chris_b

I've never looked cool in my life!! Apart from that, I've been through my very loud shirt phase and now I'm into black; black jeans from M&S and black polo shirts from Primark.

If you can find a good used Fender Am Std Jazz (one that feels good and plays well) it might be worthwhile swapping out the pots and pickups and doing a proper shielding job on it. Otherwise I'd always look at Lakland first.

We had a gig in a very small room where the band left enough room for about 5 people. I pointed that out but was ignored. Then the Landlord came up and laid down the law. We finally had about 20% of the original space, which was still OK. It was blindingly obvious to anyone with a brain. Unfortunately that band didn't have one!

Cabs are usually made from 3/4" Baltic ply so the sides don't vibrate. This design is the cheapest in materials and easiest to build. Many lightweight cabs use the same materials in the cab and just use a neo speaker chassis. Barefaced cabs use thin ply but extensively brace the sides to maintain rigidity and prevent energy (ie tone) being lost through the vibrating panels. IMO 30lbs is good for a 112, anything less is a bonus and 45lbs is good for a 212.

Someone with a music degree. . . . who can't play Mustang Sally without slapping.

It's the same difference as playing an open A or A on the E string. They are different notes because of the string they are being played on and the position of the note. On a 5 string bass you have the choice of which note is appropriate.

Not what I would listen to normally, but I happily listened to the end. Some serious playing skills here. . . . I liked it.

Many people seem to use domestic white cables these days, which looks a bit Micky Mouse, IMO. Waitrose do a 5mtr, 13amp, 4 way, roll up casing, with a trip switch for £9.99. It has some red on the casing but everything else is black.

Why quit? Take a break. Get a piano and learn to play another, complimentary, instrument. Then take what you've learnt back to the bass.

We used to run several Michael Jackson songs together. Worked well. . . we don't seem to doing that so much these days, though.

+1 Plan the encores. Ask the promoter or landlord what the curfew time is. It kills the mood if you're having to ask over the PA if you can do one more. If it's going well, finish the set slightly early so you can fit at least 2 numbers into the encore.

I bought a pair of Berg 112's when I was looking for a small rig. Use one or both depending on the gig. That was 7 years ago and things have moved on a long way since then, with so much to choose from, I'd still recommend these cabs any day of the week. I don't know much about the Barefaced One10 but there are guys on Talkbass gigging just one of them. That's got to be worth investigating. My current "small rig with oomph" is a BF Super Compact, with a second cab for bigger gigs.

A set list should have dynamics. Always start with a couple of up tempo numbers and end the same way and flow in the middle. By organising the set before hand you don't end up with embarrassing gaps between numbers while a discussion takes place about what to do next, 3 minor numbers, 4 shuffles or 3 slow numbers one after the other, excessive instrument swapping or an argument about the next number. If you have a band leader who can just pick the best set out of thin air (lucky you) you don't need a written set list. I've never seen anyone that good, so I always ask for a written set list.

If you watch most payers they will move their thumb (moveable anchor) between strings, usually 5th and 4th, depending on the note they're playing.

Sgt Pepper. . . . the original concept album.

Who needs a second guitarist in the first place? If your 1st guitarist is good enough to play the set on his own, do it. Embrace the difference in the sound, the dynamics and especially the spaces. Don't fill in any of the spaces.

I'm still using a 27 year old Whirlwind cable which has done many hundreds of gigs. Unfortunately the current Whirlwind's are not a patch on the old ones. For a start they only have a 5 year guarantee as opposed to the 25 years guarantee that mine had. Apart from that cable all my leads are OBBM. Dave is the only guy I'd talk to these days.

Unfortunately it's a fact of retail now that the only music shops that are going to survive are the ones fronting a successful online operation.

Ask. I'm sure he will. Unfortunately it's not a new situation. . . . . we used to get arrogant, inept and "heads right up their arses" staff in music shops back in the 60's. There are good guys working in shops.You've just got to find them.

Order your leads online from Dave. . . OBBM. My OBBM instrument lead is 5 years old and gets used about 2 times a week.

Occasionally I play with a guitarist who does some ZZ Top numbers. You should see the look of joy on his face when he gets my single note bass lines as opposed to the "over played" lines of his bass player. When that type of bass line is played in the right place no other will work half as well.

Adam Clayton is a great player, because he is perfect for his band and because he has launched the careers and hobbies of many bass players. Greatness isn't about how many notes you can play or how many scales or modes you can fit into a song. Any numbers of us can overplay in a U2 number. AC doesn't that puts him a cut above the naysayers.

This is why I suggest not swapping back and forth between 4's and 5's while you're getting your 5 string technique together. The size of the neck and weight of the bass is a problem? I'd say that sounds like the OP isn't ready for a 5 string bass yet.You buy a 5 because of the sound, tone and flexibility. You can get 8lb 5's but they'll cost more. Never mind there are a lot of good 4's out there.

[quote name='The Hat' timestamp='1454875117' post='2973844'] As I am only a beginner I've learned that one of my favourite genres, funk, is probably not in the domain of a beginner. That said, how long would it take a beginner to get into funk, months/years ? [/quote] You're already in to it. You've just got to learn how to play it. It takes some people a lifetime and they never play it properly, but if Funk is your favourite style you've got to give it your best shot. Start with something like Higher by Sly and the Family Stone or Ball of Confusion by the Temptations and move on from there.

Glockenklang, Tecamp Puma, Mesa Boogie D800, Berg B|Amp and Thunderfunk are clean sounding amps in my experience. You'll also need a good cab to get your clean sound out to the audience. A lot of cabs won't produce a very clean sound.