DrBike

He/you could always get another kick drum skin and cut a hole in it that he can use for those gigs that need it. Since you can get a kick drum skin for less than £20, to me that sounds like an easy and relatively economical solution to the problem.

OK - tonight is the night. We've got 2 guys coming along and I've scheduled one from 7:45 til 8:45 and one from 9 til 10. I'll post tomorrow with the "feedback" Thanks for the input so far.

We found our guitarist on Join My Band and before I posted the advert there I'd looked around to see if there were postings of singers looking for bands (and asked around other bands I know about the best places to look). At the moment there are 2 showing interest. Since we're a covers band and none of the songs are particularly obscure or out of the ordinary I'd expect any reasonable singer to know the songs and I've sent out a list of 6 for them to choose from. The only thing that I'm expecting that we might have to do is a key change, but for some songs that's not so straight forward.

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1420200881' post='2646587'] Which ever one you dislike most will be the best front man for you, self centered, arrogant, opinionated gits seem to make mighty fine singers... [/quote] Also noted Thanks for the responses everyone

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1420199433' post='2646562'] Put a mirror up in the rehearsal studio and the one that spends least time in front of it gets the job. Alternatively, the one who asks if you need a hand to pack up the gear afterwards. [/quote] Noted

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1420198598' post='2646545'] The polite and considerate approach is to audition them separately, with enough of a gap that one can't hear the other while they're waiting. [/quote] That might be easier said than done, but I'll try to see what I can sort out. [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1420198598' post='2646545'] Don't forget to assess their [i]timing[/i], not just pitch and power. It is murder to work with a singer with 'off' timing! [/quote] The last band had 2 guitards with dubious timing, hence the new band.

I've recently started up a new covers band - initially as a 3 piece. Although we're each reasonable singers (and I sang lead vocals in my last band as well as playing bass) after a few practices we've decided that we really need a "proper" singer for the band to reach it's potential. I've posted on JoinMyBand and have a couple of guys who seem like they fit the ticket, now I'm setting up "auditions". I know that a lot of the time it's down to "Chemistry" but has anyone got any advice on how to get the best out of the auditions? Should I get them both in together for a X-Factor sing off style or get them in separately? I'll sort out a list of songs so they won't be singing "blind".

Before hitting the big time with Marillion, Derek Dick (aka Fish) was in a psychedelic folk rock duo with Country Joe McDonald.

Groetjes

[quote name='LeftyClover' timestamp='1417036704' post='2616559'] [color=#141414][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The latter I have built myself from a Warmoth P neck and an ash body from a Belgian luthier.[/font][/font][/color] [/quote] Not Paul Belgrado by any chance? I know his brother, we used to work together.

A selection from my previous band Brown Sugar All The Small Things Holiday (the Green Day one not the Madonna one) Buck Rogers Born To Be Wild Teenage Dirtbag Hey Jealousy And She Was The Middle (Jimmy Eat World) Gold On The Ceiling Lonely Boy (Black Keys rather than Andrew Gold) All Day and All of the Night

That last one reminds me of when I saw Robert Cray at Rock City in Nottingham some time in the first half of the 80s I think. I know that John Mayall was mentioned above and probably the Blues Breakers "Beano" album is the one that initially springs to mind but something else I'd recommend to check out (for a different take on things) is his Jazz Blues Fusion album with Larry Taylor on bass. I think that I first heard that when I was 15/16, I was already familiar with quite a lot of blues stuff already but hearing that LP just made me go "Wow!" Here's one of the tracks "Exercise in C Major for Harmonica" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC0J8S59GEE

In the dim and distant past I answered an advert posted by a drummer who wanted to get a band going. After a couple of weeks we had a band together with a singer, guitard and keys player. It soon became apparent that the drummer was dreadful so the rest of us decided to ditch the drummer and get another one in (the keys player knew a very good drummer). The new line up for the band turned out to be really good, it certainly stretched my playing in ways I'd never been stretched before and that would never have happened with the first drummer.

If you're going to immerse yourself a good start would be [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Recordings-Robert-Johnson/dp/B0015LBJ9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417435073&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+johnson"]the complete recordings of Robert Johnson[/url], then move on to some early [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Collection-Muddy-Waters/dp/B00004U672/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1417435239&sr=1-4&keywords=muddy+waters"]Muddy Waters[/url] and [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Definitive-Collection-John-Lee-Hooker/dp/B00004RIN4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1417435403&sr=1-1&keywords=john+lee+hooker"]John Lee Hooker[/url]. This is a pretty good stepping off point but there's so much more to more to listen to. I'd also highly recommend (one of my personal favourites) [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Texas-In-Blues-Freddie-King/dp/B00BWRKLE0/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_8"]Freddie King[/url]

The first bass I "owned" was a no-name cheap precision copy in silver sparkly finish. I swapped my JooDee Les Paul copy and cheap amp that I had with a bandmate who had the bass above and a Laney Keyboard combo amp. I played it to death until I could afford my dream bass which was a Fender Jazz that I got brand new in 1984. I'm not sure what happened to the silver sparkle bass although I have a feeling that I sold it back to the guy I got it from. I've still got that first Jazz though.

