chris_b

I gig in several bands and most of them are a mixture. Some only play covers, but most play covers and originals.

Hold on. . . . an HPF isn't a prerequisite for a good bass sound, or even a good bass amp. There have been bass players using classic rigs and sounding great for the last 70 years and HPF's have only become a "thing" in the last 2 or 3. Choose the amp that sounds right.

This is Rock and Roll ffs! The only non negotiable is it has to sound good. If it does then the notes you used are irrelevant.

You want to play every song exactly the same as the original? You've got a better memory (and less imagination) than me.

That doesn't describe anything played by JJ Burnell, James Jamerson, Paul Jackson, Wilton Felder or Duck Dunn.

Body shape. You can put all sorts of pickups, numbers of strings etc on a P bass, but it's the body that defines the instrument. Put a P pickup on a Ric and it's not a P bass!!

I don't bother with the " chasing sound in my head" approach. IMO there are very few basses that don't have a good sound in them. Another band leader dropped in to our gig last night and was only talking about the energy in the bands playing and the way the bass and drums fitted together. Nothing about the sound at all. Fingers crossed, I might get some gigs out of it! As bassists we shouldn't sound bad, but it's how we play that impresses others.

I spent the first 25 years owning 1 bass, a Fender Precision, and buying another never occurred to me. For the last 25 years I've owned 2 basses. I have 3 amps and 5 cabs, but I really don't have a yearning to buy anymore basses. As long as I'm in more bands than I own basses I think I have the correct ratio.

He said to me "Nice bass. Is it a five string? Cool!"

Many years ago, our keyboard player did that in a VW Passat. Left the keyboards poking out, slammed the hatchback down, bang the whole window broke into glass confetti. Then our singer did the same thing with the PA in the back of his VW Golf. The look on his face said it all. I had to keep a straight face, but roared with laughter when I got in my car and drove away.

I hit the first note in the first number, and. . . . nothing!! Everything was on, the bass was plugged in. . . . panic!! With the band well into the first verse, I looked around the back. . . . I hadn't connected the cabs!!

I'm usually the one on the floor and the rest of the band is trying to cram onto the riser!!

My blue bass, a Lakland 55-94D. I played this bass for nearly 14 years. Sadly, it had to go when my back started playing up!

There are a lot of bass players on the local scene and the interesting thing is. . . . . . . the best players usually aren't the best band members. I see bass players out there who have studied and gained music degrees and who have more talent in their little finger than the rest of us put together, but when they are playing in local bands they often use technique rather than feel. They overplay and complicate their bass lines and don't always serve the song. They know so much and seem to want to use all of it in every song! That gives me hope that an old duffer like me will always get called for gigs, because I arrive knowing the set, lock with the drummer and don't get in anyone's way.

Al is asking, where do you stop? Good enough is when you can't be bothered to put in any more effort to be better than you are. When it takes a lot of extra effort to be just a little bit better, and no one else notices or cares, except you. I haven't reached my "Good enough" place yet, but it seems I've been in my "Am I bovvered" phase for a long time. I don't do solos.

IMO the best thing for raising a cab is another cab.

I play with keys on many gigs, different players in different bands, but they are all good at their job. Most of them are professional players and they know the score when playing in a band. I only have 1 problem with 1 player, I can't get him to stop playing boogie woogie bass lines on rock and roll songs. That's the problem when guys are used to playing on their own, some of them can't stop providing the bass lines. This is only one player, so I work around him. It's understandable you're having a problems with a new keys player. Your sound and his now have to co-exist and any "issues" will be highlighted. IMO sorry, but I wouldn't call a "warm mush" a good bass sound in any band. When combining with a full range instrument you should have a clean, well defined and tight sound. And you need a conversation with the keys player about boundaries.

If they are still working, a recone might be all you need.

Hey Lozz. It took a long time to get here, but you are right. I probably own the gear that will see me out.

I'm very happy with the sound of my gear, but that doesn't stop me from keeping an eye out for something that might sound better. I've owned my two basses for 11 years (Mike Lull) and 6 years (Sadowsky) respectively, so "better" doesn't come along very often.

Jeeez. . . . how did you find out!!

ES writes a good tune (you can easily whistle, hum or sing), has a good voice and a cheeky smile, just what a good pop song wants. I'd rather listen to ES than some of the songs we had to endure in the top 10 in the "golden period" of pop music.

Yep. He wasn't very happy that the band moaned so much about humping his gear, but he finally quit when we made our album and the Hammond wouldn't fit through the door of the studio!!

If you are the last one to arrive don't be surprised if the rest of the band has only left you 1 square foot of stage to set up in! Once I was late getting to a gig and discovered the guys had not left me any room to set up. I got blank looks when I asked where I was supposed to put my gear! Then angry grumbling when I said I was going home if no one budged up and gave me room. What a bunch of Richards!

I sold both my Two10s and bought a BB2 to go with my SM. IMO the sound of the BB2 is bigger and fuller with a wider tonal palette. If you put a warm sound into a BF 112 you'll get a warm sound out.