mcnach

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1488125346' post='3246060'] Another thing is these "Signature" instruments - are they what the musician really plays on tour, or just a marketing tick-box? [/quote] as I understand it it's pretty much marketing. The Matt Freeman has the colour scheme that Matt seems to have favoured (not exclusively) over the years... but it's not much more than a stock Precision... a well made one, 'though. I doubt Matt plays them other than the odd photo opportunity the contract must dictate. If MusicMan made a 'McNach signature Stingray' I would probably own a couple, but I would still like to use my old Stingray which just feels right to me and has been slightly modified to my taste (I doubt MM would install preamps from other companies ). I have three signature instruments: a Richie Sambora Fender Stratocaster, a Mike Dirnt Precision and a Matt Freeman Precision (which has been converted into something else, however). The signature had no relevance whatsoever when I bought them, but they just had the right specs and I liked them.

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1488124665' post='3246049'] As I understand it:[list] [*]Affitnity are standard range - these are the Squire versions of the current Fender line-up [/list][list] [*]Vintage Modified are classic designs with some more modern features. Here you'll find modern version of bridges, pick-ups etc. I have a Squire guitar from this range, which is a Strat but with a hard-tail bridge and hot-rails humbuckers rather than single coils. [/list][list] [*]Classic Vibe are their reissue instruments. Here you'll get stuff like the 70's Jazz with the oversized headstock and block inlays. [/list] I don't think there is any quality difference between them; they're not tierd like Mexical/US-Special/Standard are. They're just three different loose groups of instruments to cover a range of styles. I think they do make very low end budget stuff that goes under the Bullet banner. This tends to be very cut down (for example, the gutiars often have cheap bridges without the strings going through the wood and no tone controls) and for the most part these come in packages along with tiny started amps, straps and so forth. Are they £400 instruments? Not really. I'd say they are decent and if you pick one up 2nd hand for under £200 you'll likely be very pleased. But £400 for what amounts to a middle-eastern made factory bass with generic passive electronics and a few rough edges stikes me as expensive. Especially when you could get a 2nd-hand Mexican for the same price and that would keep its value. [/quote] I disagree, albeit based on my less than statistically significant experience based sample The CV series is superior in pretty much about everything. From what I've seen over the years, I would not look down at any of them, but the Affinity would excite me the least. When the Affinity started there was a Standard range and the Affinity became the ultra cheap ones and were noticeably lower quality. Later when they revamped the whole thing it seems the Affinity is the new Standard. They're budget instruments, but perfectly useable, and a little TLC can turn them into great playing instruments. The electronics tend to be the weak link, in particular the pickups, althout the new Affinities don't seem as bad as they used to and I've gigged with similar instruments no trouble. So, I would not hesitate buying one if my budget were restricted, but I would not be excited about them... although they have this beautiful red PJ bass for under £200 that if only it had a maple fingerboard I imagine it would probably be in my music room right now Then the VM range... I find them a step higher in quality. Not so much built quality, but the finish and in particular pickups seem to be pretty decent. They also come in more exciting combinations of finishes etc, so it's possible to come out of the store with a relatively inexpensive instrument that plays great, sounds great, and it also looks great. Very cool. Then... the CV range. A considerable step up, and to me they're worth the £400. Ignore the Squier label and play the thing. I've played a few and owned four different ones by now... not one was bad, not one was "meh", they were all different hues of nice or very-nice. The feel of the necks, the set up straight from the box, balance, electronics. Everything is spot on. If you compare them with higher end models you will likely notice differences that make the Squier clearly not as nice, but if you find that an extra £700 in your pocket are 700 important little factors, you will play that Squier and