Dan Dare

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1479712835' post='3178566'] I tried this once with an old traynor 4x10, it pretty much fell to bits after I ran the saw through it (cheap osb board and stapled together without much glue). Whole thing ended up in the bin! I'm sure this is possible but I'd say you're better off selling unless you're sure it's solid ply construction where you can get some good strong joints with battens, screws etc on the new wood. Then there's the finishing to consider, which will be hard to do neatly unless you re cover both boxes completely. [/quote] This. As an inveterate fiddler, I can't resist modifying and "improving" things. I nearly always regret it. destroys any resale value.

Split the difference. Quite full and £50 or £60 in my pocket. On a more serious note, if you depend on it, you have to take the money. Those who don't have to pay the bills from music can be a bit too keen to look down their noses at the "breadheads" who need to earn a living, imho. I'm now in a position of being comfortable and not needing the money, but I remember the days when every penny counted and would never disparage someone who needs to put food on the table.

Good to break in new flats to get rid of the twang. I just put them on, take them up to pitch, back down to slack, back up to pitch and so on a few times. Seems to dull them nicely.

Some Euros or dollars, so he/she can afford the stuff that's gone up in price for mysterious reasons recently :-)

Most important question to ask yourselves is "Is the main band's audience our potential audience?". If it is (and you have to be honest with yourselves about it), then Bassjim makes good points. However, no point in being the support band the punters ignore because they're waiting for the people they paid to see, no matter how prestigious the gig.

As a long time J player who has recently built a P, I found that I needed to re-adjust the ears to appreciate the virtues of the P. It's a thicker, woodier sound than the J and superficially has less clarity. However, it has other virtues - solidity and weight - that you come to appreciate in time. Not a lot of point in spending a lot of money trying to make a P sound like a J. Either use the J or spend some time acclimatising to the difference is my suggestion. Agree with others' suggestion about the QP pickup. It may be louder, but it diminishes, to my ears at any rate, the essence of a P bass - that lovely woody tone.

There was a monster Orange cab, too. Think it had 8x12. Not intended for bass, but a big bugger.

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1479147875' post='3174347'] Did you have a good relationship with your old drummer? Might be worthwhile getting in touch with him and seeing if he was up to getting something going again. It does take some time to find the right people to play music with, and a lot of trial and error [/quote] This is good advice. If the two of you work well as a rhythm section, I should imagine you won't be looking for too long. However, if the guys you are thinking of joining are fun, what's the harm? It will keep your fingers in trim whilst you wait/look for something else.

I bought a cheapo speaker cab to use as the loan rig for a jam (not going to risk my PJBs). The bloke I bought it from demo'd it with a SVT head. Sounded fabulous.

You want to try the Peavey 8x10. The rehearsal room I use has one, with a World Tour head. Epic sound, but about the weight of a Mini.

A lot of power amps are stereo and you'll have to bridge them to drive a single cab (and generate the sort of power you're looking for). Problem is, very few like to run bridged into 4 ohms. Those that do tend to be expensive - Lab Gruppen and the like.

I find I'm spending more time playing the bitsa P that I built recently. Originally intended it as a knockabout instrument to have round he house, but liking it more and more. Will not sell the old Jazz, but it does fewer gigs these days.

He wants to enjoy himself, meet a few players and see what comes out of it. Good luck to him. It ain't brain surgery or a cure for cancer.

Lucky you. A cheap instrument that really does it for you is the Holy Grail. Who cares about the label? Imagine you were blind. Which would you have? Any fool can hock the house and buy a Fodera or similar.

Flog 'em and spend the money on something that doesn't take up so much space :-)

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1479048638' post='3173513'] "In favour of something less cliched" was my comment; not "In favour of something more complex." [/quote] This is your big chance to suggest something new and shiny/non cliched that we can all plagiarise for the next 50 years...

To quote an old Jewish saying, don't take it so heavy. Look at joining a band in a similar light to joining a sports club or similar. Sure, you might gel/improve and win a major trophy/get on telly/get famous/get laid, but try to enjoy the journey and then win or lose, you win. "Joinabanditis"/joining a band for its own sake/for the fun of it is perfectly valid and needs no justification. Lighten up, peeps.

82 a good innings for rock n' roll. RIP Len.

Do you mean a trill (swiftly varying between two adjacent notes a semitone apart) or actual vibrato (where pitch usually varies by a lot less than a semitone)? If you're talking about a trill, strike the note and hammer on and off (either a fret up or a fret down) swiftly. There's a limit to how long it will sustain, but it works. It's very tricky to slide between two fretted notes - buzz is almost inevitable as you cross the fret and the pressure on the string is released momentarily. Applies especially if you use roundwounds. Vibrato much easier on a fretless - you mention Sting. He plays fretless and would, I suspect, use one for a song that demands vibrato.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1478682405' post='3170803'] Band Membership 101 - Never join a band with a keyboard player unless he has lost his left arm in a tragic industrial accident. [/quote] This is spot on in 99% of cases. I'm fortunate in that the KB player in my band is happy to discuss what we will each do and how to avoid clashes in the low register. On the original point of the thread, playing music is (for me, admittedly, but I would contend universally) a collaborative venture. Playing with yerself (pun intended) is a very poor substitute and of course, there is nobody to spark off of or be inspired by. When it works, it's the most satisfying thing in the world and worth the grief of when it doesn't. As for egos, we all need one in order to get up and perform in front of others. Part of the process of becoming an adult is to learn how to reach an accommodation with those we don't agree with - it applies in music as much as anywhere else. Of course, there are always those with who one can never agree. It may not be a question of right and wrong, just difference of opinion/belief. In cases like that, just walk and look for people you can get along with, or at least reach an understanding. It's no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Nowt wrong with Hartke and versatile kit. 2x10 plus 1x15 a nice combo. Until I went Phil Jones crazy, that's what I used. Worth seeing if you prefer the sound of all 10s - i.e.two 2x10s - though.

The words "embellish the bass part" and "country music" don't belong in the same universe, I'm afraid. Embellishment in country is for the guitar, steel, fiddle or any of the melody instruments, but NOT the bass player, I'm afraid. Sorry. Just have to play the bag and save the adventurous stuff for another time.

Lots of sensible advice here, the best being to go to a proper shop and try plenty of options. Don't go on a Saturday when they're under pressure if you want a lengthy session or the owner's undivided. There are plenty of shops which stock kit to try, but you may have to travel. Bass Direct and Andertons, as suggested, both excellent (BD has more by way of specialist kit). Take your time and don't be swayed by others' opinions, reviews, etc. Try to take the instrument you use with you - even different examples of the same model can vary. Your ears/preferences are what matter.

Just bought an additional set of HK monitors for the PA. German made. Cost £100 the pair more than the identical items did a year ago. Wonder why...

If I can offer another suggestion, I have two PJB C4s and I'd advise trying the full fat, as well as the Lite versions. The Lite's use PJ's Neo drivers, which are a bit less pokey than the Piranhas in the standard C4 (which I have - bought them after comparing the two). Lites lovely for jazz/clean sounds, but a but polite by comparison, I found.