TimR

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480159322' post='3182067'] Both those things can happen but that's User Error not the fault of the amp or its design. [/quote] Exactly. So there are more elegant solutions to cutting a hole in your cab and compromising the integrity.

Regardless of the pros and cons of combos, I think the big problem with the lightweight heads is keeping them on top of the amp while plugged into your bass. Wander too far away and your head follows you off the cab and onto the floor. I think really all you need is to tie your cable round the handle of the cab before plugging into the amp. Anything like a rack case or sheet of metal is going away from the idea of a lightweight setup.

Most cabs use 3/4" ply, I believe Alex uses 3/8" void free ply. Thats half the thickness but high quality. The cross bracing adds strength but also stops the cab walls vibrating. It's also very important for the box to be sealed except where the ports are. I can find the write up for his 10"+15" cab but think there is more. There are no pictures.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1480106350' post='3181799'] Have you got a link...I believe that prototype is about three meters from where I'm typing this... [/quote] No. I believe he took down all the photos and everything. It was amazingly detailed. Think it lasted about two years. Different drivers, box sizes, WinISD plots, crossovers. Different thickness ply, bracings in different places. The slot depth and width were adjustable at one point so that he could test the low end frequency responses. There has been some serious work done.

Maybe Alex could come up with a new product: The Bareface Bareback. .

I wouldn't start opening them up. Alex is pretty particular on the construction, especially the cross bracing to keep them rigid while using lightweight plywood. I followed a thread on another site a few years ago when he was making the prototype. It's very clever.

Luckily his saving grace at the moment is we do find some common ground. But it's like wading through treacle to get there.

Don't join a band if you think you can change the material they are playing. Currently having a bit of a battle with the band I joined as the singer (who joined a bit before me) seems intent on getting rid of a load of the tunes we play in favour for tunes he likes and is obstructive when tunes are suggested that fit with the current style and image of the band. He's treading on thin ice. .

How long is this pub? We played something similar a few weeks ago. We just played to the area where people could actually see the band. I'm not interested in performing to people who are not watching.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1479586375' post='3177714'] I spoke to a pub manager about this one night and he said the fact that he has live bands every week means that his customers keep coming back. Many of them come on nights that bands aren't playing and he believes that if he lost the bands he'd lose these customers completely. By 'investing' in music once a week he keeps his loyal customer base happy and, in a very competitive local environment, that's his livelihood. [/quote] Yes. It works like this throughout the year. Pubs make big money on Sunday afternoons in the Summer and nothing on a Wednesday night in the Winter. They also make huge amounts on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Bands should operate on this model as well. Some gigs should pay more than others. I've played the same pub 4x each time it's had a different audience, but we still get the same amount. He didn't reduce our price when no one turned up and he didn't increase our price when it was rammed.

Our band doesn't do a full run through rehearsal, studio 'rehearsals' are always practices.

Is that c£5k for the band? For a four piece it works out at £1250 each? That's about £550/£100 per gig. What %age of the door do you get? How big are the venues? What's the predicted return? May be worth a gamble if these are known, it's similar to putting on your own gig where you have to outlay before the gig. However, you've got travel and accommodation expenses on top and you have to take time off work? Do the sums. I don't think this is pay to play as such, it's more of buying into a commercial project for a decent share of the profits. I would hope!!!

We should be aiming to produce well rounded people not creating a population of people who can just read and write english and be able to do maths. All subjects should be equally as important at a basic level. Other subjects (like the three R's) obviously should be studied in greater detail. Some subjects obviously need fairly decent sums of money invested in equipment, others don't. Effectively what the government are doing here is trying to prevent schools from cutting their music budget to fund other subjects (which all too often happens when their overall budget is reduced.)

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1479560993' post='3177474'] I can only speak about the area that I know and the kids I've met. So your experience is different. It doesn't make either of us totally wrong. The truth is neither of us has done a national survey. [/quote] The truth is yes, they can afford XBoxes and all the other stuff. XBoxes keep them in touch with their mates and give them something to talk about. When my boy meets a stranger in the park (because shock, horror, he does go outside) the conversation usually starts around gamer-tags. I could pretend I don't know what they are but I know enough about this being the equivalent of swapping phone numbers. When I was at school we talked about last nights TV programs. These things are just as important now to the kids as musical instruments are. However, it's not one thing or another. It's a bit like me saying all you do is post on BassChat all day long. I'm sure you only do this when 'your mum lets you' or whatever the adult equivalent for us is. .

