Stylon Pilson

How do you feel about having a "testimonials" section on a website? Personally, whenever I go to a band's website and see a quote from the landlord of their local music venue, gushing about how wonderful the band are, it makes me want to throw up a little. Is it just me? S.P.

[quote name='stylonpilson' post='305957' date='Oct 14 2008, 06:29 AM']I've just placed my order![/quote] So the cover arrived 9 days later. I was utterly ecstatic - the build quality is superb, but it was a couple of inches too short. I emailed Shaun and told him my problem, and he showed concern and took all the relevant information. I haven't heard from him since then - it's been nearly two weeks, and I've sent him a few emails, but he hasn't replied. I don't know whether he's in the process of making a replacement, or if he's ignoring me and hoping that I go away. UPDATE (Wed): I've had a reply. The replacement has been made, but he was waiting for me to send the old one back. FINAL UPDATE (Fri): I sent the old one back on Wednesday, and the replacement arrived this morning. No problems with it. I'm slightly annoyed that the whole thing ended up costing an extra £5.72 (for posting the incorrect one back) but I suppose this is probably a rare occurrence. S.P.

1. Have you tried using [url="http://audacity.sourceforge.net/"]Audacity[/url]? It's fairly easy to use. 2. I have a [url="http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/"]Zoom H2[/url] which works really well for me, if you're prepared to spend a couple of hundred euros. It's an all-in-one unit which saves you carrying a separate computer and microphones to recording sessions. The sound quality is surprisingly good. S.P.

[quote name='josh3184' post='320812' date='Nov 3 2008, 11:52 AM']I have never heard a more painful phrase in my entire life. You sir have made me wince.[/quote] Makes me glad that I don't have any ass nuts. S.P.

As a general rule, if its lined then you play on the lines, if its not then you play on the dots. If in any doubt, grab an electronic tuner and play a note where you think the 5th "fret" should be. S.P.

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='319444' date='Nov 1 2008, 01:39 AM']Shame you couldn't play I think the hypothetical situation could be getting closer?[/quote] That sounds ominous. What happened? S.P.

[quote name='Adee' post='318918' date='Oct 31 2008, 11:39 AM']Well thats not very helpful is it ! If we all took that view then I'm sure we would all gig with a Stagg Bass and Amp and not spend thousands on Fender, Rickenbacker, Ampeg etc[/quote] To an extent. The audience wouldn't be able to hear the difference, but if you have good quality gear then it is easier to use. You're relaxed and you are enjoying yourself, and that affects the way that you sound. S.P.

At the vast majority of gigs, the only person who would be able to tell the difference between valve amp distortion and a processor distortion would be you. S.P.

[quote name='Jase' post='317628' date='Oct 29 2008, 02:53 PM']Let it warm up, sounds stupid I know but maybe it's because it's been in a depot overnight???? FWIW, I know a person who had repairs/modifications done FOC.[/quote] I wouldn't expect that to make a significant difference. If I were you, I'd email Shaun using [url="http://ampcovers.co.uk/contact.asp"]this web form[/url] and let him know your concerns. S.P.

[quote name='Jase' post='316697' date='Oct 28 2008, 01:43 PM']We've just finished our 5 track EP (at long last!!!) and obviously need to get it out there and heard. Can anybody suggest where we might have a good chance of getting it reviewed. I'm well out of touch with magazines, any suggestions would be gratefully received.[/quote] I'd think that local radio would be the sensible starting point (as long as it's something that you think they'll want to play). S.P.

[quote name='slaphappygarry' post='316514' date='Oct 28 2008, 10:37 AM']At the end. I would go with it and say at the very end 'guys, I have decided that the next gig is gonna be my last'[/quote] Not a bad idea, actually. Might be worth modifying it to something like "guys, I've been thinking over the last few weeks, and I have decided that the next gig is going to be my last." S.P.

[quote name='Pissman' post='316189' date='Oct 27 2008, 09:40 PM']Was just wondering outa curiosity...what do you gain from having a fretless bass? Or a headless? (Apart from looking good)[/quote] Fretless bass sounds awesome and is more rewarding to play (in my opinion). Headless bass kicks ass when you are playing a gig in cramped conditions. S.P.

