chris_b

Story so far. Music stands are "not good" but iPads are OK. The big acts have been using monitors for decades. So if I had the latest technology or a stage crew running the monitoring systems I'd be accepted, but because I'm a poor, penniless, amnesiac Luddite I get told I'm uncool!!

Looks good. Congrats.

I regularly saw him (several dozen times) with John Mayall and then with Cream. In every sort of gig; clubs, scout huts, colleges and the back rooms of pubs. He was unique and his playing could make time stand still.

My suggestion is to do one job at a time. An observation: as you've been running this rig for awhile I'd stop being paranoid and just carry on being careful. As you haven't blown this cab up yet I'd keep doing what you're doing and stop worrying. My other suggestion is to sell the 610 and get a BF Four10 and unleash the power of your amp.

Yep. All my charts are in plastic pages in folders but I always carry 2 bulldog clips and gaffa.

They all do. David Bowie, The Stones the lot.

I've used DHL in the past for amps. I put my padded box inside one of their boxes and they were fine, but, because of the size restrictions of the others, I've always used Interparcel for basses. They have always been good for me. With couriers you have to assume the worst is going to happen and take precautions. To be on the safe side, my OCD kicks in and I always put the case inside a big cardboard bicycle box lined with polystyrene. I once got a bass delivered only in a flimsy gig bag. I don't understand how anyone can risk couriering a bass with that little packaging and protection.

I've done 60 deps this year. 3 of the bands were "one offs" so 2 sets of previously unknown songs so stand was in use. 3 bands were regulars but 2 were throwing new numbers in until the afternoon of the gig, so stand in use there as well. Music stands are like windscreen wipers. You use them if you need to.

I'll let you know in 20 years time.

Last minute dep for Xmas eve. Now 60. I prefer round numbers!

IMO, if you have the chops then any bass will do. I was playing Reggae, Ska and Blues on Xmas eve using my Mike Lull PJ5 with flats.

A good set of flats will be in prime condition for years. They will be a big outlay on day one but from the second year onwards they will be way cheaper than using any sets of rounds. My only experience of flats since 1970 was a set of GHS Precision flats for my Mike Lull PJ5 which were replaced, after about 4 years, by a set of TI flats. They didn't need to be replaced but a set of TI's came up at a good price and I just fancied a change. IMO GHS are very good and not much money. TI flats are very, very good and a lot more money. If I was looking for another set of flats I'd get either of these again but my flat out preference is for another set of TI's.

I would expect the basic design of an amp to be that it runs at 4 ohms and 8 ohm would be half power, ie at 4 ohm it isn't working twice as hard but as designed. Therefore if it's running hot at 4 ohms that is what they intended and expected the operating parameters to be. Having said that, I like the fact that my Aguilar amps always run cold to the touch. That really noisy fan is probably helping, a lot.

I know nothing about the Elf, but I briefly had an SWR Studio 220 which, by the end of the gig, was hot enough to fry an egg. Steve Rabe said that was because the casing was designed to be part of the heat sink.

You mean Seasick isn't his real name?

When you're more experienced and your ear is better developed you'll be able to tell the difference between major and minor by the sound of the notes. Work it out and you'll start the learning process.

Both my bands folded last Christmas and I've survived the last 12 months doing deps for a couple of friends bands. My 2017 total has been 59. High points? At the start of the year I thought I'd been retired by events that were beyond my control so they were all high points for me.

Or they can just tune down half a step. Which is what Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and a few others did.

I'd play it exactly the same way. IMO this guy has a good technique and isn't stretching for anything. The index and pinky are easily doing all the work across a 2 fret range and he's moving his hand to get his fingers to the notes that are further away. A big stretch for a passing note will be uncomfortable and will disrupt the flow and groove of the line. So open D every time. As for damping, watch his left hand. He's damping all the strings with his left hand as he goes. He's got "foam" under the strings anyway but along with his placement of his right thumb he's got it all covered. This is good damping technique. This is where being helpful, flexible and changing the keys to cover up the inflexibility of the singer causes me "issues". Taking the key of a song up a tone or down a tone can alter the feel of the line and open passing notes, which make the original "swing", have to be fretted and don't work so well. Some lines don't flow in another key. That's why if we're changing the key I'll be flexible on the bass lines. Although this causes me less trouble on my 5er than when I played a 4 there are still songs where the bass line just works better in the original key. I know a guitarist who insists on playing Superstition in G. What can be wrong with that? It's mostly a one note line but that bass note just sounds so much better in the original Eb. So far I haven't found a guitarist who'll play it in the original key. Not holding my breath.

My preference is to use fretted notes where I can. If I can't then I'll use open strings.

So you're asking what makes a bass different and special and you tell us to discount all the things that do that! Design, materials, quality of workmanship are what makes anything special. That it "speaks" to someone is what makes it special to that person. Personal preference (which can totally irrational and subconscious) does that last bit. Why do people buy a Jag or Merc instead of a Dacia? They all do the same thing. I buy this bass rather than that because the tone is better, it feels better to play and it's got a tort pick guard.

Some more for you. . . . Charlie Mingus, Oh Yeah and Ah Um. Randy Joe Hobbs, hot bass on the live Roadwork album by Edgar Winter's White Trash. Max Bennett and Shuggie Otis, bassists on Zappa's Hot Rats. Also Max Bennett with the LA Express Roscoe Beck, cracking bass lines on any of the Robben Ford and the Blue Line albums. Anything by Will Lee.

This is a great idea. I've lost out on gigs because I don't sing, not even BV's.

Why would that happen? Does anyone rummage around behind your cab during the set? If that's the case get the speakons! I spent some 30 years touring and gigging with 1/4" plugs and never had a problem. I never saw anyone else have a problem in that time, either. That's why I don't accept that these things are inherently not fit for purpose. Don't use the wrong leads, and don't unplug the amp during the set and you won't have a problem. Do any of those things and it's not the plugs fault!! These days the bigger Ampeg amps do have speakons. They also still provide 1/4" sockets and their owner's manuals recommend using the speakons at "high output power levels". Why they still provide 1/4" sockets I don't know but for those guys to provide them, I guess they are expecting us to use them, and without breaking the gear when we do!

If Ampeg are happy why not you?