shizznit

I have had the same experience many times auditioning for acts and reviewing other musicians on their auditions. I wouldn't take it personally. Fact of the matter is that there is a whole bunch of time wasting nobheads out there and you will come across them once in a while. Common decency and courtesy falls short with some folks. Let it go over your head and start again. I had found on a few occasions that patience is a problem. On a first audition you won't get everything right or do things in the way that is expected of you...or more to the point, play like the last guy did! One band I auditioned for a few years back were very rude towards me because I didn't play a song in the same way as their previous bass player did. They were an originals band and I had never heard the song before, so how was I supposed to know!? It kinda set the tone for the rest of the evening for me and I couldn't wait to get out of there. They had a very elevated opinion of themselves and their attitude didn't wash with me. None of them said bye to me when I left.

[quote name='TommyK' timestamp='1334065857' post='1610345'] Really?? My drummer came with me and he said exactly the same... I thought the drumming was outstanding myself....shows what I know! [/quote] Oh, I am not putting down the new bloke at all. I thought he was awesome on the night and I love his work on the new album. I thought that Brain before him was the mutts nuts too. Les wouldn't hire a crap drummer, that’s for sure. Herb is a stunning drummer and played on most of their best stuff, so I guess it’s a nostalgia thing more than anything else.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1334065205' post='1610333'] Whats your settings looking like when this happens? [/quote] That's what's bugging me. No matter what settings I have its happening. Even when I turn off the character or filter controls. Nothing wrong with my cabs...they work perfectly with my HD350 at the same volume. I have used the amp at a higher volume before and it didnt do it then. Tried different basses with the same result. My drummer was asking me to turn up, but I couldn't because the amp was cutting out. My backline volume is never that loud because he is a light drummer, so I am quite worried. If I can't get my head around it I might have to give Ralph @ EBS a bell.

If I was in a rockabilly band I would be all over that! Lovely bass

I might have an issue with my Reidmar. At loud volumes it's cutting out when I slap...as if it was hitting a limiter. It has only started to happen over the past couple of weeks. Even when the compressor/limiter control is off it still happens. Has anyone come across this yet? It could be that I am pushing the amp to its full capability, but it's a concern nonetheless.

I left feeling absolutely buzzed! What an awesome gig! The front of house sound was spot on and Les was on form. A life long ambition that I can finally put a tick next to! Really wished that Herb was on drums though.

[quote name='far0n' timestamp='1334041115' post='1609848'] Looks like crazy string spacing to me, maybe 19mm ?? [/quote] Looks like it. The nut width is massive too. Could be the angle that the pics were taken...I dunno, but that neck looks huge.

[quote name='AngeR' timestamp='1334056833' post='1610159'] Just great!!! eheh The nicest thing is that you have the neck the way you like it! I dare you to do the same. Trust me, it's not that hard! [/quote] Trust me, I would destroy the neck if I had a crack at it! At least with a bolt-on neck you can buy another one if it went pear shaped, but I wouldn't attempt to do a thru neck. I would never forgive myself if I did a crap job

Great job on the neck! I would never dare to do that by my own hands. Always wondered what a slim neck on a Warwick would feel like.

Jon has laminated the neck and has started carving it. The body has been cut, so I should have a pic of the body and neck together this week. It will be a rough representation as Jon still needs to fill in the holes on the top and headstock laminate as well as carving the radius around the body once he has done that, but I will get a good idea on how it will look. Can't wait to see how the reverse headstock will look on this design! The build is still very much in its infancy and there is a long way to go, but it feels good to know that it starting to take shape bit by bit.

I was playing guitar for the band I was in at the time and our bass player fell out with us two days before a gig and I jumped on the bass to cover. The singer was a pretty tidy guitar player, so he covered that for the gig. We did ok, but I was foolish enough to think that the bass would be easier to play. I didn't touch a bass again for about 2yrs. I really don't know why I eventually made the switch to be honest. I think it was out of boredom from playing guitar and not getting very far with it. As soon as I started to play bass I found myself to be in more demand with bands...it's nice to feel wanted!

A true musical icon that pushed the limits of technology and gave us the most famous and popular brand in the business. RIP Jim

[quote name='andydye' timestamp='1333453345' post='1601811'] Lakland 55-02, ticks all of the above boxes! I love mine!! [/quote] +1 Best all round 5'er in that price bracket IMHO

The Warwick Hellborg amp is alright...didn't blow me away when I tried it. At that price I would expect it to come with a self replenishing mini bar and a golden ticket to Willy Wonkers chocolate factory. I play EBS amps and that kit is not cheap either, but I do think they are worth every penny. I thought I was mental parting with that amount of cash when I bought my first EBS rig, but it has been the best musical investment I have made thus far.

I am a believer in keeping kit that will be used and is fit for your needs. Over the past few years I have cut a lot of the fat by selling kit that was 'nice to have' and not necessarily being used for anything. The stuff I sold was the fruits of my labour that I aquired over many years and I was proud of my collection, but I sucked up my pride and was honest with myself. But, there is nothing wrong with collecting kit if you get enjoyment from it. I know someone that has never played outside of his bedroom for 20yrs and has a collection of 11 high end guitars and 4 high end amps. There is a fine line between being fanatical about your kit and over practicality. That line is in a different place from person to person.

