WalMan

The "Contact/Gigs" page on our site says [quote][u]The Party Line[/u] Whilst we are always happy to get out and gig - that is after all one of the things a band is supposed to do - experience has shown that whilst you may enjoy the band we may not always be to the taste of your mother/granny/work colleagues. As a consequence the gigs that we do are pubs, clubs etc that have regular rock nights, but not parties. Sorry![/quote] Now this is entirely driven by the drummers outright refusal to consider any form of party. Wedding receptions I can understand, having had a desperate evening playing one for a couple who come to see us regularly, which led to my choice of words on the site. But, there have been a few requests for other parties where we could reckon that probably 90% of the crowd would be regulars at our gigs but still it is a big fat no.

[quote name='ped' post='200671' date='May 16 2008, 07:43 PM']Just wanted to say cheers Garry for that site - I have registered and been playing some grooves to the loops all day. Brilliant, thanks!![/quote] Ped PM me with your email & I have a set of Drumwerks single shot samples I can zip up & send you. They are on my recording/loops drive a lot of which came from free cover CD's so I don't believe there can be any licence probs with them Al

I use a db Tech system with Shure E2's as does our vocalist and with the better set of 'phones I am happy to do so. I think mine cost me around £350 a couple of years back and I picked up the E2's on eBay for about £30 Our second (stand in for keyboards) guitarist also uses 'phones but straight off the sub mixer with no radio, just a long lead. The drummer & guitarist refuse point blank because they say it makes them feel isolated - and it can though I tend to just pop one side out. Having said that my initial foray into IEM was problematic in getting a mix that stayed even, but that was until our sound guy threw a load of cash at the PA & invested in the [url="http://www.aviom.com/Applications-1/Monitor-Mixing.cfm"]Aviom[/url] system. I now have an A-16R in my rack and can run an A-16II off that if the rack is not accessible, and set my own monitor mix - mind that isn't cheap. If you are thinking of going the IEM route I would suggest that you hire a system for a few gigs to see how you get on. You might like it, but you could just as easily hate it and feel cut off from the audience and rest of the band. For bass, you need to be able to get the bass, along with bass drum & snare into you mix at a reasonable level to be able to keep in sync with your drummer, and the rest of the band [i]probably[/i] won't want a mix anything like yours so multiple submixes on your desk is a must unless you have something like the Aviom system

Following my [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16717"]recent thread[/url] re trying to find a replacement part for a Tascam 38 so that I could try to convert to digital and remix some really old (1986 & 1989) 8 track tapes (and the ensuing saga of the weeping tapes that need slow cooking in the hope of possibly getting a better extract) I got into an exchange of emails with the old vocalist who has been based in New Zealand for quite a few years now re sending him DVD's of the tracks so he can have a play as well. This then developed into a suggestion that he send me some tracks to add bass to, to which I have added sending some bits & pieces I have been working on in the other direction for him to add lyrics/vocals to. Now I am happy enough doing the cover gigs, but this new suggestion has perked me up quite a bit. We did an exchange of backing tracks a couple of years back to reproduce an old song of ours for a guy who used to come and see us years ago (and still does actually) who wanted to play it at his wedding. Unfortunately it did not get used as Paul (in NZ) decided to change the melody lines so that the 2006 version was quite different. I like the new version ([url="http://www.myspace.com/akindoffury"][color="#0000FF"][b]I Need You - A Kind of Fury[/b][/color][/url] on MySpace along with a couple of live tracks and some early mixes of the saved 8 tracks) but it got mixed reactions for the changes from the others. Still the stuff proposed now is new stuff not reworking of old songs and it has got me quite excited to get started - though a bit worried as to my ability as one name mentioned in conjunction with it was Stanley Clarke I still find it weird the ease with which one can put together songs with a couple of computers, post & DVD's, or even just uploading to a secure area both parties can access, despite being on opposite sides of the world. Mind this is from an old f@rt whose first studio recording were on 4 track reel to reel that we were really impressed by As & when anything occurs I shall post more, but had to share now. [attachment=8721:Wman_PS.jpg]

[quote name='molan' post='199580' date='May 15 2008, 01:55 PM']I've heard of people getting things sent as "gifts" which avoids tax & duties. . . . .[/quote] Indeed, but it only avoids it if customs do not smell a rat, open the package & find the invoice - in which case you run the risk of it being confiscated. As most have said we all know "someone" who has received a parcel straight through without query, but if you start trying to get clever about it you run the risk of getting burnt. I recall seeing a query from a bride to be on a Tax forum who was going to get her wedding dress from the US and get it described as a gift, "was that OK?" and the only answer to that was you might "get away with it" but it was not a tax planning move, rather a tax avoidance matter and there was a fair chance that the wedding would be ruined by customs confiscating the dress. Basically it comes down to don't ask the seller to misrepresent the item as that way sorrow lies. Price in VAT on the import when deciding if it is worth it compared to buying from the EU (Thomann & the like) and if it does not get picked up for the charge when it arrives in the UK, well that is just bunce

