Maude

The biggest concern I have here is that you've been listening to and taking notice of James Blunt's lyrics. 😉

Takemine TB10. I would absolutely love one of these, but I play in two bands, one Mod/Northern Soul/Ska so won't be used there, and the other I solely play doublebass in. I could use it in that band but don't want to not play doublebass and there's no way I'm taking both and swapping for songs, so I know it just won't get used and at well over two grand they're not exactly cheap. Doesn't stop me having one in my Thomann basket though, keeping an eye on the fluctuating prices. 😁 I'd jump at a second hand one as I could have my fun and move it on if necessary but you just don't see them.

If I was looking to buy another semi, one I haven't tried yet but from everything I've seen and heard, I'd be looking for a Jack Casady.

Congratulations, I love my Variax. I agree with what @Machines has said about regarding it as a bass with huge tonal variety, although I do feel most of the models do capture the essence of the bass being modelled. For instance, some might say the P bass isn't exactly like a P, but whose P bass are we comparing it to? My P probably sounds different to the next man's P due to differing strings, pickups, etc. I should've chosen a different example as that's a lot of talk about pee. What I really like is the different decay on the models, the really short 'dead' ring of the Hofner for example. Coupled with your HD 500 it'll be great as you can set up patches of bass model, amp, cab, EQ and effects and select it all with one switch. Great for cover bands. I've got a spare one that I was going to defret as I reckon some of the models will come alive without frets, doublebass and synths particularly. I'm going to try and find a suitable fretless neck instead now though in case it doesn't sound as good as I hoped and I need to sell it. Have fun experimenting. 🙂

First thing I've ever done with an acoustic (guitar or bass) is get those bronze strings off. You'll lose a bit of acoustic volume usually, but along with that you'll lose the horrific clatter and screech you get from playing it. I've got Fender nylons on both my acoustic basses.

I was too incensed to pass a reasoned comment on this earlier. As the song is about the New York club and not the Brazilian holiday destination, then factually @redbandit599 is correct in his statement. It's still the best song ever written about a showgirl named Lola and two blokes called Tony and Rico, and I won't have a bad word said about it, UNDERSTAND!!? 😉

Mines got plenty of oomph, really nice growly tone and no quieter plugged straight into an amp than any other bass I own, louder than some. One of the best tones in American punk Fat Mike's Danelectro in NOFX. Certainly not lacking there at all.

Just curious as to why a Danelectro wouldn't work for metal? Loud, punchy, clangy Rickenbackeresque tone would be well suited I'd have thought.

I have a Yamaha BEX4 and it is a seriously under rated bass. The build quality is exceptional. It has hollow body looks but has a centre block so none of the feedback issues. The soapbar pickup is the same as in my BB and due to position sounds very much like a P bass but more aggressive sounding or a slight added hollow sweetness, depending on playing attack. The piezo bridge pickup gives a lovely bright snappy tone, not really acoustic as some say. With the three band EQ I challenge anyone to find a style it's not capable of doing. It's not a light bass though as some might expect. If you can find one they are exceptional value for money. Not mine though as you couldn't pay me enough to let go of it. 🙂

Jesus Built My Hotrod. I hesitate to bring religion into this topic but I'd like to see some hard evidence before I accept this claim. I'd also love to claim the lyrics to be untrue but I've never quite worked them out. It matters not, it's an epic song! 🙂

I have this picture saved on my phone for no other reason than its the best red I've ever seen. The Merc low rider's not bad either.

My string of choice is D'addario half rounds, ENR72 (50 - 105) I like 'em stiff with a good girth.

We use the Behringer XR 'desk' with an additional WiFi router, then we each use the X air app and it's great and never let us down. We almost always use our own PA and sound man so it is a dream come true. I actually dislike when we do a rare multiband event, I just go back to taking an amp then.

I think you'll end with suggestions for just about every string available as different people like different things. For instance @Reggaebass's suggestion above suits him but I wouldn't like that feel at all. I prefer a high tension string and would need to physically and mentally hold back the whole time I was playing if I played his bass. He would probably similarly dislike one of my basses with a high tension, heavy string gauge. We each get used to what we like through trial and error.

I use a Samsung tablet, don't know which one but about a ten or eleven inch screen. We all go through FOH, no backline, and each have a tablet to control our monitor mix and levels so it made sense to use the tablet for any charts or cheat sheets. My hillbilly way of doing it actually works very well for me. I had to start doing it when I joined this band as I suddenly had around fifty songs to learn in a few weeks. I actually wrote any notes I needed, not full songs, just main riffs and chord progressions, etc, out on A4 in bold felt tip and photographed each song with the tablet. Put them all into one folder in Google images and then can drag and drop them into each setlist order. Set the tablet to stay on and just swipe from one song notes to the next. As I got used to the songs I just ordered the few notes I needed next to each other, new songs can be added if needed. I find at a quick glance I can see where I am more easily with my hand drawn tab notes than any other properly layed out music apps. It's crude but it works for me.

It's a little known fact that this song is actually about the Nissan Bluebird, and how hundreds of disillusioned owners rolled them over the cliffs a la Jimmy with the Ace Face's Vespa GS in Quadrophenia.

I haven't but I'll give them a go next time I need some. 👍

I like the sound of broken in rounds, the smoothness of flats and like higher rather than lower tension strings. I've settled on D'addario half rounds (enr72 50-105) as my go to string. They sound like a broken in round straight out the packet but with the solid bottom end of a flat, and stay that way for a few years. Played with a pick or aggressive fingers they still have plenty of clank, just not that shrill new round high.

She came from Planet Claire. No she didn't!

Funny you should say that as when I saw it I thought it was earlier (before they ahem, turned shite). I just compiled a a setlist from a website I found which listed all the UK top ten songs of' 82. I've just delved deeper and this is from the ever reliable Wikipedia, A stereo remix of the original mono Fast Product version was released as a single in August 1980 through EMI Records, failing to chart. This stereo remix was then reissued in January 1982, this time reaching Number 6 in the UK.

Blancmange, Living on the ceiling. This song is sung in the first person but that would make the title (and content) physically impossible. Now if it were sung about a piece of blancmange that had been flicked up there by an unruly child then, although 'living' would be factually incorrect, then it would make much more sense. Mr. Collins, buck your ideas up!

They must've been singing about the ill fated Rover 75.

Get your DM's and Harrington on and stomp around the living room. 😁

However, walking through fields of gold? Come on. One of the densest metals on earth and you've somehow walked through a field of it. The bruises on your shins must be epic!

I've tried to make a fun, dancey set from '82 that isn't filled (too much) with the obvious stuff. Bow Wow Wow - Go Wild In The Country. Fun Boy Three feat. Bananarama - It Ain't What You Do (it's the way that you do it). Altered Images - I Could Be Happy. Depeche Mode - See You. Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye/Torch/What (mashup). Kraftwerk - The Model. Human League - Being Boiled. Blancmange - Living On The Ceiling. Haircut 100 - Fantastic Day. Junior - Mama Used To Say. Modern Romance - Best Years Of Our Lives. Toni Basil - Mickey Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes. ABC - Poison Arrow. Associates - Party Fears Two. Yazoo - Don't Go. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message. Wham! - Young Guns (go for it!) Duran Duran - Rio Madness - House Of Fun. Pigbag - Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag. The Jam - Beat Surrender.