EliasMooseblaster

I've never been drawn to 'rays, particularly, but I have to say that colour really suits it - I look forward to your NBD thread in 16 weeks' time!

Getting a bit sentimental reading this thread - my very first bass was a Bronco! (Good god, was that really 15 years ago?) Looking really good - are you planning to just stick with a single volume and tone to control both pickups?

Cheers! Ironically enough, I think it was the looks that first made me think I wanted one, but then I realise it's quite a divisive design (my best friend thinks it's the most hideous bass I've ever owned) - just as well they sound so good, really!

[quote name='burno70' timestamp='1427999096' post='2736950'] Lovely demo - nice and phat tone! I've had my LB30 for over a year now and wouldn't part with it - it's fantastic. Best tone I've ever made. Makes me want a great big valve amp for gigs -- and a great big roadie to carry it! [/quote] Cheers! It's probably worth pointing out that this is with the amp running at very modest volume (8-9 o'clock) and with the bass control down at about 9 o'clock so as to maintain good relations with the neighbours - it's also coped remarkably well in full band settings before. Anyone who's seen Cherry White will confirm that we're not exactly quiet (and that's why I upgraded to a CTM-100).

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1427969035' post='2736377'] Hmm, that's a rather idiosyncratic view. I suspect he's trying to confirm his own prejudices as much as anything else. [/quote] I suspect you're right. When he comes out with things like, "[color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]But the aim is to maintain as consistent a sound possible as one plays from string to string, so that the instrument conveys a homogeneous timbre over its entire range.[/size][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3] And there ain’t a 5-string bass on the planet that can do that."[/size][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Newsflash: your average 4-string bass can't do that either! Notes at the bottom end of the first two strings are not "timbrally consistent" with the same notes played up at the dusty end of the bottom two strings; you get a different balance of harmonics, and if they're that vastly different then you use whichever one sounds most appropriate. [/font][/size][/size][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3] [size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I suspect he's one of those engineers who's become unnecessarily anal about listening out for high frequencies that are normally only audible to dogs, and low frequencies normally only picked up by seismographs. Even before Nathan East was experimenting with low B-strings, Black Sabbath were tuning their guitars and basses down to C# (possibly even C) by 1971, and I don't hear many complaints a lack of fundamental on [i]Master of Reality. [/i][/font][/size][/size][/font][/color]

I've put up a couple of demo recordings, though I'm not optimisitc that my cheap dynamic mic really does the rig justice! Recorded using the two basses I had at home: [url="https://soundcloud.com/cherrywhitemusic/ashdown-lb30-demo-precision-bass/s-dgF0j"]https://soundcloud.c...on-bass/s-dgF0j[/url] - "Brenda"; kit bass Precision copy, recently treated to a Fender 62 'RI pickup [url="https://soundcloud.com/cherrywhitemusic/ashdown-lb30-demo-frankenbass/s-FZOh3"]https://soundcloud.c...kenbass/s-FZOh3[/url] - "Aradia"; Frankenbass constructed from bits I found on eBay, sporting a Tonerider Jazz Bass neck pickup. [attachment=188074:brendaAndAradia.jpg] (l-r: Aradia, Brenda)

Correct me if I'm wrong - not owning a 5-string and all - but weren't the 35" (and longer) scale lengths introduced as a way of putting extra tension into the B-string to make it vibrate properly? If so, you might be thinking along the right lines!

Why torture yourself? I understand you want to forge your own route, but surely it won't hurt to incorporate elements of other players you love. Or, to look at it another way, buy a jazz, go on a Jaco bender to end all Jaco benders and get it out of your system! You may find it adds something to your own style, or you may find that once you've had your binge you no longer have such a burning need to play it.

Having played the Enterprise once or twice myself, I could second a lot of the points already made on this thread! Still, some practical advice, because I'm sure your bandmates won't like it if you go back and tell them that you think the gig's a turkey because some people on the internet told you so! [b]Find out who the other bands are. [/b]I understand your friends from Stornoway are sharing the bill with you, but what about local support? I've no idea how big your band is in your area, but I'm going to hazard a guess that you're relatively unknown in London - please correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm right, you're probably going to be relying on the local support bands for an audience. (Unless ITB can show you a hefty guestlist of people they've rounded up to come and see this "showcase," though if they had such a guestlist, this event wouldn't be at the Enterprise, quite frankly.) Then, [b]find out if there's going to be any scope for you to make money back[/b], either through expenses payments, a door split, or even a fee. [b]The next bit requires a bit of intuition on your part: [/b]investigate these bands. See how long they've been together and what's on their website, stalk their social media; any information that might give you some impression of how many people they might be able to attract. If there's going to be a split of the door takings, this could be a crucial decider in whether to take the gig. It will also give you some potential figures with which to back up your decision! It does sound as if you might be the only member of the band who's wearing his "business hat" about this. I don't need to tell you that the streets of London are not paved with gold, but it sounds like the others may need some convincing of this! Ultimately, don't do it unless you are going to get some tangible return on your investment - my first impression is that you won't, but then I am acting on limited information.

