hamfist

[quote name='The Hat' timestamp='1373210444' post='2134724'] I'm a beginner and have a decent enough SGC Nanyo 4 string but am yearning for a P bass but not sure which to go for for as there are so many that seem to differ by year etc. What's considered to be a pretty good all round Fender P Bass that's not gonna cost the earth ? [/quote] Have you played a couple of P basses yet ? "proper" P bass necks are wide, thick and chunky. Many folks do not get on with them. However, there are alternatives with slimmer necks. Go to a shop or two and play a couple if you haven't already. For £500 you could pick up a used USA Std Precision, which will hold it's value and should (I say should!) play really nicely.

Big Spotify user here too. Just on my computer. A fiver a month, no adverts, good bit rate, and virtually any music I could want. It's unbeatable for just browsing around for new artists and music you would normally never listen too

"good of thunder" ? is that a bad case of wind ? Seriously ... nice little combination !

[quote name='Grissle' timestamp='1372988173' post='2132594'] Fender '62 Originals, SD Spb-1 or Dimarzio model P are all very solid vintage sounding choices, really almost identical. [/quote] IME the Model P is far from the "standard" vintage P sound. It has much higher output and really goosed mids with less highs and lows that the Fender original. I have also have an odd problem with the current Fender "original" P bass pickup. I have bought two of them and in both they were particularly sensitive to volume changes as you bent a note, bending the string nearer or further away from a pole-piece changing the volume noticeably. I've never had that before with any other pickup, but both these Fenders did it in a weird way in my particular installations. Also, IME, with a P bass the bass itself (woods, construction etc) has more impact on the tone than the pickup. To the OP .... if you're not hugely keen on the Affinity's tone as is, then I suspect a new pickup will not be the answer. You can only polish a turd, you can't actually change what it is. I'd personally spend my money on a different bass. I'm not saying you have to spend a load of money, but if the Affinity has a basic thin tone, for example, that will not change completely with a new pickup. I would play a load of cheap and mid-priced P's and pick the one that sounded and felt the best. Only then, would I consider a pickup upgrade.

Don't laugh but The main intro riff of London's Calling by the Clash is surprisingly tricky to pull off rhythmically and feel-wise. I thought it was going to be a piece of p1ss to learn, but I still have to concentrate a little bit extra when playing it. Still not sure whether to play the last note on the G or D string.

The Seymour Duncan SPB-1 is as good as virtually anything out there, IMO .... and decently priced too.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1372960569' post='2132211'] what I tend to need to hear in order to play (in loud/busy mix) is a fair bit higher than I would nessesrally want/need for a bass tone (from FOH point of view) [/quote] I am definitely the same. In fact for my new personal monitor, I shall certainly be starting out with applying the 80Hz High pass filter option in the amp. IME with my current band there's always plenty of lows washing around the stage, and will still continue to be from my "bass FOH" rig. So a hefty low cut on my personal bass monitor will allow it to focus on the frequencies which actually allow me to hear the attack and pitch of my notes, rather than just feel them.

Lozz, you're not the first person I've heard say that. However, my experience has been a little different. I have owned and gigged a Shroeder 410 and I found them to be only a tiny bit less directional than other bass cabs. It was one of the semi-angle baffle ones BTW. My suspicion is that there is so much tradition and culture in the bass world, giving all this resistance to change, that the whole scene is virtually blind to the fact that bass guitar cabs simply are poor at spreading anything approaching full range bass guitar tone around a stage or venue. OK, they were fine in the days when a bass guitar in music really was only there to fill in the low end sonically, but these days, modern genres require so much more from a bass tone that IMO "traditional" designed bass cabs with their poor mid/highs dispersion are simply not fit for purpose. There ... I've said it !

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1372873903' post='2131068'] I've never found a cab to be that directional, esp the better ones. If anything i've had problems with PA guys not liking the way that even on whisper quiet my bass cab will fill the hall in a way their speakers won't [/quote] A bass cab will fill a hall with bass frequencies, as the lower you go, the more omni-directional they are. The highish mids and up are very directional though in every bass cab I have ever tried, and that includes some very expensive ones. I havn't met a sound guy yet who is aware that bass guitars actually put out any frequencies over about 400Hz, so your comment doesn't surprise me !

