However the tent apparently has huge H&S problems (its suggestion certianly made the H&S guy blanch whem it was mentioned) so we shall see. We were talking about it in the band after and our sound guy said that the iPod was cued ready for incidental music but didn't get used once. Having two/three stages helps but makes it a bit of a 'mare for him as the day becomes a pretty much constant job with no breaks, that and running and maintaining two identical rigs. And I believe there were bodies from R*x there yes

[quote name='YouMa' post='607667' date='Sep 24 2009, 01:26 PM']Hi all can anyone on here who has ordered an audere pre amp for there jazz tell me how much in total it cost,i basically need to know how much the customs people are going to charge me on top of the price im assuming the postage is not going to be a lot,cheers in advance.mark[/quote] It will be VAT @ 15% (until December) on the total cost, plus most probably a service charge by the carrier that imports the item. If it comes through to Parcelforce the get it at Customs, pay the tax and send you an invoice for the tax & charge and then release the item when you have paid up. You need to add both VAT and around £10 for the service charge. Have a look at [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60622&hl=parcelforce"]THIS[/url] thread

[quote name='DHA' post='605144' date='Sep 21 2009, 11:08 PM']I am phasing the VT2-Dual's out as they are replaced with the VT2-Twin's. Dave[/quote] Thanks for the note. The sound clip closest to what I am after is Dual-Custom-Bass-ch1-Fat-EQ-off-Colour-on but a bit brighter, and with the the possibility of a boost in a couple of places - not that I am one for solos, run a mile from the damn things!!! I'll have to give Johnnylagers a go at the SE Bash

[quote name='4000' post='605283' date='Sep 22 2009, 09:03 AM'](unless it has LEDs which would bump the price a fair bit).[/quote] It does