[quote name='tividalebass' timestamp='1333279536' post='1599459'] Collected mine from PMT Birmingham yesterday yes awesome little head. Through my friends 410 proline was immense, but I need someting a little more modest for my needs can't decide whether to go for 4 ohm 210 or start with a 112 classic. [/quote] The voicing of the Classicline cabs are very different to the Proline or Neoline cabs. They are a little more rounder in the low end and not as sparkly...more traditional I guess. But, because the Classicline cabs are 8ohms you can mix and match two different size cabs to get a full range backline. With a Pro or Neo cab you are stuck with just the one cab because the Reidmar runs down to 4ohm. It all depends what tone you want to achieve and how much kit you want to travel with.

I like traditional tones as well as modern. Here's my favs... Traditional - Bernard Edwards. Gotta love that punchy MM tone! Modern - Marcus Miller. Pretty much set the trend for the scooped, hi-fi tone. Other - I love Justin Chancellors tone...great rock tone. Pino's fretless tone is awesome (even though I hate chorus effects!). Felix Pappalardi had an awesome, fat fuzz tone...big fan of that!

Well, there has been an interesting development at the audition tomorrow. Both my guitar player and percussionist are also auditionining for a job with the band!

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1332247817' post='1585447'] I play in four bands and have a demanding day job and other responsonibilities. [/quote] No time for a round of golf then? [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1332248839' post='1585474'] ....You may have to placate them with a first come first serve condition, but then will you be happy with that..? as in a £70 against a £200 gig..which one are you expected to take/honour..? People may say first come, first served but it is not as easy as that if you have bills to pay from this sole income. [/quote] My main concern about that is that two of the guys in my current band are pro musicians too and they rely on live work as a part of their income. I would feel a bit uncomfortable if I have to turn down a gig because of double bookings with the other band and they lose out financially whilst I won't. They both used to split their time with a couple of other bands too, but now just focus on this one because its a good earner for them. I really don't want it to come down to a first come first served policy with either band, but if my current band was busier I wouldn't need to take this step.

[quote name='LemonCello' timestamp='1332270269' post='1585911'] I know of a joint up the Gurnos looking for an Elvis tribute Act [/quote] Don't start me on that again!

Few suggestions... [u]Modern[/u] Peavey Millenium's - a lot of bass for the money. Lovely player. Schecter Stilleto - very popular over the states with Gospel players, but again good features for the price. Warwick Rockbass - great basses, but not everyone likes the way they play. Try one out to see how you get on. Ibanez SR500 - I had one of these as a back up bass a long time ago. Very big tone and very easy to play. [u]Traditional[/u] Fender Squire Jazz Deluxe V - say no more Fender Squire Precision Deluxe V - probably not as flexible tone wise as the Jazz, but at the end of the day its a P bass with a B string! Yamaha BB615 - bit of a marmite bass...I think they are a great budget bass personally. Very flexible bass for the money Epiphone Thunderbird Pro 5 - you just look like a man that means business with this bass!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1332247029' post='1585427'] I am glad I am not the only one who thinks Alembics are designed by blind guys. [/quote] When I sit down with an Alembic I think "Wow! This thing sounds awesome...plays pretty good too". Then I will put it back on the stand, step back, take a look at it and then think "Oh!? Hmmmm"

A P bass is a staple choice for many players for recording and for 400 sterling’s you can pick up a decent one. They are no fuss, no nonsense...what you see is what you get basses. J basses are also very good to use as you have a bit more tonal flex. For direct recording you don’t need to spend a fortune on a bass, but make sure you find one that is comfortable to play for long periods as a cramping hand can really ruin your recording session. Depending on the job, 8/10 I will record with a passive tone and keep the EQ flat on the desk. Fresh strings, good quality strings are a must and make sure you have a spare set if you are recording continuously over several days (you may need to change them after 2 or 3 days when they start to darken in tone after you break them in). Also, make sure that your bass is well set up. The intonation bang on and try to avoid very low action heights. You can’t do much for a rattling bass and dead notes during the mix down, so you may have to sacrifice some comfort for a clean, workable tone. I am a firm believer in starting with a blank canvas, delivering a good performance and let the studio kit and the engineer do their magic in the mix down.

After what has seemed like an eternity over the past several years, I have decided to back into pro playing as from April. I'm packing my crap in the office tomorrow, going off on holiday for a couple of weeks and try my hand at making a living out of music again when I return home. I have some session work that will take me up until the summer, some teaching and a couple of bits and bobs to commit to with a community project funded by the council, but I am also taking on a second covers band. The current band I am playing for is a lot of fun and the musicians are some of the best I play with, but the work has dropped off quite a bit over the past 12 months and the fees along with it. We're so tight and well rehearsed we only come together to practice one a month. So, I have a lot of time spare which I can contribute towards another band to earn a few more squids. I'm going to an audition for a disco/funk band this Friday evening. I have spoken to the singer and guitarist over the yesterday and this band seems right up my street, so hopefully I will get the gig. Even if I don’t get it I will look to get myself into another band soon. I haven’t told my current band that I am going to divide my time with another band yet. I am not worried that they will ditch me because we have a summer full of wedding gigs starting from May and they will have no chance finding another bassist to learn a 2hr set by that time. I’m not saying that I am holding them over a barrel because I still really want to continue to play for this band, but there might be an adverse reaction from them as soon as I tell them I am taking on another band. Hopefully they will be understanding that I have to earn a living and its nothing personal...purely business. I have never split my time between two bands before. I don’t feel that I am dividing my creative time because both are covers bands and all it only takes a few moments for me to sit down at home and learn someone else’s songs. But, I have to put food on the table and try to bring in as much money as I can and occupy my time and this is one of the ways I can do so. [u]BC members that play for more than one band[/u] - I would appreciate any comments you may have about your experiences. I would be interested to hear about your positives and negatives.

+1 on the Laklands! I love em all! Best work horse I have ever owned. I would be lost without my 55-02.