51m0n

New Berg HT115 in the house Strickly speaking this is Plux's rig (my eldest). But he never gets around to posting (far too busy playing) so I thought I'd share. Got the HT115 off Birdy, and here is the full stack including the HT210, sounds fantastic!

I like the way you can tell the songs are written on keys first. Well sounds that way to me (probably find they are written on banjo now ) She sounds a bit like Tori Amos I think, which is no bad thing - maybe mad in a different way - it will be great stuff to gig though.

Nice one mate, congratulations!

Yup, but on the plus side, that first audition is always the worst. Will be way easier moving forward. Gonna meet these funky rocksters and see what they are like Its like riding a bike, chaps!

Got to play Steve (Birdy)'s J5 today through his IP stack with the EBS pre (I was buying some rubbishy old 115 he had lying around off him ) Damn thats a great rig, staggeringly beautiful bass, that absolutely sings! Certainly the finest J stylee bass I've ever tried. You're a lucky fella! First time I've played through the IP stack, crikey! Just, crikey!!!!!

LOL, what a PIA, now for the ingenious back saving device post, that shows how you made this easy, or the other option, a post about how utterly knackered you back now is You know its worth it!

Between myself and Plux, we own 5, so that takes you up to 1537...

[quote name='birdy' post='526859' date='Jun 28 2009, 05:20 PM']Can't find a thread for Simon so I will start one! Simon bought my Berg 1x15 cab off me and drove a long long way to pick it up!! Turned up as promised with the cash and took it away. Lovely guy and a pleasure to deal with. Steve[/quote] Cheers Steve, pleasure to do business, what he doesnt mention is me boring him stupid with waffling superlatives about his IP112 stack and Alleva Copolla bass (serious droolage chap - as if you didnt know). Son no.1 (Plux on here) is totally made up, his Berg HT stack is now complete. He's been saving like mad on the off chance that Steve would want to move the HT115 on at some point, and Steve was good enough to offer it to me since I'd expressed an interest way back when he bought it. What a gent Promise to get some piccies up of the 'House of Bergantino' as we are dubbing 51m0n Villas these days

[quote name='OldGit' post='525235' date='Jun 26 2009, 07:48 PM']Ah you are making the classic mistake of thinking anyone will even notice if you make a mistake (other than you band mates but you can control them)[/quote] +1 The audience is almost incapable of hearing anything but the largest error in bass. [quote name='OldGit' post='525235' date='Jun 26 2009, 07:48 PM']Unless you make a huge bloomer such as starting something verry loudly in C rather than G (guilty!) then they really won't and anyway, it's only rock and roll...[/quote] Me too Its was a blues as well, and they started on the 4 and I went for the one, and stubbornly stuck to the wrong chord all the way through - my excuse was I thought the inversions sounded cooler [quote name='OldGit' post='525235' date='Jun 26 2009, 07:48 PM']If you were the lead singer or guitarist or even the drummer you'd be much more exposed than we are bumbling along undeneath it all at the back. That's whay some of us do it. It's a classic joke about being able to gig two weeks after getting our first bass but there's some truth in it [/quote] +1 to this too, if you dont want to be heard, you can scoop some mid out and most of the top, you'll be felt more than heard and that will be a nice additional safety net...