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]1. How long have you been playing your instrument? 32 years[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]2. Do you use an electronic tuner? If yes which model? Yes, Mooer Baby Tuner[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]3. Do you tune by ear or electronic tuner? Both, but mostly electronic.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]4. If by ear how do you go about? Get a reference note from another instrument then tune via octaves and harmonics on other strings .[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]5. Are you always 100% happy with your tuning? / if not Yes[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]6. Why are you not happy with your tuning? n/a[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]7. What disturbs you about the electronic tuner. Nothing with the current tuner but some I've used in the past have been slow to respond.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]8. Do you know how to tune by ear? Yes[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]9. What is your preferred tuning method? Electronic since I know that it's 100% accurate. Plus the tuner will mute my sound so when playing live you don't get to "entertain" the audience/band mates with your tuning.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]thank you very much for your invaluable support in advance.[/font][/color]

I'm more inclined to agree with Spacey. When I took up bass I'd already been playing guitar for a while (self taught), and had enough understanding to follow tabs etc. but it took me a while to know where most of the notes are on the neck. As Spacey said (and as I tried to say earlier) it depends on what level you want to play at and what you're trying to achieve. If you want to play some covers with some mates then In my opinion as long as you have a rudimentary understanding of theory it's better to concentrate on technique and "bandcraft" than learning notes and scales. However if you want to be more serious about your playing then certainly the scales etc. are something to concentrate on from the start. I guess that also the more formalised learning method work better for some than others. I've always approached my music as something that I do as a hobby and to get enjoyment out of. I have a day job that has given me a reasonable career that's nothing to do with music and for me playing bass in a band gives me a creative outlet and an opportunity to meet like-minded people. Could I sit in an orchestra pit and play notes off the sheet music? No, but then again that's not what I ever wanted to do. Can I sit in with a bunch of mates and knock out a few covers? Yes and that's what I enjoy doing.

If I understand your post correctly it sounds like there are several of you learning together at the same time and there are people at different levels. It also sounds like you have an elementary grasp of where the notes are on the fretboard (which is more than a lot of players). If I were in your position I'd ask myself if these lessons/teacher are the most appropriate way of learning for you. From what I can fathom so far it would appear that it's not and your money may be better spent in other ways. I'd speak to your tutor and see if you want to continue with him or use some online or book based learning methods. Either that or consider one-to-one lessons with your current (or even another) tutor. In my case I took some bass lessons a while ago, I'd been playing for a number of years already and thought that lessons would help me improve. The teacher wanted me to learn to read music from manuscript (sheet music) cos she assumed that I wanted to become the kind of bass player that she was (session player and solo artist), but I realised that what I wanted was to improve my technique rather than to learn to read the notes and play, I'm not saying that you shouldn't learn the notes and scales but you should consider what you want to get out of the lessons rather than what the tutor wants to teach you "generically". I know that some here will disagree with me but I personally feel that once you have the basics of playing the best way to "learn" is to get in a band and then compliment that with lessons on technique and "bandcraft".

I've had my PF500 since March 2012 with not even the merest hint of a whiff of a problem. I've just jinxed myself haven't I? Just out of interest, what cab were you using with it?

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Ziricote does it for me. As I scrolled down the thread I saw that pic first and thought "Wow" as I scrolled down to the Macassar I thought "not so wow".[/font][/color]

I watched the Ginger Baker film last night. Interesting stuff.

Going through this topic and reading comments about the variable quality of instruments it's made me wonder. What (if any) quality control is done in the factories and also shouldn't the shops do some kind of QC before hanging a bass up for sale? Since most guitars are going to come off a production line of a factory on the other side of the world and then get shipped (literally) in a relatively basic box in a container so the chances of them arriving in the UK retaining any factory set up (assuming that some is done) are pretty slim. Maybe I'm being naive but shouldn't the shop do some basic checks that the bass/guitar is of a saleable quality and at least has a basic setup to ensure that it's playable prior to selling? Plus if a guitar has obvious neck/body fit issues one would hope that it never makes it out of the factory in the first place or at least gets rejected in the shop before going on sale. Perhaps this should be a separate topic?

I'm not a big fan of the clip-on tuners. I also had a Korg Pitch black but it died. So I got a [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MOOER-MTU1-BABY-TUNER-PEDAL/dp/B00HQKA4XK/ref=sr_1_1"]Mooer Baby Tuner[/url] after watching some vids on Youtube. The great thing about it is that's it responds really, really quickly (which I felt that the Pitch Black didn't). The downside (for some maybe) is that there's no space for a battery so you have to use a 9v power supply.

I've used Joinmyband recently to get a new band off the ground (although I already had a drummer lined up so was mainly looking for a gitard). Rather than posting an ad I just kept an eye out on who was looking/advertising their wares. The first couple of guys didn't work out but the third was a real find and we're now in the throes of getting our 3 piece to gigging standard. TBH he's possibly one of the most talented musicians I've worked with which is really keeping myself and the drummer on our toes. To top it off we're hoping to rope in a friend of his who's a top notch sax player.

Taking the list from Tony above, here are some "reasonably" cheap recommendations from me. Compressor / tuner [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MOOER-MTU1-BABY-TUNER-PEDAL/dp/B00HQKA4XK/ref=sr_1_1"]Mooer Tuner[/url] £50 Long quality lead Probably a couple of these [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-Performance-Series-jack-black/dp/B005PNXT6E/ref=sr_1_3"]Fender Leads[/url] [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leathergraft-inch-Softee-Leather-Strap/dp/B0056N2ANG/ref=sr_1_69"]Comfy strap[/url] and some strap locks (go for a wide leather strap with a rough finish on the inside as it will grip onto your clothes better and not slip around) Decent amp or combo [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deluxe-25mm-padded-Bass-Guitar/dp/B00BLJ03EW/ref=sr_1_6"]Decent case or gig bag[/url]