uk_lefty

I did Google Tiny desks but just got loads of dolls house stuff... 🤔

So is it a group, a channel on YouTube... Or as I originally assumed a recording using minimal kit in a live environment? Or something else?!

Sorry for a dumb question... What's all this "Tiny desk" business?

More warning signs last night... Someone is far too keen and likes really sh!t music. I think he sees himself as the multi instrumentalist, vocalist, life of the party type. I have to say I've not met him yet and this is all gleaned from messages that can be very easily misread, irony and tone of voice etc aren't present and when you don't know someone it's hard to really understand... Yet his vocals he sent over after running through reverb and auto tune are dreadful, painful in fact, and he couldn't play a really simple keys part along to it, had to use a backing track, which is baffling. I can't see anything coherent coming out of this. Then again the guitarist hasn't piped up except to do some organisation so there is a little hope that he has some self awareness and his feet on the ground.

Good point. Same with general playing ability with some people too.

I'll take along a recording device and suggest because there's only a handful of songs we take it in turns on a few, he does a version, I do a version, see what happens. If I think there's potential I'll mail round a link to the songs. If not I'll destroy all evidence and move on.

I do t know the science behind it but to me, with my basses and my playing, I like having two Ashdown RM 15 inch speaker cabs. I sold one of those cabs, realised I didn't have as much oomph for function gigs, and bought a 2x10 from the same range. My drummer said "that's great, 2x10 = 20, which is more than 15 so it should be louder, more cone area." This sounds plausible in words, but not with a bass running through it from my experience. I have lost some depth, volume, and roundness to the sound by replacing a 15 with a 2x10. If I were a slapper or a pick player I may be wanting to go all 10s though. Horses for courses and all that. I know there is some science to it but I don't have a brain that works like that. I am a "what does it do?" person than a "how does it work?" person. So I'd rather get hold of what I'm interested in and experiment for a while to find what I like best, because ultimately nobody else but me actually gives a fig about me and my cabs.... Except my wife. She wants me to have no speakers taking up space in the house. Ashdown RM 15s have a variable tweeter... So does the 2x10 as well actually. Not sure how much that matters. Heard James LoMenzo saying for playing live add more treble than you think you need then more again. Entwistle used to crank up the treble. Not sure what my point is with that. Treble.

Gold on both!! Purely by accident I'm on my third natural body with black scratchplate instrument.. Sadly the 5 string Sire isn't with us any more but arguably should be. My white bass has a black Pickguard too. I know what I like and I like what I know.

I've bashed through some of the songs this aft and I'm pleased that most are in my vocal range and I can play a passable bassline to most while singing. I'm feeling a bit more positive about Thursday now, these songs are not difficult for a guitarist at all and he has gigging band experience so at least he should be good. I've never heard the keys player on the ivories but have heard his vocals. Let's just say I expect to be doing all the vocals.

That ESP looks fantastic!

Fair play to you Mick, you're a decent and reasonable guy and if you didn't sign up to be in this chap's backing band then you're right to walk if it was sold as an originals project.

They're right handed, so unlikely.

Yeah I left practice with my proper band thinking not much gets better... But then I've wanted to do something different for a while. Worst that happens is I meet two people who seem okay and say hi whenever I see them about. There's lots of musos out there but we wouldn't all work in a band with each other. And it could be great...

My bands guitarists both have excellent and expensive taste in guitars. They were impressed by it, one of them wants to go and buy one! Obviously my lack of knowledge, or comparison to my more expensive basses, is evident!

I've got one of these, I wanted the multi instrument aspect so I sold my Fender rumble 15 before the BEAM arrived. The Beam is great for guitars but I don't like the bass amp sounds myself as they both have some form of drive and I like a good clean bass amp sound more often than not. However if it's just for random noodling when you get a spare ten or fifteen mins it does the job. I am impressed with it for Guitar and apparently you can use it for recording. It's also plenty loud. Does yours hiss a bit when you stream bluetooth through it? If the beam is overkill or overpriced I'd go with an Ashdown Studio. Basic lightweight amp with Aux in, UK based support.

