dmccombe7

Even in the club circuit i believe the bands will do 2off 1 hour sets maybe altho i'm not really in that scene to be honest. I know some wedding bands will play for up to 3 hrs so i'm told. Are there any guys in UK doing long extended gigs. I'm kinda curious now to be honest. Dave

I'm assuming its not continuous playing for 4 hrs and you take regular breaks for tea and scones kind of thing

4 hr gigs is a bit too much for me. Not sure i could play for 4 hours. all credit to any band that can. That's a lot of stamina. Dave

Got one. She's never missed a gig and even operates the lighting desk when required. Dave

Was there a choice .............

So there's no ill feeling there at all then ?

Oddly enough our drummer is same. No car and his drums are kept at singers who transports his drums for him. Weird but it seems to work ok for them. They've known each other for a good few years now and been doing it that way long before i joined. Dave

I would have to say that many pro bassists i watch on youtube look at their fretting hand regularly. Everyone from Allain Caron to Victor Wooten and even Jaco in his day. Obviously they are playing far more technical material than majority of us. Dave

I've always thought it was more a lack of confidence either in themselves or in what they are playing. Not learning songs properly and not being sure of what they should be playing but i guess that's more or less what you said Ghost Bass. I occasionally look at my fretting hand when playing but i try not to as there's nothing worse than seeing bassists watching their neck all night. Maybe its because i don't play often enough these days altho in recent months i'm either practicing at home every night or rehearsing with 2 new bands. Dave

While following another thread that mentioned travel distance between members i was curious as to how you all get to your gigs. I've done the band van thing years ago and more recently a hired van when requiring a full light rig but today i would just travel to the gig with my pick up truck and meet the guys there. What does everyone else do. ? Apologies if this has been asked before but i can't recall seeing it. Dave

In one of my bands we rehearse mid point as i'm 30m away, guitarist is approx 50m away and drummer is 70m away. The other is a little closer tho so that helps. That leads me onto another thread i'm gonna start about how people travel to gigs ie as a band in a van or separately and just meet at the venue ? Dave

most of my gigs have been one offs in a weekend and usually reasonably local so was always able to get home after the gig. Last year i did a Fri and Sat stint up at Nairn and Elgin. 2 different gigs. The Fri gig we drove up during day and set up for the gig that night. That was fine but following day we arrived at the venue lunchtime and were able to set up. That left us virtually from 1pm till 9pm to kill time. It was one of the most boring days i've ever had. Was glad i didn't tour professionally. I hadn't planned for it so not even a book to read. Did a mini tour in mid 80's around England during summer holiday period but at that age it didn't seem to bother us too much altho we did have to travel between gigs so that took up a bit of time. I had a broken leg so wasn't able to lift anything heavy so roadies there to do all the hard work for me. I prefer a more local gig nowadays where i can get there 1 hour before gig set up in 30 mins and do a quick sound check. Play the gig pack up in 30 mins and head home at a reasonable hour. Its an age thing i reckon. Think that's why its always just been a hobby for me. Taking it to the next level i'm not sure would suit what i'm looking for. Dave

I agree Blue. You only get that comfort in a band by regular gigging and being able to enjoy the gig and the songs without thinking about what comes next in a song. Dave

Just to clarify here. I wasn't defending shoe gaze. I only commented that i have witnessed it and in bands i've been in it usually passes as confidence is gained. One of our guitarists is very lacking in self confidence as he states he has "never been in a band of this calibre or with this amount of experience" As we learn the songs i expect he will grow more confident as he has the talent and skills and it will become as much fun for him as it is for myself and the singer. The other guitarist doesn't really shoe gaze but seems to be in a constant mode of concentrating rather than relaxing and enjoying the band. He also plays in other bands doing standard pub covers. I still enjoy the band but its not easy when thinking others aren't enjoying it as much as you. They do comment later how much they enjoyed the rehearsal. Its only been about 3 rehearsals due to weather and sickness meant cancelling a few. For me i regularly go off on one and have a moment of sheer indulgence while i bury myself in the enjoyment of playing a song i really enjoy like Smoke on the Water or Enter Sandman. 2 songs i never really gave much thought of in past but there you go. Glam covers band is completely different. It has started from word go as a fun band to play in and that needs to come across to the audience that we are all having a great time whether we are or not. Apart from that we are generally looking at each other for que to next part of the song as it was only the first rehearsal

