dmccombe7

To be fair to some guitarists i've played with they preferred specific equipment. Classic rock band they preferred my Jazz bass to any others i tried. They also preferred my Berg AE112 cabs to the studios Ampeg 8x10 cab altho i thought the Berg cabs lacked depth or "heft". They said the Jazz had more edge and clarity but was still a nice rounded deep tone with nice clear mids. On the other hand a Funk / blues based rock band preferred my PJ bass to any others i have and preferred my Orange 115 & 210 rig to Berg HT322 or Markbass rig. The PJ bass had more depth than others. What i took from this was that specific basses and rigs suit specific styles of bands. My playing style was slightly different with these bands where i was more aggressive with the rock band. As a band i couldn't say if the audiences noticed anything different when i did use another bass. The bands definitely could tell and had their preferences and were happy to let me know what sounded better out front. Dave

Know what you mean Karl

Like the band name there Karl

Nice bass rig sitting there too.

Try the short bungee chords. Lot easier to clip on and off than cable ties and with them being stretch they take up any creases in the backdrop. Dave

Like that idea. I've never heard that before. Gonna give it a try as just started with couple new bands and sets are new to me. I generally play along with the song a few times to get a good feel for it, then i start learning small sections at a time. I also write everything out even if i have the Bass tabs. I find writing bass lines out gives me a back up of the written notes and structure in my head. If need be i'll take notes along to rehearsals until the full song sinks in. If a part is really difficult i practice it slowly and work up to the right tempo. There's no easy way you just have to work at it as best you can. If i come across a part that really is too far ahead of me in technique i will adapt the bass line to suit my style yet still retain the main feel of the original bass line. To be fair no one has ever said to me that i've missed something or i'm not playing the bass line correctly. I've had guitarists say i wasn't doing it right and when i show them the bass tab and we listen in depth to the original they then admit they were wrong so you need to be confident in what you decide to play. If you look as though you know what you are doing most people will go along with it and maybe only another competent bassist will pick up on anything missing or not quite right. One other thing i do is put the songs on Ipod or prefer a CD and all in order of set list and when i'm driving i play them as a set list. Eventually the set list becomes one big song with several parts. (I was used to playing a lot of Prog music so long epics was easy for me ) Dave

Don't normally listen to this kind of music but have to admit that was extremely relaxing and thoroughly enjoyed. Such a shame to lose such an obvious talent. RIP Johann

Was never really much of a Queen fan altho appreciated how good they were. Enjoyed occasional singles at the time in 70's. Always thought John Deacon had a great tone. Fitted perefctly with every song no matter what bass he used. Does anyone know what amps he used to use back then. ? Just curious. Dave

Seen that VID before and was very impressed by himand how much control he has with his pick hand.

Think the guy admits he can only use it very occasionally. Its just something he likes doing. He sounds as though he has a lot more talent than this. I can do the very basics of it just for fun in house but don't have any practical use within any bands i play in.

That's a stunning finish on there. Very nice bass

Of course they do :- BOOM BOOM or PLINK PLINK Take your pick (see what i did there ) Dave

Several of my friends have commented on this when watching live bands and its also something i usually pick up on myself. Usually rock or Prog bands i watch. They notice that when the bass isn't loud enough or carrying depth the band sounds thin. When the bass has a good balance in the mix with the tone that suits whatever band i'm watching it fills the venue better. Not meaning that the bass does that on its own but it gives the overall band a fuller sound. Mates will say the band sounds empty if bass is too far back in the mix. On the flip side, and it is rare i have to say, the bass being over-bearing causes boominess and band lacks definition. With regards the actual specific bass tone i'm afraid my mates think a bass is either thin, spot on or just boomy. They couldn't tell if the bass had too much mid or hi end. Its just bass to them. Dave

Not every bassist needs to be a Victor Wooten. If you can hold a decent solid bass line then you can be classed as a good bassist. Maybe not flash and possibly coming across as a bit shy and lacking confidence. Maybe you are just setting your own bar too high. For me i play the best i can and that's good enough for me. Out of curiosity what does your band think about your playing ? If no complaints from them then you must be doing something right and you are better than you think. Dave

Well done sir.

Good luck with it. Hope you get the job ok. I remember auditioning for a Celtic folk band. Not my usual kind of stuff at all and was fairly nervous going in. Band consisted of female singer, female violin, male guitarist, male drummer and if i remember right the guy running it played flute and wind instruments. They were auditiong 6 bass players. When i went in the 2 females literally told me the guy before me would be the perfect fit. Kind of put a damper on whole thing. Did my bit, no mistakes and was told week later that i hadn't got the job. That was my one and only failed audition in 40yrs playing. The positive in that was a year later they contacted me by email and said the guy had left and was i still interested. I reminded them what was said and quietly said no thanks. Some auditions just go so well as long as you've done your homework. You usually know when its good and you get offered the job there and then. I like them. I've had to say to enthusiastic bands to have a think about it for a week sometimes its because i might have doubts but i always like a few days to consider whether they suit me and its what i want. I've turned down quite a few for various reasons over past few yrs. Never used to say no at all and would just take any gig going. Now i'm older i'm a lot more fussy about who i play in bands with. Auditions need to work both ways. Dave

2 drummers would be interesting altho that's 2 guys doing less of the gear shifting at the end of the night Hopefully you'll keep us all posted on how it goes. Dave

Had a quick listen and they sound good Dave. All the best with them. Dave

I'd like to get gigging a bit more as i'm getting older. Originally when i got back into bands i thought one a month would suit me but now that i've more free time and a little older the weekends don't have any special meaning ie night out with friends for a beer or two i'm thinking i'd like to play more often.

Nice one Dave. I'm just a youngster at 57 but i'm having a first meet with a Glam Rock covers band this month. Only just finalised the guitarist. All playing in other bands. Singer and guitarist are from Ozzy tribute band Talk of the Devil. The guitarist is actually their bass player so its a bit of a mixed bunch. I've always wanted to play the Glam Rock material but just never managed to find others that had same idea. Maybe there's just more of a market for it now. Fact is at 57 i've never been busier and mate doing his original Prog material has also asked if i'd be interested in helping out doing his material live. Giving that some thought too. Dave

Thought your band was sorted Blue. ? Is this a back up plan you're looking for. ? Dave

OK see what you mean. Instant venue memory recall. Thought there may have been more to it especially if you hadn't played the venue before.

Few comments about using a digital desk. Any particular reason ? it is a serious question as i generally see standard mix desks. Dave