[quote name='Machines' post='314891' date='Oct 26 2008, 09:49 AM']It seems the staff's job is to attempt to annoy customers and lose business, a very unique and original business model for sure .[/quote] Yet they must be doing something right, otherwise they would have been closed down by now. Even if someone from the Bass Cellar was reading this forum, they clearly don't care about what we think. I think it's important that we continue to report our negative experiences in music shops, because it helps other users to know which places to avoid, but if we think that we're going to change the attitude of the Bass Cellar staff from behind our keyboards, I think we might have to accept that we are barking up the wrong tree. S.P.

Nice concept, shame about the execution. S.P.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='314881' date='Oct 26 2008, 09:30 AM']I have a pupil who has an EB0 & the build quality is lovely. The sound is pretty clear, but bear in mind that these basses only do "that 60's sound." I've played the EB3 in a couple of stores & it's a nice enough thing, but I ask the same question as I do of Hofners... Why would you limit yourself to only one sound like that? Rich.[/quote] My Sinsinodo only has one sound, but it's a good one. I can see why you might not want a one-trick pony as your only bass, but if you've got more than one instrument, then flexibility is barely a concern. I've always thought that the SG-style basses look cool but I've never seriously considered purchasing one, despite owning a cherry red Epiphone SG 6-string and thinking it's the dog's danglies. S.P.

[quote name='Gamble' post='314815' date='Oct 26 2008, 12:37 AM']Gotcha, cheers! I knew it would be logical. ROFPMSL![/quote] Why are you Rankling Otters For Providing Miserable Stippled Laminates? I mean, there's a time and a place, but this isn't it. S.P.

On Wednesday afternoon I went into the studio with my band's songwriter / guitarist / vocalist / leader / frontman to put bass down on a few songs. Over the course of 2.5 hours we managed to do four songs. For the most part, this consisted of 5 minutes for me to record my take, and then half an hour of the producer drag-dropping each note in his DAW so that it lined up perfectly with the existing tracks, and muting all the string noise between notes. At one point, while he was dragging a note, I said "so, how many milliseconds out would you say that one was?" He paused, checked the screen, and said "I say about 1/24th of a beat". The reason that I had asked him at this point was that, from looking at the waveforms, this note seemed to be at the very top end of the range - most of them required far, far less dragging than this one. I appreciate that this method is probably standard operating procedure. As the producer said, it makes the song sound tighter. The aforementioned band leader wants a tight sound, so I'm going to go along with his wishes without kicking up a stink. But my personal preference would be for a more natural, honest sound. There's one particular string of three notes which has been so perfectified that I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to it without cringing. To most people, it will sound great. To me, it will sound like a con. Top priority is that the end recording sounds great. But I wanted to vent. And to find out what opinions and related experiences other basschatterians might have. S.P.

I've put it in my diary. S.P.

In a nutshell, you need to mix it so that it sounds good. A more specific tip, which might help you, is to use fairly heavy equalisation so that each instrument has its own space in the spectrum. So for the vocals, roll off the bass and boost the treble. For the bass, roll off the treble and boost the bass. For the guitars, roll off the bass and treble and boost the mids. Remember that the Foo Fighters have a great deal of resources at their disposal, so don't be disappointed if it takes you a few years until your mixes sound as good as theirs. S.P.

[quote name='HeavyJay' post='309625' date='Oct 19 2008, 01:20 AM']Does anyone know of a car that fits a bass (in hard case) in the boot?[/quote] I have a 2001 Vauxhall Astra. The boot is wider at the top than at the bottom (thanks to wheel arches). The hard case won't fit in the bottom, but it will fit in the top. Works out quite nicely for me, because my bass amp occupies the bottom half. Edit: My case is bass-shaped - I'm not sure if a rectangular case would fit. S.P.

Unless you have a reason to be rushing off, I'd say hang around as long as necessary. Offer to help them interview your replacement. If, after a few weeks, you think that they are dragging their heels, then you can toughen your stance a bit. Once the new guy is in place, you're free to go. S.P.

Scary stuff. Glad you're okay. S.P.

There's another thread on these [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28979"]here[/url].

Three is exactly the right number of basses to have. Anybody with three basses is clearly awesome. S.P.

Your band is in a pretty bad state. You need to find a singer who can sing, and shift your current singer into some other role (does he play guitar?) If you can't find a singer who is competent and enthusiastic, then you're always going to be banging your head against a brick wall. S.P.