love it I have been playing in a ska/reggae band for a few months now (it was supposed to be just a mini summer tour of weekends around UK dep thing but it may turn out to be a more permanent thing after all). There's just one guitarist, and he's been playing for decades. He's very experienced and has a great ear and knows his stuff. I was amused when I showed up for practice and there he was with a beautiful beautiful natural/maple telecaster which sounded fantastic as he was doing a little solo chordal Jazz thingy to amuse himself... and it was a Squier CV. That's the guitar he plays all the time. I played my Stingray for the first couple of shows but then I brought out the Matt Freeman Precision/Jazz hybrid (essentially nothing more than a CV series with a signature on the headstock and a particular colour scheme) as I thought it fitted better and I liked the idea of playing Squiers The Matt Freeman is superb, and the nicest of the CV instruments I've had (closely followed by the CV60s fiesta red Precision I should have never sold)... £400? No problem.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1488187409' post='3246514'] I ran the H1 last night feeding the output direct to my 64 Audio A8's. I have to say it was a very successful experiment, but I found that Mic placement for this stereo field recorder was important. Pointed away from my bass gear but next to me seemed to work well as I had a really good pick up of the acoustic drums. I think one of the reasons that the A8's made a good match is that they have a special module in them (ADEL now APEX technology) that does allow then to also work a but like normal ear plugs as a 'side effect'. I've chosen a module with -18db attenuation specifically for the onstage volume I am most likely to encounter. The H1's 'ambient' output therefore added clarity and dimension to what ended up in my lug holes. A very interesting experiment as I didn't really rely on the H1 for say low end as I could feel it as usual, but I blended in just enough from the H1 so that I could hear top end clearly. I appreciate this whole plan is a bit slap dash and pales in comparison to a full ambient system, but for an 'active personal ambient system' on a shoe string budget, this has been pretty amazing. I am definitely going to try with the 'surround sound' H2n so I can pick up audio from in front and behind the device, straight to my A8's. Given the results, it's very likely I will do a video explaining everything in more detail. Kit to test: Zoom Q4 Zoom Q8 Zoom H2n The thing I like about the Q8, is that not only does it have stereo microphones on that I can set up in the manner explained above, but it also has a pair of 1/4"/XLR inputs too, so I can feed another two channels of audio in to it - such as a click track or a stereo send from a mixing desk etc. I doesn't do 'rear microphones' though so there's a trade off. I'll do some pictures and probably a proper thread in time. In short though, of course the Zoom's weren't designed to be ambient monitors, but I can't think of any other gadget on the market that comes close as these do to what I would ideally like to achieve (without going for something like ACS Live!). Updates soon! [/quote] very interesting, Dan! I'd love to see the video too when it finally happens. I had and H4, Q3 and the H2... the sound quality of all of them was more than decent for what they're designed to do. I captured really nice recordings of an acoustic guitar with my H4, and a little post processing made it shine. I use the H2 regularly during band rehearsals and indeed, mic placement is very important. Definitely not pointing at the bass amp, as you indicate. I find that placed higher and in front of the drums I get a pretty good sound, with clear drums. I'm hoping that behind the drummer I'll still get a pretty good picture of the drums. He likes a lot of kick on his personal monitor so that would be useful too. The H2 microphones can cope with pretty noisy environments without distorting... I don't expect the quality of a dedicated 'proper' system, but it surely must beat what we normally get using attenuation earplugs alone. The number of times I have had to play where I could just go with drums and a bit of rhythm guitar among the general chaotic onstage sound, often with little bass with the low end reduced drastically as otherwise we just get a horrible boomy noise everywhere... A little in-ear set up with a Zoom H-something for ambience and separate bass feed *must* work out better. I've been distracted with a few other things the past couple of weeks, but I hope to finish my set up soon and start the live tryouts.

