Dan Dare

Always remember (unless you are a solo artist, which is unlikely given that we play bass) that people are not there to see YOU. You are not the centre of anyone's universe (save perhaps your own) and an audience will focus its attention on the frontman/woman. Unless you are the main or only singer in addition to being the bass player, you will be largely ignored. Concentrate your attention on your colleagues and ensure you work well with them. Mistakes happen. Once they have, they're in the past and there's nothing you can do about them, so forget them. Don't obsess about them and screw up the next thing because of it. The only times I am nervous when performing are occasions when I know I'm not familiar enough with the material and I'm winging it. The solution to that - more/better practice - is obvious. Use charts/music if necessary or if you are doing a last minute job where you have not had a chance to learn the stuff. It doesn't have to be on a visible music stand. Charts written large can go on the floor at your feet or on a monitor wedge in front of you. An aide memoire placed on top of your rig, which you can glance at between numbers to remind you what's coming next, is helpful, too. It's music. It ain't brain surgery and nobody will die if you get it wrong.

I agree with you. On a power amp, the gain controls do not have any amplifying function. That's the job of the preamp, which a power amp doesn't have. They merely attenuate, reducing the signal level received from the preamp, mixing desk or whatever is feeding it. So it appears to make little difference whether you attenuate the signal on the way out of the pre or on the way into the power amp. The gains on a power amp are most useful where you are using a mixer and need to drive it hard enough to get the best signal to noise ratio with low output mic's.

What on earth are you doing up around the 15th fret? Madness.

Given that strings are made to be flexible, "straightening" them isn't really an option. If it's an actual kink and you attempt to bend it in the opposite direction, you may fatigue it and cause it to fail when it's taken up to tension. Probably safest to replace it. It sounds as if it could have been faulty - is there any chance you could return it and get a replacement?

Get a wider strap?

Exactly. A lot of them are quite passive aggressive and like you, I take no prisoners if that's the case. If you get any real gems and you have a minute to spare, it's worth posting them on Reddit Choosing Beggars. Always good for a laugh.

Any decent MPV or estate.

You can buy a standalone PP supply. Most provide 48v. If your Sansamp needs that, you'll have plenty of choice.

The reason a lot of tab is not great is explained in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. When a bike manufacturer wants to issue a workshop manual, they ask the works manager to suggest someone to write it. The manager, realising that this will rob the production line of a worker for some while, suggests the worst, least productive member of staff, because their absence will not affect production too much and it's easier to do without them.

👍 You won't go far wrong with one of those. You can run it at 4 ohms to get the most out of your amp, too.

Not necessarily. Cable made from many finer strands will be more flexible and less likely to fatigue from constant flexing than that made from fewer strands of a thicker gauge. That's why solid core cable is intended for fixed/static use.

By efficiency, I (and I assume most others) mean amount of output for a given input power - the figure you see quoted by cab manufacturers (reputable ones, at any rate) that says, for example, 95db for 1W @ 1 metre at 1khz. It's self-explanatory. There may be a lot of 50 and 100w heads in use, but many are practice/starter amps. 200w is about the minimum one would need to compete with, say, a couple of guitars, keys and drums in a reasonably sized space. Wine bar jazz and acoustic ensemble gigs will likely be an exception, although a lot of jazzers use small powerful combos from the likes of PJB, Acoustic Image, AER and similar. Not the definition of what?

True. A C4 has an equivalent cone area to 1x10. A very pokey 1x10, it has to be said. I reckon one is equal to many 1x12s.

They are actually quite decent in terms of efficiency. Lesser cabs may make more noise with 100w, but they won't go as loud or as low, the quality of sound will be lacking in comparison and they will blow up when something like a Super Compact is just hitting its stride. And who uses 100w bass amps these days for serious playing?

Silver is a marginally better conductor than copper, although I can't hear the difference. It may be noticeable in a quiet studio environment, but not in a live situation. Silver isn't nearly as good at coping with flexing/bending and general abuse, however. That makes it a bit fragile for use as a stage cable, being trodden on, coiled and uncoiled constantly, etc.

There are flats and there are flats. I do keep a P bass strung with old La Bellas, but I put Cobalts on my 5 and Chromes on my J bass. Chromes seem to suit a J particularly well. They have plenty of brightness and the warmth is there when you need it. The higher tension enables me to use a lighter gauge and the longevity, smoothness under the fingers and reduced wear on frets is a bonus. I find flats age more gradually. Rounds tend to be bright until suddenly, they're not.

If everyone bar one can do a date, it has to be greatest good for the greatest number. The one who can't make it isn't really in a position to expect the others to miss out.

I don't know if one PJB C4 will be sufficient for your purposes, even if your bandmates are subtle players. I know because I use a couple in soul/blues/R&B bands. Tonally, I love 'em, but they are quite inefficient (around 92db) and do soak up some amplifier power (I use an AG700 with mine). They are also not that light for their size. The MB would be my choice of the ones you list and the Super Compact suggested above is a good shout.

Given that the great majority of P style basses have maple necks, I think it likely your choice will be limited. If Google, etc doesn't turn anything up, Warmoth may be your best, even only option. Wenge is a dense and heavy wood, so neck dive might be an issue on a lighter P body, unless you have one of those 70s instruments that weigh half a ton.

I agree with your summary of the differences in sound. I have an AG700 and a pal has a D800. We compared them through the same cabs (PJB). The Aggy is warmer (but not soft or unfocused). The Mesa is more aggressive. We both preferred the AG700 through my cabs, but he uses an older Epifani and likes the Mesa with it. They both use the same IcePower power amp module, so the difference must be in the designers' preamp choices. Interestingly, his has just gone pop (they are about the same age). I'd definitely try before you buy with your cab, if possible.

Well played, sir. It's full of trout, too.

They may be very good, but, as Lozz points out, that's fine if it's the bands schtick, but if not, not. If striving for ultimate realism, no thin white Duchess is going to be able to convince the listener that she's the thin white Duke. We are free to make art and music with whoever we choose, whether in tribute bands or not. Let's hope it remains that way.

It will be fine. You don't have to run an amp that puts out exactly the rated power of a cab. A decent cab (which you have) will tolerate occasional short term peaks that are over its rated input power. The usual rule applies - if it makes nasty noises, turn down.

Were, not are. The design and components (KEF bass and midrange drivers and a Scanspeak tweeter), whilst good in their day, are not comparable with more modern offerings. I'm not suggesting that everything modern is automatically better, but drive unit technology, cabinet design and measurement capability has advanced considerably since the 1970s.

Tell me about it. My late missus could still hear bats when she was in her 60s. I could up to about the age of 40, but not after that. I love getting old, although I suppose it's better than the alternative.