chris_b

Not a dilemma for me. The sound of my Lull PJ5 improved 200% when I changed from rounds to flats. Now using TI flats. The sound became fuller and fatter with more heft (oh yes). There's no going back for me on this bass. I play all sorts of covers and genres and the sound of this Precision has worked for every style I've been asked to play in the last 5 years.

You're right. . . Martin Cohen.

[quote name='SICbass' timestamp='1497629416' post='3319667'] A few years back I played on a soul review backing her. You get the charts at the one rehearsal with her. [/quote] I believe a guy called Martin Cohen used to/still does/usually played the Motown gigs in the UK. Not sure how many he does these days. Great player and could read anything straight off. About 20 years ago he tried to muscle in on one of my bands. Luckily he was so good, the singer was too scared/nervous/intimidated to work with him and I kept the gig! Fortunately, for me, I don't scare anyone with my talent!! Edit. Corrected name

[quote name='DanH71' timestamp='1497610495' post='3319448'] so if i use connectors, do you know any that are appropriate? [/quote] There are lots at B&Q and Screwfix, or any electrical shop you can find. The smallest ones would probably fit in the space better.

For a number of years JE lived over the road to me in Corringway, North Ealing, London. His American car was so long that when it was parked in his drive it hung over the pavement by a good 4 feet. He also pushed the kids up and down the road in a big pram still in his cowboy boots and long tasselled leather jacket. A very incongruous sight. Before that I believe he was in Gunnersbury Avenue.

Where are you based?

If you want an overdriven sound, why not get this from a pedal?

My preferred setting is. . . . as low as it goes without buzzing. Whatever that is. It'll probably be different on each instrument. I have 4 basses. 2 were Pleked when made and they are still very good. I've had the frets levelled on the other 2 and the action is even and now lower than they could have gone before. All 4 play beautifully. If the action is too low for your plucking technique then you'll compromise your tone. Very low needs a very light right hand technique. If you hit harder the strings will have to come up.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1497599917' post='3319308'] An orchestral performance is 90% listening. Movement would detract from the performance. [/quote] Plus they'd all keep falling over each other.

If you have to compete with guitarists using half stacks then almost any 500w - 800w amp will do but the cabs will be the more important part of your rig. A good 410 will usually cover everything, but they are big by today's standards. One of the better 212's will be as loud, lighter and work just as well. My "super" 112 cabs let me go very loud with a 500 watt amp. You don't want either the amp or cabs to be running out of power so IMO "just enough" won't be good enough.

[quote name='acidbass' timestamp='1497531434' post='3318910'] Lightweight gear = lightweight tone![/quote] No smiley's, so I guess this was a serious comment? In reality it's not in the slightest bit accurate.

EMG has some active pickups but other than those all others are passive, so will slot right in to your current wiring. Before you change anything you should, a) know what problem you're trying to solve, b ) have a good idea that what you are doing will solve that problem, and c) make the changes in such a way as to let you easily back them out if you discover you didn't fix the problem or caused a new one. Don't bother with solder, as previously posted, use connectors, then all you'll need is a screwdriver. Draw a diagram of which wire goes where on your current pickup so you can match them up on the new pickup. Leave plenty of wire to work with.

I believe the BB2 and SM are good together, but the message I get from Alex's website is that mixing the 10's and 12's is a match he wouldn't recommend. Email Alex and get the definitive opinion.

If the Barefaced Super Midget is still too big get a BF One10.

[quote name='richardjmorgan' timestamp='1497529887' post='3318892'] Recommend me an amp / loud stoner rock / as small and portable as possible. [/quote] I'd second the Aguilar TH500. Aren't you going to ask about cabs?

IME most brass players will have studied formally so they would have been brought up reading charts as the standard approach. Brass sections can be pretty fluid things with a lot of depping so in those cases charts are essential for ensemble playing. IME if they are required to learn their parts good players will, not so good players. . . well, you get what you get. None of the pro Soul bands I've been in used charts because they always rehearsed and learnt the set. We had a no chart rule in all of them. I've played with every thing from a 2 to 5 piece brass sections, what a wonderful sound.

He's probably had 50 versions of the horn part to play. Is it a problem?

If you're damaging the ends of your fingers you're hitting the strings too hard. Turn the volume up. . . a lot. . . and bring it back down by playing softer. EDIT: Just noticed you're talking about left hand. . . . same thing, really. Don't press so hard and, if you have a set up to lower your action it would help.

I'd suggest GHS Precision Flats. By the way, Louis Johnson recorded some of his early funky stuff with a Stingray and flats. Edit: If you want to sound like a bag of spanners in a washing machine then you'll need the thinnest rounds you can find, but "finger style" funk can easily be played on a bass with flats. As a lot of it was in the early days.

[quote name='joeystrange' timestamp='1497423422' post='3317935'] I'm after some advice from anyone who's been in this position before and can tell me how they've tackled learning this many songs. [/quote] They won't be playing 70 songs every gig and some songs on the records won't have been played since, so get a set list off them, or at least a list of songs they play regularly. Start with those and work around to the rest later. Have any of the songs changed since they were recorded? Work the songs out and write chord charts. Then play them until you don't need the charts any more. If you play along to the songs on the CD's put them on shuffle so you don't get used to playing them in the same order.

[quote name='steantval' timestamp='1497378981' post='3317716'] . . . . now joined at lot of the older great vocalists who are now shadows of their former selves. [/quote] I didn't see the show, but most people are a shadow of their former selves when they're getting on for mid 70's.

Do you have Hansen pickups installed? If so you could email Lakland and ask for a replacement.

A blue box or a black box. Choices, choices. With a doily and an ornament on top either would look just fine, but at half the size and sounding twice as good I'd still go for the AER.

I'd prefer to be playing an AER Bass Cube 1 combo they have for sale at Bass Direct.

. . . . or you could sell both TC cabs and get a better 212 which will cover all your volume and tone requirements in 1 cab.