BrunoBass

My current rig: EBMM Stingray 2eq > Genz Benz Shuttle Max 6.0 > Genz Benz NeoX 212 http://flic.kr/p/T4ZcMZ

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1490370477' post='3264701'] For some reason, and I have no idea why, people seem to love it. [/quote] It's easy to sing when you're plastered. Or so I'm told...

There's an app called Band that we use, it's on the App Store for free. https://appsto.re/gb/o75vG.i There's a calendar you can all access and you can chat like WhatsApp too, we find it quite useful.

Sounds sensible to me. If you're not enjoying it there's no point. Like you I do my own solo acoustic thing, but I do like being in a band too, so if I left my band I'd need to have something else to jump straight into. I get what you mean about the feeling of loss. I'm not 100% happy where I am but if I did move on I'd be compromising three valued friendships. I guess the answer to that one is don't make friends with your bandmates...

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1490179883' post='3262866'] At least the audience will be able to hear the bass now :-) I might pop in on Saturday to see you at the Bell and wonder at the transformation.. [/quote] You'd be very welcome, and I'll buy you a pint of something nice 😊

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1490175940' post='3262786'] We had a big internal debate about whether or not to play more crowd-pleasers, and would this somehow 'go against' our policy of playing stuff we liked. The solution was dead simple. Play crowd-pleasers that we all liked. Job done. [/quote] This is what we need / I want us to do. Intra-band politics dictate that it will never happen though...😊

Currently listening to Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Vulfpeck, and since it came up on Spotify, 'Run For Home' by Lindisfarne - the strings and harmonies are wonderful.

If I didn't have a car I wouldn't be able to get to practise or gigs. If I lived and gigged in a city it'd be more feasible, but I live in a fairly rural area where a car is a must

I play in a covers band on the pub circuit. The best part of any gig for me is when we play 'crowdpleasers', when everyone is up singing and dancing. (If I had my way every song we play would be a crowdpleaser but a sizeable chunk of our set is songs that the various band members like but are bordering on the obscure. I'm opposed to this but that's a different thread...) Very few of the crowdpleasers we play are songs that I would choose to listen to at home but if the punters like them that's good enough for me. Granted, Sex On Fire et al have been done to death but to see a crowd explode when the intro kicks in is priceless. Give me that any day over some album track that's everyone's cue to go out for a fag. Happy punters equals more beer sold equals more gigs.

I gigged one of these anps regularly for a couple of years without any problems, but a couple of people I know have had exactly the issue that you experienced. I was told (not sure how accurate this is) that it is a software issue and that turning the amp on and off rectifies it!

Did it work?

It's really hard, trying to eat healthily when gigging. Long gone are the days of my youth when I could drink and eat whatever I wanted and not worry about it... Working a full time job as I do, I might get home at 5.30pm on a gigging night and then the van will arrive to pick me up at 6. It's so easy to say sod it and grab a Ginsters pasty and a Mars bar at the service station. I try to make provision for this by having a light meal prepared, usually chicken or fish with rice. Something light that I can eat in the available time. I try to make this a rule despite the time constraints. Eating a large meal before a gig does not work for me. I also observe a no alcohol rule before we play. I'll have a couple after we've finished if I'm not driving but nothing before, even a pint seems to dull my senses when playing.

An originator and a pioneer the like of which doesn't exist anymore. RIP.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1489789747' post='3259983'] Hope to hear it in action some time soon :-) [/quote] 'Hear' being the operative word! 😀

Today is a good day as I am now the proud owner of a new Genz Benz rig (Shuttle Max 6 amp and NeoX 212 cab), which came up locally for sale at a very good price. For the first time in my long but sporadic bass playing career I have a rig that I think I'm going to be completely satisfied with. It sounds superb, for the first time my EBMM Stingray has the opportunity to really sing, and the eq section is just so versatile (I've only scratched the surface of what I think this amp is capable of). I gave the rig a quick audition at band practice for evaluation purposes and it had excellent presence and power in the mix. I can't wait to gig it. Very happy!

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1489778819' post='3259845'] I use to play fingerstyle very aggressively in various rock and prog bands over the years. I used to find that when i started playing with a new band after few mths off my fingers on right hand would tighten and cramp up. I've been at rehearsals where my left hand cramped that much i was almost at stage i couldn't loosen my grip on the neck. I had to do something if i wanted to keep playing and took advice from fellow basschatters and turned the volume up and played lighter. It worked a treat and an unforseen bonus for me was i found i could play faster and more accurately. I didn't lose the aggressive style completely but i no longer got aches or cramps. If you are changing your style of playing maybe do it in small stages at a time. Dave [/quote] Similar tale for me; I used to get cramp in the thumb of my fretting (left) hand, my thumb would cramp up and push itself into the palm of my hand (contracting tendons?) with such strength that I couldn't pull my thumb away from my palm with my other hand. It never hurt as such, but it happened a couple of times during gigs and although it would soon pass and loosen up, it caused interruptions and embarrassment. For me a change of technique was needed; I realised I was pushing very hard with my thumb on the back of the neck, and once I'd developed a lighter touch it didn't happen any more. Maybe reviewing your technique will help. As you've not been playing long you probably haven't developed any stubborn bad habits. Hope you get it sorted.

Hunky Dory has always been my favourite Bowie album, and I'm rather partial to the Low / 'Heroes'/ Lodger period too. I never really liked much after Scary Monsters, but Where Are We Now blew me away when it came out, and is up there amongst his greatest songs in my opinion. The low (excuse the pun) point for me must be the Glass Spider era. I can't find much to enjoy from those albums.

Hiram, I see you're playing in Leamington in a couple of weeks? Great venue, and only twenty minutes away from me, I'll try and make it out to see you.