[quote name='burno70' post='198486' date='May 14 2008, 08:53 AM']I'm eyeing up a couple of pedals and found that you can buy them for between 1/2 and 3/4 of the price you would pay for them over here. Has anyone dabbled with the USA EBAY market at all? Are there any hidden customs or handling charges that I need to be aware of? Thanks[/quote] Me too. With the present exchange rate pretty much anything from the US will be cheaper. If it costs more than £18 then you will have to pay VAT on the import. Normally this will be paid by the mail service (UPS, Parcelfarce) when the item reaches the UK and you then have to pay them (plus a service charge) before they will release it and deliver to you. The charge will be based on the item value as declared on the customs slip attached to the package - which is why you will sometimes find items arriving declared as a "gift" or with a nominal value ($10). You should beware asking for an item to be mis declared as HMRC/Customs are not fools and you run the risk of the item being confiscated at worst. Also should the item go AWOL your compensation will be on the declared value. So you need to price the whole thing up, purchase price, postage and allow for 17.5% VAT. If it is still cheaper then go for it - and you may find it comes through without getting picked up for the VAT

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='197141' date='May 12 2008, 01:43 PM']The nob-head who dances idiotically right in front of you taking the p155 with his brain dead mates watching on. I wish I could put my bass down and break that f*ckers legs. Winds me up every time[/quote] Get a bit of a dance thing going yourself and smack him in the face with your headstock - accidentally of course

Did you sell them all? I have a box of such mags under the stairs that I really should do something with.

[url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='195122' date='May 8 2008, 11:50 PM']May's gigs for any Basschatters out there in Sussex.. Tomorrow night we're at The Elms in Worthing which has been a great place to play of late: [b]Fri 9th - THE ELMS - Worthing[/b] Fri 16th MULLENS - Eastbourne Sat 17th - THE HAMPDEN - South Heighton Sun 25th - HORATIO'S BAR - Brighton Pier Come and say hello if you can make it [/quote] I shall have to see what Mrs W is up to ce soir

My guitarist (not reknowned for having the best of luck with gear - it seems to take against him for some reason) had a Marshall TSL combo from them that went wrong just over 3 months old and it had to go back to Marshall for repair. Lucky he still had his JMP1. His new Strat died after a couple of months, but that was just a loose wire on the 5 way selector. If it is not that old he might try for a straight replacement, but I suspect they will not lend him anything.

Again welcome, and in no way turning you away - as another Wal man - but there is also the Yahoo Group [url="http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/walbassesnaturally/?v=1&t=search&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=group&slk=1"]HERE[/url] if I have got the link right. There are quite a few Wal bods floating about here so pull up a chair & grab a beer - but not the [i]special ones[/i] in the salad tray at the bottom of the fridge, they're mine My settings (when I am not being unfaithful to the old girl) tend to be B: 10 - down T: 8 - down BT: favoring "B" about halfway between both & B P.attack: off V - 5 with the radio, full up with the lead.

[quote name='BB2000' post='191995' date='May 5 2008, 02:14 AM']Actually, I guess they are worth that. I was wondering today if I'd sell my favourite Wal for £2700 --- and I wouldn't.[/quote] Sort of my thoughts as well, though a leap in prices like this does seem madness. Every year I up the insurance on mine - and it is nothing particularly special and nothing like what I paid. I suppose it has to do with Pete retiring. I would love a 5'er, but unless my premium bonds come up better than they have I cannot see that ever happening now. Could help out my pension pot I suppose, but I cannot really see me ever letting mine go.

Are you talking about so that you cut through to your ears in the room or in the recording? I should have thought if you are all detuned like that then the guitars are getting into your territory. So in a multitrack recording, or live mix you might want a high pass filter on the guitars set at around 300hz to cut out some space for you If I read it right the recording was a single mike in the middle of the r/h space, which will not help for the recording.

