BrunoBass

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1497399939' post='3317896'] If you joined for fun, when the fun stops, I would think it's time to look elsewhere. [/quote] This.

[quote name='oldbass' timestamp='1497420506' post='3317912'] Maybe I'll stay, maybe I'll go or maybe at my age I should stop worrying about these things and just enjoy what we got. [/quote] That's pretty much where I am at the moment.

[quote name='Rowley Birkin QC' timestamp='1497380091' post='3317732'] A drummer that couldn't keep time and couldn't come out if fills at the right time! [/quote] Been there. Unfortunately an unstable drummer upsets the whole band.

When I joined my current band I had to learn 32 songs in a month. As it is a covers band I was familiar with many of the songs and their arrangements but similarly quite a few of the songs were completely new to me. It was just a question of putting the hours in; many nights of headphones on, listening and playing along. With the songs that were new to me I found it easy to break the basslines down into sections and once I'd nailed each part I could chain them together. As your band is an originals band they should be able to give you each song's chord sequence, which will be a good starting point. Good luck, it's a nice challenge to get your teeth into.

Are you close to Banbury? My friend's AC/DC tribute band are looking for a bass player. Good reputation locally, lots of gigs. I'd go for it myself if I was into AC/DC!

I've heard good things about Toneriders, they seem like good value?

Absolutely. I haven't even looked at my Stingray since this arrived. Undoubtedly the Stingray is the better instrument but the J&D is such fun to play and sounds great with my band.

My recently acquired cheapo Jazz Bass is shortly going to be upgraded. The bridge and pickups/electrics will be first, the tuners will be next. What are your recommendations for half decent but budget conscious parts? This bass cost me just £109 so Aguilar pickups and Sadowsky preamps are not really what I'm looking for. Pickup wise I'm more interested in a vintage type tone. Thanks.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1497290172' post='3317093'] Paul, If its the band I'm thinking of, yes your setlist is a bit obscure - certainly from that experience of seeing you in Warwick... [/quote] Yep same band Mark.

Amps? For the use of the bands? Blimey, the studio we use has electric light and a Dimplex heater. And that's it.

Useful, thanks all.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1496573152' post='3312335'] The song choice is going to be purely "what we like". Whenever I see bands that choose songs that way, I find them to be of limited appeal and as good as they may be they end up playing to semi empty bars, which means very soon they just don't play anywhere. [/quote] This thread passed me by originally but having just seen it, and particularly this comment, I find it relevant to my situation with my current band. The bandleader wants us to play 'songs he likes' at the expense of 'songs people want to hear' which in my opinion isn't a sustainable model for a covers band that exists to play pub gigs.

This is a great opportunity for someone, my current band sometimes rehearses in the same studio as these boys so i know what they can do. Shame I'm not a couple of years younger!

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1497261179' post='3316811'] So you are not a band member, you are just the hired bass player for a band? I assume so, that is what that says. If my band said that to me, I would pick 'lump it' and walk. I am a bit wary of having all of the cliches and have fought against a few as I don't want a race to mediocracy and being like every other band, but there really are a lot of songs that are good and well known that dont get played a lot that are good in public. [/quote] I'm not suggesting we play Sex On Fire or Wonderwall, but I am suggesting we play songs that people know and like. Yes I am a member of the band and yes I do feel like a hired hand at times. As you say, my walking away is probably inevitable.

The covers band that I'm in plays pubs and bars, with the occasional festival in the summer. I'm of the opinion that as a covers band every single song we play should be a crowdpleaser, even if it's not necessarily a song you'd choose to listen to at home. Because ultimately crowdpleasers are landlord pleasers, which means more gigs. Simple. However, the de facto bandleader is set on us playing songs that he likes, which tend to be album tracks by obscure American rock bands. Don't get me wrong, I like some of the stuff he wants to play but it's not Saturday pub material. Over time quite a few of these songs have made it into the set but receive at best a muted response, or are the cue for people to go out for a fag. However when we play a big, anthemic indie or alternative rock classic the place erupts. I'm coming up for two years in this band and I've kind of kept quiet for a while but as I've become established I have asserted my opinion more often. Two recent events have made me question my involvement. Firstly, I worked bloody hard to get us a gig at a popular, busy venue that I really wanted to get us into. We played a two hour set on a Friday night which went well but they didn't want to rebook us. Why? The landlord said our stuff was too obscure. Secondly, in our last 'new song selection' meeting I suggested two big, well known songs that would've gone down an absolute storm. They've both been rejected as being 'too obvious' (which I thought was the whole point) and in favour of a stoner rock track by a band I've never heard of. The tone of the subsequent discussion on the band WhatsApp was basically 'like it or lump it'. So I'm considering if I want to continue in this band. I like them as people but I'm getting frustrated with the lack of understanding of how to build a set list which works on a Saturday night in a pub, that keeps punters in buying beer, that in turn makes landlords keen to get you back again. I'm disappointed that there isn't the flexibility to accommodate the individual band members input, which I believe would make us a better, busier band.

