dmccombe7

I've bought quite a bit of gear from Mark over past few years. 2 Berg cabs, a class D amp, Jaydee bass and a few other bits and bobs. Last year i decided on a decent 5 stringer. Drove down (round trip of circa 500 miles) Was made very welcome given the Sandberg bass i was interested in and then 2 off Dingwalls and a Spector they thought i might like. Settled on Dingwalls but not sure. They left me alone to try them via Vanderkley amp. No pressure but some good advice and opinions on what each bass might be better suited to. I settled on the Dingwall NG2. All in all i can't fault the service i've had both on-line and in shop. I never had any pressure put on me to buy any specific item and was more than pleased with Marks help, guidance or suggestions. My opinion is that suggestion, guidance or advice is there for exactly that. You don't need to accept it but use it to your advantage. Can't fault the shop at all. Dave

Fully Comp or 3rd party only Dave

Not sure if one hit wonders but :- January - Pilot Dave

Lot of good points and coming from both sides too 1. go for it cause they are gonna replace them anyways and might as well be me 2. Going behind the existing members backs without agreement kinda thing makes you uncomfortable. I'm seeing from both these oints of view but gonna go for learning the set and if it happens it happens. The choice of songs is pretty good and they have a pretty solid gig list for 2016 from Glasgow to Isle of Arran to Sutherland in North of Scotland. Haven't met the guys yet but i think i'll like playing the songs as there are some good classic rock songs in there too like Hush, Born To Be Wild and few Queen songs. A pretty good mix to be honest. I've always put 110% into playing whatever it is i'm doing. I like putting aggression into the rock songs and balance that with the mellow style for slower ballad style songs. Will see how it pans out tho. They're not great at communication and takes them days / week to reply to messages and it gives me some doubts as to their commitment to the change. Dave

An older Wal bass cause i just like them. My wife bought me my Overwater Custom fretless 6 string for my 50th. Maybe a fretted version would be nice Also fancy a Ric again. This could go on and on and on Dave

Bassist for me but not fussed too much. Been called worse Dave

Been asked to learn set for a covers band who are looking to replace their existing drummer and bassist mid-April. Drummer not physically fit after heart issue and bassist doesn't want to lose him. Not sure about being underhand like that. If they can do it to original members then newbie will be easy prey. Blues Rock covers and afraid to say Mustang Sally is in there Not my usual kind of band but they have some really good gigs lined up for 2016. Any thoughts ? Should i just go for it and be cautious or give it a miss ?? Dave

"Play what the song needs and not what you want or can play" was a good piece of advice i got years ago. "always look as though you know what you are doing" "if you look confident when playing then even a mistake will pass unnoticed by an audience" Dave

BASSES Jazz Bass :- its my goto bass and can be used for most styles. It was in a sale and love the sound. Warwick Thumb :- was doing well both at work and in bands at the time in 1989 and this was my dream bass. (big Jack Bruce fan too) Overwater Custom 6er fretless :- 50th birthday present from my wife and my return to playing in bands again. Wanted to improve my technique and went the full hog with 6er and fretless. Overwater J4 Custom :- needed a modern back up for my jazz and got a great deal from Overwater on this one. Again another birthday pressie from my wfe. Jaydee fretless :- just wanted another 4 string fretless and Jaydee was always on my list over the years. Dingwall NG2 :- needed a good quality lightweight 5er for Prog project and this fitte all the boxes. My 2nd goto bass after Jazz. Peavey Cirrus 5 :- bought as a cheaper introduction to 5 strings for gigging. Epi Thunderbird :- got the chance of it for £100 and was a bargain. Like the shape but not for everyone tho. AMPS Markbass combo and ext cab :- portable, lightweight and great tone for most things. Gallien Krueger 1001RBii :- wanted a reliable quality amp for gigging. This was bought before my Markbass and just kept it. Using it at the moment. Gallien Krueger MB200 :- wanted a small portable back up amp for emergencies but liked so much i uesd it regularly for rehearsals. Ampeg SVT4 Pro :- Always wanted one and got it for £450 (US version @ 110V) had it converted for £200 and just love the sound from this with my Berg HT322. Bergantino HT322 cab :- This is a monstrous sounding cab that sounds great with any amp but the Ampeg using my Dingwall is just a wall of bassiness sound that can't be beaten. Did think of selling some of the amps but i like the variation i can get depending on what style of band or gig you do. Having nice basses is a bit of a hobby and justified because i don't generally waste money on alcohol, smoking or socialising nights out. Basses is my one and only vice Dave

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1455872159' post='2983066'] Wal Fretted 6 Wal Fretless 6 - Incoming Moollon Classic P - incoming Peterbuilt Fretless Jazz Modern 4 - not yet bought Glockenklang Blue Soul Berg CN210 Berg CN112 - not yet bought OK so after a recent flurry of buying, selling and ordering I've decided to try and justify to myself why I have/want the gear I've got already / the gear I have incoming... No real reason it just makes me feel better to pretend there is some reasoning behind it, rather than just buying shiny new bass gear to fill the void in my soul created by the hours I have to spend doing my unfalteringly s**t job. Wal fretted and fretless 6ers cover all my original band needs. I have the tone I want and the range I need for my various projects. I also however have need of traditional looking and sounding instruments for projects where I am a sideman to singer / songwriter types. I also may at some point be looking to escape the daily grind of my work and go part time and maybe earn a little bit on the side from music, pub covers, teaching etc. and the traditional looking and sounding P would stand me in good stead for this. I would also have the fretless Jazz should the need arise. This leaves me outstanding a modern sounding 4 for slappity tappity nonsense... I would like to get a G&L tribute L2000 to tide me over for the time being, but I will eventually get a luthier built modern fretted four... probably ACG. Amplification wise, I have settled on Glockenklang... It does everything I need at more volume than I could ever use... I have used the berg cn210 on it's own for rehearsals with a loud rock drummer and it was more than enough volume wise. I love the tone of this combination and I would like to add a cn112 (especially after the recent price drop) to give me the option of just using that for smaller acoustic type situations and adding it to the 210 if I ever need to gig without PA support. So there we go, that's me... and yes I am aware that all I really need is a Squier CV and a Fender rumble What's your excuse? [/quote] Could you post some pics of your basses. WAL basses are always nice but i've never heard of Peterbuilt basses. Know they make trucks tho. ? Dave