[quote name='lownote12' timestamp='1488178378' post='3246451'] Not quite on the market yet, it's a Pj. You'll likely find pix on their fb page - or here [/quote] Oh, thanks! If they have chosen a not-so-thin neck, I can see myself being very interested Hmmm

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1488135010' post='3246197'] Well thank you...although (gulp)...I recorded the tune with my Mexi Jazz Bass. And that (gulp again...) has a pair of Mec pickups...Don't hate me. [/quote] well, THAT bass sounded great, don't sell it!

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1488127451' post='3246085'] Thank you! I'm going to try out a stereo system this evening, if that works well I will definitely want to try out the 4 to get an 'all round' mix. I haven't decided on mic placement yet but I'll just see if the theory works in this band environment. [/quote] please report back, it'll be interesting to hear how it works for you

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1488050153' post='3245454'] Im pretty sure we covered this earlier in the thread (and there is another on the same topic) but the V7 string bridges are different to the 5 strings, in that it seem its almost impossible to string though the body on the 4 stings. IIR Sire said they would address this quite a while ago. I must admit ive not really kept up with the Sires so maybe they haven't. I do like the look of the P basses though, although i wont be getting one as im sorted for a P bass. [/quote] They make P basses now? I can't find them...

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1488029167' post='3245159'] Here's my band - The Peoples Republic of Mercia - rocking out in an Old School, Dr Feelgood, edgy R&B sort of fashion. The video is a wee bit cheese-tastic, but what ya gonna do, eh? It's from our new little 5 track CD EP thing, called DIY - have a look at the website if you fancy it - www.promercia.com [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhSSnnzM93o[/media] [/quote] Nice! And I love the sound of your Precision

[quote name='IainS' timestamp='1487955865' post='3244597'] I thought it would help me get a girlfriend so I bought a shiny red bass (girls like shiny things, right?) and a few months later I got my first girlfriend. Coincidence??!!! Probably. But she stayed with me for three years and that was enough to convince me that bass was cool and sexy. 27 years later and I'm still convinced. [/quote] Not bass, but I started on guitar because of a girl largely. I was 17. My friend got an electric guitar and a bunch of us would go to his place to watch him wrestle with this thing. He was a beginner but it was amazing to hear riffs of well known songs on that guitar. I had a crush on one of the girls in the group, and she loved the guitar. As a result my friend also got attention... and when I got home I grabbed one of my dad's classical guitars and started trying to get a tune out of it. Soon I had nearly forgotten the girl but I was hooked on guitar That girl and I became good friends over time, and eventually we did get together. I told her she was the cause I took up guitar and she laughed. It only lasted about 6 months... we weren't well matched anymore, and living in different countries didn't allow for a lot of what's needed. But to this day she's one of my very best friends and I'm grateful that in a roundabaout way she brought me to guitars. The bass came later. Jam session with work... only one person available for bass and he ran away with a pint after 10 minutes. I grabbed the bass and I could not stop smiling. A couple of months later I bought a Jazz bass copy and joined a terrible terrible start up metal band, where I changed from using a pick to fingerstyle and a couple of months later I left to find something more suitable... The bass was now deeply ingrained in me, and from the 15-16 electric guitars I used to have I'm down to three and I use them little.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1488031318' post='3245190'] I've only just found out the H2N has 4 mics for surround sound. Does the H2? If it does can you get a sum of all through the headphone jack? So possible to pick up sound in front of and behind the device? [/quote] Yes, the H2 has two front and two [s]front[/s] back mics (one set at 90 and another at 120 degrees) but I have not tried the quad mode and see how it sounds through the headphone output. I haven't tried the set up yet (it's actually going to be slightly different: different mixer and earphones, and bringing signal in from either main desk or tapping one or two monitors directly onstage). The H2 will likely be close to me, at the back, probably high and behind the drummer, so I didn't think of the quad mode as I'll just be using one pair of mics.

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1487977236' post='3244855'] So, played my Speesy for the first time at a gig last night, it sounded amazing and exactly what I had in mind with this, it's really, really suited to a band mix. Like a P but has a Stringrayish grind to it. Which makes the excitement for my second one even more great, as I put a MM humbucker in it. Obligatory picture, if this thing works Edit: Sorry for breaking your computer monitors [/quote] Beautiful!!! (I'm of course talking about the bass )

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1487964759' post='3244716'] Ahh you have a good point (and I have a good idea you might be talking about they very same battery bay as I am ) - well at least I won't feel like I caused it like I will when I inevitably pull the soldering loose on the Ibanez one day! [/quote] Maybe. Mine is Gotoh one I think, on the 2002 Stingray. It's come loose a couple of times. It takes seconds to fix but when it catches you during a gig it may be difficult to remember that, unless it's not the first time If you just check it every time you change the battery and bend the terminal a bit to make a stronger contact I'm sure it'll be ok. A similar type of battery box on my 2003 SUB has been always ok, 'though, so it probably affects some boxes more than others, but it's always good to check.

Mark bought my Genz Benz Streamliner 900. Very smooth & easy transaction with great communications. Excellent to deal with from start to finish. Really pleased you like the amp, Mark!

That Thomann case is ok, but if you think that's too bulky you're looking at very little protection. I settled on a Fusion F1 (now discontinued but there are still some around, substituted by their 'Urban' model). They are not small. That's because they have very good protective padding. And pockets. Lots of pockets. The one thing they have to compensate for their 'bulk' (I mean, they're not huge either) is that they are designed like a good backpack and it's incredibly comfortable to carry even if you fill all the pockets with stuff. When my Fusion F1 breaks (I had it for 3 years now,, constant use, still in perfect condition just a bit dirtier than when I bought it) I'll get another Fusion.

