Dan Dare

There's no alternative if you want to find THAT SOUND other than heading for a well -stocked shop, spending some time running through the alternatives and being willing to spend what it takes. We're all different and acting on any of our preferences could set you on that endless, long and rocky road of buying and moving stuff on. That way madness lies. Better to get it right from the outset. I spent several hours at Bass Direct a few years back (do it on a weekday when they're not busy and you can take your time) and have not felt the need to upgrade since. No doubt I will one day or if something breaks, but for now, I no longer have the urge to look for new toys. Have a look at the amount of stuff in the Market Place that's described as 'home use only', 'still in the box', etc, etc. I'd wager it's practically all been bought by people who thought it would be the key to nirvana (I'm not referring to older or inexpensive kit, but to the current, pro level stuff) when they got it.

I think Bill's absolutely right. If you get a large enough PA cab to give you the low end you need, it will probably be as large as or even larger than your bass rig, so nothing gained. I also find that putting my bass through a PA results in a clean, but rather characterless sound, no doubt because I'm used to the baked in tone of bass rigs (they all have that, even when set supposedly 'flat').

But some are more equal than others.

I'm trying out some Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats at the moment. I got a 5 string and fancied a brighter sound, but didn't like the rounds it came with. I'm pleased with the Cobalts so far. Plenty bright enough, without that zing/clang I hate. I wouldn't replace the La Bellas on my P bass with them - they're far too bright - but they do the job on the 5. Worth a punt on a set?

This is a very good point. He sounds honest, too. I agree with others who say the most important thing, given equivalent ability, is how well you get on personally.

I suspect the singer is feeling threatened by Andy's efforts and the quantity of them. Saying "the riffs are all great, but they sound like you’ve already developed them...” is equivalent to, "I didn't write this and there's no space in it for me to put in my four penn'orth and take some credit". The fact that he reportedly likes to change established material for no good reason supports that, as does criticising others' efforts whilst contributing nothing of his own. Attempting to work with insecure people is always a recipe for disaster, in my experience.

Ah yes. The sort of tat that's aimed at family/friends of a musician who are wondering what to get them for Christmas/birthday.

The rate of pay is inversely proportional to how much fun you have.

Know what you mean. I went for a ride on the Mid Hants steam railway yesterday (I love a bit of steam and coal smoke). News items about steam locos, suggestions for other similar places to visit, etc popped up on the feed on my phone whilst I was there. Do they track where you are and your movement (in this case, along the line - presumably, your movement from mobile mast to mobile mast gives that away), work out that you must be on the railway and send you stuff accordingly? That is sinister.

I stand corrected. Didn't realise that.

It's worth remembering that pickups are not microphones (with the possible exception of those which have become microphonic with age - perhaps that explains the claimed 'airy' sound of those ancient Strats and similar). This applies especially to modern pickups, which are usually potted/sealed and are pretty well immune to vibration as a result. If you tap your finger on the pickup of an old P bass or similar, you will often hear a pop through the speaker. If you do the same to something like a Bartolini or an EMG, you won't hear one (or if you do, it will be tiny). Pickups don't "listen" in the way that a microphone or our ears do (which is by sensing physical vibrations/movement of the air). They detect the movement of the strings within a magnetic field (cast by the magnets of the pickup) and convert that into a minute electrical signal. It's similar to the way a stylus on an analogue record player works. The grooves on the record cause the stylus, which is attached to a thin rod of aluminium, boron, etc to move. The other end of the rod is attached to either a small magnet which moves within the field created by a miniature coil (moving magnet cartridges) or a small coil which moves within the field created by miniature magnets (moving coil cartridges). Again, this creates a minute electrical signal. It's logical that everything in the construction of an instrument, including materials used, will affect the way in which a string will vibrate. However, the contribution of the material, assuming it is of similar density/rigidity, is really not worth worrying about. Construction - through neck or bolted, etc - and especially the integrity of the construction is the thing that really has an effect, together with electronics - pickup, preamp, etc. Obviously, an instrument made of balsa (if it could be done in a way that wouldn't cause it to collapse under the tension of the strings) will not have the same structural integrity as one made of hardwoods. However, the difference between hardwoods of similar rigidity/density is so small as to be insignificant.

I find it hilarious that eBay (and many other organisations) send you advertisements or promotions for something you've just bought. I know their algorithms track you and do it automatically, but it's a bit pointless. "Just bought a new Aston Martin, sir? Why not have a look at these and see if you fancy another?"

It depends, as others say. I play in several different line-ups. If, for example, someone wants my function band to play a wedding or similar, we are going to expect our normal rates of pay. With pubs/clubs, if a venue is small and will be seriously affected by the rules affecting how many customers it can fit in, then we're prepared to be flexible, especially if they have been good to us in the past. Some pals and I have a Monday night residency in a little local (or we will when/if it re-opens). We've discussed this and are quite happy to play there for nowt when it re-opens as it's a nice pub and the guv'nor is a sound bloke, who doesn't let us pay for our drinks and it's half a mile down the road. We're all ageing/retired/ex-pros, who like to get together to play what we want, so it suits us. It helps that we're all older and financially secure, so don't need to earn at every opportunity.

If all else fails...

Too many to list. A search of YouTube for "terrible music videos" turns up some gems. This is one of the more amusing collections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QajzKbTBeGg

It's worth noting that maple boards have a hard lacquer/varnish coating to prevent wear. So you are not hearing the "sound" of the wood (if there is any such thing).

True. Thinking about it, Aguilar use ICEpower modules. Ah well...

Worth checking where things are actually made/built. A lot of companies specify and design, but outsource the manufacture, usually to low wage economies. My PJB cabs (you could be forgiven for thinking they're a British company - Phil Jones is Welsh) were made in China, for example. At least my amps (Aguilar and Carvin) were actually made in the US.

Oh dear. Does this mean more guitar players will be able to afford the means to deafen us?

Assuming you have one to use as a template, try Jack's Instrument Services. They're in Manchester, but will post anywhere. Very good work.

Got to add June Tabor to that list.

The photo of it sitting on the leatherette sofa in front of the torn 1970s wallpaper adds a touch of class, don't you think? I think Andy Travis is right about some not being as able to spot a wrong 'un as others, so despite my earlier comment, I've reported it as counterfeit to evilBay, too.

Agreed, especially your comment about giving people tools and confidence. "Creativity" isn't something finite - something we have a fixed amount or supply of (I may not be expressing that very well, but hopefully my meaning is clear). It's potentially infinite, but, as with any ability (or potential ability), we need to learn how to develop it and acquire the tools to enable us to get the best/most out of it. Otherwise, we will be out of options once our initial stock of good or original ideas is exhausted. Hope this makes some sort of sense.

Ummm. Leaves the over-wrapped and/or silked part of the string in the playing length. Doesn't seem a good idea I concur re the BBOT. Gotoh make a BBOT type bridge, which is a little nicer - better plating, made of brass, so slightly thicker but not massively constructed, reasonably priced - which solves (for me at any rate) the aesthetic issues.