Hells bells!!!!! That's just madness

For the TE around £200-250 I should have thought. I sold my TE 122H combo last year and invested in an MB CMD121H which is a cracking combo. Light and plenty loud enough. Mine has handled a small pub rock gig situation with no problem, but is generally there for a bit of air moving on stage with DI to the PA for FOH. That said, as above it might be outside your budget, being in the range £550-£650 new, depending on how ready your funds are at the mo

I'll say it here as well. Rick Anderson - The Tubes One of my favourite bands who I will always make time to get to see at least once (if not more) when they are over here

[quote name='dood' post='172718' date='Apr 8 2008, 11:13 PM']Hell yeah and especially 'V' by Spock's Beard! Dave Meros is an awesome bass player with a super sexy bass tone. He's also a really nice approachable guy too. I will of course have to give props to my band mates and suggest listening to Sikth and James Leach's awesome bass playing. Tone, punch and some wicked bass lines![/quote] to which I would add SB9. The post Neal band but still some really nice, and varied bass lines. [i]Thinks, must order my tickets for July!!![/i] And also The Tubes. Rick Anderson probably belongs in the under rated thread as well as he covers quite a few styles over the entire discography and always with a line that suits the song so well.

Well the G&L's in the UK and does look nice. It has a maple board, same as mine, and that does seem to have the odd effect of making the action look high when in fact, after being worked on by the guitar tech I use, measured it is now really low. It just doesn't look it - most strange. You may have a few more options with the switching on the G&L with the passive/active/active treble boost switch and series / parallel switch, but your difficulty is trying one as they seem to be very few & far between over here. The number of people who ask "what is that bass?" & "G&L? Never heard of them"

Not a bad night. Friendly crowd and an evening of spot the muso from the stage Still we gave them something to guffaw about when the guitarists and I played three different endings to the first song of the second set - all wrong Keyboard player hasn't made a gig since the new year and we are all wondering whether he just can't bring himself to say he can't manage it anymore. There will come a time when the set will have changed so much and become that much more guitar orientated that it may be difficult, which will be a shame. A gig with twin guitars & finishing with Don't Believe A Word & Boys Are Back In Town - gotta love a bit of Lizzy Some nice comments re the bass sound, which I had the chance to tweak with the sound guy at a tech r/h a few weeks back. Still loving the G&L sound. It's just so good for this stuff (I know, I am repeating myself on that front, but it is!!). Second guitarist asked if I had stopped using the Wal and I felt extremely guilty over the abandonment of my first love.

Trying to think back to the SUB5 I had and the neck on that. I [i]think[/i] that the neck on the L2500 may be a little wider, but I prefer the G&L to the SUB. The SUB had been tinkered with (John East preamp inserted) but for the rock covers stuff my band does the L2500 has a much better tone and site in the mix really well

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='189312' date='Apr 30 2008, 10:28 PM']Anyone see the working players feature? Some young man called [color="#FF00FF"]Luke Ward [/color]in there! Funny looking Vigier on there - looks almost like one of them thar Varvicks! Nick[/quote] You don't get a subscription copy then. Lookie [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=17008&hl=bgm"]HERE[/url] [url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url][url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url] [url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url][url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url] Look on the opposite page & you will find Homer. Question is, do they belong in the over rated, or under rated threads -

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='187832' date='Apr 29 2008, 09:58 AM']Being called overated isn't always a criticism. I think most of the bass players mentionned on here would willingly agree that they are overated in some quaters. Calling Voctor Wooten the best player of all time is overating him. It doesn't detract from the fact that he certainly knows his onions. Its more of a statement about his fans than his playing ability. If anything, I'd be happy to have fans that idolise me so much that they "overate" me. And as for the people moaning about these kind of threads - you're smart enough to switch on a PC and use the internet, but not smart enough to realise this is purely based on opinion? If you don't like it, what keep BUMPing it up with your pointless comments? And for what its worth: Mark King : Technically very clever, musically terrible Jaco : Just not my cup of tea Flea : Fleas.[/quote] At last! The voice of reason. And can I add IMO Les Claypool - which is just my [i]possibly[/i] blinkered opinion, perhaps because I just don't "get" his rather bizarre musical stylings Jaco - I've tried, honest I have. Love his stuff on Heavy Weather, but find his solo albums (which I picked up on re releases in an HMV sale a couple of years back) heavy going and largely unlistenable Flea - Can do some nice solid parts, but again I find him - and a lot of RHCP's output - hard going. The Hyde Park show that was broadcast on the radio a while back was dreadful, but that's just my opinion. BUT these are just my opinions to add to a thread I have read, but until now managed to stay out of.

I did nearly the same trip to pick up an amp and cab my son had bought on my eBay account whilst I was away on business a couple of years back- that is bought with my knowledge, but omitting to tell me it was collection only Took me all day, a tank of diesel and a couple of service breaks for a doze. It is possible, but I can't say I'd want to do it again. Still if you are up for the amp and willing to do the drive go for it.

I'll add a +1 to the above. Ordered a cover for my MB combo & it arrived well within the quoted deadline. Not had it long but it seems very hard wearing and does what is required of it.