PaulWarning

[quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1384552544' post='2278219'] IMHO there's a difference between a bass "solo" and a bass break in the middle eight. Free's "All right now" springs to mind. The break is short, in keeping with what went before and maintains the rhythm of the song. Same with many drum "solos". Too often a bass solo is used as an excuse for the bass player to gurn to hell and back and play, badly, what a guitarist could do whilst yawning, and bears little relationship to what went before or goes after. Jazz is, of course, an exception Steve [/quote] nail and head spring to mind here, solo's as part of a break in the song are good, they add light and shade, we do Hate To Say I Told You So, which has quite a long bass solo, (depending on when the singer decides to come in ) but it's part of the song, I just play what I normally do but on my own.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1384523794' post='2277701'] Tell that to the flamenco and classical guitarists. [/quote] yep tedious, IMO of course

but guitar solo's (as a rule) aren't really solo's. the drummer and bassists carry on playing, when people talk about a bass (or drum) solo they mean just that instrument playing, a guitar playing on it's own for any length of time is just as tedious as bass or drums doing it

that's a very good reason for buying second hand, someone else has already done it, and they're cheaper

of course you can do both, the band I play in do 2 covers and 1 of our own, roughly, most people want to hear something they know, but will put up with the odd one they don't,(and eventually get to know them) we also occasionally do support slots where we do all our own stuff, but mostly it's pub gigs.

[quote name='sykilz' timestamp='1383238770' post='2262017'] I'm in my forties and play in both an original metal band and a rock covers band, both of which , i've been told ( by people not on my payroll ) are pretty good. However getting originals gigs is like pulling your own teeth out, and you only usually get 40 mins, and theres no pay-check and usually very little audience. The covers band plays 2 plus hours to packed sweaty pubs with a good party vibe, and theres a roll of notes at the end of the night. I love both, but you can't beat playing your own riffs that you lovingly sculpted yourself. Real world though, I'm never going to play my own stuff at a major venue at my age, so yes, being in a covers band lets me enjoy a bit of rock star vibe when the crowd is really into it and singing along!! I still reckon the singer in the covers band in question here is a bit special though. [/quote] this is my experience [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1383241484' post='2262068'] And my experience is completely the opposite. I'm in my 50s and I had to recently quit by covers band because I'm simply too busy gigging, rehearsing and recording with my originals band. The covers band were struggling to get a gig a month while the originals band plays on average once every week - and paying gigs too. While the gig fee for the originals band isn't as consistently high yet as the covers band was when you deducted all the expenses that each band incurred actually doing the gig the originals band comes out slightly ahead! The covers band was basically plodding along playing gigs to roughly the same people - mostly mates of the guitarist and drummer while the originals band is off all over the country playing enthusiastic audiences of all ages, some who are discovering the band for the first time others who come and see us play at every opportunity. It is probably more to do with the attitudes of the members of each band towards how the bands were run rather than the choice of material, but the covers band was prepared to coast along, while the originals band is actively doing stuff - playing chasing up gigs interacting with our fans on social media. I know which one is most fun for me. [/quote] And my experience is completely the opposite.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1383313337' post='2263027'] [url="http://www.scottsbasslessons.com/odds-and-sods/the-gloves"]http://www.scottsbasslessons.com/odds-and-sods/the-gloves[/url] [/quote] Oh right, there's me thinking he'd got a cold hand

not listened to the whole thing but why does he wear a glove?

that's GAS for you, in a live band situation as long as you can hear the bass, (often you can't, especially when going through a PA, it's just a low end rumble with no definition) that's good enough for me, I've got a MIA P but would have settled for a MIM one if they did them cack handed