I bought a Prosound stereo 4-channel mixer for around £20 not long ago, the mono version was around £10 but it seems to be discontinued... however I found these that are similar for around £15 [url="https://www.audiomate.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=SoundLAB-4-Channel-Mono-Microphone-Mixer&gclid=Cj0KEQiA0L_FBRDMmaCTw5nxm-ABEiQABn-VqZ2T2q9q5u25w5nk2PJg3WoP--vsdHd3Ai37kJJRKZIaAhL28P8HAQ"]https://www.audiomate.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=SoundLAB-4-Channel-Mono-Microphone-Mixer&gclid=Cj0KEQiA0L_FBRDMmaCTw5nxm-ABEiQABn-VqZ2T2q9q5u25w5nk2PJg3WoP--vsdHd3Ai37kJJRKZIaAhL28P8HAQ[/url] [url="http://www.yourspares.co.uk/parts/ys117875/soundlab-4-channel-mono-mixer-G105AA.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=Google%2BProducts&gaw=agid:16164055997,c:48873529637&gclid=Cj0KEQiA0L_FBRDMmaCTw5nxm-ABEiQABn-VqT0sRb9tj7AiVzCxVO3K-UTwzg6hHOc_D1BE7KCHiVQaApMc8P8HAQ"]http://www.yourspares.co.uk/parts/ys117875/soundlab-4-channel-mono-mixer-G105AA.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=Google%2BProducts&gaw=agid:16164055997,c:48873529637&gclid=Cj0KEQiA0L_FBRDMmaCTw5nxm-ABEiQABn-VqT0sRb9tj7AiVzCxVO3K-UTwzg6hHOc_D1BE7KCHiVQaApMc8P8HAQ[/url]

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1487930802' post='3244196'] Well, I didn't want to bring this side of it into the discussion really, but the main person who dislikes my Yamaha is the singer, who is a young lady (well, young compared to me anyway). Her husband, who is the drummer, doesn't care what I play as long as we nail the songs every time. And for a prog crowd, that's obviously what's important. Anyway, after last night's vocal rehearsal and subsequent discussion, it is apparent that I can use whatever I like. She just wanted to have an image of a new, modern prog band, fronted up with old style guitars. But as it turns out, the guitarist who has a PRS is also preferring to use that so it's kind of a moot point now... [/quote] Result! And good to hear that there was 'method in her madness', even if only her was thinking of that. I can't say I dislike her idea, but it would probably only come from someone who doesn't need to play a guitar. And all this talk of Yamaha Attitudes... quit it! I have been strangely attracted to that thing for years and I always manage to stay away. You're making it hard... especially after I saw just how good looking the sonic blue is!

[quote name='Burrito' timestamp='1487839057' post='3243336'] Most people on here don't need an excuse to buy another bass! I would probably go with the flow but think they were being a bit silly. Image is important to a lot of bands and if I liked the band, I'd get that. [/quote] do you still have the delusion that anybody notices what the bassist is playing?

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1487776566' post='3242750'] I think it's the fact that it's Sonic Blue. The comment was that it looks like a 'toy' bass, compared to a Fender. [/quote] what if you got a sonic blue Fender??? I think you need to find out exactly what they object to before even considering a change. They may also be some non-serious comments, the way you talk about it. Like the way my guitarist in the old RHCP tribute band went on about how I should really get a Stingray. I hated Stingrays and I never even considered it, and played an Ibanez SR300 and a Warwick Corvette $$ instead. He'd make the comment from time to time but it wasn't really meant as a "you MUST change your bass or else". Incidentally one day I found an OLP I liked a lot... and within a year I ended up with a Stingray that has become my main bass ever since.

