Truckstop

If you think Disturbed are a terrible band then you must not have a sense of hearing. Disturbed make metal fun. Try listening to their stuff without singing along! Not many metal bands can do that. They might seem a bit pop-ish to metal fans that have extreme leanings, but for everyone else it's metal that's easy to listen to and easy to understand. They write great songs, have well produced material and are amazing live.

Further testing shows that it also happens when playing music through the aux-in so must be a power stage problem. I was hoping that with a quick fiddle with leads and plugs and things it might magically start working again but sadly not

So I've had my Rumble 100 (1x12) for a week or so and its only had about 3 hours of use so far but I think it must be faulty. It sounds great and puts out a lot of noise which is good, but for some reason I'm getting volume loss over the course of a couple minutes to complete soundlessness. It just turns itself down! I'll be jamming along happily at the volume I want and then it'll start getting quieter and quieter until it's completely inaudible I can't think what it might be other than it's faulty so it'll be going back to the shop tomorrow. It does sound good so I'll take a replacement if they offer me one.

Loving the band names on this thread! Status No! I always wanted to start a NIN tribute band called Nine Inch Fails. Can't find anyone interested though

+1 Spend a couple of years buying and selling off-the-rack sixes and find out exactly what it is you want from one. You might find that you might not even need a custom one. Ibanez Prestige range basses are really good, as are Japanese Yamahas. You should also be able to find used Warwicks for that money too. I used a Washburn XB600 for many years, and while the preamp wasn't amazing, it was perfect for me in every other respect. If you are desperate for a custom with your budget, try Rim Basses (Luton). I think Robs less flashy basses should be within budget. The problem with a small budget for custom instruments means that you'll have to forego the little details that make it worth going custom. If you can't afford the 5A top wood and the graphite truss rods and the mother of pearl inlays, you might as well go off-the-rack.

They look pretty smart!

First album's the best! Droppin Plates always gets me going \m/

Lee Pomeroy! Yeah he's a cool cat. He's had the Take That gig for a few years I think. He's got a great style and is as cool as anything. His brothers a great guitar player also. He plays around here quite a lot.

Blimey, £40 with 10 hours to go?

I played a gig at a beer festival in Lichfield once. In a really old building that looked like a church or something. May have been town hall... Hmmm. Anyway, welcome to the forum photo looks great!

Hard! 1. Who Are You - The Who Just a kickin' song! Great vocal lines, great drumming and it's just a bit weird. But not too weird! 2. Kansas City - Wilbur Harrison It's a pretty standard rock n roll/blues number but his voice sends shivers down my spine and his phrasing is absolutely sublime. Nothing particularly special, but it really resonates with me. This is the song that ignited my passion for 50's and 60's American pop music. 3. Boys and Girls - Alabama Shakes Delicate, powerful, evocative and nostalgic. The singing is so expressive and positively dripping with passion and fervour. Beautiful song. 4. I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James and The Roots Band Great song anyway, but I've chosen this version because it ticks all my boxes, musically speaking. Funky, soulful, powerful and technically awe-inspiring. 5. Border Song - Aretha Franklin As a bass player, this is the one song on my list that makes me shake my head in disbelief. So groovy! Wonderful tone, expert playing from Chuck Rainey. 6. Ghost of Perdition - Opeth An amazing song from an amazing band. There's a lot of metal songs I like but this one takes the top spot. This song was the first Opeth I heard and it blew me away. Over the next few weeks I bought all their albums and I love them all, but this is the song that started it all and remains the most evocative for me. 7. Sound and Vision - David Bowie It's just such a treat for the ears. Lovely vocal harmonies and excellent production. All the different instruments and tracks blend seamlessly into each other and it's just a solid pleasure to listen to. Would have it on repeat for hours when I was younger. 8. Minerva - Deftones Atmospheric metal at its best. Loads of tracks, keys, groovy drums and gushing vocals. It's my favourite Deftones song and it reminds of a certain time in my life that I look on fondly. Deftones were the band that got me into playing bass, and the bass line in the chorus particularly inspired me to take it more seriously. Just a massive anthem! Book would be Red Dwarf by Doug Grant and Richard Naylor. I think I've read it over 20 times. Assuming I'd have Internet connectivity, my luxury would be a computer. If not, then I think it'd be an unlimited supply of pen and paper.

Actually, the OP plays with bass almost completely off but still has a bass heavy sound?

I think that for a lot of players, their 'sound' comes from note choices, plucking style, muting style and instrument set-up anyway.

Obviously sight-reading is a useful tool and is essential for pit work and a lot of cruise and big band work, but there's a lot of work out there for non-readers. Holiday Camp bands, Tribute acts, Party Bands, wedding and function bands etc will just need you to learn the set in advance and turn up on time and play with no fuss. Keep a file of your repertoire with notes, lyrics and keys etc. once you start knowing more than 250 songs it can be hard to recall information quicker. If you don't already, learn to sing backing vocals. Lots of brownie points there and it's an essential requirement for a lot of band leaders looking for musicians. Be prepared to take any job you can and be grateful for anything thrown your way. People you help out now may well help you out further down the line with a great paying or prestigious job.

I've owned one bass for the last 3 years and I don't even feel the need to look at other basses. I might do if they sound nice, but I'm never interested in wanting to own them. I'm a 5!

I think you should take his suggestions on board and see what you can get hold of before going in to record. I actually am quite refreshed to hear that he would rather try different instruments to nail the tone he wants rather than struggling with something he's not 100% on. So, I suppose a passive bass would be a good choice to partner the Surveyor. A P is good, but maybe a little limiting because it's only got one pup, see if you can find a PJ to borrow. Yamaha BB's are great and widespread and nail the P sound as well as the oft emulated 70s disco sound. Warwick or Spectors sound pretty similar to me. Aggressive and focussed mids and plenty of burp. Loads of people love that sound, if your producer does and knows how to work it then you should play to his strengths. Sincerely hope someone's able to help you out! Best of luck!

I have been cutting everything under 100hz for the last year or so and its made such an improvement to my live sound. The whole band sounds better, I never have boom issues, I get more volume out of my rig, there's a clearer balance between all the notes on all the strings and the clarity is unreal.

Honestly, stripping poly is a massive pain in the arse. If, however, you decide to go for it then there's a nice cheap way to get a decent finish. About 10 coats of Danish oil followed by 3 or 4 coats of bees wax will give your instrument a lovely sheen with the added bonus of offering protection too. Apply oil thinly each time and polish lightly after each coat. Leave a few hours (preferably overnight) between each coat. Same with the wax, leave for a few hours after each coat and buff each time too. You can keep waxing through the years to build up a lovely thick finish, make sure you buff properly each time otherwise it can end up feeling a bit tacky over time. Also, wipe down after each use, sweat can react with it and make it go cloudy. But it's probably easier to find a replacement body off the internet.

I would be looking for quality control aspects of the instruments as you would do with a guitar. Are the frets nice and smooth? Do the knobs feel solid? Is the bridge correctly aligned with the neck? Are there any rattles or crackles coming from the instrument? Tone quality is subjective and is tweakable using amp and bass EQ controls. Sure, good tone in an instrument is important, but not the end of the world if it doesn't sound and sweet as a sweet thing! You should be looking to buy the best quality instrument at this stage in your development. The aforementioned BB424x is a good starting point, but there's loads out there you can look at.

Hopefully someone corrects the dude so he gets the proper amount of money owed to him. I'd like to think that BC wouldn't endorse ripping people off!

So the bass is ok?