chris_b

I haven't done a gig without some form of hearing protection in 40 years. I started with foam plugs (which were worse than useless in the bands I was in) and moved to ACS about 18 years ago. Without ACS plugs I couldn't have carried on. I have tinnitus and we are at the stage where the wife regularly says, "Do we really need the TV that loud!" I wish I'd not been so cavalier with my hearing in the early days. Basschat, start looking after your hearing before you have problems.

I have ACS PRO17's and PRO26's for a stupidly loud band I play in. You don't like muffled? Well that's what your hearing is heading towards without protection. IMO ACS are good value at twice the price.

Could be good or not so good, depends on the cabs.

You Keep Me Hanging On, recorded in 1966, is Jamerson changing the world of bass from a supporting role to a feature at the front of the mix. It's not really "fiddly", he took that to another level with songs like Darling Dear and For Once In My Life, but it's busier than bass lines were up to that point. If you're having trouble with any bass line you can slow the YouTube video down, go to settings, or check out the "how to play" bass cover videos.

Are you trying to do that galloping feel? I'd leave that to the guitarists and drummer and just play 8's.

err. . . . more like 60 years.

How loud is the band?

It's the owner of the signature who makes a signature bass sound different. Marketing might be able to fool someone into forking out thousands to buy a signature bass, but what's the point when you're only going to sound like you.

My Sadowsky Jazz RV5G. With the anti-gravity option fitted.

Sad news. I've lost count of the number of John Mayall gigs I saw. Those nights spent with JM, Clapton, Peter Green and John Mcvie changed my life.

I'm sure the extra permutations will help the BF bank balance and make a lot of bass players very happy, but when the Super Compact hit the market, my need for cabs ceased. £1000 112 cabs are not uncommon and IMO the best is worth that.

As with everything Trevor Horn touches there's a lot of "production" involved, but the basics are all there.

. . . . and great playing

Just get out there and sing. Do as much as you can, you'll get better at it. I lost a few good gigs because I don't sing!

I saw them at Brunel University. Very good band.

What reaction do you get from your audiences? If it's a good reaction, maybe your guitarist is doing something right. Your problem is you are not suggesting songs the guitarist likes. Find some common ground between him, you and the audience. The last covers band I was in we had 3 rules, personal favourites did not get preference, every song had to have been in the top 40, and any song that did not get a positive audience reaction was out.

If you only have 2 or 3 windings around the post, how difficult is it to use your fingers?

The local festivals, big and small, are all about networking. If the promoters know you, if you have a good reputation, you stand a chance.

Seems like t his is Alex's pet project. An amp with a fully configured preamp is on the way after this.

Hi guys, updating pickups seems to be a thing with Sandbergs. . . . has anyone put in a set of Bartolini Jazz pickups, B-Axis or any other? Cheers

The technique that millions of bass players use, and everyone used before the FT idea came along. Watch any top player and very few of them use FT, so it's obviously not a requirement, it's only one of several options. Many use fixed anchor, just placing their thumb one one spot. I use movable anchor which seems to be popular and is very effective and is just an extension of the 4 string technique. I would recommend techniques that build on existing patterns as being easier and quicker to get to grips with.

Floating thumb is an option not a requirement.

. . . . and you don't take them off, problem solved.

As Bill says, any amp will be OK with any cab, as long as you are listening for the distress signals, but as a lot of people won't know what they are, my advice is be safe and don't risk it. In my loudest band I gig a 700 watt amp into 1400watts of cabs (2 x 112) and have never come close to having problems, with the cabs or the sound.

Another tip. . . . there is no such thing as a 4 string song or bass part. A 5 string bass has exactly the same notes as a 4 but with extra finger placement options, and you have the flexibility of hitting a few lower notes if you feel like it.