radiophonic

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1488222283' post='3246975'] Funnily enough I've just joined my first metal band, and not only are they happy with my Wal, but they don't mind me playing funk and even disco bass lines! [/quote] Didn't Newstead use a Wal with Metallica? I'm sure he played both 4 and 5 string Wals when I saw them on 'Justice', and on the 'One ' video.

I remember the Carlsbroro Stingray (I think). 100W, 1 x 15, It was certainly a lot better in a gig situation than the Marshall 60 I was using, Much punchier. They also did a 1 x 18 + 1 x 10 (or maybe 8) that was about the size of a wardrobe, that was pretty much useless. I seem to remember Session were the new kids on the block at that time - they did a 4 x 10 combo that was a tier up from starter gear.

Laney Linebackers, Peavy TNTs, Carlsboro, Westone. HH. Seems like yesterday. Jumpers as goalposts eh? Old starter gear was [i]so[/i] heavy even when it was terrible. At least Westone et al had raised the bar from the era of Sattelite and Kay.

I've only got one, but it's still too many! Maybe I'll come to love it one day, but everything about the Jazz seems completely wrong to me right now.

July 1987 - Shipdham Beeches Hotel. I played a Westone Thunder 1A. I had a Marshall Bass 60 (still have it), but I think I used the other band's amp which was a Marshall head + 2 x 15 cab. I have a photo somewhere. I'm wearing some absolutely terrible surf shorts and I'm easily the least 'metal' person in the room. The backdrop was that sliver foil strip curtaining, beloved of bad night clubs everywhere. There was an open fuse box behind it. Nobody died.

Thanks for all the opinions. I am reading them! I thought the neck on the CV 70s P felt pretty good and the action was very low, without any choking. It wasn't clear whether this is a narrowrer profile than a standard P neck - it did look narrower, but not shallower to me. Again, Fender are light on facts here and the shop didn't know - or show much interest (PMT = all Guitarists I guess). I did think the body was rather light, but I'd need to play one back to back with a Fender and use a strap in order to tell whether it's really an issue. The pickups seemed a bit plasticky and for someone who anchors his thumb right there, the sharp edged moulding round the screw mounts was annoying. I'd like to have a closer look at the bridge too - it looked like it had brass saddles but they could be toffee. It says hi-mass on the site but that could mean anything. Quite tempting on first play.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1488275408' post='3247388'] I got them to take the bass out of that wedge, but that was with the better soundman [/quote] We definitely got Mr. Grumpy. Luck of the draw.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1488272078' post='3247321'] They do seem to rotate a bit, I hope you get the better one next time! [/quote] The problems seem to be primarily bass related, which is annoying because it makes it look like the problem is me. They have a monitor for a drummer at the back of the stage, in a corner - so like a massive horn in effect - with bass pumping out of it, but we don't have a drum kit so there's no noise barrier between it and us. All he had to do was turn me down in it, but didn't seem to understand the problem. If it were a clean crisp sound it wouldn't be an issue, but it's the usual hammered old wedge. Result = bass soup. Quite dispiriting really and it's happened often enough in 'proper' venues to put me off gigging. I really can't enjoy it if I can't hear myself properly/at all. To put it in perspective, the bass soup was so thick up there that I actually disconnected one of my cabs and turned my amp down to 2(!). That's quieter than I play at home. If I added any more low end, the singer couldn't hear herself. My amp was really just a very big DI box. I'm playing again tonight and if I get any more aggro, I'm considering my options.

Straight up? If oush came to shove, I could get away with one fretted Fender type bass (I only add the fretless because the rest of the band prefer it on a couple of songs, I'm ambivalent in all but one case). Compressor, Phase 90, tuner. OD is nice but I could get away without it if using a good clanky Stingray. Delay could go. I doubt the PA is good enough in most cases to even hear when I'm using it as a chorus. If monitors were [i]reliably [/i]good enough, I'd even lose the back-line and have a preamp pedal/DI box. Big 'if' though.

Played the Maze on Sunday night. I had a few tech issues that turned out to be the battery cable inside my line switcher snagging on the switch. Lots of tap dancing, so not very slick on the changes. Unfortunately though, my opinions of the sound guy weren't changed at all. Based on punter reports it was probably ok out front (you could hear the singer anyway), but stage sound was appalling. There was so much bass coming out of the rear monitor that I had to almost turn my amp off - it was just loud enough to try to add some hint of definition to the mushy boom that washed over the stage, but basically inaudible. When I say 'mushy' I mean that I inadvertently failed to disengage my delay pedal - see above - at the end of an intro and played a whole song without noticing it was going through a tape loop effect. That mushy. The audience looked a bit confused... and then I noticed the LED staring back at me. Oops.

Mine (from last night's gig). Although the monitors were so loud that the amp was basically redundant. The sound guy ran the stage volume like we had a drum kit. Which we don't. [attachment=239293:IMG_0563.jpg] Basses: 1990 EB Musicman Stingray 2016 USA Fender Jazz Fretless Pedals: Too complicated and cramped and last night I paid the price. Boss ABY box. One input for each bass > Boss TU3 (about to be retired for space reasons and replaced with a PolyTune Clip) > Boss BCX1 Compressor > Boss LS2 Line Switcher - for one touch switching between distortion and either phase or delay and for balancing bass volume Pike Vulcan - Loop A MXR Phase 90 - Loop B TC Flashback Delay (Loop B here, although that was a bad move, see above. Now on the naughty step) Hartke LH500 2 x Hartke 210 XL

My favorite 'band' is Autechre, and by some distance. There a lot of people who don't think this is music of any sort - proper or otherwise. I actually listen to very little music with 'real' instruments on, other than the stuff I play. However, there are plenty of people who think that amplifying your instrument is cheating and even frets are a bit dodgy. This kind of thinking is a ghetto IMO. Good music is all about good ideas.

