Dan Dare

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.

I drove mine with a Bassman 135. Lovely rig, but big/heavy and needed my Volvo estate to get it around. Great days.

On my old AH350, the answer to "what does the pre-shape button do" was "makes the sound usable". As NickA says, the flat sound was very mid prominent. Using the pre-shape (and then adding my chosen eq via the graphic) was essential, I found. Nice head, though. Flexible and powerful. If it hadn't been so heavy, I'd probably still have it.

[quote name='gillento' timestamp='1478442538' post='3169060'] I asked them. They don't anymore. [/quote] Bassgear, near Reading, have a used one at the moment, that they claim is in vvgc. Been humming and hawing about it, but am sticking with my PJBs. May be worth a look.

tks used to make one, I think.

Back in the days before I knew any better, I replaced the 15" drivers in an old 2x15 Bassman cab with Peavey Black Widows when one of the originals blew. Sounded fab' and the BWs didn't die. Sometimes, you get lucky.

An audition is like any job interview. No matter what the stated "rules" are, if they like you best out of the applicants, you're in and if they don't, you ain't. Ability has little to do with it, provided you have a sufficient level of competence for the task in hand. It's all down to personal qualities and whether you gel with others/whether they feel they want to work with you. It's very sensible to do things this way - the most important part of working with people is getting along. Most would rather work with someone who is OK as far as ability goes, but who they get along with, rather than the other way around. Practical issues can be overcome, personal ones generally can't (other than by agreeing not to go there or reaching an awkward truce/accommodation, which is very hard to maintain in the long run). Whether we admit it or not, we are creatures of instinct (our instincts are what have kept us alive for so long) and make decisions for mainly personal reasons. We may justify or attempt to justify or rationalise them later, of course. I'd rather it was that way. It's so uncomfortable to work with people you just don't like or get along with, no matter how successful the venture.