Around New year someone local advertised that they were a guitarist wanting to get back in to gigging after a while out. I'd been looking to put something together different to my proper band and couldn't get the people I wanted involved so thought I'd contact the guy... He's recruited a merry band including another guitarist who has already dropped out and a keyboardist who says he can do vocals. I have some reservations over the song choices and the general nature of some of the chat between the group. Doesn't seem like they realistically know how to start a band. Almost four years ago I targeted joining an established band because I didn't want this aggro, I wanted to learn a set list with people who knew it already and go to play at paid gigs that were already booked. Simple. I'm now in the position of going to jam with a guitarist and keys player I've never met, playing a random mix of six songs together just to see if we can. I'll share vocals with the keys player for this start off period as we both say we can do it but we're not pretending to be great or specialist singers. If all goes well we will try to get a drummer and maybe a singer. This is where I see it falling apart. My proper band has five members and it is like herding cats in summer when everyone has family holidays, Christmas, and new year when they all go skiing. Also, it's five opinions, not one or two. I'm trying to be positive, I could be meeting nice people who are local. I could be starting a decent band. I could be getting a gig singing and playing bass which I've wanted for a while. I could decide a band won't work and be able to persuade one of them to do a duo with me. Or it could be a middle aged embarrassing car crash of trying to do some very, very tired old covers with people who don't seem to know how to set up a band.... And there's my experience of keys players. It has universally been bloody awful. Never been able to face playing in a band with one, usually down personality and lack of ability. Please all cross your fingers for me on Thursday. I do want this to be good, something is just telling me it won't be though!

Take an older bass, hand him the bass, can he play it? If he's making an absolute tit of himself but thinks he's the second coming of Jack Bruce start blowing his sax. Make sure you've had about four or five chewing gums first, not to freshen your breath but to be extra salivary so you can slobber all over and inside the damn thing. Blow as hard as you can so the Reed breaks too. In all seriousness he sounds like a control freak. If you're not being paid to be in HIS band playing HIS music then I'd walk. Otherwise what's the point? He could just go out as a solo act playing along to his home recorded backing tracks. A swift "f off and play Baker Street will you" would be my parting shot.

Si, may well need to take you up on this. Will speak to the band and get back to you. I'm St Albans based, band plays in Herts/ Essex area. We've got a gig in June I might be out of the country for.

I've tried to slap. I was nearly getting there a few years back. My band said I was good at it and insisted we do a song with lots of slap, I think it sounds awful because of my under developed technique. I'd love to know how to do double thumb etc but I just can't see myself ever playing in a musical setting where it would be welcome. When I win the lottery I will play instrumental stuff and learn all these things properly, but these days I have enough of a job remembering my parts in riff based rock! It's funny, what I admire is people who can pick up a bass and play something cool but musically relevant. By that I mean something that stands alone. I struggle with that on my own, yet with the band I can play really melodically at times under the guitars and 99% of the time it fits and works unless I'm consciously trying to do something too wacky. I enjoy a bit of Level 42 etc. but slap is one of those things where you need to be really on top of it to make it effective and musical. I can slap and pop an octave pretty quickly but making tasteful note choices and timing your accents etc is a real skill I think. Probably why I'll stick to fingers mostly, pick occasionally!

Weirdly enough I was thinking of putting this forward to our band. I can't think of the bassline in my head but I just think people will sing along and dance at functions. Will dig it out for a listen now!

Andertons have put an Ashdown at NAMM video on YouTube where Mark Gooday talks about the new Ashdown bass guitars and says they will be available kack handed. That low rider certainly does look good!

I've read very good things about the Squier classic vibe series. So when I was looking for an electric guitar I got a classic vibe tele second hand off tinternet. Needless to say I'm OK with it but it hasn't blown my socks off. Granted I've miniscule experience with electric guitars but I've got good experience with basses from Westfield through MIM and MIJ Fenders to USA Stingrays. I had heard so much good stuff about the classic vibe series I was somehow expecting more. The natural finish body just looks pants, the feel is a bit glossy and sticky, the sound is good enough... What am I missing? It's making me think twice about the vintage modified basses!

Worst: Bought a Boss wireless system on massive knock down from Andertons. It didn't work so had to go back... Since receiving it back I haven't even tested it and won't be using it at my next gig which will be crammed in to a tiny space. Bit of a waste of cash, really. Best? Right-on straps, they're very good.

We've done this one for a while and it goes well, it's good to jam through but it just needs some oomph so we're going to medley it with some other 90s dance stuff, also working on a 70s disco medley too... Not the best recording, farty PA and shoddy little amps in a damp rehearsal room but should give the gist of how we put our little twist on this stuff... Vocals start off low then ramp up as we go Listen to Step It Up BEST VER by clive mustang on #SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/white-collar-fraud/step-it-up-best-ver

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