Adrenochrome

... a myth

I used to use flats and Rotosounds felt the hardest and least flexible of any brand I tried. LaBella and other cheapo brands were all easier on the fingers, and easier for bends/slides etc IMO.

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='1312646' date='Jul 22 2011, 12:47 PM']saw them twice in 88 - Monsters of Rock and [b]Wembley Arena [/b]- then a bit of a gap until seeing them at Twickers.[/quote] I was at that gig

Glad to hear it! Things like this will move them up the pecking order for when I eventually get my own valve head.

I'de recommend one of the Hartke kickback combos for the use that you've described.

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1309076' date='Jul 19 2011, 01:07 PM']Possibly a different thread, but why don't people practice at home? Every Tuesday I get a note from our guitarist confirming that he's forgotten everything we worked on the previous Weds; he's not touched his guitar; and we'll need the first half of the session to catch-up and work it all out. Every Tuesday; as a pre-amble to rehearsal every Wednesday. I've fired an e-mail back to the effect that groveling this early in the day gives him tonight to sort this sh*te out.[/quote] I'd have sacked them a long time ago. Any wasted time spent with the band is time that I'm [i]not[/i] spending with my family.

Sorry! I'm sure someone with a few [i]useful[/i] tips on technique will be along shortly...

Try playing with your fretting hand only.

I think he had a good point, in that a [i]lot [/i]of people playing fretless try to do the Jaco thing. But then he took it way too far . Nice to see David J getting the plaudits BTW - still fantastic when I saw Bauhaus a few years ago at Manc.

[quote name='Dandelion' post='1301458' date='Jul 12 2011, 07:20 PM']Can extensive practice ever make up for lack of talent?[/quote] Yes, as long as you have a certain (modest) level of talent to begin with.

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1300623' date='Jul 12 2011, 08:39 AM']Sounds like a way of trying to encourage bands to do more than just show up on the night.[/quote] I can't think of hardly any local bands that do just show up on the night. Could be different round your way though.

Kim wins at bass.

I don't think anyone's answered the question about whether both 2x10 cabs together should be stacked = or arranged || (I don't know BTW)

Ask yourself just how much does the type of wood [i]really[/i] contribute to the tone on an electric bass?

The red is more striking, the blue-green is subtle. I voted red cos it'll look ace onstage from a few yards away.

I also strongly disagree with just tuning to other instruments. Intonation is likely to be cack up the neck and probably won't help vocals and vocal harmonies.

Yes, if you're gonna achieve a good sound for the audience then the on-stage guitar/bass amps ARE for onstage monitoring. Yes, backline levels should be moderate but this is largely dictated by the volume of your drummer. Sensible onstage sound levels really help with vocals and getting the best from your monitors.

...and Ashdown sent me a new bulb for the VU meter in my amp free of charge, free postage and immediate response. Not an expensive item but valued service none the less.

Peavey replaced all the pre-amp and pickups on my main gigging bass, entirely free of charge including shipping when it was 1.5 years old. No quibble.

I'd just add a bit of my bass to our monitors and carry on - in fact I've done this before.

The audience don't hear my amp or cab so it's largely irrelevant. My tone comes from my bass and my Zoom B2 which feeds our PA (with lots of lovely speaker area) and my amp (which is just there for monitoring).

...just wait for a friend or colleague of a current band member stepping into your place.

oh, and I agree with much of the above, get the lights in front so the audience can see the band, and get some 2/3 part harmonies going.

Like it or not, the lead vocalist is the focal point of the band. In one of my bands Angel Of Sin, we achieved a lot of success by throwing out about half our songs and concentrating on songs that suit our singer, and that she could sing well. That meant ditching almost all of the punk songs and songs that required very quick vocal delivery. The band is a lot stronger as a result, even though I don't get to jump around like a loon quite as much. Jon

Play some different styles of music, try a new challenge/instrument, or maybe take a short break. If you even contemplate permanently giving up then I'll round up a posse of 'chatters and come down there!