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1372837019' post='2130409'] I've got an angled stand for my cab, which points it upwards at my head. Can hear everything. Did you try one of those? £14, IIRC Am going the IEM route (mostly for pitching my ropey vocals) shortly, though, which will get round the whole shebang. [/quote] I've tried all sorts of arrangements to angle cabs at my ears. Two problems ..... First, the more they are angled at me, the less they are angled at the audience. Second .... bass cabs all still seem to be incredibly directional, so I still can't move much from the "optimum" position. Can't beat that big wide horn dispertion of a PA cab.

Well, due to various discussions on here, plus a load of thinking and previous experience, I am trying out a whole new approach to my live bass rig. With my pub band I have no FOH support for my bass so have to provide a fair volume from my rig (GK MB500 plus 2 x TC RS210 cabs). Anyway, I always end up with my bass rig behind me, and frequently I am standing only about 3-4 feet in front of it. So I end up with huge volume right behind me, and poor tone as, despite running a vertically stacked 4x10 rig, the tweeters are well below my ear level so I get little benfit of the high mids and highs. I have been underwhelmed by every variety of bass amp/cab variation in this style that I have tried. A key factor being how directional in close proximity bass cabs are. When they are firing at your midriff from a few feet away you are simply not going to hear anything like what the crowd will hear. So ........ anyway, I tried out using simply a passive 12" woofered PA wedge (run from my MB500) at church on sunday (where I do go through FOH) and it was a really positive experience. Angled up to my head, I could hear the nuances of my tone and playing better and could also move around and still hear pretty much the same from quite a wide area. My volume contribution to the stage was also less than with my "traditional" bass rig. So trying to translate this in to what to do with my pub band, I have decided to provide my own "FOH", comprising one RS210 laid on it's side with the 12" passive monitor on top of it. This will provide my main volume for the audience and will sit in front of me, next to the FOH speakers that the guitarist and vocals go through. THese two cabs seem to work really nicely together in that configuration in home tests, although I know that the tech-heads amongst you will be very aware of the potential pitfalls of mixing cabs etc. I will run them (4 ohms combined) from my MB500's main speaker outs. Now ... how to actually hear myself on stage, with a socially-acceptable volume and with nice tone ........ I have sold one of the RS210's and with the cash have ordered an Electrovoice ZLX-12P, 12" powered monitor, which I shall run from my MB500's DI out , or line out, which I shall use to side fill, providing my main foldback and also bass fill for my bandmates. I may even need to low cut this monitor, as I suspect I will still be able to hear vast amounts of lows from my "bass FOH" which, even though still in front of me, will spread a goodly amount of lows filling out the sound throughout the room. The EV cab also has two inputs, so I will be able to run a monitor feed from the desk into one, with vocals, and my bass into another, which is another nice bonus as my current vocal monitoring (I also sing backing vox) is verging on pathetic. I don't have a pub gig until early Aug so will have to wait a while to give it it's full test, but I will certainly be experimenting at rehearsals in the meantime using just a wedge. I spent quite a while thinking about getting in-ears but in the end rejected the idea, as my budget would not stretch to decent level equipment. Also, I have not enjoyed the isolated feeling I have experienced whilst using them in the past. Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated. But please be gentle !

Sold a pedal to Marco. Smooth easy transaction. great communication throughout. Thanks mate !

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1372439789' post='2125830'] well. This has been an interesting thread for me Kinda making me rethink how I amp my bass up! [/quote] Me too.

Pretty impressive singing/playing syncopation. That would do my head in for sure.

That looks stunning. Well done !

I bought the Digitech BSW for that very purpose, and returned it instantly. I found that a decent fuzz was better overall in a band situation. If you feel you can, and want , to add an octaver and/or a filter pedal that could make it more "synthy". But if funds were tight I'd just stick with a fuzz. The audience won't notice the difference.

Very nice indeed. Gordon Smith are a great British company !