JapanAxe

Mainly fun pub gig thanks to the cheerful audience. Once again I had to rectify the PA settings to stop every bass note blooming and booming in the room *sigh*. One of the guitarists is prone to reading stuff on the Internet and adopting it as gospel without actually checking that it sounds good. For a while he was in the habit of having his amp ‘backwards’ for a better spread of sound. That can work if you have a closed-back cab and a reasonable area of solid rear wall to point it at, but he has an open-back combo which is often placed well away from any wall or in front of soft furnishings! During last night’s first set I noticed that his guitar sound was much more honky and middly than usual. Turned out he had read that Greg Koch turns mids and presence right up, treble and bass right down, so he had done the same on his Quilter, which is his spare but for some reason he was using through his valve combo speaker. Although it’s true that a guitar sound that works in a mix may sound unpleasant when soloed, his sounded atrocious in the live mix. I was polite enough to call it ‘odd’ rather than ‘bad’, but at the end of the day I am a dep in the band and I can only keep my own side of the street clean.

Rockin’ and rollin’ tonight with Western Rock at the Market Inn, Yatton BS49 4AL, 8.30 start. First time out for my recently acquired Jule Monique 700 head. Mmmm…

Although having experienced the delightful vintage-y tone of the One 10, I do hanker after a Three 10, which is almost exactly the same size and shape as the Super Twin.

My ‘one cab to rule them all’ is a Barefaced Super Twin.

'Are you a fan of the FANNED FRET BASS?' Yes. Yes I am. Check out my sig. Adjustment time for me was measured in seconds, whereas a guitarist I worked with couldn't stop staring at my fretboard like he was failing to make sense of it. I'm now on my 2nd and 3rd Dingwall. The main benefits to me are interlinked - the longer scale lengths of the lower strings even out tone across the strings, and they give a tighter feel and punchier sound.

Bass brother from another mother!

I have NEVER played a gig without making at least a few mistakes. On occasions I have made some massive clangers. Sometimes the band noticed. The audience rarely (if ever) did.

I’ve had a look but I have nothing that matches that shape or pin pattern

I’ll check my parts stash.

I've ended up with 3 gigging amp heads that all have a full valve pre-amp coupled to a solid state power section. And my practice amp head is an all-valve B15-derived design. They're all in my signature...

I've been in touch with Jule about sourcing a couple of front panel screws and he was very quick to come back with the information I needed. Had the amp out this morning, playing along to a CD on my '73 P - so nice!

That wouldn’t necessarily work for me. I might need my 5-string for certain songs but if I then have to slap (quite badly) I’ll need a 4-string because I can’t do it cleanly on my 5. That’s very much a me problem!

Reason for owning a 5-string: Uptown Funk. Reasons for still mainly playing 4-string: (1) Ease (2) Comfort (3) Enjoyment

After being a busy gigging bunny throughout the year, I now find myself with a rather quiet December. I'm looking for paid dep gigs in covers bands - functions, clubs, pubs. I'm based in Swindon (Wiltshire) so realistically it will be M4 corridor and South coast to Birmingham, but I can travel further afield for the right gig. I play to a good standard, I am comfortable in most styles (particularly Pop, Soul, Rock, Indie, Country), I can sight-read musical notation, I'm a fast learner, and I have a good ear. I have excellent gear and reliable transport, and I'm equipped to go direct-to-PA and use IEMs if required (I have my own licensed setup). If you're stuck for a bass player, drop me a line. https://guitarist4hire.wixsite.com/graeme-scott