Norris

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1335267072' post='1628237'] "I've just got this on Ebay and I'd like you to wear it on Friday' [/quote] We need pictures!

We've been planning a rehearsal for 3-4 weeks now, had already decided which tracks we are learning and just needed to arrange the exact date (this Wednesday) & the venue. Text message from guitarist late on Sunday night: "Just sent you boys a couple of emails with mp3s attached in case you haven't got them. Better late than never eh?!" Reply from drummer: "Thanks mate I've not got them, but have now" Bless him. So he's going to get three tracks nailed in two days...

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1334918043' post='1623369'] Its up to you guys really although having already accepted i think you have to now honour the commitment. We always put it to the band vote - the answer usually depends on the cause and how nicely we have been asked. [/quote] ... and how much free beer you're offered

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1334777648' post='1621225'] Exactly why I can't be bothered with active basses, but then I'm old school anyway... keep it simple, is my thing. [/quote] This ^

I'm still not ready - but have been playing in bands for 23 years now Just go for it

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1334562517' post='1617481'] One, Two One, Two One, Two..... Threeeeeeeyyaaahhhhhh! [/quote] Oh that's my favourite bit of audience participation, and always sounds so original every time. I'd really love to explain to them why musicians use 'One, Two' to sound check mics, but know it's really just not worth the effort

[quote name='Benplaysbass' timestamp='1333530340' post='1602827'] Transit van all the way, back bone of Britain so they say. Never had any problem that couldn't be fixed or bodged on the quick to get me where I'm going. [/quote] Coming back from a gig in Nottingham back in the 80s, the Transit was nearly out of petrol - we were always skint, so it never had much fuel in it. We pulled into the services at about 1am and put the usual tenner's worth in. Once everybody had returned from visiting the loo ... the van wouldn't start. The engine just turned over and over, but wouldn't fire. We checked fuel and spark - they were ok, but the van still wasn't going anywhere. Eventually the AA turned up and spent about an hour trying various things, still the van wouldn't start. It was about 3am when the recovery truck turned up and winched us aboard. A few days later the drummer had stripped down the engine to find a holed piston. How the van made it to the services is still a mystery.

Rock In Peace

I've forgotten my bass before now. The worst one was probably the time I forgot we even had a gig - my mobile rang just as our food arrived...

[quote name='CraigyJ' timestamp='1332270407' post='1585914'] ... Being a guitarist a new set of strings is even alien to me...I will often leave a set of strings on a guitar for a year or so...but it would seem with a bass they fade very quickly...something I didn't know...!! ... [/quote] Some strings fade quicker than others. I've always used [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/8377-ernie_ball_4_string_bass_slinky_nickel_strings_50_105_regular_slinky_50_105"]Ernie Ball [/url]strings which are relatively cheap, readily available and hold their tone a lot longer than a lot of others I could mention. Going back to the bass, if a string and/or pickup swap doesn't sort your issues, maybe look at P/J basses - which have a precision-style humbucker neck pickup and jazz-style single coil bridge pickup. That will give you a good range of tones to play with. If you search for 'fender aerodyne' you'll see the sort of thing, although Squier and other makers do similar affordable basses of reasonable quality.

Anything active - if it has a battery compartment, take it away I prefer thin necks like Jazzes or Rickenbackers, so have never fancied MM - the one I tried 20 years ago was too chunky

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' timestamp='1331816141' post='1579314'] If the neck relief/action/set-up is close to optimal (for you) in the first place, I'd not bother. If it's going to need lots of adjustment, then ask them if they've ever touched it. Given it's not that old, I doubt it will have seized.. [/quote] This ^

Congratulations Clarky! I'll give it a listen when I get home

Of course you already know they're headlining the Reading & Leeds festival this year?...

... and in response to the "backing tracks 'aint music" comments, you try doing a full-on Pink Floyd tribute without any sound effects. Or splitting the mediocre money between the three backing singers, saxophonist, three guitarists, two keyboard players, bass and drums you'd need to reproduce all of those overdubs accurately.

I was in a band that used click & backing tracks extensively. We had it set up on a PC and used Ableton Live, plus some other gismo software that could also cue video playback. As others have suggested, just the drummer could hear the click. It all worked well, although it did take many months to get all of the technology working together smoothly - and more importantly triggering instantly when the keyboard player hit the relevant key. It's a shame the band didn't last long enough to do any gigs I'm not sure if a PC is the best way to go, but your options are limited when you are using a LOT of samples, without doing a final mix-down and want them all to hand without having to swap drives/reconfigure stuff. Most appliances don't have enough storage capacity (or at least didn't when we were doing our thing).

Wow - what a necro post! You still can't beat a curly cable for keeping your practise area tidy though

It's a basschat rule that within six months of joining you must own three basses, have already sold at least two more on to other members and be seriously looking to replace your rig. You'd better get a move on! Edit: To get rid of the accidental subscript that made the writing miniscule

If they were XLRs, the face would be flusher and more aethetically pleasing, plus it would have more contact area and a better locking mechanism. Also, it could give you some extra cores to run both 9v & 18v to your active bass from a power supply.

Bloody hell, that looks expensive! Edit: Hang on, it's Line 6...

[quote name='lxxwj' timestamp='1330189340' post='1553945'] Are Squier basses actually any good? [/quote] Mine is. I have an Indonesian Squier P-Bass Special - basically a P/J with Jazz neck & P body. It sounds excellent even with the stock pups, and I am currently playing it in preference to my US Jazz and my Gibson Thunderbird

From the 'pub covers band' point of view, the number of venues offering live music in Leicestershire has dwindled considerably over the years. The handful of places that survive are those that regularly put on [u]good[/u] music and pull in [u]local[/u] people. Few people will travel very far to a pub these days, pub drink is more expensive than that stuff in your fridge at home and people can easily get into the habit of not going out. The way to thrive is to ensure the locals know that on a Friday night they can pop down to the Basschatter's Arms and have a great night regardless of which band is on. This of course makes it difficult for any new venue that wants to put bands on. They need to accept that they are probably going to run at a loss for the first 6 months and promote like crazy until they are wedged firmly in the local subconciousness. Even that is no guarantee sometimes.

On my first gig I was there to watch the old bass player who was leaving. They got me up to play one song - Red Red Wine (yeah, I know, but it [i]was[/i] back in '84). Two weeks later I took over from him completely, and then went off on a summer season with the band. I never looked back.

My Rickenbacker 4002 that I part-ex'd for next to nothing in about 1986 for an Aria SB-1000. I couldn't afford more than one bass at a time back then

OK, who signed me up for TalkB*****s and can I have BassChat back please?!