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1487775000' post='3242715'] Hey folks. Whats your opinion on this one? My favourite Bass to gig with is undoubtedly my sonic blue Yamaha Attitude ltd3. Love everything about it. Been told that the Prog band I'm in requires a more 'traditional' looking Bass, a Fender basically. No problem, I have suitable looking Basses I can use, but none of them feel as 'right' to me as the Yamaha. I'm pretty pragmatic about it and will do what's necessary, I'm not the 'main' guy in the band, and I enjoy the music so if the look is [i]that [/i]important, then so be it. But what would YOU do? [/quote] If they tell me my pointy BC Rich doesn't fit with their country and western band, or that my pink Daisy Rock bass is a bit out of place for their Black Metal band... yeah, ok... But your Attitude is not exactly that far out, looks-wise... it's a pretty cool design that doesn't really look out of place anywhere. In principle I would not agree, and I'd argue that the look is not that different from a "traditional" instrument and that it took me a while to find a bass with the right feel. If they objected to the sound, then that's one thing. But give me a break... Does it pay very well? If it does, I can play anything . If it doesn't, I'll use the right tool and the right tool is, in this case, the Attitude. I'd be more willing to have my favourite bass refinished than changing basses, if colour were an issue... but I doubt sonic blue can be a problem, right?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1487780531' post='3242830'] Just over a year in it's [b]revolving[/b] format I think and that's on a knife edge, lol. I once joined a blues band as a temporary member as the proper guy had cancer and they had gigs booked, it wasn't my thing at all, about seven years later I realised I was the only original member! [/quote] I thought it was harsh... then I realised you didn't say "revolting"...

what brought me to bass? the money, the chicks, the hero-like worship, the money again. Isn't that obvious?

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1487926497' post='3244126'] Saying that, my other active bass has a lovely pop-open slot for the battery with no fiddly connectors and so takes all of 10 seconds to switch things around. [/quote] They are great... but they can also fail. The metal plate contact is bent to spring against the battery terminals, but over time this gets looser.One day you find yourself with intermittent trouble and if you're like me you'll check ANYTHING before that - don't be like me Different brands of batteries als have slightly different dimensions, with some feeling decidedly looser. Another thing to consider.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1487888865' post='3244011'] You should play some jazz gigs. I've played gigs where I've never heard the tune before. Chord chart, watch, listen and pray. [/quote] But at least you'd know it was the correct chord chart, right? (I hope so!) I've never played Jazz. The closest I've had to your experience was when I went for an audition without knowing anything they played (I asked for recordings but they said not to worry and just come along... their description intrigued me enough to show up). They gave me a wad of A4 sheets with lyrics with chords written on top, they had a brief chat (while I scanned through the chords of the first song to get a sense for the structure) and away we went. By the third song I was starting to enjoy that, but needless to say, I didn't play my best, and the songs were cool and funky but pretty easy so not quite the same as playing Jazz. Also it wasn't a gig, so there was no pressure in that respect. I enjoyed being pushed a bit, and in my main band we have a little improvisation from time to time (typically following the second string breakage of our very good but very energetic rhythm guitarist)... sometimes it's not great (but it never lasts long so we get away with it) and sometimes it's pretty good, and I enjoy it, but I really want to know what we're going to play in advance.