Look chaps, thanks for all the support, and baiting of breath and generally joining in. Its been more fun than the work side of it in a lot of ways. I really believe these guys strung me along as the others who turned up weren't up to it. I dont think I'll ever bother with a 'second audition' again. It either clicks or it doesnt. You live and learn. Anyone thinking they would do a second audition I suggest you reread the thread and read between the lines a bit! I suspected then (to a certain extent) and now (pretty much for sure) that they kept me as the fallback in case no one else turned up with a fender bass with mud strings who said yes and played less notes than the session player on the album. I really did play what he played, and tried to make it swing harder than he did (succeeded too IMO on the last go through their single). I dont think they really dug what he did - if you listen carefully I think he sounds a bit forced (and I should know I have listened to nothing else for two weeks solid). I think its their loss, the chap they have now is a lot younger and I also suspect he's a mate of a mate who did a great job of saying yes to everything, rather than some old git with more experience and knowledge about bass who turns out to have scary good kit, and can play, and knows enough to say what will make things sound good, even if it doesn't gel with what they might think. I very much doubt the guy they have will put the work in that I am prepared to. Only because I've never met anyone else who does - with the exception of some of you lot I suspect (but you're all bonkers too). My understanding is that they've been thru about 4 bassists, and keep ending up back with the original. Its not cause no one can play - its cos they wont let anyone play how it feels right to them - bass fascists indeed - and they aren't willing to wait for a relationship to develop between the drummer and bassist. So the rhythm section keeps walking. Apparently the drummer is off soon I dont know if better things will come along or not. It will have to be what I want to do, not what someone else says I must do. Still not interested in pants pub gigs these days though, which is severely limiting! I did get asked to talk to some fellas in a funk rock outfit. Thing is I dont really do funk rock per se. But if I meet up and they say, 'play what feels good' I might just do that for a laugh.... Anyone on here get an offer from them - you have been properly forewarned

[quote name='silddx' post='525117' date='Jun 26 2009, 06:12 PM']Sorry to hear that mate. Bollocks to the 100 Club then [/quote] yeah - never mind eh. Dont have to learn a bunch of someone else's songs either...

[quote name='alexclaber' post='525114' date='Jun 26 2009, 06:11 PM']I wonder if we could have forced a [b]coup d'funk[/b] if I'd auditioned too? Alex[/quote] Mate I might have to steal that for a band name Nice!

[quote name='alexclaber' post='525106' date='Jun 26 2009, 06:07 PM']I had a horrible feeling that they'd make the wrong decision for fascist reasons. Alex[/quote] Yup. or not, depends on your point of view Either way, for fascistic reasons is probably accurate....

[quote name='steve-soar' post='525105' date='Jun 26 2009, 06:07 PM']Do you know the other guy?[/quote] Nope, but funnily enough they do.......

Hey I admit I put the phone down and said "F*** You Then!" at that point, does that count as being professional still? Felt great

Just got the call. Didnt get the gig, some other fella 'fit' better, blah blah blah blah blah, sorry, thanks for all the effort, blah blah blah, mumble mumble..... Right ho then. Kinda relieved, to be honest, he even said on the phone that they consider themselves to be fascistic about the bass - phew!

[quote name='OldGit' post='524697' date='Jun 26 2009, 10:51 AM']Yeah me too but I'd prefer it if they had today's safety stuff ... The death toll was had to cope with back then.[/quote] Granted. I would like to see a full scale replica of the Nord-Schleife built, but with huuuuge run off areas etc etc, so they could go about racing on the best circuit ever, without dieing. Shame it wont happen ever And an open wheeled series with all the current safety stuff, but with handling like those 60's 3 litre F1 cars before wings..... That wont happen either How off topic is that

[quote name='OldGit' post='524631' date='Jun 26 2009, 09:48 AM']Shhhhhush! Don't give Max any more bonkers ideas! Well done for going with it.[/quote] LOL, I'd watch Coopers, BRMs, Westlakes, Brabhams, Ferraris, Hondas and Loti from the 60's every weekend, that drifting style of driving is just the best IMO!

