mcnach

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1355358293' post='1897482'] Well yes, if you don't entain the audience they won't stay and won't bring their friends next time. But without the audience there is no one to entertain. So primarily you need an audience and you need to grow and widen that audience because tastes change and your music changes. Fans drift away and new fans come. [/quote] but your audience needs to be larger than that other band or bands who may play on the same bill... substantially larger... so what does it matter whther they stay or not?

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1355256929' post='1896100'] Unless it's a covers band playing well known good music, 2 hours of live music is about all most people can take. Even at festivals there is something else to do or see. If you're doing an outdoor gig and the weather is nice people will sit on the outskirts and talk etc. I think 3 bands each playing 30mins is enough. I've been to gigs to see a friend's band and stayed to watch the next band (who were dire). I would have left and not waited for the last band if I hadn't known the second band were only on for 30mins. However they overstayed their welcome and at 45mins I was ready to leave. [/quote] some bands play too long if they play longer than one-two songs we regularly play 90min (all originals) and they usually ask us for more... I guess it depends on the band.

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1355237229' post='1895756'] I agree entirely, it sucks all the life and soul out of a gig when the band before you files in five minutes before they're due on, with all their friends in tow, then vanish out the door the moment they've put their guitars away, taking said friends with them. They must realise it's self-defeating: sure, you may have dragged lots of friends along, but they're not going to [i]keep[/i] coming to see you. [/quote] THAT is the problem. Many of those gigs are based around bringing FRIENDS. Friends that generally only go because you are there, and they will say you rawk... but, would they go to see your band, if you were not in it? That's also not a real audience. A real audience is people who don't know you personally but are there because they like your band already, or they chose to go in and check some bands they did not know. That's also why "promoters" keep putting these crap events, with up to five bands playing 35min each... why so many bands? because they count on each band bringing a handful of "friends", and that way make up enough numbers. If they could get away with 8 bands playing 15min, they would try that too. Those are the gigs I flatly refuse to do. I have done a few of those, and they are pointless, unless you are new and you just want some experience. Fortunately, there are some good promoters, rare but good, who try to hold events that appeal to a real audience, with coherent music styles, bringing some better known bands headlining and adding some "local talent" in the mix... It pays to find out who they are, and make sure your band is visible to them. The other type of crap multiband gig... you don't need a promoter. You can do the work yourselves... it's not that expensive to hire a venue... if it's going to be a crap gig, let it be at least YOUR crap gig

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1355230691' post='1895606'] And definitely avoid "head-lining" at such events. All it means is that it will be you and a few die-hard supporters left when you go on [/quote] oh, and that too! it also means you will be in first, and out last... The first time I saw our guitarist "and we are headlining!!!" all happy... I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Then I said "ok, this time it's ok, next time let me be there when we negotiate the details"

[quote name='Barefootbassplayer' timestamp='1355230038' post='1895596'] Just a general question for you all to consider.....maybe I'm looking back with rose tinted glasses here! I remember playing on bills with 3, 4, 5 other bands ten years ago and turning up, meeting all of the other bands, hanging out and having a laugh and...most importantly...all of the bands would hang around for each others sets and clap and holler and help create a great vibe. Bearing in mind if its a school night or out of the way venue the other musicians could count for half the audience!! Over the past few years I've noticed this decline, bands soundchecking and then leaving the venue only to arrive for their stage time, in some very rude cases actually taking their equipment out of the venue post performance through the audience whilst other bands have been playing. I really enjoy checking out other bands and have seen some really great talent doing this, some who have actually gone on to make names for themselves as well. As well as this we've been able to gig swap, form new bands, share horror stories and make new mates. It just seems a real shame that this side of the 'musicians code', if you like, has fallen away. I actually get a bit annoyed at my fellow band mates when they do this! Am I just grumpy, am I getting old, does this even matter to bands any more? [/quote] what musicians code? I try to avoid these events, but sometimes I end up playing in some, with the originals band. I sometimes watch other bands. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I have other things to do (like the time I missed another BC's band who played after mine ) and other times I may have seen enough at soundcheck and there's no way I want to inflict that painful experience on myself again. Musicians' code? What does it matter if other band stays or not? Cool if they do. Cool if they don't. I want peope to see my band because they really want to, not as captives. And if you worry about the audience numbers dropping because two bands are not there... then you just don't have an audience anyway. I have at times played and taken my amp away... why would I wait another hour or 90min? If I am not interested in staying to watch the other band... why would I stay? It seems odd to me. How is it being rude? I have also many times provided my amp for other bands. Even in some situations where our band was not the last one. I sometimes do that, others I don't. There is no fast rule. Musicians code? I find that a non-insignificant proportion of band members (in other bands, obviously, in mine they are all great ) are *plonkers*. I do not feel any kind of empathy or affinity towards them only because we happen to have a musical interest in common. There is no musicians code, there is only being decent human beings. That means being polite, friendly, etc. That we do. But some "musicians" seem to have a sense of entitlement that I really do not share. They seem to be the same ones that get upset because you don't stay to see them play. Well, that's their problem. I personally do not hold any grudges towards anybody who does not stay to see my band, I'm just appreciative of the ones who do stay.