What a bunch of f....ing moaners. Wind it in guys! £3000 a school A YEAR buys a lot of equipment that can be SHARED between pupils. Imagine what you'd buy with gas if you had £3k a year to spend. As for the moaning about all kids want to do is play on computers, you're the parents, stop them! I get sick of this getting trotted out in the media. Then when the kids play in the streets all the grown ups complain about the noise and whether their precious cars are going to get scratched. Unbelievable. Kids are not all stuck at home on computers all day. I spent a whole day at Olympia last Saturday at the drum show. Plenty of talented kids there playing drums and testing kit and bugging their parents to buy them £800 worth of cymbals (no son lets just get the hi-hats for Christmas and a set of sticks today.) Electirc drum kit for under £300 excellent for learning on. .

Have a look at some Elton John songs. They're horrendous for the number of chords he throws in. However, they're usually resolved into an I, IV or V fairly quickly. Are they strictly a chord progression or are they just created from passing notes?

Someone with more theory will help me out but: Say you're playing in C major. The only other major chords available to you are Fmaj and GMaj. The IV and V. You could play minor chords but that really affects the mood of the song. All the 'other' chords you bolt into a song after those 3 are really just inversions with added notes or passing chords leading to one of the three. .

Singers and guitarists also commonly display that trait. Playing in a band is a group effort where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Quite often less is more, especially when it comes to filling from keyboard players and drummers (and slap bass solos)

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1478766723' post='3171418'] I see this written quite a lot on Basschat (not really aimed at you Tim). Why are Keyboard players in covers bands playing Bass lines? There are plenty of things to cover, Keyboard wise - Like the Keyboard part for example. Or Stg/Horn section lines. If playing a cover that has no Keys part, just play light 'Pads'. Or just drop out and come in on the chorus etc...but playing Bass lines? [/quote] Usually because people are unimaginative and slaves to the original. What does the keyboard player do if you're covering a song originally recorded by a two guitar band? There are very few bands able to deconstruct a song and write their own arrangement. Those that can are refreshing to listen to. Doesn't just include bands with keyboards, includes any band who limit themselves to only doing covers of music where their line up matches the line up of the band that originally recorded it.

I play with a keys player who said "I like playing with you because you don't just stick to the roots and that frees up my left hand to do something other than the bass line." Bass lines are not just 'bass' lines as you're finding out.

Yes. That's a more comprehensive reply.

In the UK we have a different attitude to sickness. If we are ill we go to the doctor (paid for by the state) and have a day off (paid by the company/state).

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1478547624' post='3169828'] The local heavy hitters have an established stable of bass players they use. I guess the question is how you get in the stable. Keep in mind this is a clique of musicians that are native Milwaukeans that have worked together for years. Blue [/quote] You're completely missing what I wrote. Where do you get your drummer/guitarist/singer deps from. Get the details of the guys you want to play with and get them to fill in your band when someone can't make a gig. Although, from previous posts about the way you treat your band, you probably have no say whatsoever about this.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1478543220' post='3169777'] I've played shows with one of our heavy hitters, it hasn't been of much benefit yet. I wasn't really comfortable asking him to stick around to hear me perform. I know where your coming from because that's the way things happened for guys in the old days. Not sure that's the way it works anymore. Blue [/quote] But have you spoken to the other heavy hitter band members and got their details and asked them to cover players from your band when they can't do gigs?

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1478524012' post='3169587'] It doesn't work that way over here, your nor going to get a local heavy hitter to attend your gig if your not in their click. Blue [/quote] Hmmm. The way it works here is you pay a dep to play in your band. Once you've had a few different pros play with you they start asking you to cover when they need someone. Are you saying that 'heavy hitters' only play for big names? There must be a middle step between what you're doing now and backing Phil Collins on tour?