Bottle

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1203293' date='Apr 18 2011, 09:57 AM']I [i]knew[/i] it!! I did a trio gig last night at The Fox Inn in Bury St Edmunds. It was tenor sax, bass and drums. I have played this venue on an off for about three years with different bands and know the landlord and the bloke she uses to book the bands reasonably well. The bloke approached me about putting something together for last night and I asked him if I could do this trio thing as I had wanted to do it for years. He was a bit 'ooooh, Shelia (the landlord) won't like it' but he agreed to let us do it. Anyway, sorted the line up and set about getting some charts together based on the fact that I would be playing double bass and needed to pace things so I wasn't a spent force at the end of the first (of three) set. Charts done and sent to the sax player and drummer. All set to go when, on Friday at around midnight, I was unloading my double bass from the car and clipped the bridge on the side of the vehicle, causing it to explode into three pieces. So I had to do the gig on electric and most of the charts were inappropriate. I have to admit that I was feeling more than a little nwevous before we started, something that has not happened in decades. So, gieven the forced change of plan, we knocked up three sets of old faithfuls on the day. We were doing funk versions of standards, some hip hop derived stuff (with a hint of reggae), the odd shufffle, some fast 'sh*t off a stick' be-bop, some Latin tunes and a couple of ballads per set. Damned hard work for a trio and a lot of really focussed effort by all involved. More to the point, and herein lied the risk, it demanded something of the listener. The gig was not only a 'musical/artistic' success but the (hard to please) landlady loved it, the punters loved it and we got an immediate re: booking in June. The clincher though came to me third hand from guy who told me that another regular (who really knows his stuff) said it was 'exceptional' and 'by far the best thing [he] had ever seen there'. It had its flaws and I would do some things differently next time but, for a first gig. it felt like a real affirmation. I have always believed that the punters will respond to the energy and the quality of an intelligent performance and didn't need to be spoon-fed 'smooth jazz' or 'the Great American Songbook' to be engaged. What we did last night was 'commercial suicide' in conventional terms and many venues/bookers would balk at the idea of a 'harmony-less' trio but it nevertheless went down a storm. Left with a very big smile on my face.[/quote] Sweet Let me know when you're over in BSE again, I'm definitely up to coming to the next one. Ta, Ian

I'm currently using a low ADGC tuning on my passive PJ bass - works OK with a 0.135" low B downtuned a whole step (in fact all four strings are each downtuned a whole step, keeping them tuned in perfect fourths). Can be a bit woolly though, even with some fairly aggressive EQ'ing on the head and Sansamp - needs a bit of setting up in a band context. Tend to play more over the Jazz pickup for that 'burpy' mid-range tone - playing further away from the bridge, towards/over the P-pup results in a 'darker', bassier tone, which doesn't always work on some songs, but can sound damn cool playing the lower notes (B, C, D etc). If I'm playing higher up the range (from E upwards, for example), I would tend to go up a string from the low B/A to the low D/E string. I'm fairly open to trying some strange tunings - next foray may be to use a low B tuned to C, then a standard set downtuned a whole step to G,C, & F (I think this is the same as Charic's Drop C tuning?) - kind of a mixed tuning with different gauge strings. Give it a go and see what happens HTH, Ian

Remembered a similar thread about the Sansamp RPM/RBI last year Yep, [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=101660"]here[/url] you go I've been experimenting a lot with my amp/crossover/sansamp setup - has a lot of potential for studio and live work, but it's a b****r to lug a heavy 4x10, 1x15 and a pair of 1x12 PA cabs around, so doesn't go out much. Good luck with the sound - on the way to tonal nirvana and doomage in equal proportions HTH, Ian

^ Wot BigRedX said Ian

Couple of questions first - are you planning on using Speakons (recommended) or do you require jack-plugs (not really ideal now). The main reason is the large amount of power available in Bass amplifiers these days (1/4" jack plugs just aren't up to the job for several reasons), so for safety and reliability, I would tend to want to use the Speakon option if available. Also, you would need somewhere in the region of 4mm[sup]2[/sup] twin-core cable to make up a speaker cable capable of high power handling. Keep the cable as short as necessary - maybe a metre maximum. If you feel up to it, Speakon <> Speakon leads can be easy enough to make yourself if you have a few basic tools - wire strippers, sharp knife, small Pozidrive screwdriver - no soldering required. I've always made my own cables up - that way I get exactly the cable I'm after - I go to Canford Audio for the Speakons and cable, all very reasonable in quantity. If not, you could always drop member 'OBBM' here on BC a PM outlining your requirements - he comes highly recommended by the BC community. HTH Ian

[quote name='flyfisher' post='1198193' date='Apr 13 2011, 02:15 PM']Another thought, I believe fixed-voltage appliances tend to have fixed mains plugs, whereas universal ones tend to have IEC connectors and are supplied with the appropriate 'kettle leads', so a fixed-voltage US amp would be rather easy to spot.[/quote] Not necessarily - my GK head has an IEC inlet (which is fairly standard for an amp anyway) and is [i]internally link-selectable[/i] from 120V to 240V (for all intents and purposes a 'fixed-voltage' appliance). Carnage could ensue if connected to an outlet of the incorrect voltage, even if supplied with the 'correct' kettle lead i.e. set internally for 120V but supplied with and connected using a UK kettle lead. And I'm sure you would run into the same problem with just about any other amp manufacturers' equipment. Ian