I've been in bands that found it difficult to look at each other while playing. I've always put it down to a lack of confidence in what they are doing. Most times its usually just at the beginning of the band ie first few rehearsals until strangers become band mates. One of the rock bands i'm in at the moment the two guitarists don't seem to make eye contact with myself drummer or even the singer however the band is relatively new together and i'm hoping that settles down. The other Glam band i had a 1st rehearsal with them last weekend and it was there. The eye contact, the openness to discuss mistakes without ego flare ups and we could almost read each other and managed to get about 5 out of 8 endings on the first take without having to discuss amongst ourselves. Most of all the fun and hilarity between songs was there. Self -criticism was there too. Not everyone wants to admit they made a mistake especially in a new band. So that band for me sounds very promising. I've also found that for me if i'm not into the music itself then i don't put the effort in and therefore i don't enjoy so much and the band ultimately suffers for that. You need to put your heart and soul into playing and if its not there i don't see the point. I've tried the club / function style band thing and couldn't get used to young kids playing around the dancefloor with their parents. I just found that too strange and wouldn't want to go back to that. Dave

They have a little less tension on them but i've found they don't really last much longer than the D'addarios nickel which has disappointed a bit. They are a good enough string and i would say they have a more evenly balanced tone across the strings. I do like them but they are more expensive than the strings i used before. Are they worth the extra money ? Not really sure as my playing has been on / off with changes to bands etc meaning i have no real comparison at the moment to the D'addarios that i was using for about 5 years. Sorry if i've not been able to give you more feedback at this stage but its early days for me with them. My Jazz bass is on its first set since early Jan this year and my PJ is on its 1st set since Nov last year but i don't play that bass as much. Dave

I've heard that too but i've always bent at 90 degrees and then cut to approx 20-30mm from the bend. I thought string packets always had that instruction on them but to be honest i've not read a package for a few years as once i've got strings i like i tend to stick with them. Currently using DR's but they haven't lasted any longer than the D'addarios and as they cost a fair bit more i can see me going back to the D'addarios. Dave

I'm actually considering selling my Peavey to be honest along with a lot of other bass gear as i want to fund a Mesa Subway rig this year. I have a Dingwall NG2 that i prefer the tone plus the spacing is more suited to me. Thanks for the advice tho. Dave

It is the mono bridge. Its a 5 string bass that i bought mainly for a Prog project i was asked to help with and needed the lower B string. I generally don't use 5 strings much so not really worth changing the bridge. Thanks for the advice tho. Dave

Used to find that tricky too when i first heard it all those years ago. Not tried it for some time. Put me in the mood for a listen now tho

I've not tried flats since early 80's. Maybe i should to see how they sound altho i like a bit of twang to my sound.

I have the BXP Cirrus Tiger eye model and it does have a pretty good neck. Lots of depth from the pick-ups and pre-amp even when flat. Lot of bass for the money i've always thought. Would like to try the US version as a comparison. The only down side for me and its a personal thing is the string spacing. I'm used to 18mm at bridge end and the BXP 5 string has 16.5mm i think so it causes me some issues when i change to it at short notice. I keep missing the strings when playing fast If i was playing it more regularly i would get used to it. Dave

Always been a gradual thing for me. Playing 40yrs using Rotosounds, Fenders, D'addarios, DR's, Elites and Elixirs. I struggle to notice as much with Elixirs mainly because they last longer and therefore they fade over a longer period. I usually find about 2-3 mths on a set with me playing almost every day whether that be at home, rehearsals or gigs. Find if gigging a lot i seem to sweat more and that can kill my strings a little quicker. I always wipe my strings down during and especially when finished at rehearsals and gigs. Not so much at home tho. Dave

1st rehearsal today with the Glam covers band and it went exceptionally well. The guys are all seasoned musicians to be fair. 8 songs virtually completed just a few wee bits to tidy up like how we do the endings. Other than that it went exceptionally well. I put a lot of work in beforehand and almost nailed the 8 songs first time around. All that and at a decent playing volume too. No sore ears and didn't even need my ear plugs. Might look for a 2nd guitarist or keys player to fill in during solo's tho plus keys would allow us to do a wider range of Glam songs. Dave

Surely pics of the gear with you in your home is proof. My insurance didn't ask me for receipts altho i have most. Very few people keep receipts for absolutely everything they have ever bought. I'm a little surprised by that. Problem for me is that my Warwick Thumb i bought in 89 was only £900. A good condition one i would probably pay around £1200 - £1500 2nd hand. In comparison a new one is silly money. Would they base the value on my receipt or against what a new one might cost these days. Think this is always a grey area with insurance companies when it comes to older gear or household items. Are you talking about specific musical instrument insurance for gigging ? I can see how that might be a different ball game. Dave