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1487857984' post='3243595'] I'm playing this weekend. I mailed the guitarist for a set list and didn't recognise the last song. Don't worry, he said. It's only 4 chords and 2 of them are D. I think this means they are all majors of some sort. It's an arrangement of a folk song that I don't have an original title for. It'll be fine, I'm sure, but I don't know when I come in, when the drums come in or how long it is. I'm assuming it's in 4/4 or 3/4 but even that is unknown, as is the tempo. I've written a part based on rapidly fingerpicked bass chords, but this is total guesswork and if it doesn't fit, I'll need to invent something on the spot.. Sometimes a [i]little[/i] more practice would be nice. It's in the set for Tuesday too, so I suppose I'll know how it goes by then. [/quote] but that's not really about rehearsing or not... I don't expect you are a telepath! If you're not even told exactly what it is that you'r supposed to be playing you cannot really rehearse it either. What you're doing is preparing to increase your chances at guessing right on the day. And that, while it can be fun, is not a serious way to operate.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1487841633' post='3243362'] Oh dear, I was in a grumpy mood when I last responded to this I Just felt the OP's frustration. A couple of people have picked up on some things I said. I think I was the first person to mention contempt for the audience which others have repeated. For me standing up in front of an audience is still something special, my 'contract' with them is to do the best I'm capable of, never to say 'oh well that was good enough, the audience won't notice'. I'd be the first to say there are people way better than I am, whose half committed efforts would surpass my bass playing by quite a distance but I still think it is disrespectful not to do your best. Ambient made the points about the quality of the musicians and the difficulty of the music and there have been plenty of comments about not needing rehearsal for gigging the same songs you did last week. All true of course but most of those bands will have rehearsed at some time in the past. There's a balance between rehearsal, personal practice, regular gigging and the skills of the musicians. There's no point in rehearsing if people haven't learned their own parts at home, you can't stitch things together if they are full of holes. There's no point in rehearsing stuff you are already on top of and did last night. Better musicians may need less rehearsal, though I suspect they are better because of lots of practice. Simple songs need little work other than perhaps the starts and finishes. Sometimes for weekend warriors you have to reach a practical compromise between music and the rest of your life. But, I don't suppose any of us couldn't improve what we do with a little bit of intelligent time together in a rehearsal room. Sure the Rolling Stones would have been rehearsing in session men, staging and lighting and so on but shouldn't we all if we can? It's OK for me, I enjoy any time together with freinds making music and I enjoy the social side but I don't buy the claim that 'me and my mates are so good nothing could be improved by rehearsal' either. The rest is just about compromising between what you need to do and the practicalities of how to achieve it. As for the OP I think with a new band member I'd want to have a run through, just to check starts, ends and any odd bits of arrangements rather than do that in front of an audience, if at all possible. [/quote] nice post, and to me, you hit it: balance. Different situations/people call for more or less of the various bits involved. I think we tend to see "our way" of doing things as generally the better way, subconsciously, even if deep inside we really know that it's just what we came to through circumstances and it's works for us... From that point of view, this thread offers an interesting place to see how different people favour different approaches and have different goals. I didn't like the implication that not wanting to rehearse, or rather not wanting to rehearse *in excess* was showing contempt for the audience. I enjoy live playing immensely. We're nothing really without that audience, and I value them A LOT. Which is why I resented being told (not personally, I know, but by association) that I don't care or look after my audience. The thing is we probably have different ideas of what *in excess* actually means. For me, rehearsals are not for learning the songs (assuming covers, or at least a recorded version of some sort that you're supposed to learn). I don't like my rehearsal time being taken up by showing people how a song goes. They should have done their homework, just like I did. You can learn it all by yourself. THEN rehearse together to ensure it all works fine, by all means. I've also been in a situation where a band has a pretty static setlist and they rehearse every week over and over and over the same songs. Look, if they're not getting better by the time you've played them 20 times, they never will, at least not if all you do is play them again exactly like last time. Unless you're going to add more songs... kill rehearsals and just gig the thing. Many times. I find those rehearsals a waste of my time, and I don't have a lot of time so I'd rather spend it on something else. If there's a problem with a song because the drummer keeps getting a part wrong, or I do, or whatever... then the answer is not having the whole band go through it again and again, rehearsal after rehearsal. The drummer (or me) have to get it right by himself. Homework! When he can do it, then we rehearse and tweak if/when necessary. I've had sessions just bass and drums when we needed to nail something tricky together... that's homework. When we get it right then we involve the band. Similarly there used to be brass meetings where they worked out their harmonies etc... and afterwards they brought it to the band and alter when/if needed. A rehearsal has to have a goal, and if the goal is not achieved then either you need to reassess your goals or then rehearsal is not the correct approach to achieve that goal. In a situation where time is not limited, I'd care a lot less... because I enjoy playing, it's something I do largely for fun (even if there's money involved, I could not live from it alone). But that's not where I am. I'm not a great player, but I'm confident and know that within my limits I'll be alright and don't need a lot of time to catch up. Years ago I wasn't as confident and my limitations were far bigger... in those days rehearsals were more important for me. I suppose the need for them, and what you need them for depends too on your level of experience, not your 'virtuosity'. People need to do the hours playing with others, I guess... through rehearsals, through gigs... to build up their confidence and their 'band skills' [1]... so probably the people who require fewer rehearsals have simply done more hours (nothing to do or imply one is better than the other, just different places to be). [1] band skills: most of us probably know some guy who can play al the techniques and play really complicated stuff, but drowns in a band setting, purely because he never plays with other people and he's used to perfect sound quality in his home setup. There's no substitute for playing with others. Hours. And. Hours. And play with a variety of people, or we get too used to their idiosyncrasies. Variety gets your skills in shape better.