uk_lefty

Thanks.... I have done absolutely nothing yet. I got some Sadowsky tuners which look fantastic but I really need to get to a local builder to have the neck and bridge properly fitted. Once that's done everything else should be a doddle.....

That was me in lockdown! Fooling myself that I could buy wrecks on eBay and make them either usable or turn for a profit. I have neither the skill, tools, time or patience to do this. But I am a sucker for an 80s Japanese bass.

My Harley Benton has been gigged twice this year. Once out of preference and once from necessity. Like Kodiak's mine is always out on a stand and ready to play. I need one of these 50's now, you've all persuaded me!

Crazy world of Arthur Brown, Fire. We play very little from before 2000 so this sixties classic isn't even worth mentioning, sadly. But it's one of those songs I heard as a kid on my dad's cassettes in the car that really made an impression.

It was on a stand at the side of the stage, and it was used for the gig. The Harley Benton fretless mentioned in the original post.

Tuning up and the G string on my fender jazz just popped. No spare strings, left them in a different gig bag. Tonight's gig will be on the Harley Benton fretless!!

Through my practice amp running the LMB-3 before the EBS and having everything else in the loop seems to work. Gig tonight, luckily we get tons of set up time so if I get the bass dropping out through my gig rig when I engage the drive and or distortion then I can be aware of it and not rely on those for the gig.

My drummer went to Roland V drums a while back. Long story short, with a LOT of work and patience it can sound and look perfectly like a "proper" kit. The cymbals weren't quite right so he's got the real cymbals back but the electric kit. He spent a lot of time reading through troubleshooting stuff on the Roland forum and making adjustments to cables and stuff. The sound coming from the PA was odd until we got a sub and stuck that central-ish behind us and that made a big difference.

A Remark you made, Weather Report. It's sad, haunting, bass driven. A Tout Le Monde, Megadeth. It's a f'ing great song and I love it. And it's my party. Either that or Cutting Crew, Just Died in Your Arms. Death of a Clown by the Kinks for the ending, ever since the first time I heard it I knew the perfect occasion for it. These are my wishes.

I want to like PJ basses but I think they are prejudiced against me. I'm still not ready for fan frets.

Agree with you completely.

Specifically last ten years? A lot of the bigger songs by Bruno Mars and Last Gaga are from 2000-2010. I know, it feels like they're "new"....

It's just a real ball ache to keep rearranging the pedalboard!!

Tha is for this, really helpful. I can take a photo of settings later. I'm not sure if it's the LMB-3 or just some of the non bass pedals that are in my chain like a Boss DS1 that I'm experimenting with. Either way I'm in line with your thinking, send the compressed signal into the input and then allow the other boxes to do their magic with that.

So... I run almost all my pedals through an EBS Microbass II effects loop. My signal chain goes: wireless into tuner, to EBS effects loop, a handful of pedals then a Boss LMB-3 and back into the EBS. I'm wondering whether the LMB-3 is better off before the signal hits the EBS? I had it earlier in the loop and found it killing the sound from the pedals. I can't put it after the output of the EBS because I like to DI off that. Any helpful suggestions welcome.

Had one for a while. Really, really liked it as a DI/ EQ pedal, great for going straight to PA. The distortion might not be your cup of tea though so it might not solve all problems in one pedal. Then again, it could be a good option to have, if it didn't have the distortion function it would still be a great pedal.

I've never properly recorded in a studio but from all the little bits I've learned I would go in with a bass freshly set up and do as I'm told. The bass will most likely get recorded in one or two takes straight into the desk and the most of the day will be spent getting the guitar sound right... Or so I expect. I'll probably take a good book and bring a selection of different foods from the supermarket to share with all involved.

Just anchor your thumb onto the p pup itself. While practicing just try to keep consistency of tone and hand position and you'll get into the habit.

I don't agree that it's the greatest ever but I will listen to it more closely, good call! That's why I like these discussions, find something completely new or take a different perspective on something you thought you knew well. Great thread @TheGreek

this is perfection. I've never even thought about the bass line or any individual part, it's just one solid entity of musical bliss. I think it's the sheer emotion, it's sad but hopeful, everything about the performance is pushing those emotions.

I got my first bass at 15 and a couple of learning books. No lessons, no previous real ability on any instrument though I really loved music. Typical story, three of my school friends played guitar and wanted to start a band so they needed a bassist. It took me too long to learn so one of the guitarists switched to bass and I was left to learn. Fast forward to age 17 and I saw an ad in my local music shop "bassist wanted" list of influences for the band and a note at the bottom "...and we will always play something you like". By this time I had the ability to play along to one side of a cassettes worth of songs, the Kinks, Hendrix, a bit of Sabbath. I went to the band leaders house, he was 20 but had been gigging since his early teens and was ridiculously talented on guitar, though a rubbish singer. I had tried to play with friends at school and college before but it never really worked, playing with guys who had been in bands and being the last piece of the jigsaw really helped me. We rehearsed for a year before our first gig which was fantastic, then we set about getting gigs. I learned so much from the other two guys in the band, about following what was going on, jamming with the drummer, quickly reading the guitarists hands for when he wants to medley into a song I've not played before, etc.

Agree with you! Our website gets barely any visitors, Facebook page not a lot, Instagram gets tons. Luckily our guitarist is well on top of it, if it were left to me it would be nowhere near.

An "expensive" band can justify what they're asking for by having a well stocked social media account that shows what the venue will get: good quality band, crowd interaction, a following, etc. Speaking to a friendly promoter we were asking about how we get a foot in the door a but further afield, he says it's all down to Social Media: short video clips, how many followers, comments from punters... The ones that play for £40 a head probably aren't doing this stuff or are probably doing it very badly.

I think the stage your band is at is the key here. If I was still getting a band off the ground and everyone was available without too much inconvenience I'd probably do the gig. Reason being you can iron out a lot of issues, even things like why the PA is making that hissing noise, how to set up quickly or different venues, all the boring stuff, as well as working on your act: song endings, new songs, how to get the four punters tapping their feet, how you respond to requests etc. You say you haven't got a following but if you want to turn down small gigs how will you earn the following to get you in the door for the bigger gigs? I know I'm being very idealistic here but it's hard work building up a band and takes a lot of ups and downs.