The thing is, a seller can ask whatever they want to, and it's none of our business. I may decide that my beloved Vintage brand Jazz bass is precious to me, and I would not entertain offers below £300. Clearly, I may wait a LOOOOOONG time to find a buyer. But that's my problem. If that's what it takes for me to let it go, then that's what it takes. Whether it sells or not is a different matter. So, a desperate seller will price low, a not-so-desperate one, may price higher. We can accept it, or keep looking. Same with receiving low offers. We can accept them, or not. In either case, nobody is entitled to treat the other one as "plonkers" or "numpties" [1] [1] as a foreigner, I find these two words extremely hilarious, I can't put my finger on why...

[quote name='mikegatward' timestamp='1355234039' post='1895695'] Additionally, adverts could be auto deleted after a certain time to prevent someone replying to a 12+ month advert with 'Is this still available' - that one really bugs me especially when the thread then goes to the top of the page. [/quote] Personally, I like how one can track down previous transactions. It can be very useful.

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1355235346' post='1895716'] Many people claim to be able to hear this 'guessing'. I'm not so convinced - but many are. But either way, CD sampling is, by definition, lossy as it only 'samples' the waveform. [/quote] Many are convinced they were abducted by aliens... that does not make it true. If the approximation to a waveform cannot be distinguished from the original waveform (by human hearing)... is it really "lossy"? I'm not sure that word would apply.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1355232117' post='1895644'] Having said that I find 320kbps mp3s fine, its all that 128kbps stuff that I find inlistenable - and I'm not by any means an audiophile: I just like good recordings and good playback - I want to feel the music move me, not hear the issues with the reproduction preventing me enjoy it... [/quote] I remember many years ago when I was arguing that mp3 were terrible terrible things, and a friend tried to convince me that they work alright... All I knew were 128kbps mp3. I did not know you could get higher bitrates. Then I copied all my CD collection as 320kbps mp3, and they are indeed alright for my purposes. Who listens to 128kbps mp3? urgh!!

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1355066080' post='1893553'] hmmm.......I could always swap the 3-way pre-amp switch for a 2-way and make it a simple active / pre-amp bypass.....just been looking at the East MM circuits on bass direct, very tempting; particularly as the 3 knob version has a push - pull treble boost - like the 3rd position on the L2000 pre-amp switch. I wonder if on of the electrical engineers at work could rig a slight mod to keep the tone controls working in passive mode. This is all Pie in the sky in all honesty though as I'm broke at the moment. [/quote] If you used a stacked pot for the volume, I'm sure the bottom part could be wired with a cap to give you a passive tone control... ask John, he's quite receptive to simple custom mods, from my experience. At the very least he would be able to tell you whether it can easily be done or not, for a particular preamp. The treble boost, however, is pretty subtle, nothing like that on the L2000. I tend to forget it's there.

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1355005002' post='1892970'] Haven't got a treble control to turn down, or a bass to turn up My amp is straight through, just as it was intended, or at least how the manufacturers tastes would have me believe it was intended. [/quote] did the manufacturers know what speakers you were going to use too, and in what room?

ah, Lettuce. I didn't know about them until a few weeks ago, when a post from bubinga5 enlightened me. I own 3 albums now

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1355040182' post='1893157'] I love my Tribute L2000 but do agree it could do with a pre-amp upgrade, I keep hoping John East will bring out an L-Retro.... I'd want to keep the master volume / pickup switch, the series / parallel switch and a active passive switch. Swapping out the tone controls and making the active and treble boost better would be good though - these are all features I'd want to keep, but just improved versions of them as the active mode is just a line boost as far as I can tell and the toe controls are quite subtle. [/quote] Mine keeps the series-parallel and the pickup switch, of course. Just not passive-active one... I could,, there is room for it, but I´m ok without it.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1354978770' post='1892560'] off topic but I just read through your sig.... Where do you keep all that stuff? [/quote] I´m lucky to be allowed to have one room for it. The condition is... it all must fit in there, nothing in the rest of the house

