dmccombe7

Sure i saw a Matt Black 4003 on Facebook few days ago. I'll have a wee look see if its still there. Dave Nope its gone. Sorry !! Dave

Brilliant when a plan comes together Dave

I love the idea of this tone but if i switch of the GAS filter and look at what i'm doing in my own bands its all 1970's covers either in the Glam or the punk bands. My Ampeg SVT7 thru my Mesa cabs does give me that old style tone but there are times i could do with that clearer mid to high tone cutting thru a bit. Dave

I might look into that as some areas i stand the bass tone fades a bit. I know that's quite normal in most cases but it would be great not having it. Dave

That's a happy and sad moment. Always look on the bright side of life. When one door shuts the pub door opens. Dave

Depending on the gig size i would normally have my wee Markbass Ninja head on top of whatever i'm using as a main amp just in case. Always have twin cabs so even if a cab goes down i'm still covered. Dave

Well deserved break always brings you back refreshed and raring to go. I've nothing planned for hols this year again but will probably just do some days away somewhere for a wee bit of fast car fun probably up into the Highlands area of Scotland where roads are a bit more quiet. Dave

I think i see a hint of a smile there Daryl. Dave

That's nice. What's the 5/10 label about ? Dave

You'll be fine. 👍 Plan it out and it will all fall into place. Dave

keep us posted on outcome. Dave

Blondie One Way or Another we do in the punk band. Speed it up towards the end and keep speeding it up until the dancers can't cope. Its so funny to watch from the stage. I do enjoy a bit of fun at a gig. Ozzy & Queen songs are a great choice. Dave

So that's where i went wrong Dave

As i got older i wished i had found a better teacher to take me further into the theory. Not that i needed it for what i was doing but more from a learning point of view. Its been one of my life regrets that i didn't take lessons further but when a teacher says he can't teach me anymore after 18mths you tend to think that's it i know it all ............ and then yrs go by and you realise the guy was a numpty. I have considered going back even at 63 yrs old but youtube and social media can offer you so much these days. Dave

100% agree. When my first proper rock covers band packed in i decided to listen to a lot of Jazz or Jazz-rock style music mainly because i enjoyed it but i found it was helping my technique and i was able to play a lot faster. This was all done by ear tho and just playing along to albums at home. The lessons allowed me to know and understand the basic scales etc and i was bale to follow the songs a bit easier. I did that for 3 yrs before mates asked me to join a rock covers band doing 50% originals and covers of AC/DC, ZZ Top and Free. I seemed to go from one end of the bass spectrum to the other Bass playing has definitely changed over the years tho and some of the new players i simply can't copy their technique. Its beyond me. I watch cclips on youtube and i'm in awe of what these guys can do now but most i look at have studied bass theory to the extreme. Dave

And back to the original question, what does the OP @Cheeto726 think so far. ? Have you been swayed either way. Dave

Happy Days Dave

I knew this would end up a debate between taking lessons and self taught. Always does. There's no right way to reach your destination. Simply enjoy the route you take to get there. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get where you want to be but that's ok. Sometimes the destination is different too but once again do we all want to be at the same place at the same time. Gonna get a wee tad busy. Music is fun, enjoy the journey. Be happy. Dave

Literally how i went with it apart from the choice of music. I went rock and prog. I still have the original music books i learned on. Genesis, Floyd thru to Kiss and Sabbath. Dave

I learn a cover song note for note and once i'm confident and happy with it i'll add a touch of colouring here and there but i like to stay pretty true to the original feel of the song. Sometimes i'll add and other times i might simplify a bassline just depends on how i feel on the night. Dave

Interesting one Don. Curious to see what it is ? Did you spray the jack socket connections too. ? Dave

Always gonna be different viewpoints on this one. Theory or not to theory. I did take lessons for approx 18mths at which the teacher said there wasn't much else he could teach me. It was time to go out and pick it up yourself now. How wrong that was. There was a lot more i should have been taught. I have a basic knowledge of theory and can read music but not sight reading. Its been a bonus for me in that i have always written out almost every song i've ever learned. That for me meant i learned it by ear and could remember it and also writing it out allowed me another avenue of recall when playing it within a band. I would always recommend lessons to start with and depending on where you want to go with it either learn by ear, tabs or whatever you can to learn a song. I'll literally use anything i can find to learn a song note for note. I've never been asked if i could read music and its never been mentioned in any band i've ever played in but it allows me to understand music better and following other musicians in a band. Knowing scales and correct fingering technique can help reduce strain in the long run. As an aside i suffered hand / finger issues a few yrs back and decided to go back and perfect my technique again and the strain was gone. Reading isn't for everyone but its a good starting point for many. I would also ask your teacher to try songs you like and listen to and that will maybe give your interest a little boost. Dave

Mmmm not sure what to make of all that Mike. I do love my Sandberg basses both have different tones. ie modern or vintage. Not wanting to detract from your Sandberg quest but are there other manufacturers that might offer something closer to what you want or need. I've only tried the ones i own VM4 and Marlowe so my advice is quite limited there. I'm wondering what or where you'll end up with this one Mike. All the best with it whatever route you take. Dave

If the band are good its a foot in the door for that area. "Build it and they will come". Played a gig in Methil Scotland about a 2 hr drive for me each way so nowhere near as horrendous as @cheddatom but first time was around 50-60 people in a club that holds approx 180-200. 2nd time was sold out so its all about getting in the door and showing how good you are. That was just after pandemic and that had a big effect on how many people wanted to socialise. Not so sure i'd drive 5 hrs each way tho. That's a long haul especially on way home after a gig. Dave

Just a wee update on the Godin. Used it at our 6hr rehearsal today. Godin bass into my own Ampeg SVT7 and into the studios Ampeg 810 cab. Have to say it plays so well and it feels great to play even for longer periods. Bit heavier than my Sandberg VM4 but not by much. Deep sounding and suited the songs better than the VM4. Only failing was that it doesn't cut thru the mix like my VM4 in certain songs. That said the amp settings were the exact same as i use for my VM4. For the last hour i boosted the mids on the amp quite a bit and it cut thru far better. Overall i'm very pleased with this bass. Not sure if it will take over from my VM4 as my main bass in the Glam band but i'll give it a try at the next gig using my own Mesa Subway 210/115 cabs. Neck is so so nice on these Godin Shifter basses. Very like a slim jazz. Pick up selector meant i could get a traditional P bass tone and a nice PJ setting without any volume changes. I did set up the bass during the week when fitting new Elixir nickels. Elixirs didn't fit when strung thru with the E string as winding reduction started just before the nut so its strung like all of my other basses as standard on the bridge. String height is down at 2.25mm with absolutely no fret buzz. Very slight neck relief too, almost straight. Had to drop the P pick up a bit as strings were touching poles on occasion and raised the J pick up a touch to get a better balance across the pick up selector switch. It has a very slight neck dive compared to VM4 but its very slight and didn't really present any issues for me when playing it. All in all its been a great purchase and highly recommend them. Very few basses will match build quality for the money they were sold as new. Dave