Norris
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Everything posted by Norris
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The non-S/CS 4003 basses are very much slab bodied. Look great, iconic, etc. but there are no arm or belly cuts
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I'm not sure that would fit the Rickenbacker aesthetic 😁 If I wasn't having some new windows fitted next week I might be looking closer at that converted 5-string 4004 Laredo in the for sale section and then possibly move on the 4003 😜 (Don't let Mrs Norris see that!)
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I took my Rickenbacker for a bit of a night out, the first for several years since I went over to 5s. It's nice to be comfortable enough with a 5-string now to be able to switch between them and 4-string. It sounded great and I really enjoyed playing it, but had forgotten just how uncomfortable it was to play, despite the new pickup bezel. Well the bezel made it more comfortable around there, but the sharp bound edge still gets the inside of your forearm. Anyway it turned out to be a night of technical problems. The Rickenbacker cut out a couple of times. I never normally carry a spare bass but I only intended to do the one set with it, so swapped it for my Sire. A few songs later that cut out too - ok, so it's not the bass. I then noticed my GT-6B multi-fx pedal booting up. At the break I got the Servisol switch cleaner around the power cable and switch. Nope that didn't sort it, so I just played direct into the amp. I hope it's the power supply because I have a spare. I don't have a spare multi-fx pedal with all the patches set up. Anyway I'll see how it is with the spare PSU at tomorrow's gig
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We're there on Sunday 27th (The Cheeze). It will be a sad, sad day if it's our last time ☹️ You don't wipe your bass down at the end of the night?! 😮
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PM'ed -
Steve Hackett Squeeze Chic/Niall Rodgers The Musical Box The tickets for Iron Maiden in Birmingham sold out very quickly, so I missed out on those. I might try a bit nearer the date if they are not ridiculously priced. I did see them around 1983 though - proper back in the day, and not in a huge arena either
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Oh my goodness! We're the complete polar opposite. No set list, just a big list of songs we know. All are usually called out by the guitar/vocalist on the fly, and occasionally songs that are NOT on the list. If he is stuck for a second or two we'll throw in some suggestions. It's a system that works for us, although I can understand it wouldn't work for everyone. It allows us to read the room and be very reactive to what will work at any point in the performance. It also allows for requests, which we are keen to attempt even if it's in a ridiculous way. There are no big gaps usually, but it does give scope for the guitarist to engage in a bit of banter with the audience. He is rather good at it, and it's a major USP of our band - good music and a good laugh too
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Wedge monitors with hi-viz hazard tape on the top edge works for us. As for the encroaching dancer/mic stand conjunction, a gentle headstock in the back tends to get their attention while still being able to play
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That sounds cool. I'd be happy to meet up with them if that helps. I'm not too far from Hinckley -
Not on an EUB, he wasn't 😂
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We played at a small pub tonight. So small that if it was called the Dog and Duck, there would only be room for the duck. We have played there a few times before. We are not a loud band by any means, but in the compact room and with the low ceiling we have struggled to keep the volume down. So last time we were there we agreed to do the next one "acoustically". Obviously there are still amplifiers, but we can keep it much quieter. A few years ago there was a bit of a craze for Stagg EUBs. I bought one myself, played it occasionally, but mostly it's spent the last couple of years standing in the corner of the music room. Well of course, tonight was its big chance... What a great night we had! Relaxed, low volume and such fun. I did take my normal bass along just in case, but it stayed in the case and I played the EUB all night. I'd quite got the hang of it after an hour or so. We did our usual repertoire of 70s rock and pop, a few highlights being... Band on the Run (Wings) Hurricane (Neil Young) Warpigs (Black Sabbath) I Feel Good (James Brown) Come Up And See Me (Steve Harley) Not quite so good... Maggie May (Rod Stewart) - it was a bit of a sod playing the riff up the dusty end of the EUB! We all thoroughly enjoyed it, the landlady enjoyed it, the punters enjoyed it and I can't wait to play there again
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You have a PA already that does the job. The singer wants a new one. Seems pretty simple to me: you want it, you buy it. In our band every piece of equipment is solely owned by one person. The guitar/vocalist owns his PA. He also does solo gigs so it's not a problem when he uses it for those. It's also not that expensive a PA in the first place (2x Mackie SRM450s and a mixer). We all do backing vocals with occasional lead, so own our own mics, stands and leads. We don't contribute towards the upkeep of the PA either - it's pretty bombproof as we don't stress it and only use it for vocals & very rare kick drum boost I own all the lights. It's not a problem if anyone wants to borrow them - we're all mates, but it doesn't happen often We've had a pretty stress-free decade playing together 😁
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I'm struggling to see the relevance tbh. People who rely on the words being there will always rely on the words being there. It always looks crap imho
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It becomes a crutch, a dependency, a chain around the neck of spontaneity. Cast it out I say!
