chris_b

I regularly tell a drummer I play with that he would sound better using a 26" bass drum. He just laughs!!! And I've told drummers I don't like the sound of piccolo snares!

Many years ago I was asked to leave my bass at home. I turned up to play in a soul band with a Gibson EB0. They were absolutely right, it sounded terrible. The singer lent me his Danelectro. Sometimes other people's opinions can be valid. That was the first and last time, maybe because I bought a Precision right after that experience.

I bought a Fender Precision in 1969, played it exclusively for 26 years, and still have it. I added Barts in the mid 80's and improved the sound 1000%. A Mike Lull PJ5 has been my #1 bass for 14 years. Everyone's different, but I'd be lost without a P bass of some kind.

OK so it's a last minute emergency, why wouldn't I get a set list? I don't often get a call on the day of the gig, but when I do I expect the set list to be part of that call. I've never been told you can't have a set list! IME that doesn't happen. You are obviously associating with the wrong people.

Why on earth would you race off and start practising songs that you played in a previous band? If you're doing this properly you don't leave anything to chance. You don't start your homework until you get a set list, keys, YouTube videos, MP3's or verbal information regarding the source material and the arrangements of every song. It's unprofessional to turn up to a rehearsal without knowing all of those things. In my experience an unprofessional rehearsal means an unprofessional band and for me that puts the whole gig in doubt.

I live in London so. . . . thousands, but for the last 15 years I've only bought and sold on Basschat.

Louis Johnson was asked what strings he used. He replied, "I don't know, what do they put on a Music Man". Apparently he'd been slapping for years with the set of flats his bass came with.

If someone manages to sell a bass for more than I sold it to them, then more fool me. If I didn't get the market price right and someone else did then I have no issue with that.

Do you have a heavy hitting, or digging in, technique? If you get a thud when your fingers come to rest on the B string, maybe the pickup is too high and the string is hitting the pickup. If you are damping the strings correctly you shouldn't be hearing any sound out of the B string in that situation.

I swapped to 5 string basses nearly 30 years ago. I spent many years with DR, both LO-Riders and Hi-Beams rounds. Then I had a few years with D'Addario NYXL's. For flats I use TI's.

That's a*rse about face. Come up with a set list, learn it at home and play it all at the rehearsal. Then everything has been dealt with and nothing needs "revisiting".

IMO rehearsals are not for learning songs, but getting the arrangements right and topping and tailing the songs. If you're paying for a studio the band has to turn up knowing the material. Play with guys who don't need to be told.

A silly songs but the playing is sooooo funky. . . .

You can buy fantastic basses in the UK, so put the taxes etc into the pot and buy one here. Get extra value by finding a good used bass.