There seem to at least three different sorts of Squier - affinity. VM, classic vibe. Fender seem pretty cagey about describing the body materials or other build details and the prices seem to almost overlap. Anyone care to educate me? I tried out a classic vibe 70s P this morning and with a few caveats it felt pretty good. Is this really a 400+ quid bass would I be regretting it in 6 months? Pickups looked a bit cheap but they are claiming a hi mass bridge lurking under the retro cover.

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1488097839' post='3245704'] Dave Pegg plays a fanned fret Ibanez in Fairport Convention. [/quote] To be fair, I doubt Dave Pegg cares what anyone thinks at this point.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1488063492' post='3245612'] When I joined my first pro band, a 10 piece soul band, I threw away my falling apart and crappy Framus and bought the only "pro" bass I could afford, an old Gibson EB0. I duly turned up at the first rehearsal and was told, "That won't do". They then thrust the singer's old Danelectro into my hands. I didn't throw my toys out of the pram, I was in Brussels, and had to stay, but when I tried the EB0 on a rehearsal. . . they were right. It didn't fit at all. I hated the Dan but it definitely sounded 100% better. They even hired in a 1962 Fender P for the album. I made enough in that band to buy a new Fender Precision, which I played for the next 25 years and still have. Lessons learned. Never assume you know everything. Never assume the other guy knows nothing. A P bass will get you through any gig on the planet. [/quote] That cuts both ways though. When I joined my current band they were into the stingray big time (my predecessor had a G&L),but declared the fretless jazz to be 'nice but not for us'. I stuck to my guns on a few songs and eventually a live video surfaced on a club night's Facebook page. I got a text the following morning 'DON'T sell the fretless!'.

Yes it's an interface. I'd assumed you had a pooter to use. I have one of these and I bought half a dozen for lab use at work. It's compatible back to USB1 and will phantom power 48v. If using a laptop, beware of your PSU though - they inject noise like crazy if nearby.

That'll do it. I've got Monday free so I'll see if PMT have em. Good excuse to check out the Nate Mendel P while I'm at it...

Something like this? http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/recording-studio/detail.asp?stock=12020814205732&gclid=Cj0KEQiA0L_FBRDMmaCTw5nxm-ABEiQABn-VqWtrx5T8z4cGVuebn-i9RuoD1Pu_Q5cuVGhU6n7IQ0MaAn1p8P8HAQ DI/mic input x 2. Download Audacity (free). Record away. Other companies make similar things for similar money.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1487893671' post='3244057'] 4 2x10 cabs. [/quote] I did wonder about doing this. 2 lh500 heads and run each at 4 ohms into 2 cabs. 1000w and stereo to boot! It wouldn't even be expensive a/h.

I'm not bothered about the cables being connected. It takes about 5 seconds to plug in. I currently shove the cables inside the rear lid. It has a zip up mesh cover that will take 2 cables, a power lead an a tuner so for small/acoustic type gigs I just take the case, a bass and a small cab. No lead bag or extra faff, I only need a flight case because the amp has no other physical protection when in transit. The case I have is also not super stable on top of my speaker cabs due to it's depth and I don't want to risk it taking a fall. No need to worry about side vents - the Hartke vents front to rear. The Gator one looks about right to me.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1487881606' post='3243913'] but that's not really about rehearsing or not... I don't expect you are a telepath! If you're not even told exactly what it is that you'r supposed to be playing you cannot really rehearse it either. What you're doing is preparing to increase your chances at guessing right on the day. And that, while it can be fun, is not a serious way to operate. [/quote] Once through the chords and I'll watch the drummer's shoulder for my 'in'. I still think I have less chance of screwing up than in a well rehearsed band with a bad drummer (based on extensive experience of the latter, unfortunately).

In the first analysis - The first band I really liked was Hawkwind. The bass was really loud. Then I heard Killing Joke. The bass was really loud. Then I heard Gang of Four. The bass was really loud. It seemed pretty obvious at that point! On broader reflection, I'm definitely a team player and also prone to being a bit passive aggressive. So playing bass in bands (collaborative/supportive role) whilst disparaging showboating guitar players and sort of outdoing them by being subtle and melodic and holding it all down at the same time (passive aggressive), probably just suits my personality.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1487858167' post='3243598'] Swan cases make all my custom cases.. not cheap but not expensive either.. http://www.swanflight.com/ [/quote] They still only list the standard sleeve depths. Nothing between 30 and 43 cm.

I'm playing this weekend. I mailed the guitarist for a set list and didn't recognise the last song. Don't worry, he said. It's only 4 chords and 2 of them are D. I think this means they are all majors of some sort. It's an arrangement of a folk song that I don't have an original title for. It'll be fine, I'm sure, but I don't know when I come in, when the drums come in or how long it is. I'm assuming it's in 4/4 or 3/4 but even that is unknown, as is the tempo. I've written a part based on rapidly fingerpicked bass chords, but this is total guesswork and if it doesn't fit, I'll need to invent something on the spot.. Sometimes a [i]little[/i] more practice would be nice. It's in the set for Tuesday too, so I suppose I'll know how it goes by then.

I picked up a cheap amp sleeve / flight case for my Hartke lh500 but it's annoyingly deep. They seem to come in two std depths - around 30 cm and 45cm. Does anyone make inbetween sizes? 35cm would be ideal - more stable on top of the cab and less of a squeeze in the Mini.