chris_b

If you look this up on Talkbass, the guy who designed this amp says that changing the valves won't alter the sound much, due to the way it was designed.

It seems you don't get the costs and overhead argument. Online sellers have none of the fixed expenses so there is no way for a shop to beat the prices offered by online sellers. All a shop can do to stay in business is to reinvent the company as an online seller and use the shop as a loss leading front for it's online business. In the 60's a Fender would cost you an average of 3 to 4 months wages, so good gear has never been cheaper.

Top playing.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1420740183' post='2652899'] The bride chose us after coming to a gig or two [/quote] We were booked by the brides Dad for her big day after he saw us at a gig. It only took 2 numbers to clear the room. I warned them! I knew that would happen! I told them when he booked us that a Chicago Blues Band (even a good one) wasn't the right band for a wedding.

I know I'm not the target audience for this but, the world needs another entry level bass?

IMO it's not worth the expense of restoration. It'll never be an original bass again. You could get the preamp bypassed or just switch the J pickup off and put the active controls to the center. There are dots you can stick on the side of a neck. I'd keep it as a great punchy, active, modern sounding bass and just buy a standard P bass with flats for the music that suits that style.

My experience is that even musicians at a wedding are wedding guests not an audience. They're off duty. The last time I was at a wedding my only thought was, "why didn't my band get the gig". The band was OK and you could dance to them so we did. That was it.

What's all this about the drummer changing his gear just to suit other players? If someone wants to borrow his gear they get [i]his[/i] gear!

If you've got a Lakland, why would you play anything else?

My Lakland was made in 1997. A very early 5er according to Dan Lakin. This is the best Lakland I've played and I've tried a few, including an even earlier one (serial no 17) an ex Pino bass, at the Bass Gallery last year. These are just amazing instruments.

You can have fun being in a band but never be in a band for fun. I can have fun anywhere, but I'll be in a band for the satisfaction of doing the best performance/gig/set that I can, and playing with guys that can deliver the same. Luckily I haven't been without a band for over 25 years. IMO you can't beat the buzz of a great gig.

If you're playing drums in a marching band you're likely playing outside, and fighting to be heard above brass players, so you'll need as much volume as you can get. As with most bass gear, damping improves the tone of a drum kit in a rock environment. You don't want the note to ring on and interfere with the other notes being played, you want it to punch through and then die. You don't see many beer mats gaffered to skins these days but they performed the same function. I love Micky Waller's sound. I play with a couple of drummers using Jazz type setups on their kits. With their "polite" and toppy sound they don't sound half as good as the regular rock guys.

Only use the correct fuse. . . . . . and find out why it blew in the first place!

Flats have a particular sound. They are very different so you should know what that is in comparison to the rounds you've been using. There is no "one set" of flats. They all sound and feel very different to each other. There are people who can't stand one make and prefer another make..... you need to do more home work before you decide. As I said, don't even think about the truss rod. Just concentrate on getting the strings you like. ps Start finding out with the Flats on my 'Ray thread, and go from there.

My 55-94D pre dates the dip switches. I run the pickup selector in the middle and boost the bass and mids. Gives me a full, fat, warm and punchy tone through all my amps and cabs. ps I have the original Bartolini pickups and pre amp installed.

I put Lakland flats on my 5 string Lull and didn't have to alter the truss rod. 2 years later, I still haven't. Don't worry about stuff that might not happen, and certainly don't spend £40-£50 on a set of strings for the wrong reason. Pick the strings based on what you want from them. You need strings that feel the best to you, which you prefer to play and have the sound you want.

Change the strings one at a time, so you maintain the pull on the neck and see what happens. Flats don't necessarily have a higher tension so probably nothing will need to be done.

. . . . and for really hard pieces, I plug in my extended cortex module.

I always assumed that people went for the energy and intensity of the playing and performance rather than their accuracy. A good live show doesn't always transfer to TV or even a live album. Having seen Wilko sitting in with a band at a festival early last year, this JH performance was sonic heaven!!

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1420468100' post='2649619'] ....I dont stress if its not 100% correct. 98% will do me and the majority of "Joe Public".... [/quote] My approach to playing is that the original artist is in the audience and is looking for a new bass player. IMO you should aim for 100% of the feel, but as far as the notes are concerned, sometimes you have to play what's written but at other times you are free to play.

My guess is that the neck and the pickguard have been replaced on a regular Dan Armstrong bass.

As far as I know the only Acrylic basses that went into production were made by Dan Armstrong. The rest are probably one-offs. I've seen several acrylic P basses, John Entwistle had one and I saw one being used in Goldfrapp. This could have been made to match the Ludwig Vistalite drum kit and fit the futuristic robotic look. Nathan East said he used his regular Yamaha on the record.

Our guitarist/singer makes most of the suggestions (it's his band), but we all have input and a say when analysing the audience reaction. In our cover band it doesn't matter who suggests the numbers, it's whether they work well on an audience that keeps them in the set or gets them dumped. A band has to have a clear objective and to be any good you have to be looking further than your personal likes and dislikes. Punter reaction is the only criteria.

Option A. Get the best playing, best sounding bass you can afford. It doesn't matter how good you think you are, you'll play and sound a lot better with a good bass. You have plenty of time to own lots of basses. Your opinions for your collection might change after you've started with the best.

Good choice.