peteb

There is a Gigs section in the Performance forum.

Is that an Elrick bass?? Never played one but always wondered what they were like.

I voted for the Elf as I carry one in my gigbag for the same reason that you are considering getting one for. It is very small and sounds pretty good. It isn't really quite loud enough, but will get you out of trouble in an emergency. I wonder what the 280w Gnome is like, maybe a little bit of extra power might be useful? I used to carry a GK MB200 as a spare, but that was larger than the Elf (didn't easily fit in an iGig pocket like the little Trace) and was nowhere near loud enough.

Yes, there are certain tonal advantages to a higher action that you have to balance against playability issues. Every player is different and there is no ‘right’ way – it’s all about what compromises you make to get the right set-up for how you play. I took a bass for a setup to Chris Dobson (Alpher Basses) and asked him for a low action. When it came back it had an incredibly low action, which I thought was brilliant until I tried to play it in anger and every note choked out. I took it back to him and he said, ‘so you like quite a high action then’ Now, I’m not particularly heavy handed and my basses are generally set-up with a lower action than many of my mates, but compared to the guys that Chris works / builds for, I need a pretty high action. Similarly, Joe talks about having a low action, yet his bass has probably been set up with a similar or even higher action to mine, which in turn is nowhere near as low as what a lot of guys use.

Same here - I just leave it in my gigbag just in case (I also carry a DI). I have had a few amps go down over the years (usually at bigger gigs). Of course, this hasn't happened since I bought the elf but you never know...

Niiiice 🙂 Actually very fluent, great playing...!

From what I understand, there is a difference in how the amp responds when you play a note. It is far too technical for me and I am not going to try and explain it badly so people can ask questions I can't answer, but it kinda made sense (albeit on a superficial level) when it was explained to me . However, whether you agree with that or not, I'm sure that most people can tell the difference in sound and response between an all-valve amp and a hyrid amp with an A/B power section, and similarly there is a difference between a Class A/B and a Class D amp.

I’ve played a few Class D amps over the years and I tried out a lot of them when I bought the Subway. To me, the Boogie was by far the best sounding of the Class Ds (the Aguilar AG700 would have been in second place). But in real life gigging situations, it just didn’t quite work for me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s definitely the power stage rather than the preamp. I know how to EQ an amp, that isn’t the issue, it’s the response you get from the amp and as you say, the breadth or 'guts' to the sound. When I took it back to Bass Direct for them to sell for me a few months after I bought it from them, I was discussing why I was moving it on so quickly and Mark said, ‘it’s not just the sound of the amp, it’s how it delivers that sound’.

The Mesa Boogie Subway D-800.

I spent a lot of money on a really nice sounding Class D amp. It sounded great in a room on its own and when I did some deps for a not particularly loud R&B band. Unfortunately, it was completely lacking when I used it with a loud rock band with keys. I had to cut my losses, sell it on and ended up getting a Handbox R-400 (Class A/B), which has been brilliant. I've had a Class A/B LM3, not to mention a couple of combos with a LM2 head, all of which had been fine on stage.

I know they have their fans, but that's what I always thought Dunno about the newer ones.

I would say that there are a couple of Mesa Boogie class A/B heads that are up there, but the HB R-400 is certainly worth considering and doesn't cost a fortune. There are plenty of decent techs knocking around who can service / do any work on the amp if needed.

Do a few gigs at a reasonable volume and I would, personally, be quite surprised if you can't tell the difference.

I would still suggest looking at any s/h Bergantino cabs that come up. I have a 410 with ceramic speakers that sounds great with my Mesa m-pulse and doesn't come in at a ridiculous weight. The cab is very efficient and will be plenty loud enough, even for the sort of bands that you (and I) play in. Of course, if you get a cab with neo speakers, then it will be a fair bit lighter. I'm mainly gigging a Handbox R400 and a Berg 212 with neo speakers with the Zep tribute at the moment. That is a bit lighter than the Mesa & 410 rig, but still sounds great and is loud enough. As compromises go, it's a pretty good one! Edit: didn't see that you had already found the Subway cabs when I posted this...!

Yea, Trillians is always a great gig with one of the best crowds around, even if it doesn't pay as much as it used to. Still, always a gig that you look forward to. The keys player is actually based in Morecambe. He did successfully appeal the fine, saying that the signage isn't clear. I know that I managed to end up in a bus lane somehow, but fortunately I wasn't caught on camera. Very confusing...

Not had a problem parking (the place that we play has an underground car park by the load-in), but the one way system and bus lanes are a nightmare. At the last gig, the keys player got a fine for driving in a bus lane (that he successfully appealed). Gawd knows how I didn't - really confusing...

Jaco's solo on Ian Hunter's All American Alien Boy track is pretty cool (starts about 1:19). Another point in it's favour is that it is very much a solo in the context of a rock and roll song, rather than just a showcase for Jaco's chops!

Yes, I agree. Pretty much my experience. That's the route that I eventually took. The R400 is a great amp that is an easy one hand carry in a compact box. Streets ahead of any Class D amp I tried / owned.

OK, I will be the first to do the obvious and put up Stevie Ray Vaughn, the King of modern urban blues (even if he has been dead for more than thirty years). It's hard to overstate just how good a guitarist SRV was (his bass player, Tommy Shannon was terrific as well). One of the great pleasures in life is sitting outside with a beer on a hot day, with SRV blasting out as loud as the neighbours will tolerate!

Absolutely. I never really thought that you needed chops to play in a function band. For every top band playing the high end of the corporate circuit there’s a couple of dozen acts playing tired versions of Mustang Sally for middle aged aunts to dance to at weddings at mid-priced venues. Like you say, you do need to be focussed on the money and be prepared to put the work in, but that seems to be more about getting the event management right rather than the music. I’ve done it (briefly) in the past and it was alright, and we made decent money. I’m not saying I wouldn’t do it again if the money was right, but it’s not something that I would want to commit to long, or even medium, term. The thing with the pub circuit is that there are some terrible bands out there, but also plenty of very good ones. There isn’t as much commitment or hassle as playing functions and at least, with a bit of thought, you can avoid the lowest common denominator stuff and still get a following.

I have been that conductor...!

No, don't think that pubs in bigger towns will usually have an in-house PA system or anything like that, as they generally do not. I'm playing the tribute circuit at the moment (mainly clubs), where it is expected that a PA will be provided on every gig that we do. How good that PA will be is another matter...

Every gig that I do these days has an in-house PA. Some are good, some bad and some indifferent. Similarly the engineer who's running the PA - some good, some sort of OK and some crap. I take a bass rig to every gig - there's no way I would rely on a random PA in some club...!

When I was dealing with HB, I got the impression that it's just one guy in a workshop, with his sons helping out occasionally. I'm sure that WoT will know more about the size of the operation.