martin8708

I'm probably still rubbish now after nearly 30 years of playing, but I have got into more bands by being Enthusiastic and dependable and by providing a simple bass line to a song , the trick is to forget about how " you " sound , but how you make the whole band sound . I have seen many a speed -god or fretless wonder get the boot from a band because they are stealing the lime light from the singer / guitarist ,and that will never do!! My practice is to switch the radio on and just try to play along to each song , it sounds awful at first, but it will slowly get better as your ear develops and starts to recognise chords and different styles of music . Try and get into a band, you learn alot quicker with a good drummer and generally guitarists are happy to help with chords , etc . Most of all , have fun .

Perhaps I should not have used the word '' dissappointment '' in my description , I think ''different '' is a better word to use . As a long time Markbass user , my ears are used to the LM3 and LM250 sound , so I was probably expecting the same ( but bigger ) in the 800. I have also learnt the long, slow + expensive way that amps and cabs that sound fantastic on there own ,ie LM3, sometimes sound quite different in a loud band situation . New amps also take some time to get used to, and finding your ''sound '' in an amp will only come after a number of gigs . The Tube 800 is definately my amp of choice in a big band setting , it really does seem to find that space between guitars and drums so that you have an audible / defined bass sound even if the guitarists are doing their best to wipe you out . If I had to sell one of the amps ( I think I may have to ,anyway ) , I would probably keep the 800 and sell the LM3 .

Hi , I have both LittleMark 3 and a Tube 800 amp . I bought the Tube 800 to give me an edge over the two rather loud guitarists that I played with . I tend to have all the Eq flat with a small amount of VLE to try and give a bit of '' vintageness '' to my sound . The tube effect is not hugely apparent , many people argue that they cannot hear it at all , but I think I can pick it up when I start to dig in and play fairly hard . The Little Mark 3 has a very warm / deep sound which is great when played on its own , I also use the LM3 for duo work with an acoustic guitarist as it seems to fill out the sound and give a really good foundation in this type of music . The Tube 800 was a bit of a dissappointment when I first got it , played on its own it does not have the fullness of the LM3 , but I took it to some gigs with a loud Pub Rock band and the Low/mids really seem to punch through the mix of two over zealous guitarists . I also have plenty of power in reserve ( which I probably wont need ) , but its there if needed . I am no sound engineer , so forgive my amatuerish description , but there are other factors like type of bass/ Cab /pedals etc that you may use . Hope this helps

In reading this thread , 1, you've never gigged with this guy 2,you've never rehearsed with this guy 3, you haven't even auditioned this guy , what's there to turn down ? This guitarist could be a musical genius , why not give him the benefit of the doubt and try him out , Facebook is hardly the best way to get to know the real person.

Are they really that loud ? I'm still undecided between the Super 12 and Super 15 , the Super 15 may be cracking walnuts with sledgehammers , but I just think you cannot beat a good old 15'' cab for the classic P-Bass sound .

Mark bought my LittleMark 250 bass amp , prompt payment and smooth transaction with lots of humourous PM's . Many thanks and hope you enjoy the amp . Martin.

The fact that this is a charity gig , may make your refusal to share your rig '' uncharitable '' in the eyes of others , but equally , if Mr Slap Happy blows up your rig , will he/she pay for the repairs . I have been caught out in this situation before , handing over my pride + joy with a promise to look after it , only to watch some cretin doing his best Curt Cobain impression with my equipment . You are donating your time + musical skill +equipment . Let the other band do the same .

Smallest was barstaff plus Lead Guitarist's Mum + Dad ( a bit odd as he is in his 30's and his parents come to each gig? ) Biggest 500 plus at the Royal Mail Christmas party held in the sorting office in Peterborough , apparently Status Quo and Level 42 have done gigs at the same sorting office , or so we were told .

Here on the Isle of Wight , our local music shops are great and have a really eclectic mix of guitars . We can sustain five shops , but as they are all different , and can source some really cool instruments ( how about a 64 Danelectro shorthorn a'la Jimmy Page .) I bought my 64 Precision from Strings in Ryde , and Volume One has a really cool Selmer Treble and Bass and matching Goliath Cab in Croc skin in fabulous condition , there really are some vintage gems to be had . All our shops are owner operated , so lots of knowledge and help on tap. I would rather buy locally,or off the net , than venture down Tin Pan alley.