chris_b

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.

So if I'm reading this right: the OP has a bad back and because of this wants to investigate a move to lighter cabs. That's reasonable I've been down this road myself. His current cab weighs into the mid 40lbs and people are suggesting a 65lb cab as a solution? IMO that's not good advice. I understand the "big cab with built in castors is easier to move" idea but when you're planning something like this you shouldn't look at how easy it is to do something you look at how difficult it is. A big cab with wheels would be great on a flat, even and solid surface but when you need your back, ie when the ground isn't level and you're facing stairs, stages, narrow doorways, wet grass or gravel etc etc, a big cab is the worse solution. Anyone who increases the weight of their cab because of a bad back hasn't got a bad back in any way that I understand. IME multiple small and light cabs and a trolley would be the set up and method of transportation that would test a bad back the least and get the OP safely home after every gig.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1502033236' post='3348859'] Funny you should say that - it was one of the main reasons I fell out of love with the P bass in the early 70s - [/quote] Don't blame the tools! A bad soundman can even make active basses sound bad.

From what I see, learning to play the piano would be a big help to most bass players and even some guitarists.