I acquired a cheapo £100 Jazz bass copy the other day, which for the money is an amazing instrument. The E string when played open however has a strange 'ringing' sound which resembles a phase or chorus effect, very odd. Something somewhere is vibrating I suppose, and I think it's coming from the bridge. It only occurs on the open E string, not on any other strings or and not on any fretted notes on the E. The weird modulating tone is there when played both amplified and unplugged. It's no biggie as the strings and the bridge will be amongst the first things I plan to replace, which should remedy it. I am interested though to see if anyone else has ever experienced this type of thing?

I have experimented with backing tracks on my solo gigs. As I only play originals I've had to make the backing tracks myself, on Garageband on my iPad. The tracks themselves are very sparse; just drums or percussion, a bass line and maybe some keys. I play acoustic guitar and sing. It's easy to hook the iPad up to the PA, and the tracks have a count-in. I'm not totally comfortable using them live yet, but I'm going to stick with it as I see potential in filling out the sound and also doing something a little but different from other solo acoustic performers.

When I'm not on bass duty with the band I'm writing my own songs and playing them in bars and small venues. I really enjoy the ease of gigging on my own. Usually get home at a reasonable hour too.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1496677288' post='3313150'] I've had mine (which is surf green) for three years now, and it is still my main bass! I had to replace the pickups, but only because one failed. Toneriders were cheap and sound good. The bridge was a bit "sharp" as I use quite a lot of pick and palm muting, so I swapped it for a Fender MIM P bass BBOT bridge (cost = £10). I got a friend of a friend to respray the headstock to match the body - another £15. Custom purple tort plate and a KiOgon wiring harness and we are good to go. It now feels like a bass that would cost £500+, and yet the whole project came to less than £200. To say I'm chuffed would be an understatement, and I have a one-off bass that always attracts positive comments You just can't go wrong at this price. I bought one for my son too... [/quote] That's interesting to know, thanks, as I'm planning to upgrade a few things too. It's good to hear how you've modded yours. Did the bridge require additional drilling or did it fit ok? How have the tuners faired over the three years you've owned it? Mine look and feel cheap (obviously) but they were stable and held tuning accurately during Sarurday night's gig. I'm still impressed with mine, despite a couple of snobby comments.

I like being in my band: I like my bandmates - I would consider them friends but in the same way I'd consider colleagues friends; they socialise together and not often with me but that's fine, I have a young family and although I like a drink I'm beyond going out and getting smashed at the weekend. But they're good guys. I've been in bands with some proper a*******s in the past and my band members certainly aren't a*******s. I joined their band and they welcomed me in. Our gig frequency is just enough for me, roughly once a month keeps me satisfied. The fact that we gig keeps me happy - if we never gigged the band would cease to exist. I feel like my opinion counts; I'm a bit older than them and much more experienced musically. I'm not 'just the bass player'. The fact that we live close to one another, and that our rehearsal space is exactly one mile from my house. It's not perfect by any means, and if were entirely down to me there would be some (probably unpopular) changes I would make, but generally I'm happy.

Gigged it last night, 100% happy.

We played at the annual Deerjam festival in town, good slot for us, 7pm-8pm. Great crowd, decent sound man who gave me a good monitor mix. Our first gig as a three piece. Our (now only) guitarist was nervous but two or three songs in we were cooking. I left the Stingray at home and used my new J&D Jazz, which arrived two days ago. It sounded and performed great, I still can't believe how good a £100 bass can be. Anyway, the rain stayed away, I had a few beers and saw lots of friends, and raised a few grand for local charities - a good day all round.

[quote name='oldbass' timestamp='1496523665' post='3312135'] Shoulda Loved Ya..Narada Michael Walden.... [/quote] Fantastic bass line, TM Stevens I believe? Same era, And The Beat Goes On by The Whispers, superb bass by Leon Sylvers III.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1496476884' post='3311699'] We were in Bicester for the first time last night. Decent place to play, pub with a stage. Had to unload and then park the cars 5-19 mins walk away, but of a pain to have to go and get them at the end of the gig, once we're done I just want to get home and under the shower. [/quote] Good venue, The Bell. We've played there a few times, a fortnight ago most recently. For future reference there is free parking (after 6pm) just found the corner, a minutes walk away. Just go past the pub and turn immediately right. They look like they might be private parking spaces as they're in front of some units, but they're pay and display.

It was Billy Bragg who made me first pick up a guitar and learn some chords, when I was 14. Nice guy too, I did some business with his partner Juliet a few years ago and visited their house in Dorset I met Billy but I didn't talk much to him, I didn't want to come over as a fan I suppose. I later regretted not telling him how much he'd inspired me as a kid though, kicked myself.