Dan Dare

Good point and yes, I do.

Listing says Jazz bass. Headstock says Precision. Pickup is P. What a wally. Do you reckon he might work at Essex Recording Studios...

Room acoustics play a big part in how one should apply eq if one is relying on backline to fill the room. If the bass is reaching the audience via the PA, you only have to worry about onstage sound. I find that scooping mids makes for a pleasanter sound at low volumes/at home, but at gig volumes (not necessarily stupidly loud ones), a mid scooped sound is too indistinct. I check how the bass sits in the mix at soundcheck using wireless or a long lead. I often find I have to boost the mids to the point where it is not particularly pleasant/a bit honky when stood next to the rig, to make it work in the mix/room.

jrixn!'s advice is sound. I'd add that most power amps you will find, in addition to being rack mounted, will be intended for PA use and will be stereo. Mono power amps are not that common and your chance of finding a used one in your price range is probably slim. Many stereo power amps can be bridged to act as a mono amp, but the minimum impedance you can run them into doubles in bridged mode. So an amp that is rated at, for example, 2x250w into a minimum of 4 ohms a side becomes 500w mono into a minimum of 8 ohms. That isn't helpful if you are looking to run multiple cabs - most will be 4 or 8 ohms, which limits you to one. Handy for bi-amping, but if not, you would have to run the amp in stereo and power a cab from each channel, using a splitter cable to feed the mono signal from the preamp to both channels. I'd definitely look at the Sumo if you want a power amp. It's compact, not staggeringly expensive and reviews are favourable.

That would probably work, but best to bypass the combo speaker.

You've no idea how much better that makes me feel 😊

Nice rig. My OCD requires me to plead with you to get a blanking plate or a spurious 1U unit to fill that empty space in the rack unit 😁

Feedback? You were lucky. We used to have to pay someone to stand in the wings and scream at us.

Usual patronising tone... I've re-listened to it and you are partly correct. The first note of the phrase actually varies. It is G# at the start, but once the song begins, it is sometimes G natural.

I've told this on here previously, so apologies if you've read it before. I used to play the fiddle (still do, butrarely do gigs these days) and frequently played for ceili bands. One Burns night, my band was booked to play at a Burn's Supper in a banqueting hall in London. It was quite a grand occasion - men in DJs and kilts, women in ball gowns. A tradition at the opening of Burns Suppers is that the haggis is carried ceremonially into the hall, accompanied by a bagpiper. It is placed on the top table, the MC will recite Burns's "Address to a Haggis" and then cut into it with his dagger, which signifies the start of dinner itself. The band will often play background music before and during dinner and then play for dancing once the meal is finished. We were sat on stage, playing, when the bagpiper arrived (we didn't know him. He had been booked by the organisers). He was completely plastered. Pipers on Burns Nights can often clean up - they play at a series of events (they are only needed for a few minutes), accept a dram (or two) and their fee and move on to the next one. Our hero had obviously fulfilled a number of prior engagements. He could still walk in a straight line and play, so he was sent into the hall, followed by the chef carrying the haggis and the MC. The procession arrived at the table, which was on stage on front of the band. They climbed the steps, the chef placed the haggis on the table and the MC stepped forward to read the address. The piper stood to one side and, no doubt due to the quantity of booze he had consumed, lost control of his bowels for a moment. He was wearing his kilt in the traditional manner, so there was nothing to catch the product of his lapse, which plopped onto the stage between his feet. He shifted to one side, stepped on it, slipped and his foot shot up, flinging pieces of it over the diners sitting at the front tables. The band rushed off stage and howled with laughter in the dressing room whilst the cleaning staff hastily did their stuff. The evening did carry on, but it took some time to sort things out.

Papa was a Rolling Stone comes to mind. Just 3 notes but a belter.

There were fewer replacement pickups around in the 80s than there are now. A Di Marzio is a good shout and they were known for cream casings. I don't think that's copper foil, but the windings themselves. The wire gauge is very fine and can look like a sheet of copper at a distance.

