chris_b

Get a good used Fender American Standard Precision that feels right and plays well, then if you need to upgrade the sound you can just drop in any number of great sounding pickups.

These days there are many fantastic small cabs around, but a small 4 ohm cab still has to carry the room, unless you have FOH. I never have FOH, which is why I always use 1, 2 or 3 small 8 ohm cabs. If I had to choose a small 4 ohm cab it would definitely be a Barefaced. But as their 8 ohm cabs are louder than some 4 ohm cabs you don't have to paint yourself into the 4 ohm corner. 2 of my SC's are louder than the 3 Bergantino AE112's I used to use and even the AE112 and CN212.

Louie Louie by the Kingsmen. Brilliant and raucous.

I know at couple of players who are trying to be a big fish in a small pond and I think they look a little sad. Who wants to be anything in a small pond? Whatever size fish I could be, I always wanted to be in the biggest pond I could get into. To play with the best musicians, in the best bands and do the best gigs I could. I have been the worse one in several bands but I also did pretty well in others. I know I could/should have done better if I focussed and tried harder, but I was a lazy sod and still am! Ho hum! IME the bad guys are usually the ones that don't want to hear your ideas. If you have something worth saying the good guys are usually the most receptive. If you play in a band and worry about being fired you might as well not bother. Make them want to keep you. Some bands are very cut-throat but when you get to a certain level you're more likely to be fired because you don't "look right" rather than for musical reasons.The one thing to aim for is to always play better this time than you did last time. If you think you could play something better, ask and then change it. Be realistic and make sure you don't fool yourself. I've seen plenty of guys get fired who were convinced they were the bees knees. The Dog and Duck or a US tour? No contest really is there.

[quote name='markdavid' timestamp='1505840312' post='3374697'] My strings are not hitting the frets with low action, my technique is sound and I play with a fairly light touch, I just find that for whatever reason a higher action produces a slightly different tone which is (imho) a better tone[/quote] It probably does. I wasn't really talking about you specifically, but generally trying to cover some of the other comments that followed your first post. Maybe you're noticing a difference in the sound caused by the pick up height between a high and low action. Assuming you didn't adjust the pickups when you adjusted the action.

Does high action sound better than low action? No. . . . it depends how your bass is set up and how you play it. If your strings are hitting the frets to the point that the notes are prevented from sounding good then it's either a bad set up or inappropriate technique. Don't blame the action! If you want a low action you can't just crank the bridge saddles down to make the bass play easier. That's only half the job. You've got to make sure the frets are even, the nut and pickups are at the right height and your technique is such that you can play the strings with a much lighter touch. Then the low action can work and sound good. If you "dig in" then only a higher action will work.

If your rig is "overkill" just use 1 cab on the quieter gigs and both cabs on the bigger gigs. IMO what you currently own is a better rig for volume and tone, in a gigging band context, than what you're proposing. Are both cabs on the floor, ie side by side or are they stacked? Are you having trouble hearing your bass? There is nothing wrong with running an amp at 25% of it's maximum volume. If you do you get a thing called headroom, which is better for your sound and tone when trying to amplify low notes than trying to run an amp at 80%, for example. I do gigs where my amp is at 25% and others where I'm at about 60%. That's like driving your car at 20 in town and 70 on the motorway. I don't see the value in trying to run a bass amp flat out rather than 25%. IMO a flexible rig is a better rig even if it just ticks over for some of the time. Unless you're going through the PA a couple of 8's won't carry the room. 12's ticking over will probably sound better that a pair of 8's being pushed. Then again, you loose dB (volume) by placing your cab where it can't mechanically couple with the floor.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1505770981' post='3374254'] I personally couldn't get very excited about Lakland Skylines - I just found them a bit bland [/quote] Surprising as they use the same pickups and pre amp as the US models.

How Long. Not about a cheating woman but a cheating bass player. Written after the band found out Tex Comer was planing to leave Ace. Why Did You Do It by Stretch. Again, not a song about a cheating woman but a cheating drummer Mick Fleetwood. Written by Stretch after he screwed them on an already dodgy US tour when he dropped out at no notice.

Ben, keep saving and checkout my Sadowsky. Ad below.

I believe, because of the single market the EU is viewed as one country for CITIES. Same for import duties. So there should be no problems moving basses around within EU borders.

Good used Lakland Skylines are a lot of bass for the money. Keep checking the classifieds.

I felt sick for 2 days before my first gig. It wasn't worth the anxiety. I had a great time, the first of thousands. Check everything the night before and take extra batteries. Remember. . . . musicians hear all the bad notes, but audiences hear all the good notes. Have fun and enjoy yourself.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1505711480' post='3373648'] Two many adjustments. Or... why do we invest so much effort in EQ on the instrument when we have even more EQ further up the signal chain?[/quote] Granted there are usually a lot of possibilities, but you don't have to use them just because they are there. Though good to have just in case. My aim is to buy the gear that gets the best sound with no effort and little adjustment. I want everything set "in the middle" and any changes shouldn't be more than just 1 click to the left or right. I haven't changed the tone or volume on my passive P bass in 4 years. There are more options on the active J but the controls are usually set in the same place on every gig. You have to know what your controls do, but IMO excessive EQing means you bought the wrong gear. Just a final observation. . . . but I notice that I have a better, more consistent and easier to achieve sound with the standard of gear I now use. My experience is that better quality gear sounds great with no effort at all.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1505682593' post='3373575'] ... I have several basses all with weird and wonderful (and different) EQs. Most of which I don't understand. My SansAmp RBI I mostly do. It would save a lot of bother if the EQs on the basses where not there. Am I mad... or missing something?[/quote] Why do away with something just because you don't understand it? Work out how to operate your EQ's and you'll be fine.

Cheers

Tune down to Eb, use a heavier gauge of string and you get a beefier sound. Hendrix did it so do others.

Sounds like they're having fun. . . . but not for me.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1505502798' post='3372494'] THEN... Barefaced Two10 appeared and I'm back with Barefaced.[/quote] Did you get the 12 ohm or 4 ohm cabs?

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1505484387' post='3372297'] Are punch cards more evil than TAB? [/quote] They are when you drop the box and discover they weren't numbered!

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1505474815' post='3372173'] I had 2 in the same set list for a past covers band. Stones - Jumpin Jack Flash and Cure - Friday I'm in Love. I think the former is out due to a badly tuned studio piano . . . . [/quote] Pianos don't go out of tune or drop all the strings by the same amount. Many notes are multiple strings as well. I've been in a few studios where the whole session was help up waiting for a tuner to come in and sort an out of tune piano.

I had an OBP-3 in a Jazz and the sound was [i]huge[/i], one of the best I've heard. Then again I'm an Aguilar fan and have been using a TH500 since they came out. Other amps have come and gone but so far nothing has knocked the TH500 off the top spot. I believe the OBP-3 came first. That was put into the Tonehammer pedal, which formed the basis of the front end of the TH500. I just love the sound of Aguilar stuff. edit for spelling

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1505141002' post='3369744'] You told Alex that and to abandon his new BFamp? [/quote] If his cabs are anything to go by, I'm sure Alex will come up with a show stopper. I will certainly check it out when it arrives.

That's why so many US touring Soul and R&B acts (back in the day) would play their songs faster on the gig. The theory is if you speed up the songs and they are more "exciting" to an audience. I usually prefer to listen to the records but after a few beers, up tempo versions do get the audiences going.