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1383229625' post='2261854'] Sweet Home Alabama, Mustang Sally & Alright Now have been completely ruined for me by poor covers; I used to like those songs [/quote] I have a similar problem by the time I've learnt a new cover to play with my band I'm sick to death of it, mind you that's probably because It takes so long for my ageing muscle memory to kick in.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1383219694' post='2261655'] No deny that they are technically good, but like every other covers band I've hear my immediate reaction on hearing any song I liked was to go and check out the original recording to remind myself just how good it was. For me to a large extent with pop an rock music the writing and the playing go hand in hand, these songs are best performed by the people who created them in the first place. I've been in a covers band, and for me it was a mostly depressing experience because IMO we didn't play the songs well enough. Not necessarily because of a lack of technical ability, but because we didn't have that extra spark that being the writer as well as the performer of the piece gives you. I like new original music. And OK you do have the wade through a degree of mediocrity to find the stuff that appeals to you, but I find the effort worth it. And IME these days age is less relevant than ever when it comes to playing original rock music. Hard work at both the musical and non-musical aspects of being in a band, the ability to perform under almost any circumstances and put on a show that is more than standing on stage and playing count for far more. Give the audience something special that they can't get from the next band that's what it takes - and of course a lot of luck and being in the right place at the right time, but if you play a lot get noticed and deliver on your performance being in the right place at the right time becomes far more likely. And if I want to sing along to some well known songs I'd far rather be listening to the original recordings that I know and love than yet another covers band's half-assed interpretation of the same. [/quote] Yeah but just listening to the original recordings you don't get the atmosphere of live music, which when you get a room full of slightly oiled folk singing along to a song you like can make for a great evening. I agree listening on you tube to a band doing a cover version close to the original is pretty pointless

to be noticed in an originals band you've got young, totally committed and above all lucky (as well as having good material), once you hit 30 if you've not made it you aren't going too, so what do you do? start doing songs you loved in your youth, get paid a bit of pocket money and stick to the local scene. When people go out on a night out they want a good time and something to singalong too, mostly anyway, that isn't going to happen if they've not heard the songs before

thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll pass them on

our guitarist's all valve Marshall packed up at our last gig, anybody know of and good techs in the area?

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1382456561' post='2252376'] I am going directly into the amp, no DI involved. The tone control definitely works, as it goes from wooly to slightly less wooly, but it definitely doesn't go clangy, which I feel is should at least start aproaching it, and like molan stated, I tend to have it either closed or fully open, because like him, there is nothing in between either. I absolutely love the bass, I got real lucky with it, and I certainly don't want to start messing with it in any way other than maybe a cap change. It does sound great, but it would be nice just to have a bit more tonal range for different situations. [/quote] if you don't think it's clangy enough, bypass the capacitor altogether, if it doesn't make any difference then it's not that, but if it does then start messing about with the tone circuitry

know what you mean, they might as well fit an on/off switch for all the variety of tone I get.

[quote name='spinynorman' timestamp='1382144494' post='2248730'] Well, perhaps it's my laptop or the soundcard then. On mine, the latency makes it unusable [/quote] I had this trouble till I unchecked the listen to this device box in the mixer or the software play through box in audacity

I hate it when people put a reserve on items, really puts me off. I'm about to have a variation on the found in my dead uncles loft story, I rent a flat out and the student who had it left ESP LTD MH250 guitar behind when he went back to China, that's going on the Bay when I've replaced the sector switch and figured out how to put new strings on it, wonder if anybody's used that as a reason for selling before?

try moving the whole song up an octive with audacity it really makes the bass line stand out

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1381760535' post='2243242'] And another depressing BC thread! If musicians won't stick up for musicians, then there is no hope. ... Or, have those advocating free access to music come to the realisation that they don't stand a hope in hell anyway, so couldn't give a toss? [/quote] Don't know about not giving a toss, just the realisation that people won't pay for something they can get for free.

I have windows 7 and I just plug my bass into the mic socket on my laptop, I think I remember having to play around with the PC's mixer at the time to get it to work but it's fine for playing along to anything that's playing on my computer, 1 channel only though.

I've got a zoom 506II, and Carlsboro Bass Beasty with a knackered preamp, I've used my zoom through the effects in socket, and it worked ok

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1381493771' post='2239820'] I wonder how many Basschatters have never actually seen a cassette tape in the flesh, so to speak? [/quote] I've still got a drawer full of them, about 200, can't bring myself to bin them, still got a cassette player never use it though, it's easier to go on spotify

it's payback time, remember when record labels were charging £15 for reissuing CD's, no recording, no artwork costs, they were ripping us off, same with legal downloads, 79p a track, no distribution costs, no wholesaler or retail profit margin. Didn't hear many artist complaining either, a few token moans but that was probably because they were on crap deals

cheap or free digital music,like spotify, has devalued it, when you had spend a bit of money on a recording you gave it a few listens to decide whether you liked it or not, now it's about 10 seconds before going on to the next track. Now when I was a lad going home on the bus staring at the record sleeve of the cherished record I just spent my paper round money on, it was treasured and listened to many times. Now recordings have no value. Or it could be I'm just a sentimental old fool of course.