It certainly has! I guess, after I told myself I didn't need to buy any more basses at the end of last year, my mind naturally turned towards my amps...

Possibly - the hypnotherapist hasn't gone that far back yet! Ordinarily I'd say it stems from watching John Entwistle's "typewriter" technique quite closely, and maybe a bit of the old Steve Harris gallop.

Well, it's a new rig, rather than a new amp, really. After upgrading to a bigger and more menacing head, I decided to hang on to my Ashdown LB30 and set up a more luxurious / self-indulgent home practice rig. After a bit of scouting around, Merton very kindly pointed me in the direction of SiFi2112's 1x10 Cab For Sale thread. The two have finally been united for the first time tonight: [attachment=188006:LB30_2.jpg] I got a bit of a surprise when I first turned it on - those 30 valve watts definitely seem a lot louder than the 30W SS amp I was practising through previously! I could see this being an ideal setup for acoustic gigs. The cab is a DIY job with an Eminence driver mounted in a nicely lightweight enclosure. The clarity of the speaker is superb, and it really compliments the Ashdown head nicely. Perhaps if I can get myself organised at a more sociable hour this week, I'll try and record a little audio demo. In any case I'm really pleased - the cat, however, remains a little suspicious of the new arrival... [attachment=188007:LB30_JM.jpg]

[quote name='lou24d53' timestamp='1427813259' post='2734539'] [i]If accepted you please make sure:- You do NOT play any show in Glasgow at least 4 weeks either side of date above. You do NOT have any members under the age of 18 years old. (Unless show is over 14s) You pick your tickets up within 5 days of being notified that they are ready for collection. You arrange backline share with the other bands on the bill as backline including drum kit will not be provided. The show will not be confirmed until these stipulations are agreed and all above questions have been answered.[/i] So basically there is a ticket sale split of 30% to the band and 70% to the venue, we are not allowed to play any gigs in Glasgow for two months - a month either side of the date - and we are expected to provide full backline agreed between all bands on the bill...erm, where do I sign??! [/quote] Wow. Yeah, that's basically got all the hallmarks of a "pay to play" gig (which, incidentally, the MU is dead against; see http://www.worknotplay.co.uk/). The clause about not playing the same area within a certain timeframe I'd normally argue was common sense, but normally it's two weeks, or "not in the same month" - four weeks either side of that date seems to be extracting the micturate somewhat!

[quote name='DaytonaRik' timestamp='1427812251' post='2734528'] We're turning gigs away in the Derby area as our drummer can't commit to more than the current workload which is a real shame! [/quote] Interesting...are these gigs generally well attended? We (Cherry White) played Derby at the beginning of February and the singer from Thunderous Jones, who invited us up for the gig, told us that they hardly bother to play around Derby because nobody seems to bother coming out for live music! It was the first time we'd played Derby, so we knew very little about the local scene, and took his word for it - but it sounds like your experience is a bit different from his.

[quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1427710920' post='2733211'] I wonder how low he's willing to go. [/quote] Bottom F, according to the listing... [/coat]

It's certainly no [i]Single Ladies,[/i] is it? Long as you liked the song - that's the important bit, after all!

Update: we now have a studio version of the song finalised, with our proper singer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJXxa8v7jzo

[quote name='dub_junkie' timestamp='1427370782' post='2729413'] One of two gigging bands I play with. This was filmed at the Celtic Connections festival,Danny Kyle stage at the Glasgow Royal Concert hall at the end of January this year. I'm using the USA Ovation Elite bass I bought off Scooby on here a while back. [/quote] Lovely stuff - is that chap to your left playing some kind of electric mandolin? Thought I'd put up a more recent offering myself: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSYpwVPg0IQ[/media]

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1427388079' post='2729799'] "I play my Rickenbacker sitting down with my music stand in front of me..." [/quote] Good god man, it's not enough just to [i]say[/i] it; you have to start on the subject in which you question how anybody in their right mind can play their Rickenbacker standing up and without a music stand in front of them. If in doubt, question the parentage of anybody who says otherwise ([i]especially[/i] those who play with a music stand behind them).

[quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1427382755' post='2729700'] I am very much aware of the hundred years blues has been about, this is why I mentioned it in the first place, but as long as I am trying to get gigs for a Blues band, I will continue to be greeted by venue owners or agents with the look of someone sucking on a lemon.. [/quote] This possibly alludes to the problem I mentioned above, where a lack of imagination from a number of artists has left people with the impression that "The Blues" is just a one-trick pony of a genre - and if they've sat through enough half-arsed "Blues" bands at their local, you perhaps can't blame them for thinking that. I've run up against it myself on occasion - the following is from a review of Cherry White's first EP: "[color=#333333][font=Georgia,]Blues rock is well-charted territory, and when a band claims it as their own I tend to steel myself for a restatement of the themes that made for gig-going tedium in my teens; at one time only blues bands could get gigs, and their licks? I know them. [/font][/color][b]Cherry White[/b][color=#333333][font=Georgia,] play bluesy material, rather than just twelve-bars, which helps a lot (knowing [/font][/color][i]exactly[/i][color=#333333][font=Georgia,] where the harmony is going tends to undermine narrative tension a tad), and while their approach is hardly a radical departure from the traditions of the genre, they strike pretty much the right balance, bringing enough novelty (and enthusiasm) to proceedings to sound fresh. "[/font][/color] We both know that there is more to Blues than just the few popular variations on the 12- and 8-bar structure, but how many other people know that if they're not already fans of the genre? Country and Folk will have suffered from people assuming similar sets of clichés in all examples of the music, but now they've managed to re-establish themselves as "cool." I can think of plenty of artists who steer clear of these clichés and are proud to fall under the "Blues" umbrella - what else do we need to happen for it to become acceptable again?

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1427359984' post='2729232'] No one mentioned Joanne Shaw Taylor yet. I suspect most of the blues followers are 40 something to sixty something, very few young kids follow it. In this connected world, no one learns to play Key To The Highway anymore from a record when there is so much other stuff around. [/quote] She was one of the first people that came to mind when I read the blog post! A really excellent player, and her last couple of albums have managed to do "blues" (albeit more at the rock end of the spectrum) without re-treading too many 12-bars. The first person who came to mind was Ian Siegal. A guitarist friend got some lessons from him at some guitar camp, and reported that the lessons focused more on the background of the blues, and trying to do something different with its generic form, than on flashy soloing. Apparently they were accompanied by a very interesting rant about Stevie Ray Vaughan and many of his disciples who made the mistake of focusing on the guitar solo rather than the quality of the writing. I had this confirmed in a more polite form when I heard him interviewed on Radio 2, talking about how he'd made an active effort to write songs which didn't fall back on those standard I-IV-V changes. [i]Meat and Potatoes [/i]and [i]Swagger [/i]are both great examples of how to write a clever and inventive blues album and, being a bit more "rootsy" than JST, he's also unlikely to offend the Blues Police.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1427358986' post='2729214'] Nothing wrong with a Daisy Rock in my book. Unashamedly targeted at teenage girls and if this brand gets more girls out there taking up bass then that can only be a good thing [/quote] Indeed, and why limit it just to teenage girls? I remember the daisy-shaped ones hanging in my local music shop years ago, and a mischievous part of me quite likes the butterfly design, and is wondering whether I could pull it off onstage. Ironically enough, I now find myself thinking, [i]hmm, but it's probably short-scale, isn't it? And I do look a bit silly with a short-scale bass on me...[/i]

Took a while...hard for me to place exactly how long, but I can remember coming away from rehearsals with shredded fingertips a good two or three years after I first took up the bass. If I remember rightly, it stopped hurting quite a bit before that. I did find GHS Fast Fret was quite good for reducing the friction between my fingertips and the strings, especially as I would have been sanding off a lot of skin back then!

[quote name='acidbass' timestamp='1427214100' post='2727320'] Hi all, Just a quick question! Looking for recommendations for an electric/acoustic bass with an upright sound. Been looking at those Kala U-Basses although open to options. Would something like a fretless Hofner do the job? Not really interested in an EUB as such - just trying to get some options Thanks in advance for advice or opinions Danny [/quote] How close are you trying to get? I'm listening back to a track we mixed last weekend, on which I played a fretless bass guitar with flats - I suspect if this was played to an audience, those who didn't play bass might mistake it for an upright. On the other hand, another bass player would probably recognise it after hearing a few tell-tale signs, so I guess it depends how convincing a disguise you need!

[b]"...[color=#333333]apart from this I can only get sound by holding the volume knob, makes playing rather challenging."[/color][/b] [color=#333333]No s@!t, Sherlock?[/color]