chris_b

If you haven't played it yet (the singer might turn up and want to do it in 3/4), I'd start with playing what's on the recording and see where you might go from there when you've played it with the band.

Being realistic custom made basses usually involve an extended wait time. WAL is 2 years and some and apparently with Carl Thompson you get it when you get it. I understand the irritation, but to be honest, no matter what you were told at the start, 12 months doesn't seem like a long wait for a hand made bass from a very small outfit. Hassling the guys will probably turn out to be counter productive.

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1475831099' post='3149004'] If it was just about tone/groove we'd all be using P-basses & sending everything DI'd through the PA. [/quote] Isn't that exactly what the good bass players do?

As Stevie said, mostly 1 root note per bar. Play what this guy plays. He's done all the hard work for you. If you have to beef it up play the dum-de-dum pattern the bass drum is playing at 2.08. Serve the song. Think of a bass line then throw 80% of it away. What you're left with will work. This band's playing is perfect for this song. If your band can't sit back and play as simple as this then I'd suggest it isn't going to work.

[quote name='Marty Forrer' timestamp='1475806918' post='3148912'] The point is that not a single one of the punters paying to see you play gives a rats about the grill and logo. It's the sound and your groove they care about. [/quote] . . . . that also goes for the guys you play with.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1422646346' post='2675195'] I tried a Kala bass uke up in Newcastle over Christmas and though it sounded immense and was fun to play. The £450 pricetag was a bit much for me to handle though. Anyone got one and reckon they're worth it? [/quote] Jon Banks of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is holding one in the promo pics but doesn't seem to play one on gigs. He gigs a proper acoustic bass guitar.

I was in the Bass Centre one day (late 90's) when someone came in trying to sell a Wal, it was one of the Pro's. He only wanted £350 for it and they turned him down. They didn't want it! How times have changed. I bought my first mk3 WAL 5er in 2002. The owner spent about 6 months trying to sell it on eBay and when it finally dropped to less than half of his starting price I grabbed it. . . . for £750!

His was a name I vaguely knew but didn't know why. In going through his songs, I find I know nearly all of them. What a great song writer. Sad news.

I noticed that on the SE Bass Bash videos, John Bentley's bass is "clacking" away on almost every note. I would expect extraneous noises to disappear in the mix on a gig.

I'm not sure how many here have ordered a Zon. You might get better info if you post this on Talkbass.

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1475589644' post='3147145'] I'm pleasantly surprised that Ashdown can build a cab . . . . that performs as well as a Barefaced Super Compact. [/quote] That's quite a leap. . . . given you've only read one person's opinion.

If I was still playing 4's I'd be looking for a good used 2010 or later Fender Am Std with some budget left over for upgrades, if they were needed. IMO Fender make it more difficult for 5 string players to go for their P basses. The Roscoe Beck was a great bass but obviously didn't sell enough. I think they should have stuck with it but who knows why Fender make the decisions they do! There are some fabulous 5 string P basses out there, unfortunately and sadly, because I've been a Fender fan for the last 50 years, non of them are being made by Fender.

The band doesn't have to be playing loud before the bass drum can get lost in the mix, so bringing it out helps define the band sound better.

I don't know why you guys let the people who work in music shops wind you up so much. Go in, say "no thanks, I'm just looking" and get on with it. Know what you need to know before you walk in. Don't ask them stuff and don't converse. If you find anything you'd like to try ask and try it. Either say I'm having it or no thanks and go around the loop again or leave. Life's too short to get angry with anyone let alone anyone working in a music shop.

Don't worry about the count in, do your own version.

That's why it's easier to just play one or the other. Or just the 5, because then you have a stable environment on the fret board and can play any song on the one instrument. IMO, trying to keep the 4 in play as well serves no useful purpose and just causes unnecessary complications. . . unless you can give over a lot of practise time to developing 2 lots of muscle memory.

My aim is to be simple, effective and to get the best sound I can.

Do you need 2 subs? Just take 1. I'd agree with the drummer. Putting a little bass drum through the PA improves the sound of the whole band and when everyone can hear the bass drum, the timing of of the band tightens up. If you want to make the drummer happier still, run a bass drum monitor for him. I used to play with a drummer who bought his own PA, just for the bass drum, and 1 speaker which went between us at the back. Hearing the bass drum so clearly changed and improved the feel of the rhythm section. I was surprised ho much better we all played with just that one change. He then ran a feed from his PA to the band PA.

Maybe it would have been just as easy or difficult to learn the guitar the other way around. I just picked up the instrument and played it as it was.

Never. No one touches my bass and I never lend my back line. They are the tools for my job and represent a substantial investment on my part. This is one rule that is fixed in stone.

The only 2 guitarists I know using Gibson guitars have switched to Burny and Orville. Apparently, sadly, they say this was an upgrade.

You're hitting the strings too hard with your right hand. If you can't lighten up on your RH technique you'll have to raise the strings.

I had Play In A Day and a book by Chas McDevitt. Both a complete waste of time IME.

The first thing to do when you join a new band is [i]don't [/i]stop looking for a new band. Until you've sorted out all the details and given it a few months to see if it's working as you expected.