chris_b

Over the years I've had a lot of interest in my 5 string basses, and compliments on the sound. It might have been a small overall percentage, but I'll chat about gear, after the gig, until they chuck us out. I guess less than half the bands have noticed what I'm playing. Most of the guys I'm playing with at the moment haven't mentioned gear, mine or theirs, at all.

They can also list 2 separate weights for a bass!

There are no downsides or limitations going from 4 to 5. Not so the other way.

Would a preamp pedal, like a Sadowsky, Sansamp or Aguilar turn your Yamaha into the Precision bass you want? Have you tried flatwound strings?

Jon Banks, bassist for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, (many years ago we both depped for a local rock band) played an electric bass when they started, then moved to an acoustic bass. Sometimes the look is as important as the sound.

I put my current NYXL's on before the first Lockdown. My Jazz wasn't played much in 2020, but I've gigged it a lot in the last year or so and the strings still have a lot of life left in them.

I remember my Careers officer, a Mr Ford. He was pulling his hair out by the time I'd finished with him!!

I was playing my 800 watt SS amp last night, with the Master on 3. Maybe I should have used a less powerful amp. That's the problem with using a bass putting out a strong signal and sensitive cabs. Every watt sounds louder and you need fewer of them.

Depping is not one thing. There are 3 kinds of deps. Those who can read the dots, those who can read chord charts and those who just wing it. They are good for different situations. Give me the set list, YouTube links, MP3's etc and a week and I'll get the job done as well as the guy I'm depping for. That's fine if the situation is planned and managed. Last minute deps or the likes of Steely Dan gigs will probably go better with the dots.

Sadly, my "dream" only lasted 6 years. It was an unequal struggle and I ran out of money, prospects, contacts and determination so completely that I took up a job in IT!! Most of the guys I play with have married, bought houses and raised kids on musicians pay. I envy them their ability to survive and prosper. I wish that had been me but I realised my limitations early on.

When I left school I told everyone, including the school careers officer and my parents, I didn't know what I was going to do. It was the easiest way to deflect the stupid comments about real jobs etc. I knew exactly what I was going to do. Two weeks later I had joined a pro band and was recording my first album. For the last 30 years I've been playing with professional musicians most of whom have made 40 year careers in music.

I did hassle a dep drummer once. He was using a small piccolo snare in a rock blues band, and he sounded terrible. I told him not to bring that snare again! He didn't and the band's sound improved. . . . a lot!

I was given a set list for a wedding. . . of 96 songs! I emailed back, "Surely you're not going to play for 19 hours? Can you be more succinct?" I got an amended list of 86 songs back! There were a lot of Elvis and RnR 12 bars so I just charted the songs that I didn't know. On the gig the band leader alternated songs with the guitarist, and they hadn't given me any of his numbers!

Call me old fashioned. . . . but I use paper! Assuming I have time, I'd make my own notes and charts from supplied set lists, YouTube links and MP3's.

I welcome comments. The band that said, "Don't bring that bass, again." They were right and I learnt a good lesson that day. The guy who told me, on an outdoor gig, he could hear my bass loud and clear in the next road. Yesss! The guy who told me, "I can't hear the bass when you play up the neck." The guy who, a few years ago, came up and complemented me on my shirts from gigs we used to play 30 years ago. All good info. Every now and then someone can make you stop and think. We can all make iffy decisions, without realising it. Sometimes we need to be told. We just need to be able to filter the gems from the nonsense.

That's all too high tec for me. I use an old piece of foam.

I joined a Soul band and they took one look at my Gibson EB0 (the only "pro" bass I could afford at the time) and told me to play the Danelectro Longhorn the singer owned. I totally agreed with them. The Danelectro was a much better bass for that gig. 6 months later I bought my Fender Precision and never again had a negative comment.

I've had NYXL's on my active Jazz bass for several years now. Love the dynamics and range. It's flats only for my P bass.

I believe Aguilar rated all their gear very conservatively.

This is why the Precision bass worked so well in the studios and on gigs for the last 70+ years. They have such strong mids that no matter what you do to them the bass line just stands out.

This. My first proper bass was a Fender Precision (Burst/Tort/Rosewood), bought in 1969. My last bass was a Sadowsky Jazz (Burst/Tort/Rosewood), bought in 2017. There has been a world of innovation in the intervening 48 years, but these guys just look and sound like basses to me.

Now, tHat's a bass I would hang on the wall.

Excellent advice.