chris_b

First point. . . . you're not going to get that tone out of any other amp and cab combination. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just a fact. My last rig was an Aguilar TH500 through a Bergantino CN212. What a great sound. I'm now playing the TH500 through 2 Barefaced Super Compacts. Another world beating sound. Both these rigs are a quarter of the size and weight of the Ashdowns and will go louder with (IMO) better tone. That's the advances in modern gear for you. There are many choices out there but these rigs are two of the best and the ones I know about. You'll need to start auditioning some of the recommendations you'll be getting. Good luck.

[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1495014979' post='3300398'] I sososo didn't realise that much Tim had passed!!! [/quote] That's what Tim does when you're not looking! Chaps, here's to the next 10.

When I started Duck Dunn and Bill Wyman were the inspirations for most of the bass players on the planet. Bass playing has come along way, melodically, technically and every other way you can come up with. I started ahead of the bass game and saw it race past and leave me in the dust in about 1973. I'd like to have kept up but I'm just better at being what I was back then. Doesn't stop me appreciating others who have a different take on bass playing. From Adam Clayton and Dusty Hill to Wojtek and our own Spoombung it's all good. Bass playing just gets better and better.

I like it. He's an accomplished bassist. It's an exhibition piece of various extreme bass playing techniques. Watching some of this guy's other videos, I'm impressed and wish I could do even a little of that.

Pre amps are switched on by inserting the jack plug. That's how they work. I'd need a confirmation from the manufacturer before I'd believe anyone who says theirs does not do this.

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1494965218' post='3300087'] . . . . wondering if any of you have any secrets or tips for overcoming this sort of thing. [/quote] Yes. Don't do it.

Your lack of homework is showing.

[quote name='scrumpymike' timestamp='1494921681' post='3299522'] I play without aids or plugs but we don't play very loud. [/quote] Hearing damage is accumulative and imperceptible. Over time "not very loud" might just be adding to the straws on the camel's back.

It's not really an issue. . . . or even a talking point! This is an active bass and they do things differently. Unplugging the jack is what you do to save yourself the bother and expense of needlessly replacing batteries. My Lakland's battery lasts over 12 months and 150 gigs. If I left it plugged in it might last 2 months or even less. I unplug my passive bass when it's not in use.

[quote name='gs_triumph' timestamp='1494874738' post='3299251'] Great idea! Might give that a bash [/quote] I reread that and it sounded like I was saying put 2 straplocks on the bass. . . what I meant was keep the button on the bass (in the usual place) and put 2 locks on the strap.

I know several guys who use hearing aids and they take them out for the gig. . . . but don't put any plugs or hearing protection in. A couple are very loud players as well. I don't understand why anyone, especially a working musician, would intentionally make themselves deafer after getting themselves to the point where HA's are necessary.

If you put 2 Dunlop strap locks on a long strap, at the bridge end of the bass, at the required places for pick and fingers, you could easily switch from one to the other with very little fuss.

I was in a band with a guitarist who used a Travis Bean and apparently on cold days the neck was quite uncomfortable to hold until it warmed up, which it didn't do very quickly. A whole cold bass would not be my idea of a good bass to play. If you're in California I guess this won't be a problem but chilly UK. . . it might be.

You should try gigging in places like Camden, Shoreditch and Covent Garden. Those gigs really try your patience, but if the gig's a good one then it's worth the hassle to travel and park.

I'd go back to the doctor and tell them the side effects are unacceptable and get them to prescribe something else.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1494674405' post='3297753'] I drive a Volvo these days and even that has failed on me once (big time - the central computer crashed, cost £1.5k to fix)...! [/quote] I'm the source of most failures. Once I even put petrol in the diesel on the way to a gig!! I was rushing and . . . . . bugger!

