bonzodog

I had two of the LEDJ version in my singing days. They are ok but not as bright as you may expect. They act better as a wash, ie lighting up walls or equipment rather than used as spotlights. I think you may need 4 of them to get the brightness you need.

After only two proper rehearsals he wants to think about recording???? That's way too early. Its pointless recording till the songs are 100% otherwise they will not sound like you want them to and you will regret it

Congratulations!!! Enjoy every minute as they grow up so fast......

You also have to remember that we, as bass players listen out for them more. Memorable bass lines to me don't necessarily jump out of the song as being the main riff. So a memorable bass line to a bass player is a lot wider than to anyone else. Its surprising how a lot of the 'joe public' do'nt know what the difference is between guitars and basses. When I have told people I play bass in band, it surprises me how many people ask me to play something they'd recognise and I have to show them 'Town called Malice'.Even then they say they didn't know that was the bass.

Thanks for the replies. I will have a play around with it tonight and try and borrow a cab from somewhere to see if that helps. Really will have to try and get some cash together to buy another rig as I would prefer a separate amp and a 4 x 10 cab

As much as I would like a new bass amp, finances allude me at the moment and I am currently using a Crate 220W combo (1 x 15). At low volume in the house it sounds fine, but I have recently started taking it to rehearsals rather than use the in house bass amp so I can play with the sound as I need to use it for a few up and coming gigs. With the gain at around half way and the master volume at the same, with a flat EQ, I am getting distortion. We do not rehearse particularly loud (Drums, Bass, Guitar and 2 vocals), but if I play any quieter I am struggling to be heard. I have checked for any loose connections or screw fittings and everything seems fine and the speaker looks intact. There is an overdrive channel but I don't use it I don't have anyone that can look at it FOC so I may have to pay a local shop to take it apart to see if there are any issues, but don't really want the expense if I can help it I play an epi thunderbird active through it, and select the active input switch. If I then play my passive EB3 though it and select passive input then its a bit better but still distorting. There is an output for another speaker but this is a series output so if I connect another speaker I am not going to achieve any more power, but do you think connecting another speaker may help to reduce the distortion in as much that the amp power is being spread into two speakers/cabs. (if that makes sense) Would appreciate some help as I cannot decide whether I am asking too much of the amp or it may need looking at or an extra cab

Have a look at the Yamaha stagepas 600i. A nice compact system of powered mixer and 2 passive speakers for £600. We use it for rehearsals and small gigs as a vocal PA, with me and guitarist going through amps and then for bigger gigs we hire a PA and use stagepas as a monitor set up.

In our 3 piece band me and the guitarist share vocals, so I sing the songs where the bass is either easy, or just has nice fills in between lines. We do a wide range of stuff but current songs I sing and play bass to are - You do something to me - Paul Weller Up the Junction - squeeze Ever fallen in love with someone - Buzzcocks That's entertainment - the Jam If you want to up the tempo a bit more, other ones that go down well that I sing whilst playing bass are, Should I stay or should I go - The Clash She sells sanctuary - The Cult So Lonely - The Police Are you gonna be my girl - Jet

Every drummer is different and its not always his ability that will determine his commitment. He may be a very good drummer looking for a band that is not working as much as hes used to or he may be a less talented drummer wanting to learn from a more experienced band. Best thing is to advertise and be clear in your advert what level you are at. Most of the time it is your enthusiasm that people are attracted to I am hopeless at learning original bass lines by ear but youtube is full of people showing you how to play the bass lines to virtually every song. I don't think I ever not been able to find one. Just type in the name of the song followed by bass cover. They are not always 100% accurate but most are pretty close

+1 on the Yamahas Stagepas but go for the 600i which is the largest at 380W per side. Its a powered 6 channel mixer with passive 10" speakers. All packs away into a small unit and cost £600 new. We use it as a vocal PA in smaller/medium gigs and it has feedback eliminator, vocal FX and an output to connect an active sub. If we do larger venues we just use a local hire company and pay £60 for a 1k rig and then use the stagepas system as monitors.

Michael Jackson

Amazing version. Never seen that clip before, thanks. I don't get why people don't like Stairway, Led Zep have done dozens of amazing songs, and I think Stairway is up there with the best. I can only assume its because its been heard so many times and become a bit stereotypical of air guitar rock, but if you forget about all that and listen to it intensely it is a beautiful song..

I also have an Epi EB3 and a Epi Tbird Pro. Both of these have notorious neck dive and a wide strap definitely helps. There must be a way of attaching the strap button at the bottom of the bass to your belt on your right hip.....think I may try and invent something with this in mind

LED is definitely the way to go as they are getting better all the time, will last forever and don't cook you on stage. I use 2 x PAR64 to light us up but we also use some smaller units as up-lighters. Two behind the drummer pointing upwards gives a lovely wash to the back of the stage. Also you can point them at amps to give a nice mood effect. DMX is okay if you are planning on having someone else operate the controller but I would just leave them to run on a slow colour change. You can still connect all the lights up to run on same colour without having to buy a DMX controller. This way the first light is the main and the rest copy it as slaves. Also best to get a terminator which you plug into the last light to finish the chain. If you don't use one of these, the LED's can flicker

Nice one. Sounds just like me......I've played in bands for years and there have always been a couple of sub standard members who we had to carry. My current band is just me, a guitarist and a drummer, with me and the guitarist sharing the singing. We are all of a pretty high standard and that makes rehearsals so much more fun and productive. Hope it works out okay for you.

Went in to PMT yesterday for some new strings and came out with a Epiphone SG EB3. Thought I would have a little go on it in the shop as I've never played one before and the next thing I know I was buying it!!! I know it has severe neck dive and known to have bridge problems but there is something about it I really like. Couldn't put it down last night and cant wait for Monday's band rehearsal.

of all the experiences in life I still think you can't beat a good band rehearsal. Great feeling

+1 on Vistaprint but make sure you select glossy and thick card as the basic ones look cheap. Also they sting you on delivery so select the 14 day service which is very cheap. I did this and my cards still arrived in less than a week

As a young kid, It was JT that first got me interested in bass as I just love not only the bass lines themselves but also the sound he produced. Although I quickly diverted to rock music I will always remain a fan of his ability.

Welcome Brian. Like you, I have also worked around the midlands clubs as a singer so we have probably crossed paths around the black country. Enjoy the forum

I never used to suffer with it, but now I am older I have to constantly concentrate on where I am in the song so it is definitely an age thing...........also depends on how attractive the female members of the audience are, as I very often find my mind wandering onto other things and I forget where I am