thisnameistaken

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='812122' date='Apr 20 2010, 01:06 AM']some people don't realise there are other ways to do things than copying the pictures in melody maker/NME[/quote] Well yeah I did chuckle a bit to see they all had Ernie Ball basses, but I just couldn't believe how sh*t they all sounded. The guy from the headline band was actually a really good player too, but most of what he was doing was inaudible. Just the occasional barrage of tuned "ping" noises if only one of the guitarists was playing, but as soon as they both started playing he disappeared. First band were a three-piece, and I [i]still[/i] couldn't hear the bassist! I'm not even joking.

On a 4-band bill, the three other bands all used Stingrays/Sterlings (two played with picks, one with fingers) through an Ampeg head and an Ampeg 8x10. I used my Thumb bass through a Hartke LH500 and a Schroeder 1212L. I could barely hear an effing note any of the other bass players played all night - they just blended into the rock sludge of their guitarists. But apparently I was "really loud" and everybody I spoke to said it was nice to hear what the bass does because "usually you can't hear it". Indeed.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='810194' date='Apr 18 2010, 11:46 AM']Drink earlier!!!! [/quote] That's what I was thinking.

I never got Teen Town down properly either. I got to a stage where after a good hour's warm-up I could almost play it, then came to terms with the fact I was never going to be a virtuoso instrumentalist.

That man wears hats and sunglasses indoors a bit too often for my liking. If your boiler is broken and you have a migraine, then you can wear a hat and sunglasses indoors and not be presumed a bit of a Bono.

[quote name='grimbeaver' post='804702' date='Apr 13 2010, 11:30 AM']thanks for that my welsh friend, what is it with you guys and sheep anyway??[/quote] Yeah I thought he was going to say "tissues".

[quote name='Tegs' post='804136' date='Apr 12 2010, 08:51 PM']Is it possible (horror of horrors ) that this rig is just too tasty for this type of gig?[/quote] Our guitarist has got one cable that he insists is too good for his guitars and makes them feed back. He's not even joking.

[quote name='Doddy' post='804322' date='Apr 12 2010, 10:36 PM']I don't mind a bit a fret buzz. Like you said,as long as it's not being amplified it's not a big problem-especially on a rock gig.It gives the note a bit of character when you dig in. However it really pisses me off when I'm playing Upright.[/quote] It bothered me so much I got my upright de-fretted.

I tune out fret buzz completely because it means I get better peformance out of 'note-tracking' pedals. My action is still pretty low, but I'm not really bothered about having it super-low. It's not like I'm ever pushing the envelope of what I can play on a bass.

I try to find a space in the music where what I'm playing can be heard without me having to be louder than anyone else. But that's mostly down to what I play and when rather than my gear/sound. I do like to hear the character of my Warwick on the odd occasion that there's a bass part that sticks out a little. Either the burpy way it puts out quick passages, or the throaty purr you get on long notes.

I take a spare of everything except my amp and cab. I also carry stuff like picks, tape, tools, batteries, gas-powered soldering iron, etc. The whole lot fits in one case and lives in the case at home, so I don't have to pack for a gig and I never leave anything behind unless I forget the case (unlikely!).

Thanks all. A guy's been supposed to be coming over with a bow for me for a few weeks but it never seems to happen. Hopefully he'll show up at some point and we'll see if he can play my G in tune.

Checking the bass I just noodle, usually in D minor for some reason, usually something with a reggae feel. Checking my mic I sing the first thing that comes into my head. Last night it was 'Dedication' from Record Breakers. Checking the whole band we play the outro from one of our songs which has all instrumentation (except organ) and all vocals on it. We play another section from that song to check the organ with the band.