Since the 60's and the demise of dance bands, the MU's condescending attitude to any of the popular forms of music and the world the guys playing it inhabited, ensured they had limited relevance to any musician born after 1945. They were a necessary evil in the old days if you were trying to work in "official" and "traditional" entertainment, ie TV, studios, theatre and foreign tours, where they had things tied up. Even if you were a member, have a dispute with anyone they didn't recognise, like most managers, agents, record companies, pubs, clubs and venues that weren't unionised and they were at best disinterested and usually useless. A lot of the West End pit guys quit (80's or 90's can't remember) when the MU did a deal (against the wishes of the players) with the theatre owners to allow digital instruments into the shows, thus putting lots of players jobs at risk. I was in the MU once. Only because it was a requirement for the tour. Apart from the insurance they are an expense most musicians don't need.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1494669323' post='3297704'] There's no way I would ever have used an amp straight out of the box for a gig, same as I never would have left a bass on a stand unattended. Just asking for trouble. [/quote] I always use new gear on the first gig but I always take a backup for the first few months. If I'm really not sure I'll have both amps set up on the top of the cab with the backup just needing the speaker cable to switch over. I agree with not using a stand. These days my basses always go into the gig bag when I'm not playing them. Just safer that way. I'm not a big "backup" person and I do regard myself as being more "professional" than the next guy. My experience is: I have never broken a string or had a bass fail. I've twice had a battery run out but not since I started to change them on a regular basis, and this is not an issue now my main bass is passive. I've never had an amp fail since I switched from valve amps to SS and D class and a cab failure? Never. The only guys I see and play with who regularly carry backups are guitarists. The keys and brass players don't and drummers mostly only seem to carry breakables, sticks and spare heads. We never have any redundancy in the PA systems. There are single points of failure everywhere in everyone's gear on every gig but the guys I play with hardly ever have problems. I did get a call from the guitarist, he'd broken down on the way to a gig. Fortunately I was able to divert and pick him up. Drive a Volvo. IME they never fail. My thinking is, buy good gear, treat it well and it will support you. Complacent? Maybe or not really. Depends on your point of view. But my approach has worked for me for many decades. Everyone should do what they feel comfortable doing. If you feel it's "more professional", or you are prone to gear failures, or it just gives you a warm feeling, you're a very careful person or just have OCD then carry as many backups as you like. IMO it's not "more" professional to take backups but if you have failures, don't treat your gear well or buy unreliable gear and [i]don't[/i] take backups then you are definitely being "less" professional than you should be.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1494555307' post='3296970'] Sound for support acts has always been a concern of mine. Maybe it's me or maybe headliners are far superior than support bands. Just seems like headliner sound is impeccable. Support acts not so much. Blue [/quote] Maybe headliners have more confidence than the supports rather than being [i]superior[/i]. If US FOH guys are the same as over here the support bands will not be given the same sound as the headline band, but I'd still insist on the stage sound being as good as you can get it. I did a festival last year, first for awhile, and fortunately the sound was pretty good. Fortunately. . . as I was depping and wasn't too familiar with the material. My main problem was the amount of room, a roaming guitarist and lack of eye contact with the drummer but, on hearing back some of the show, in spite of knowing where my short comings were, it was still seamless from an audience point of view.

It's just another gig. Do what you do and make sure your monitors are right. Have a great time.

You're looking at cutting the pie 6 ways. Good luck trying to find a bigger pie. Many gigs I play are a trio for this very reason.

IMO an electric kit is not the best way of learning drums. Play one after you've learnt but not to learn on.

Get a set of flatwounds and you'll never have to change them again.

I guess the next thing that gets readjusted down on a "cheaper" instrument, after the components and labour, is the QC the company expects of themselves and their suppliers. Yorks5stringer, you talk about 1st world problems but these companies are in 1st world competition and they have to perform, no matter what price point they are aiming for.

[quote name='IainS' timestamp='1494342964' post='3295157'] One question, though: are in-ear monitors better for your hearing (and tinnitus) than standard monitoring? My ears always ring more after I've used headphones to listen to music so I assumed in-ear monitoring would do the same. The rest of my band use in-ear so it wouldn't be a problem to switch. [/quote] The only thing that is better for your ears is turning the volume down. No matter what the source of the volume either block it out or turn it down.