chris_b

IME you'll have longer than you think if you buy the right gear.

It was a regular in band sets from the 60's onwards. We played it all the time in my school band. Audiences loved it from the day Wilson Pickett's single was released.

My Fender Precision is still wearing the same set of rounds that were on it when I switched to 5 string basses in 1996. I've lost count but the set of TI flats must have been on my Mike Lull PJ5 for at least 12 years. Perfect P bass thump. I've had a set of NYXL rounds on my Sadowsky Jazz since 2018. They sound nice and mellow, but still have a little sparkle if I crank the treble control.

Good suggestion. Stretch the Bergs out for a few more years. I've been using this Wolfcraft for over 10 years (nearer 15 years). . . . https://www.diy.com/departments/wolfcraft-foldable-hand-truck-100kg-capacity/1483870_BQ.prd. I sometimes use it with the Barefaced cabs.

Many years ago, we used to pile out of the pub at closing time and head for the Light Of India. Twas a great curry which was often spoilt by their choice of background music, many times not so background. . . . Country and Western, the Jim Reeves type of C&W!!!

This. . . . no one ever got fired for playing MS, even the 20 min version, but because they think it's a throw-away number most bands don't bother to play it properly. It's usually played too fast and I've never heard a guitarist play the guitar line. Which is a shame because it's a great soul number.

I replaced a Berg 312 (1 x AE112 and a CN212) with 2 x Super Compacts, and never looked back. You are right, Bergs sound fantastic, but I also needed to go lighter and 2 x SC's were the answer. The SC's were much louder than the Bergs. They will put out exactly what you put in, so if your amp is up to the job, you'll sound great.

The wonderful Mrs B's reply when I talk about bass gear is always, "If it's that good, buy it".

. . . . and they can't get the sound you're after??

Excellent side conversation. My Facebook has never been better. Thanks again all.

The level of musicianship in most professional tribute bands is very high. I'd love to be playing with guys like that, but sadly, these days, I'm the wrong age and shape!!

Rankism and the careless put down. . . . comes so easily to Brits! Every player making a living out of bass playing, from Sid Vicious to Charles, gets my vote.

The bass is fine for other genres, so why change it so it isn't fine any more? IMO you want a bass that sounds good in all genres, so keep it as it is and add the facility to sound good in this band. Get a preamp pedal.

That's just too heavy for me (old guy with back issues), but thanks for doing that. Maybe the woods being on the heavy side, and probably more resonant with it, is what gets their great sound.

2 x 45's is the usual, but on occasion we can be asked to do 2 x 60's or 3 x 45's.

Great player. An interesting 40 mins.

It's all about confidence and feeling happy. If you like the sound of something you'll feel good, which will make you play better. No one else has to hear the "thing" that lifted you, but it happened, so it is a real difference. You are right, psychology comes into it, but also there are real differences created by the way basses are made and the materials used. Tea tastes like tea to me but there are guys out there who know the differences between each type and make a living being able to blend different teas into a single product. Same with coffee, whiskey and wine etc. Likewise, there are differences in musical instruments that people who build them can hear, that accountants, IT managers, post men and gas fitters etc who play them on a part time bases can't. The silly thing is to insist that because some one can't hear those differences, they don't exist.

What actually happens when you pluck a string on an electric instrument is all over the internet. A quote that seem particularly apt for these threads. . . . 'The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge.' Charles Bukowski

I know exactly how lucky have been. . . . and still am. In the last 20 years I've owned a US Lakland 55-94, a Wal mk2, a Wal mk3 and the Mike Lull PJ5 and Sadowsky RV5 Jazz which are my #1 basses today. I've loved playing every one of these guys and they all made me sound better than I could have hoped.

That's the hard part to learn. Anyone can learn the notes, but timing, flow and smoothness differentiate the great from the merely good.

I check my tuning before each set on every gig and about 5 songs in to the first set. Why would I want to run the risk of playing out of tune? No matter how well your bass was made, the tuning can change when played. On hot gigs your tuning will sag and on gigs that get colder, ie outside, your tuning can sharpen. That's not the manufacturer, that's climate and physics. I've noticed that if anyone else moves my bass in the gig bag, they grab the top with both hands and lift. That invariably moves the tuners. I've now joined the uncool and use a clip on tuner. I can check my tuning whenever I think necessary. That's not disrespect, that's being professional.

I think you are talking about cabs that have a more limited and coloured sound. There's a new generation of cabs which don't colour your sound. IMO cabs are there to distribute the sound that has been generated by your bass, pedals and amp around the room in the most efficient way. If the cabs were genre specific, Jah Wobble and Tim Commerford wouldn't be using the same cabs. With the right amp, you can play any style of music, any style of bass through Barefaced cabs and you'll get a fantastic tone.

Aaaagh!!! Music stand!!

Hopefully my wife can name 1 bass player. . . . but I'm not banking on it!

Blimey, is nothing else happening in Tavistock?? Good luck and I guess photos are required.