Arjen Lucassen Lost In The New Real is one of my fav concept albums at the moment. Then thre aeth classic Rush 2112. The Wall - Pink Floyd The Road of Bones by IQ has a very conceptual feel. Pallas XXV lesser known but great album

Modulus had a more even tonal range but the Warwick just sounded better to me. Would take either tho. Roscoe and the Specter just didn't do it for me at all. Dave

Yamaha BX1 might be a good option. Bought one years ago in late 80's. Great necks, very slim and easy to play. Stil have it but its been de-fretted. Wasn't worth much when i went for something new so just kept it. Dave

All way to 20000 i'm 55. Get hearing tested every 2 yrs and above average for my age altho i have vocal frequency dropped slightly on my right ear. Dave

Don't think you need to be great, good or whatever. If you enjoy doing it then why not. There are guys out there who are exceptional but don't want to play in bands either. Its just fun and keeps them occupied and happy. If you get fed up with it take a wee break and come back to it. I used to practice every night after work for 2-3 hrs when i was in my late teens. Played in bands till i was 30 and got fed up with it. I never stopped mucking around with my basses but couldn't be bothered taking any further than jamming with songs at home. At age 50 i got back into it via jamming with few old friends and then got back into bands. I'm no Jaco Pastorious but i do ok and just enjoy whatever level i'm at. I still enjoy jamming to music at home too tho. Give yourself a wee break and come back to it in few months. If you still feel same then nothing lost really. All the best Dave

I had the BERG AE112's and found they lacked something that i couldn't quite put my finger on. Crystal clear and could take the low B easily but not sure if it was depth but just not for me. They also pick up every little string noise because they are so clear HI-Fi sounding. I also have the BERG HT322 but its a heavyweight and its great. For lightweight work i went for the Markbass and couldn't believe how goos they were compared to BERG cabs for just cutting thru a mix. I would suggest trying the BERG's before buying especially if you don't really need or want that clarity in your sound. Too clean a sound doesn't always fit the player. Not sure the diff between AE & HD cabs tho. Def try first and if you can borrow one for a rehearsal or gig to see how it fits with the band mix. Dave

[quote name='SICbass' timestamp='1454507322' post='2970323'] Here's one like mine http://basschat.co.uk/topic/255773-yamaha-bb5000a/page__fromsearch__1 I sold mine for a bit ....... Less [/quote] That's a stunning Yamaha. Very nice indeed. Dave

1982 gig (my first proper gig) - Torquemada [attachment=211175:Me Silverburn.jpg] 1986 gig - Gypsies Kiss [attachment=211176:Tam & Davie Gypsies Kiss Heathery Bar.jpg] 2012 gig - Stormbringer [attachment=211174:Stormbringer 2012 003.jpg] 2015 gig - Mind Sculpture [attachment=211173:Davie #1.jpg] I haven't changed a bit LOL Dave

I bought a Dingwall NG2 few mths back. You might pick up a 2nd hand one for your budget (new at £1200) Very light and neck is a dream to play. I'm used to playing my Jazz mostly and this feels similar altho a 5er. The fan-fret doesn't make a huge diff and you get used to it very quickly. I swap between basses and its still not an issue for me. Dave

Had an issue with my Thumb bass when i bought it back in 89. Bass was shipped back to them as local luthiers unable to determine the fault in electronics somewhere. They covered all costs (was under warranty anyway) to Germany and back and returned it with 3 sets of Elite strings, Warwick sweatshirt, signed posters by various artists, pens and headed notepaper and a very nice pigeon English letter of apology which i believe i might still have. Few yrs ago i needed to replace the electronic module and they were helpful in telling me the original EMG module was no longer manufactuured and the MEC one would be suitable. Was posted and recieved within the week altho they didn't sent any correspondence or emails to let me know it was on its way but that's being picky i think. Local luthier in Edinburgh did the work and bass is good as new. I've heard a lot of poor stories too in fact the repair guy in Edinburgh won't even contact them for parts or advice saying they are just not helpful. Dave

Was never a Duran Duran fan but have to admit to being impressed with JT's bass lines. Don't see any reason to doubt its him on this. As mentioned earlier some great bassists from that time. Dave

Its a return to better songs i think. Was a huge fan years ago but stopped buying after Station to Station. This is good tho. Dave

Yep i went for the jamman and it does what it says on the tin. Easy to use too as i'm not really into fiddling with intricate effects. This was good and not too expensive either. Should pick one up on evilbay. Dave

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1452261459' post='2948192'] PITA. I always gently explain to anybody who wants to use y gear, that they aren't insured to use it. If they persist, they are told they can use it if they sign my form and make a refundable deposit of £500 cash. Get a bit of abuse, but they only pester me once. Give the gig up, just looking for grief going back imo. [/quote] Like this approach Karl LOL Dave

Loved the 1st track. Really nice sound. 2nd & 3rd tracks were good too but the first one was exceptional nice and funky. If your in Scotland at any time i'd come along to see you guys. Nice welcome change from the usual pub stuff. Well done. Dave