We played with three other bands last night, we were supposed to be on second but they asked us to play third so we said OK. Turned out the act on before us was one guy with an acoustic guitar and some pedals and he was about as far from being a "warm-up" act as you could possibly imagine. He sat there mumbling his lyrics and droning his guitar while the audience looked at eachother and shrugged. The highlight was when he looped his guitar part and put the guitar down. What was he going to do next? The tension was unbearable. All of a sudden he was playing a penny whistle solo! That finished me and our drummer, we were collapsed in a corner laughing ourselves to death. Can't remember what our set was like. Probably alright. But this guy made the night for me.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='801458' date='Apr 10 2010, 02:25 AM']im presuming you are giving a comparison...if not i like your later...they do both...[/quote] Well I tend to find that "live" albums sound just as polished as studio albums anyway. So you end up wondering how much of the live performance found its way on to the "live album". That's what I meant about 'Suck On This'. It was the only example most people (outside California) had of Primus' music at the time and it was pretty raw. It also happened to contain some seriously excellent performances. I don't think I trust live to mean live any more. And even if it did I would rather have a studio album over a live album. As for Phish, I was touring the USA when they were touring with the Dead, and I was over there when Gerry Garcia died. They do what they do and they're good at it but I always thought they were insincere and cheap. And they basically inherited a following by adopting that jam band formula and having the right proportion of tie-dye t-shirts and dreadlocks. I never trusted those f***ers.

Is it normal to find that every other open string sounds in tune, then the open G sounds effing horrible? It's driving me to distraction. In fact everything on the G sounds out of tune to me until I get up towards D. Am I just fingering the notes wrong on the D or do I have a bad string or... Grr. It's so annoying. Everything sounds lush and then I play the G string and it sounds like I sexually abused someone's cat. I have a new-found respect for violinists. Honestly everything is golden except the G string in the lower positions. Is this me, the string, or normal neophyte bass student toss I just have to work through?

I don't see the point in live albums, generally. Primus' "Suck On This" is pretty cool, but it wasn't a vanity live record, it was one of the only recordings of Primus you could get. I like studio albums, they show what a band can do in a studio. I like live performances, you get a one-night-only version. I'd rather live stays live and it's for the people who were there.

[quote name='nbtone' post='800173' date='Apr 8 2010, 08:33 PM']There is nothing like a [url="http://www.nitewalkerpreamp.com"]nitewalker[/url][/quote] Did you register here just to provide us with links to your product? And OK you have piqued my interest: Is it made out of unicorn sh*t or something? I'm trying to understand the price and failing.

[quote name='thedonutman' post='800110' date='Apr 8 2010, 07:38 PM']In the interest of being nice to the guy I could just take the refund and try and sell the bass on to get my cash back. Do you guys reckon £650 would be a reasonable price for it?[/quote] I think it would be a fair price, but you'd have to find a buyer willing to get all the work done on it which might take a while. And the LEDs are going to divide opinion so your potential market gets even smaller. It's a risk I think.

That neck looks alright to me. The rod on my Thumb is pretty stiff too, I think it's just the nature of those dense laminate Warwick necks. On the positive side they don't tend to move about too much. If it was mine I'd have someone stick a newer just-a-nut on it, sort out the strap points, get rid of the LEDs (but if you like them fair enough - you save money), the frets do look marginal but it's hard to tell from your photos, still a refret's not such an expensive job if the bass is a keeper. Ultimately the only thing that would be bothering me would be the paint job, which I would probably just decide to live with rather than attempt to strip. I think you got quite a bargain there.

[quote name='uzzell' post='799844' date='Apr 8 2010, 02:43 PM']This album, like much of his stuff is over-rated. I dont doubt he is an OK bass player but his music leaves me feeling cold and bored.[/quote] YOU ARE JEALOUS OF HIS FREEDOMS!

My Thumb (stock MEC everything) has a lot of treble content flat. More than my old Stingray ever did. Switching it into passive mode still gives a ton of treble.

I like the colour. No idea of the value sorry.

[quote name='JMT3781' post='798787' date='Apr 7 2010, 03:18 PM']d. Stop playing for the 1 of the next bar, drummers do it sometimes? why cant we try it?[/quote] Most of my band's tunes have a reggae influence, so that's exactly what I would do. Not that I make such heinous errors.