FinnDave

It's a good point, the rehearsal studio I use in Leicester has good gear, but it happens to be Mark Bass, which I only ever use when I am there - so in readiness for the next rehearsal, I have written down the EQ details from Mark Bass's site in the hope of understanding what's going on!

The problem is that one bassist's perfect tone is another bassist's terrible sound! Ashdown are very good amps for people who like amps that sound like Ashdown. Fortunately, I am one of them, but there isn'a a one size fits all bass amp as far as I am aware. Every time I see a MarkBass stack in a rehearsal room, I shudder, but plenty of people use them and like them.

I really don't understand this craving for instructional videos and recommendations for lessons. I first picked up a bass in my early teens, in the 1970s. No such thing as an instructional video (pre video age!) and I've never had a bass lesson in my life. I'm still playing and not doing too bad a job. Seems to be a lack of self confidence on the part of beginners today, or a successful con trick by those who make money from providing lessons. Surely everything you need to know is in the music you listen to? Just play along until it sounds right. You can get all the theory you're like to need from a basic music theory book if you are prepared to use your brain and join few dots. Makes it much easier to remember if you've had to work things out than having it spoon fed.

I'd like to be able to claim I've got a couple of strumpets in my pocket...

The Grateful Dead covers band i joined in January has played a few gigs this year, of which the best (so far) was our headline slot at the Summer of Love party in Kent at the beginning of August. The gig was recorded and videoed with a multi-camera HD set up, and the editing has just been completed. Have to say, I'm not disappointed with the result! Recommend full screen and headphones or decent speakers.

In his autobiography, Phil Lesh (bassist from the Grateful Dead, no less) says the only advice he was give when he first picked up a bass guitar was 'only play an open string if you really mean it". Judging from the countless hours I've spent listening to and trying to copy his bass playing, I'd say he took that advice seriously.

It's a good name for a bloke called Paul, but a kind of weird name for a guitar! One of my closest friends is called Paul, but I still think it's a better on a person than a lump of wood!! (I wouldn't want a bass called Dave, either!)

I'd be tempted to sacrifice the DFA switch and replace it with another OFF switch, just in case.

Careful, that's verging on the political!

I'm playing Stanley Soundgear at the moment! (Or maybe it's Sidney, or Sandra, or Shirley, or Sheila, or Sonja...)

No, but other people can. "Which bass did you bring tonight?" "Paul". weird. But I did take a friend called Paul to my gig last Saturday, but he isn't a bass. Plays bass, but isn't a bass himself.

How is it pronounced? I'm inclined towards it sounding like an Irish name - Paul O'Nia

I don't think I could cope with a bass called Paul. Precision, Jazz, or a string of random numbers and letters, fine, but Paul - no.

I've used nothing but Ashdown for the last 15 years or so (except for supplied rigs in studios or at festivals) and have had everything from a 'Perfect Ten' combo (I think that was its name) to my current ABM 600 & Rootmaster 800 heads, via earlier ABMs, Mag heads, an EB combo and a Touring combo. All have been excellent - I wouldn't have carried on buying them if they weren't. I can't see me straying from the brand in the future, either, great support from the guys at Ashdown (not that I've needed much) and plenty of power and tonal range.

It's well-named - I looked at the advert and immediately wished I hadn't!

I didn't fancy being filtered!

Very expensive firewood.

You obviously have a knack for sales!

I can't see it catching on, especially in that colour!

I took a break from playing and sold all my gear when my daughters were little and I was working shifts with overtime as often as possible to cover the bills. Some stages in life just aren't conducive to playing music. When the financial and family time pressures eased, I bought a bass and amp without even thinking about the time I'd been away from it - took about a week to get back into it, a little longer for my finger tips to toughen up! I think it is a natural stage in most musicians' lives, unless they are full time pros. When you have young children, there is never enough time (or money), so anything that takes either of those away from the family tends to become irrelevant.

Fairly average gig last night, had some friends in the audience who think we are great, but I know we've played better nights. My tolerance for self-important guitarists is getting less and less all the time. Last night, we had a lead guitarist who a few minutes before start time found he hadn't got a strap (cue frantic search for a spare strap among our gear) then his amp & cab weren't plugged in, then his lead was too short... OK, we're all looking at you, you got the attention you're after - can we play now, please? Funny thing was that the self same guitarist played really well after that. I just don't think that that level of faffing about is worth suffering for a 40 quid gig.

I haven't used Spotify for a few years now, but do use iTunes. I use it mainly so I have music I want to hear available to me in my car via my phone - if I play CDs int eh car, then I can't use my phone's satnav. I also use it for learning new songs as it is easier to isolate and repeat segments that I need to work on, but I buy CDs all the time and much prefer listening to them. I just ordered several more CDs from the Grateful Dead's site in the States, knowing that the band and its business get the money, not a bunch of techno nerds in some internet company. If musicians don't get more than a pittance for their work, then we'll only be able to listen to what the system dictates we can listen to, there will be no innovation.