Dan Dare

I take it Hawkwood make kitchens.

Les Paul Triumph? Defeat, more like.

No, it's not. Why would someone cover up the markings that show it to be genuine. P basses "rare"? Maybe after the Armageddon, when virtually everything has been destroyed...

Tears of a Clown. Smokey Robinson. Bass by Bob Babbitt. First time I noticed how the bass drove the whole song.

PJB are deceptive. I use two C4s and a 4B - the number depends on how loud I need to be. Tonally, they're clean, with a touch of warmth - not clinical. They project/carry very well. I depped for the bassist at my local blues jam night recently and was surprised how well my two C4s could be heard out in the room. However, I'm not sure my rig would be adequate for rock with a heavy handed drummer (even adding my 4B). Horses for courses and all that.

Do you read? It's handy when you need to learn more intricate/sophisticated stuff. It's helpful to get transcriptions of the bass parts to well known pieces. Learning and playing them will help you develop an understanding of how and why various phrases and lines work in context.

A skate - strong plywood with 4 large castors (larger wheels roll better over uneven ground) - is the ideal thing. Lift cab onto it, roll into position, lift cab off. Job done.

He speaks highly of you

Rather a silly comment. No orchestra or members actually try to dress like or be Mozart and Schubert (or any other composer) and/or play only their material.

I don't think you understand me. I'm not claiming to be "better". I'm stating that I think "tribute" bands are a nonsense. Many of us play in covers bands and play music others have written. However, we play a range of material. It's the exact copying of everything about one particular artist that I find unhealthy and a bit silly.

Exactly. I own a dictionary (in fact I own several). "Tribute" in this context is a mis-use of the term. It's a euphemism. It would be more accurate to say "imitation".

There are, I'm afraid, Bill - https://www.chord.co.uk/product/chord-cream-instrument-cable/. I'm sure there are other Snake Oil cables being peddled, too. A fool and his money and all that.

Try a few. The only way to avoid disappointment.

If the guitar player is a mate, ask him what he'd like you to do.

Try one of those rucksack type straps that goes over both shoulders. A pal, who has back/shoulder problems, swears by his.

"Tribute" bands = sad nonsense. Don't care how good/"accurate" they are. Does anyone eat "tribute" (i.e. fake) food or drive a "tribute" car? Ridiculous.

Nick A's point is sound. Homemade PJs - where people simply add a standard J bass bridge pickup to a P bass - often suffer from hum/buzz because of it. Fender PJs use a hum cancelling J pickup to counteract this. Shielding paint is not the best thing to screen body cavities in my experience. You can get self adhesive copper tape (via Amazon, eBay and others) which is much more effective.

I second the recommendation for John Godsland/Orchid. Incidentally, his DI boxes and preamps are excellent and cost a lot less than other premium brands. See https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/orchid-electronics-di-boxes.

DO PUBLISH contact details so we can all GET IN TOUCH and arsk to ordishun.

If you want real clarity, attack and a super clean sound, you need a lot of headroom/power. You want whatever you use to be working well within itself and not straining in any way - that's when dirt/compression starts to make its presence felt. I'd be looking at a high quality pre' with a serious PA power amp (think something like Lab Gruppen) driving Barefaced, Greenboy or similar cabs. Not cheap, but will do the job properly.

Exactly. They just see another piece of bent metal, together with mic stands, cymbal stands, etc, etc and ignore it if the music's any good. As far as the "learn your parts" comments on here are concerned, that's fine if you play the same 20 songs every night, but if you take requests or have a large repertoire (some items from which you may not have performed for a while), you need parts, words, etc. That's why orchestras, jazz bands, etc, use the dots.

I agree with Phil and others. The most important thing is to get it right and if the singer (or any musician) needs a reminder or even a comfort blanket, that's fair enough. As a matter of interest, I prefer a conventional music stand to an iPad, because it looks a bit naff to see a musician's or singer's face illuminated by the blue glow from the screen.

This. It's spot on. Those the OP refers to as members of a "clique" probably turn up every week come rain or shine to support the jam. As stated, if attendance is sparse and insufficient drink, etc is purchased, It's highly likely that the bar/pub (which is a business and has to make a living) will decide to try something else before too long. When I go to a jam I haven't visited before, I do as suggested - say hello, tell them honestly what I do and don't expect to be given half the night to myself (although the last time I went, there was only one other bassist apart from the house band player and I ended up playing with several sets of people, which was fun).

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the equipment you have. It will do all you ask of it (and well - it's all high quality stuff). You will just be wasting money chopping and changing and will notice little if any difference. Bertbass makes good points (particularly about frequencies reinforcing each other) and I agree with suggestions to route the bass through the FoH rig and lift your rig up so you hear it better.