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For the learning phase, big letters and gaffa taped to the PA cab, or even get a punter to hold them up 😂 We still do this, but without a fixed running order. Some get announced, others are just launched into. Some we've never actually played before! (Thankfully not too often)
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Personally I regard it as unprofessional, no matter who is wielding the stand/iPad. It's fine if you have music on it (orchestra, brass band, etc.) but not for words - IMHO
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A Denon AVR-2808 5.1 surround-sound receiver/amplifier I've had this for quite a few years now, but recently bought a newer one. It was working fine and sounded great. It's a 5.1 surround-sound receiver with a huge number of inputs. The interface is slightly klunky compared to more modern systems, but it comes with the manuals, remote control and set-up microphone. I used it with HDMI to the tv, optical cable for the tv sound, BluRay player via HDMI, games consoles via HDMI and the turntable via the phono input. Obviously it's from a time before Bluetooth, etc. It's quite large and not that light either, so collection is very much preferred. I'm only asking for the decluttering price of £40 😁
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A gorgeous ruby red satin burst SUB Ray5 from Sterling by Musicman I bought this a couple years ago from @KingPrawn of this parish, as my first venture into 5-string territory. I gigged it 2 or 3 times, but it never quite sat right in the mix of my band - so I ended up buying a Sire 5-string P bass, which fits much better. It has since been sitting on a stand in my room getting played only very rarely. I'd now like the floor space back, so time to move it on. There's hardly a mark on it. A very slight scuff on the scratch plate and a little bit of "buckle polishing" of the satin finish on the back. No dents that I could find. I fitted a new set of D'Addario Pro Steel EPS165-5 strings when I first got it (45-135) Copy & paste specs: Model: Ray5 Body Wood: Basswood Body Color: Ruby Red Burst Satin Bridge: Fixed Bridge Pickguard: Black Scale Length: 34" (86.4cm) Neck Radius: 12" (30.5cm) Frets: 22 Frets, Medium Neck Width: 1.77" (45mm) at Nut Neck Wood: Hard Maple Fingerboard: Jatoba Fret Markers: White Dot Markers Tuning Machines: Open Gear Truss Rod: Single Action Neck Attachment: 6 Bolt Controls: 2-band Active Preamp Switching: N/A Pickups: H - 1 Ceramic Humbucker Finally, it weighs in at just over 4.1kg I'm looking for £325. I'd prefer meet up, try out, cash on collection; but we could discuss delivery if needs be. Edit: well this has been up for a few weeks with no bites, so I'm going to hang on to it for a while. I'll probably upgrade the preamp and see how attached to it I feel then -
Got a child/grandchild? Just started back at school? Signed up for music lessons? Standing there empty-handed blowing raspberries? This is what is missing... Many years ago my son decided he wanted to play the cornet... and then he decided he didn't! Here is a Sonata Bb cornet in pretty much mint condition, having been played a few times and then spending a few years in its case. It's complete with the original mouthpiece (which I've thoroughly cleaned just to make sure) and even the original bottle of valve oil. The valves move freely. Looking for £120 + delivery (Which will go towards the Hofner bass that he had instead!) -
Can you take mother of pearl out of a neck and put it into another ?
Norris replied to Bef's topic in Bass Guitars
This is the cheapest and easiest option - that you could do yourself. If you really want MOP inlays find a friendly luthier - who will fit new ones, as it's really not worth the effort trying to dig them out of a neck, and they are not that expensive to buy new -
Mrs Norris just asked if that package was one that Tom Hanks didn't manage to pull out of the sea in Castaway? 😂
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Help with choosing a bass distortion pedal
Norris replied to Mike Bungo's topic in General Discussion
I'm going to guess at "Yes" 😅 -
It was on the news this morning that they will be donating 10% of the profits from their upcoming tour to support grass-roots music venues. That's a fabulous gesture Edit: It seems they are playing at two UK venues where they will be donating... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0gll8lp5ko
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Have you ever paid to play a gig?
Norris replied to hiram.k.hackenbacker's topic in General Discussion
We do play GK venues, but only because the guitarist is pro and there are few enough of them to not make a lot of difference to his tax returns. We have been offered gigs "for the exposure" in the past and have always politely declined those. We have certainly never paid to play! (Dog & Duck covers band btw) The guitarist being pro is actually a good excuse to ensure that the pay is worth our while. Otherwise he may as well get a better paying solo gig. No pay, no play. -
This is a bit more than you are looking to pay, but being used you wouldn't lose on it if you decided to move it on. There are a lot of cheap bass practice amps that are completely unsuitable for bass. This is a proper bass practice amp made by a famous amp brand. I have one myself
