peteb

So then, had the Nux for nearly a couple of weeks now and have done three rehearsals with it (obviously used the Shure for the gig in that time). Last Thursday, I had two rehearsals with two different bands - the first one I took a passive P bass and it worked really well (as it had done for a previous rehearsal); the second rehearsal took a Stingray and it didn't work at all so I had to use a lead. So I'm wondering, does the Nux system just not work with active bases? Does anyone else have problems with the Nux and active basses?

The curse of double post strikes again...!

That's a shame - one of those mid-size venues that people have heard of, even if they're not local. Always wanted to play there, and now I probably never will...!

I think that Northern Guitars has been going in one form of another for longer than 30 years. I haven't seen Dusty for many years, but he is indeed, a bit of a character!

Saturday's gig was a Zep tribute at a civic hall in Cottingham, a pretty posh suburb of Hull (no, I didn't know that there's a posh part of Hull either)! About 200 or so punters there, with 170 tickets sold a week before the show @ £17, a few more between then and the the gig and a handful of walk-ins on the night @ £20. Unfortunately, we were on a fixed fee, but still a decent payday. Fortunately, we played pretty well and all-in-all a good show. There was a very decent PA with a married couple running sound who knew what they were doing, which always helps. Bass sounded great as well - usual rig for the Zep band of a Fender Am Std Jazz, into a Caveman pre, into the Handbox R-400 and a Berg CN212.

I've currently got a 91 3eq Stingray, but have previously had two 3eq models (another 91 and a 95), two 00s SR5s (sounded great, but I could never get on with the string spacing and the 'g' string) and a US Sterling (that I didn't like as much as the Stingrays). I did briefly consider selling the current ray as I'm not gigging it and I knew that I could get more than twice what I paid for it, but what's the point if I'm only going to start looking for another one! You're right about the pickup position - I found it a bit uncomfortable trying to anchor my thumb on the pickup. I've now got a 'ThumbRocker' thumb rest installed just in front of the pickup, which solves any issues in that respect.

I always used to think that at one time secondhand Stingrays were really undervalued, perhaps not so much these days. I have a strange relationship with Stingrays, in that I like them but never get round to gigging with them, I always seem to pick up a Fender or an active jazz! But whenever I sell one, I always regret it and end up buying another!

Not to mention a different attitude to mental illness these days.

I must admit, and of course this is from my POV, if you are playing over 100 gigs in 18 months (getting on for three times as many gigs as I've done in that period), I am a bit surprised that you haven't given in to the temptation of upgrading to a Shure system. Assuming you're making reasonable money on each gig, it's only a couple of shows to pay for the difference and you've got a better system that's going to last for much longer (I paid £400 or so for my Shure nine years ago and it's still going strong with no issues). Back in the mid 80s when I first joined a band that played bigger gigs all over the place, it was on the understanding that I was going to upgrade my gear (I had a P bass that was deemed acceptable, but I was told that I needed a spare and to upgrade my amps, etc). They said that they always got the best gear they could, even if it was a bit more than they afford and that saved them a lot of money in the long run. They were, of course, quite right and within 18 months or so I had a really cool rig that sounded great. All of this helped to establish me as a credible player in the local scene (and beyond) that has served me well to this day. Having said that, I have just ordered a NUX system, partly inspired by what people have said about them on this thread. I've done a couple of deps recently where it wasn't practical to take the pedalboard with the Shure receiver, and where a decent dongle based system like the NUX would have been very useful (as well as for rehearsals).

I'm afraid that I take a very different view. I've had loads of wireless systems since they first came out decades ago (remember the old illegal Nady systems that always used to pick up local taxi firms in the middle of gigs) and all of them were c*ap and I ended up going back to leads! I got the GLDX16 not that long after it came out (about ten years ago?) and it just works as it should do. It's done hundreds of gigs and the battery is still perfectly good, no latency issues, works fine on bass and sounds as good as you would expect. My advice is to pay a bit more and buy once, rather than get cheaper alternatives that you will get rid off and replace because they don't work as well as the better kit. It's arguably cheaper, and certainly better. I've got an xvive system that I picked up for £30 or so on eBay and while it's OK for around the house, personally I wouldn't trust it on a gig. The Shure is in a completely different class.

Yes, I've got the GLXD16 and it works great, by far the best wireless system I've ever had (and I've had a few). Not sure what you mean by Tx, but the Shure has a transmitter that you attach to your guitar strap and a lead from that plugs into the jack socket of the guitar.

Don't disregard going for a commission sale. In addition to reducing the hassle of selling it yourself, a place like Bass Bros (or Bass Direct) will generally achieve a far better price than selling it on Facebook or on here. They will also make sure that you get a realistic price and reduce the chance of you making a costly mistake if you get the selling price wrong.

I was gigging a couple of Bergantino HD112s for a while, but even though I really liked the way they sounded, I thought that they were rather heavy / difficult to pick up and I didn't feel like they were that efficient. I replaced them with a Berg CN212, which I found easier to lift as well as sounding great and loud enough. I was one of those people who were never convinced of the original Barefaced cabs with 12" speakers. However, I know a couple of guys who use the big 610 BF cabs and they sound great, much nicer than the 12s to my ears. As I get older I may well consider getting the BF Three10 cab, which is very light at 22kg and has it's own tiltback wheels. If it makes it easier to gig if I start feeling my age then there may well come a time when I replace the CN212 with the BF 310 cab.

You may be surprised to know that the delights of Portuguese pastries have even made it to the grim north, or at least as far as Yorkshire - we even have Pasteis de Natas in t'Lidl these days!

Walworth Road - I used to rehearse in a studio down there (forty years ago)!

You will be pretty much passing my gaff on the way down. I will bring some Pastéis de Natas!

It's a small sub-set - bass playing pub landlords in the south of England who play GB basses...! 🙂

double-post

Baz??

A pretty good drummer of my acquaintance is flying out all over Europe (he's in Lithuania at the moment), playing theatres to big crowds and (I assume) earning decent money - just for playing in a Coldplay tribute...!

I think that you might want something different in a compressor than someone like me is looking for. My understanding of pedals isn't as detailed as yours and the way I use them is a lot different from what you do. I'm just using a comp to help the bass find its place in the mix rather than as an effect.

To be fair, it's not the £300 price tag in itself that is the problem, more that I've already spent a fair bit on the M87 (now going for £230)...!

In addition to PIno and a number of big names, a fair few of decent players I know use a Cali76 and apparently it is the one to go for. However, I'm not sure that I can justify dropping a further £300 on one - just how much better will it be than the M87?

I was in exactly the same position as you - I appreciate how and why compression is beneficial, but struggle to hear the difference between different compressors. I got the M87 and struggled with it at first, if anything it seemed to be making things worse! Then I spoke to a bass playing sound engineer of my acquaintance and asked his opinion. He just told me how to set it up and said 'trust me, this is what you're after'. I still don't really understand the reasons why, but since following his advice, the M87 has just worked really well. It is always on when I'm playing and I wouldn't be without it...

I can see the set now - end the night with an encore of a medley of Crazy Train, Highway To Hell and Do You Believe In Life After Love!