The first time I played live I was about 20 or 21, the stage was planks on top of milk crates, and my knees shook so much the whole stage seemed to wobble I couldnt look at the 'audience' of about 15 bored (deafened - volume over talent is always the answer!) people, as I knew they would all immediately suss that I couldn't play at all. In truth, I couldnt play at all, I picked the instrument up only months before, and know it wasnt confidence or bravado that got me on that stage it was stupidity and not wanting to let the side down. I have never regretted it. I had the same trouble gigging for 4 years, total nervous wreck up to the start of the gig, no confidence during the gig (the fear!) foul mood afterwards (I was so rubbish). Then I got into music college (but how - all the other bassists will be legends compared to me) and discovered that actually I could play, and pretty well, even in front of a room full of musos hanging on every hint of a mistake (this stuff was all marked coursework). That took another 2 years to get my head around. Why am I telling you this? Well I wasnt popular at school, I had/have my fair share of insecurities, but the fact is, if you play every night and have done for years, you are almost certainly perfectly capable of playing a pub gig, and I can only applaud you for making the suggestion you have. It is terrifying, you have [b]every[/b] right to feel terrified, it is completely natural to be terrified. I think very very few people can say they have never been terrified (my eldest son can say this, he's been performing music on stage since he was so small he didnt know it was supposed to be scary - I'm very proud of this!) or at least enjoying all the benefits of the 'fight or flight' reflex . Get it together and do it. you will love it, you will have achieved a life long dream and conquered a life long fear. It will be worth it. Whats the worst that can happen? You stand there, look at the peculiar utterly alien device in you hands, forget which end to blow through due to fear and stand stock still for the entire set before writing I am a fish 400 times, saluting the audience of 15 bored patrons, who dont even realise you didnt play, and collapsing..... ....that is the way to real fame! EDIT: I can slap, what the hell has that got to do with it, as far as I know James Jamerson never slapped a note, and by all accounts he was nearly as good as me

[quote name='Soulfinger' post='524531' date='Jun 26 2009, 08:04 AM']Well done! You should still go and buy a P. (just kidding! )[/quote] LOL! Nah mate, that'd be like taking a Cooper Climax out on the F1 Championship next year...

[quote name='alexclaber' post='524597' date='Jun 26 2009, 09:18 AM']Bear in mind that the weight of the knobs has a significant effect upon balance, so with the way many basses neckdive I'd lean towards heavy brass ones rather than wood or plastic. Alex[/quote] Maybe, but the Roscoe really doesnt suffer from any kind of neck dive at all - best balanced bass I've ever owned thats for sure....

Back from audition #2 Managed to get them from pretty stationary and too cool for school to boogeying and loving the feel in 50 minutes. Job done, satisfied that I couldnt do better under the circumstances, really grooved hard, especially their single, absolutely grooved my butt off on that one, went down very very well. Had to really hold onto the drummer though, still having issues with tempos, but much better! Expecting a call tomorrow evening. Lots of smiles all round though. Felt great on the last couple of tracks, an absolute blast to play. We shall see.....

Well they've never heard my rig, and they wont unless I get the gig, I aint hauling it out for a half hour spot for anyone, far too much cr*p!

[quote name='alexclaber' post='523698' date='Jun 25 2009, 02:46 PM']Stick some foam under your strings by the bridge. That way you can play busy without it sounding busy and by muting the attack it'll make you sound more behind the beat. You can also play the 'look how I'm getting in the vibe, this is old school' thang. And pronounce it fonk, not funk. Alex[/quote] Nah mate, I draw the line at that stuff. Rocco doesnt do it, I aint gonna. Really I can only take so much of the 'it must sound like an instrument built when dinosaurs roamed the earth or it aint fonk' thing. I'm really not kidding about the Roscoe sounding like a P on the neck pup - if it isnt authentic enough then let them find someone else. No punters would know. In a blind test the band wouldnt know for sure either. God forbid the try that tack with me, biting my tongue may not be enough

[quote name='WHUFC BASS' post='523691' date='Jun 25 2009, 02:38 PM']Now you're learning. If you have confidence in your ability and sound then I wouldn't let anyone (especially a non-bass player) tell me what bass I should and shouldn't be using. You can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be dictating how you play, what way you play it until you become just bass playing puppet. I've had first hand experience of this in the past. Never again![/quote] I've more confidence in my sound than my playing. Tone wise I'm on it baby, with my bass into my rig playing material I know it sounds 'kin huuuuuge! Hence I know I can sound fine. The issue is that they dont and the things they are saying are typical of people who dont really know much about how to make bass sound really good. The puppetry thing is acceptable to an extent on stuff that has already been done and dusted and is on the album - and to be fair they havent insisted on anything like note for note. They want just the right feel though. This is fine by me. If I start getting lectures when coming up with bass lines then I'd have a real problem. IMO people in a band write on their instruments what feels right to them. If the band constantly say its not what they want, well then you aren't in the right band are you! Thats when you point out you aint getting paid by the hour, so you arent going to be a session player for them. If they wish you to behave like a session player then they really need to get the wallet out there and then.