chris_b

This is an ex school bus and not designed for long trips. BB King used one for years to do over 300 gigs a year. There was a Motown tour in the early 60's that used a bus like that. They had something like 40 dates in 40 days and they had anything up to 600 miles between gigs. These tours were the reality of how how live music operated in the US back then.

I would usually do the gig. For me that's the only point of playing bass or being in a band, but whenever I have told bands that I can't do a particular date and it clashes with a gig we just get a dep. It pays to have a good dep up your sleeve. I told one band leader several times I couldn't work on one date and he got a gig anyway. We found a dep when I stuck to my guns and ultimately that was the reason I was fired. That's always a possibility if you work with a-holes.

Like it. Beats the old Commer van we used to drive to gigs in.

I want the implementation of Graphene cabs. And I want it now.

"Dream amp"? There are lots of those.

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1502785145' post='3353437'] Drives the Mrs bonkers the clank clank [/quote] . . . . and me!

I think you might right. Apparently this was a Grover Washington song with Bill Withers contribution only being the vocals and some of the lyrics. The band is Grover Washington's and an eye opener for me. Good call.

Simple and perfectly formed bass line? In spite of the thousands of perfect recordings that came out out of the likes of the Stax, Fame, Malaco and Muscle Shoals Studios: Mustang Sally, Respect Yourself and Groove Me etc, I'd choose Just The Two Of Us by Bill Withers, with the wonderful Melvin Dunlap on bass.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1502527200' post='3351976'] I wont buy it then on your say so.[/quote] I didn't say that. But I did say anything Duck Dunn is good, so do what you want to do. I'll certainly be checking it out.

Anything Duck Dunn is good. . . . but if you can't get his bass lines from listening to the records you need to sharpen up your playing by ear more than you need transcrpitions.

I de-fretted my Framus Star bass when I was a kid. It sounded OK, very DB, which what I was intending, but I also reduced the tone available by about 80%. An outcome I hadn't properly thought through! Sounds like you're bored and looking for something to do. I'd sell the bass and make a better fretless.

According to your original post you like your current bass. It feels "comfortable" to play and sounds "lovely". You've already got a good bass there and you are way too early in the cycle to start with all that GAS crap. So put your head down and focus on playing bass and being the best bass player you can be. This bass is not holding you back. Think about upgrading when you've got to a point where you need more out of your bass that the current instrument can give you.

Go and play a Jazz and find out if you prefer it to your current bass.

Get the gigs. If these guys will honour the first gig in the diary then you might be OK. As long as these players are around for long enough to get the band off the ground it will give you enough time to build up a list of good deps that might become permanent members at some time.

Wilco, I would say you were given some very good advice. If I was asked to move my car because it was blocking someone or something. . . I'd move it! Why would that be such a problem? Why would you try to make something out of it on the internet? ??

Don't forget CITIES. Taking a bass with a rosewood neck into the states might be problematic with the authorities but getting them out again might also get them confiscated. Read the rules. I'd sell the lot and buy 1 or 2 good (Maple or Morado fret board) ones out there.

I'd get a Barefaced cab. A Two10 might go well with your amp, but I'd email Alex at BF first and get his opinion on your requirements.

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1453124946' post='2956546'] Mine are set to off as I've never found these add anything to my sound. [/quote] Back when I used an LM2 I had the filters off, I thought my sound was much better without them. I don't think they should be removed. They probably are useful to other players.

New to me, I had to google him! I'd happily play any of these songs. Quality music. Great song writing, arrangement and production values on these records.

I believe there are also a lot of 5 string Laklands and Sadowsky's in Nashville these days.

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1502182759' post='3349740'] You are either in it or you are not. If you want to make it work, you will. Musicians are some of the flakiest people I have had the misfortune to meet. They can take the fun out of playing Music in a heartbeat. On the other hand, if you get the mix of personnel right, it's downright amazing!! [/quote] All very true.

[quote name='only4' timestamp='1489070959' post='3254158'] . . . . you know it was worth it when the rest of the band ask you if you're doing something different, because it sounds so much better than usual!. . . . [/quote] Excellent. You just know you've made a good choice when that happens. You're more likely to get that reaction when you try to upgrade rather than just buy something new and shiny! ACG make very nice basses.

I think a 66 rates as "prectically" pre CBS. They were still made by the Fender team and CBS hadn't started to make their changes. I wouldn't buy any gear that I couldn't or wouldn't gig. I'm as worried about my modern gear getting damaged on gig so the bass is always put in the gig bag at the side of the stack when it's not being played. If I'm worried about it getting damaged when I'm actually playing it. . . . I would even be doing a gig like that in the first place.

Play your best, up tempo, interesting, lively. . . you get the picture. . . . song first. Say "Hello" during the count for the second song. Start this immediately after the end of the first song. End the set with a couple of strong songs. If you don't already have these songs find some. You have to make an impression. Second set should be more of the same. IMO "Hello Neasden" is way too cheesy, as is putting one foot on the monitor. Don't do either. You should all do your final tuning earlier, then walk off the stage. When you're ready, all walk on together and start. Don't twiddle or play anything. Know the first 4 songs you're going to play before you walk on stage. Better still have a set list. Sets should be constructed to ensure a momentum of energy. Bowie, The Stones, Dave Gilmore and all other pro bands I know of use set lists. Any "dead" time on stage looks very amateurish. Some bands I play with do this and some don't. The ones who do always go down better.

[quote name='police squad' timestamp='1502095782' post='3349204'] Anyone else managed to have this much fun lately?[/quote] Every time I gig. I don't care about someone else's definition of good or bad songs and I don't care who wrote them. If the band played well (and so did I) and the audience loved it then you can't ask for more. I usually inhabit "old fashioned" music so a recent discovery for me was to find out how good the songs of artists like Jessie J and Beyonce actually are to play and the positive audience reaction you get when you play these songs.