Many maple boards are lacquered, so that would need to be stripped if you want to stain it, which wouldn't do a lot for its resistance to wear. Removing every bit of it from around the frets will be time consuming and tricky. Paint will look horrible and will soon wear through in spots where you play most often. If you stain it, you will need to be very careful to prevent the stain from bleeding into the neck itself. All in all, I'd just embrace the maple look.

Is it the deluxe active V version? If so, your battery may need replacement.

I had one made quite a few years back, when Zilla were still in Surrey/SW London. They were very helpful, their workmanship was very good and their prices were fair. I sold it when I went lightweight. Their cabs were more traditional in construction - solid and a bit weighty. I don't know if they offer lightweight options these days. No gripes about the quality, though and they do an enormous range of finishes.

Welcome. Is the new bass to replace or add to your Sire? If it's going to be one bass to rule them all, any of those you mention could be a good choice. I like the Cort Rithimic. They're versatile instruments. A pal has one and I like it a lot. However, you're the person who will be playing it, so head for a few shops and try stuff out. It's best not to choose or buy on the basis of recommendations and reviews. One man's meat is another's poison and all that.

I love a proper traditional pork pie. I'm partial to a spot of Dijon on mine.

This. If it sounds right to you and the other musicians, it's fine, provided you are in sync with the other instruments and drums. Music is an audible, not a visual experience. Are the drums real or from the computer?

I think it depends how good the people you are having "hobby rehearsals" with are. If they aren't just trying to get their own parts right and you can concentrate on the arrangement and push yourself (and them) musically, it can be a rewarding experience in itself. However, if you teach music all day, you may well be more advanced than many who do it for a hobby. My musical life has been a mixture of playing for a living and doing it as a sideline that helped supplement the salary from my "proper" job. Since I retired, I've tried on a few occasions to play with bands that were primarily social ventures with people who play as a hobby. Socially, they were enjoyable, but, no matter how much I told myself I was just doing it for the enjoyment and that I shouldn't expect too much, I would find myself champing at the bit at the lack of progress or improvement. I realised it wouldn't have been fair for me to be too demanding of my band mates, so decided to bow out. At the same time, I want/need to play music (and with others - practicing/playing along with backing tracks, etc in solitary splendour doesn't cut it for me). Not an easy situation to resolve. I'm still answering ad's, etc and hoping to find a bunch of older players or ex pro's in a similar position to me who are looking to play for the satisfaction of it and do a few gigs. Fingers crossed.

Have you checked your strings closely? Could be a loose winding or sharp edge that is causing the problem.

ERS's website has many gems - apparently, they have "the very best recording equipment in the world & the largest guitar collection in the country" (some members on here own more instruments than are shown on ESR's website), "the finest microphone & mic-pre collection in the UK" and "real music industry connections" (I assume that means they know people, rather than just having a few XLRs lying around). Wot a larf, eh.

Might it be worth checking out a double bass player's high stool? They have some back support. They're not cheap, but will probably cost less than changing your instruments.

My AG700 fans only cut in when the amp warms up a bit. It's thermally activated, as Bill points out. I should imagine Aguilar uses the same system on all its amps.

Or pee on them. Saves money. As far as calluses are concerned, you shouldn't be developing thick crusts on the fingers (which will then fall off, leaving a new, soft layer of skin exposed, as you have found. My fingertips - admittedly, I've been playing for 50 plus years - have slightly hardened pads, but they don't show obvious calluses. The skin remains elastic. As Dad observes, it takes time and you should ease off if it hurts. I'd be looking at the way you play, as suggested by others above. If you are aggressive and hook your fingers round the strings, pulling outwards as you pluck, you are more likely to damage the fingertips. Roundwound strings will likely make this worse, especially if they are high tension. You mention you are new to bass. It's a common beginner's error to employ too much force. Try to use more of a classical guitar player's rest stroke, where the finger pushes the string aside and comes to rest on the next string down.