chris_b

The level of musicianship in most professional tribute bands is very high. I'd love to be playing with guys like that, but sadly, these days, I'm the wrong age and shape!!

Rankism and the careless put down. . . . comes so easily to Brits! Every player making a living out of bass playing, from Sid Vicious to Charles, gets my vote.

The bass is fine for other genres, so why change it so it isn't fine any more? IMO you want a bass that sounds good in all genres, so keep it as it is and add the facility to sound good in this band. Get a preamp pedal.

That's just too heavy for me (old guy with back issues), but thanks for doing that. Maybe the woods being on the heavy side, and probably more resonant with it, is what gets their great sound.

2 x 45's is the usual, but on occasion we can be asked to do 2 x 60's or 3 x 45's.

Great player. An interesting 40 mins.

It's all about confidence and feeling happy. If you like the sound of something you'll feel good, which will make you play better. No one else has to hear the "thing" that lifted you, but it happened, so it is a real difference. You are right, psychology comes into it, but also there are real differences created by the way basses are made and the materials used. Tea tastes like tea to me but there are guys out there who know the differences between each type and make a living being able to blend different teas into a single product. Same with coffee, whiskey and wine etc. Likewise, there are differences in musical instruments that people who build them can hear, that accountants, IT managers, post men and gas fitters etc who play them on a part time bases can't. The silly thing is to insist that because some one can't hear those differences, they don't exist.

What actually happens when you pluck a string on an electric instrument is all over the internet. A quote that seem particularly apt for these threads. . . . 'The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge.' Charles Bukowski

I know exactly how lucky have been. . . . and still am. In the last 20 years I've owned a US Lakland 55-94, a Wal mk2, a Wal mk3 and the Mike Lull PJ5 and Sadowsky RV5 Jazz which are my #1 basses today. I've loved playing every one of these guys and they all made me sound better than I could have hoped.

That's the hard part to learn. Anyone can learn the notes, but timing, flow and smoothness differentiate the great from the merely good.

I check my tuning before each set on every gig and about 5 songs in to the first set. Why would I want to run the risk of playing out of tune? No matter how well your bass was made, the tuning can change when played. On hot gigs your tuning will sag and on gigs that get colder, ie outside, your tuning can sharpen. That's not the manufacturer, that's climate and physics. I've noticed that if anyone else moves my bass in the gig bag, they grab the top with both hands and lift. That invariably moves the tuners. I've now joined the uncool and use a clip on tuner. I can check my tuning whenever I think necessary. That's not disrespect, that's being professional.

I think you are talking about cabs that have a more limited and coloured sound. There's a new generation of cabs which don't colour your sound. IMO cabs are there to distribute the sound that has been generated by your bass, pedals and amp around the room in the most efficient way. If the cabs were genre specific, Jah Wobble and Tim Commerford wouldn't be using the same cabs. With the right amp, you can play any style of music, any style of bass through Barefaced cabs and you'll get a fantastic tone.

Aaaagh!!! Music stand!!

Hopefully my wife can name 1 bass player. . . . but I'm not banking on it!

Blimey, is nothing else happening in Tavistock?? Good luck and I guess photos are required.

Well that rules me out.. . . twice.

IMO I should have stuck with the nurses uniform!

IMO she's a good player, with a great tone, but she's also a bandleader, singer and songwriter. She's going to sink or swim on the strength of her songwriting, singing and performance. As I've discovered, just being a good player and looking pretty won't get you far.

There's a Super Compact in the classifieds, just down the road from you (a bit!!), in Milton Keynes.

Clip on tuners. . . [sigh] yet another thing to make me look uncool!!

I've owned 3 milestone basses. The bass that started me off and on which I learnt the most, a Framus Star bass. My first "pro" bass, a Fender Precision. I knew I'd "made it" when I played my first gig with this bass. My first 5 string bass, an MM SR5. Made the transition from 4 to 5 very easy. I've owned far better basses than these 3, but I learnt 99% of what I know on these guys.

I don't know GR gear, but I've been a Barefaced user for the last 10 years. I started with 2 SC's and 2 Two10's and decided to go with the 112's. I now have an SC, a BB2 and an SM. IME you need a good amp to get the best sound because these cabs put out what you put in. The cab won't save you from the sound of an average amp, but a good amp (I use Aguilar) will sound fantastic. I believe you still get a 1 month trial period. Email BF. They are very good at matching their cabs to your requirements.

That's our job, to be invisible, indispensable and to make everyone else sound good.

For the bands I'm a member of, I will always know the songs. For the bands I dep with, 18 this year so far, that depends how often I play with them. For the regulars I know the songs. For one-offs I'll use charts as a safety net. Most bands would rather I get the songs right and as I make John Entwistle look animated visuals come a distant second.