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1354881945' post='1891527'] A true gentleman. Bravo. [url="http://www.smileyvault.com/"][/url] [/quote] Nah, not really. Just hoping he will become rich and famous and that he will remember me and give me and my band a support slot touring around the world

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1354864260' post='1891302'] Big fat fella, drives a Taxi, Lives in Livingston? I've met, and dealt with the nummpty. If he had come to collect he would have tried to barter you down again. [/quote] No idea, I never got the "pleasure" of meeting him. Then you also get other types that I find a bit annoying. Again, around the same time, this guy comes interested in a guitar I was selling. A Vintage brand SG type. The guy is in his late 40s and says when he arrives this guitar is for his son's birthday, and how much he is into guitars, this and that, but money has been an issue blah blah blah. He seemed nice, chatted a bit, and as expected he tried to get the price down a bit. I accepted, and it was ok... he was nice, and I liked the idea of it going to a kid learning to play etc. Then he started trying to get extras... would you have this? and that? I ended up giving him a better gigbag than the one I meant to give the guitar away in, a strap, one of my cables and a cheap stand I did not use. All this based not so much on his pure negotiation skills, but on my liking him and helping him get the whole package (he had an amp already but nothing else, he said). Literally about a week later I see the same guitar advertised for a chunk more than I sold it for. No birthday noy I guess :/ But then, there are other "warmer" stories too. A while ago I had bought a bass and the guy sold it together with a practice amp. I did not need that practice amp, so I thought I'd sell it on afterwards. So eventually I put it for sale. A woman calls, interested in the amp for her son, asked me a few questions, and we arranged for her to come round and check it out. She arrived with two sons, the 12 year old who wanted the amp and his older brother. He already had a bass but no amp, and he is playing it all the time but frustrating as he really wants an amp etc... they ask me to demo it, as the son says he is only a beginner and I guess he feels shy. So I plug it in and show him what it sounds like... I show him it has a headphone out too (wink to the mother ) etc... and they say yes, they will take it. The kid looks really happy that he's going to have an amp at least. And then the 12 year old starts counting money... The mother says that he's wanted an amp for a while but she made him save for it, which he didn't like at first but now he's happy he can buy his own amp etc. I don't know, it brought me back to my childhood when I saved for various things, a bike, whatever, and how hard it was... so I said, "really? well, in that case maybe we can reassess the price" and I took away a large chunk off the price I was asking. The look on his face was well worth it.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1354826136' post='1891042'] Yes, that would be annoying---but more annoying because of the persistant rudeness rather than the lower offer though, right? [/quote] oh yeah, of course.

I can't believe it was March when I did that!!! It was only YESTERDAY that I fitted the back cover and took it to rehearsal with me. No, of course I had installed the preamp earlier... yes, last month Anyway... it sounds ENORMOUS!!!!!!! In my view, a nice improvement over the original circuitry. I made a small mistake when wiring it all up, but once I paid attention I realised what I had wired incorrectly, and it's all good. Those pickups are beastly. What a bass. That's all, simply a general "wheeeeeee!!! love this bass!!!" type of comment

