SuperSeagull

I had my first gig yesterday with the band that found me via Bandmix. We’ve only had three rehearsals and apart from me, the drummer and female vocals are also new but the male vocal and two guitarists have all played together for years, are decent musicians and also very chilled - a nice combination. Gig was a town festival in Dorking Surrey, one of those throw your gear onstage at the end of the previous act, play for an hour and then get off ASAP. All went well, couple of minor mistakes but managed to pull off Californication ok 😀 Backline was a TC rig but I was stood almost on top of it which I always find difficult to get levels right with. Also had one of those Phil Jones Ear Box things which appeared to serve no purpose at all!

I also have a Sansamp in the mix. Tend to run eq flat on the bass and on the amp and let the Sansamp do the eq work. I use the switchable swept mid on the bass (Status) to give me some easy mid set / song changes if needed.

Just a bit of positive feedback for Bandmix. I put a simple profile on a couple of months ago, was contacted a week or so later by a band, auditioned and they offered me the role this week. Established local covers band who were reforming post lockdown, good players and nice people so hopefully will turn out well.

Very sad, a real hero of mine. Played along to his bass lines for hours when I was a kid. Nobody made a Mustang sound like he did. The 1974 album Quo is considered “the” Lancaster album - will be listening later today.

My RX8 boot swallows a headless Status in a gig bag plus pedalboard and assorted stands, two MB cabs on the back seat and still room for a passenger in the front. Unlikely to pass the ULEZ test though.

They are closed this week for holidays. I exchanged emails with Dawn last week about my Status. I’d echo the comment to call them when they are back. They really are a micro business, when I visited just pre pandemic I was surprised how small the unit and team is.

We all agreed to do lateral flow tests (I think we were all doing them anyway) but since then we’ve got two members self isolating as a result of their youngsters getting infected. Very frustrating.

I always take two and a couple of years ago broke an E string thanks to a burr on the bridge of my old Status. But, it was tight stage and so I’d left the other bass in the car so had to leg it over the road and then back into the pub. Lesson learned - take two and have them both to hand.

Thanks. Didn’t know any of those so will check them out, all more accessible than Colchester - not sure that would count as essential travel!

I get that - it’s just upsetting me seeing it less than perfect. Is that a bit sad? Frustratingly, it was something that fell onto it, the next bass in the rack is a Flea Jazz, another couple of dings wouldn’t have mattered on that one.

I foolishly managed to get a couple of small dings on my less than one year old Status. Gone through to the wood, around 1cm each. Deeply frustrating. I’m sure Status can sort it but I can’t drive it up there at the moment and I’m not sure I want to trust a courier so anybody know of any good finish repairers in and around Sussex? Thanks.

It was and there were. Drummer and I raised an eyebrow when they came in - seemed a little OTT even given current circumstances but turned out they part of the team for the service and playing the characters of “Mr PPE Man”.....as you do.

Yesterday was the first time we have been able to meet as a church since March. We usually meet in a school but as we can’t do that anymore used a barn at a local farm. Lovely to be back playing with the team. Tech team did a superb job with a cut down PA, in ears all round so could have left the MB at home and a chance to play my new Status in anger for the first time.

It arrived today - the £144 fretless jazz. First impressions - how the hell do they make it at that price 😂. It’s really heavy - I couldn’t play it on a strap for a whole gig. Build looks v good, set up pretty good - I’ll probably play around with the action but that’s personal preference rather than essential. Cheap and nasty knobs and pickup covers. Sound - it’s very good, in fact it’s marvellous for the price, plenty of mwah. You even get a jack to jack lead with it! It won’t get lots of use but for those moments when only a fretless will do it’s a brilliant buy.

Will do. Two new basses this year, a high end custom built Status and an HB - interesting contrast!

Hope not, just ordered it!

Interesting comments. I’ve been wondering about a Harley Benton fretless for £144. I’ve no interest in spending loads on a fretless as it will get played relatively infrequently but equally I don’t want something unplayable.

I think Status have nailed the headless design and engineering. Rock solid tuning, ability to use double or single ball end strings, compact (mine fits in a guitar gig bag).

So glad it’s not just me.

Is that the Audition amp that had little clips each side holding the head to the cab? The music dept of my school had one and I recall carrying it across the playground when the clips gave way and the speaker cab fell off. Still worked though with two guitars and a bass plugged in!

I’ve chosen to part with two beautiful instruments over the past couple of years, both to help fund a new gear. Both were fabulous, unique even. In my experience the thought was way worse than the reality.

That’s interesting. I was wondering about getting a small band together for a half day or so recording a whole bunch of tracks for use in services but assumed we had to add vocals later. Anything to take the pressure off recording and videoing in multiple homes and then having someone mix video and audio - it’s so time consuming.

I think the experience of struggling to get through a track you know well once you hit the record button is something lots of us can empathise with. I find I get caught out on the bits I think I know well, then I drop my guard for a second and it all goes wrong! On the track I posted above and on the others I am doing, I am deliberately reigning my playing in - less notes, fills, slides, playing in the dusty parts of the fretboard - less is more and as our Worship Director says before the start of each service “Don’t mess it up” !,

Thought I’d share this. Used by my Church this is me plus my two sons, one in Rugby, another in Southampton plus me in Sussex. We used tracks for the instruments we don’t play - Ben mixed the video and Jake the audio. My church has a few different groups providing music for the steamed services. This was our first attempt and another four are in the pipeline.

NY121. Matches beautifully sonically and size.