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1354757413' post='1890166'] I think Talkbass has a 'lifetime' membership that allows open access to the classifieds indefinitely. I'd be happy to consider a single one-off donation of an amount greater than £20 to save the hassle of annual renewal. Let's face it, £20 = just £1.67 a month for the potential to a huge, an knowledgeable, base of potential customers for any sale. I can't think of anything that costs so little yet delivers such a wide, and directly relevant, target audience. I'd gladly pay a bit more to get things up and running with a solid base for future development [/quote] Indeed. I was also thinking about when I used to buy guitar/bass magazines. I used to buy 1-3 every month, at around £5 each. Sure, it's a different kind of information. But I find BC more entertaining, for sure. It must be worth a donation here and there.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1354812963' post='1890771'] +1. I cannot comprehend how anyone could be "offended" or "upset" by a politely worded PM offering less than they're asking for. Just say no. Its no more socially awkward than someone saying "would you like a cup of tea?" and replying "no thanks". Its just not a big deal. Fair enough get a bit annoyed if your ad says "Firm price" or "no offers, please" but if it doesn't then just deal with it like an adult with functional social skills and move on. [/quote] there's a variety of "lowballers" that do get annoying 'though. a while back, around the time I sold you that black Vintage Jazz bass (now back with me, thanks! ) I was selling quite a lot of things: guitars, basses, effects... I advertised them all on Gumtree. I received emails from the same person for just about every single item, offering 50% of my asking price trying to entice me by saying they would collect on the day. After I replied to three of his emails I just got bored. There was one particular item he seemed to want, and he kept insisting, always offering 50% and starting to become a little offensive, not just pushy. what was he thinking? Clearly someone with too much time in his hands trying his luck at anything.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1354730719' post='1889753'] See, this kind of thing grinds my gears far more than someone trying to haggle a price. If its "only a two minute job to fix" or "its missing part $Y but you can get one on eBay for a few quid..." then major alarm bells start going in my head as a buyer. If a seller can't be bothered to spend the "few minutes" to fix whatever the supposed "minor" issue is, or won't spend a couple of pounds to replace a missing part on a bass worth hundreds then I start to have major doubts as to whether or not I want to deal with them. [/quote] absolutely, I'm the same. Unless it's something that I am absolutely certain of... like electronics on a passive bass... If a bass has scratchy pots etc but otherwise is ok, or the jack socket makes intermittent connection, that I don't mind, it's simple and problem free. But anything more complex like an amp, or a car or... Forget it. Fix it first, or find someone else.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1354708685' post='1889344'] Difficult one, the buyer generally wants to pay the minimum, seller wants to get the best they can. If I think somebody is asking too much I just will not even contact them so they could well lose out on a sale. The one that has been really bugging me this year is the start price on Marcus Millers. "2002/3/4/" Marcus Miller, now costs £1076, £750 plus postage please" It didn't cost £1076 in 2003, and they bought it 2nd hand for £450 in 2009, not that that is admitted. A week later they are bleating because there is not interest. Yet if you offered them a more realistic £600, you are a lowballer! [/quote] something is worth what people are willing to pay, not what it cost new. If you bought a bass for £300 in 2005 that somehow today seems to be sought after and it sells for £600 often... then would you advertise at £300 or £600? The value is now £600... sell for less if you wish, but nothing wrong about asking anything you want.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1354632281' post='1888397'] As for the 36 hour bump rule - would it be (easily) possible to implement a 36-hour lockout so that no posts could be added to a marketplace topic for 36 hours? This might encourage sellers to be more careful about their posting - like including their location in a 'collection only' ad, before having to be asked. A 36 hour lockout shouldn't stall any buyer iinterest because people could still send a PM to the seller. [/quote] A lockout will remove what I like about it: the fact that people can treat the thread as any other thread, add comments etc. Not what I'd like to see.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1354627724' post='1888309'] I see that people like discussion in for sale threads, but also don't want them jumping to the top in less than 36 hours. I don't see how the two are compatible? The bump button is a good idea, but as soon as anyone posts in the thread it will be bumped anyway [/quote] is bumping such a problem? I haven't paid much attention, and I am sure some bump a lot... but I never had the feeling that it was a problem. Some forums like "basses for sale" get a lot of traffic, and there's only so much space on the first page, so you're not going to stay there long. I don't know. It never bothered me so far.

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1354623363' post='1888176'] How would you feel if we: 1 - carried on using the regular marketplace forums 2 - charged a yearly subscription fee to be able to post adverts there (~£20) to help pay for developments 3 - installed a new 'bump' button which only works once every 36hrs on your thread 4 - develop the marketplace to allow thumbnails next to threads for everyone 5 - develop a better form for selling items with fields for things like location, price, etc to make adverts clearer Feedback greatly appreciated. As you now we're generally tied down in what we can offer at this point because of limited funds, however things can change and be modified and improved as we move onward. Ideally we'd make it all free, but you'll understand that we aren't able to afford that with advertising becoming difficult and the huge numbers we support here on BC. Do you prefer the old forums to the new classifieds section?? Cheers ped [/quote] I would say "cool!" to all of the above. I do prefer the forum format, so: 1) carrying on with marketplace in a forum format is good, in my opinion 2) yearly subscription to be able to post items to sell? It's fine. But the amount of items for sale might decrease a lot. On the other hand it seems fair. I would offer shorter/cheaper subscriptions too to not scare away those who might only want to post something there occasionally. I think many people are more likely to spend £2 ten times than £20 once. 3) I have no problem with bumping... but if others do, the button seems like a decent way to enforece the 36h rule if it's easy enough to implement. 4) Thumbnails would be nice... but not a big deal for me. I'm happy without them. 5) It can be an interesting thing as it would allow sorting by location, etc... But until the traffic grows to about 5-10 times what it is now, the current system works perfectly fine for me.