Listening to Adele's albums '19' and '21' - promises to be good, if these are anything to go by... Ian

[quote name='Merton' post='1187678' date='Apr 4 2011, 12:50 PM']I have a laptop and an iPad, the iRig and GK app totalled less than £30. Out of interest how much would a USB interface cost for the lappy? (My laptop is also sh*t though...)[/quote] I'm just thinking along the lines of why I would replace a laptop + USB interface with an iPad + iRig; OK, the interface was expensive compared to the iRig (about £100 difference), but I already have a laptop (five-year old Toshiba) which is quite happy with either Audacity or Reaper, and iTunes. Suits most of my practice needs. And the interface is more versatile, it being an M-Audio Fast-Track Pro with several I/O routing options. I guess the iPad + GK app is attractive for gadget-heads, but I can't see a need myself. Horses for courses......... Ian

Nice idea, but I'm struggling to see a real benefit to this, bearing in mind that a laptop/netbook + USB interface + headphones solution has been around for years, and would in all likelyhood, work out a lot cheaper. Ian

If this had been posted this morning instead of ten days ago, I would have written it off as a rather silly (and expensive) April Fools' prank.....but it's real? Oh, boy! Well, having oodles of money doesn't always equate to having taste I guess Just MHO Ian

[quote name='Quoth'd' post='1174186' date='Mar 24 2011, 07:40 AM']Thanks OzMike - I was mulling it over yesterday & decided to put a meter to it. Turns out it is just as you said - 1 way Latching (12v) As RF-I. Have had a look at latching foot switches & decided that I'll build one as I can match it to my existing pedals. GOing to see if it's possible to incorporate a status LED without needing additional power. [/quote] I wonder if it's the same footswitch for my GK MB500 - it has an LED on it and only requires a mono jack lead to operate it. If necessary I'll take the lid off and have a peek inside if I have time before the weekend. It may have to wait until Monday, though, as the amp is being gigged over the weekend. HTH Ian

If I'm playing in the main hall at church or a practice/rehearsal, then I'm likely to bring my Squier as well as the Ibanez, but only because it's in a different tuning and useful for certain songs in our list. If we're in the cafeteria downstairs then I'll just take my Ibanez and the Line 6 practice amp, because space is at a premium, and I often don't have room for a spare. So far I've not identified a need to carry a dedicated spare of anything apart from small stuff (batteries etc). I normally have my SansAmp to go into the PA with me all the time, so that covers most eventualities if the amp/cab should die mid-set. I think that if I was being paid to play as a band, or at a gig outside of the church then I'd bring a spare bass (and likely my SansAmp DI pedal anyway) and keep it in the car as a standby. But they don't come up very often. HTH Ian

Seems I've come to this thread late, but I thought I'd share a few thoughts I've not personally had a lot of experience with effects, and most of those forays have resulted in me selling the pedals on. However, I'm now at a stage where I'd like to experiment more with my tone to get a little [i]je ne sais quoi[/i] out of my bass and playing - I'm currently looking at fuzzes and ODs, have had a less-than-stellar experience with a Boss ODB-3 (wasn't for me) and a Digitech Bass Synth Wah (just downright plain weird). About a year ago I had the good fortune to run into Nigel (Silddx) at the SE Bass Bash and I ended up with his SansAmp Para-driver. Must say, it's a wicked bit of kit, and invaluable now to my tonal arsenal - I don't leave for a gig without it. Obviously can be used as a straight DI with EQ, but the mid-shift is particularly handy, as well as the Drive control to add a little grit to the basic tone, with adjustable blend. It's really given my passive basses a whole lift into 'active' territory. I'm sure if the need arises I shall look into other effects - my wish-list is quite long at the moment, only hope my 'earning' power can keep up with my 'yearning' power! I also think that sometimes less-is-more, and Bass > Amp > Cab cannot be beaten in most situations. HTH, Ian

Thanks for all the help yesterday guys - just got in from playing this morning, and it went really well. Everybody got up and danced (so something musta worked!! ) Was also quite handy that I practiced noodling around in an Em scale yesterday too (just for s**ts 'n' giggles), because we ended up with a period of spontaneous worship that taxed my time-keeping skills Thanks guys Ian

Thanks, mate for the tips - some really useful stuff there, especially the exercises. I don't practice the basic stuff enough, need to be a little more disciplined and motivated to get better . It'll come with practice - I've literally just been picking this stuff up today. Any extra stuff I can pick up along the way is all good. I've taken on board what you've said about passing notes - I've had a look at the bridge link on our chord sheets and there is indeed a C > C# > D progression! There you go! Thanks also for the references; I'll have a look on the 'Tube for more videos. I always liked to listen to some of the stuff that Andy Kershaw used to play on a weekend on Radio One back in the day, like some of the Senegalese music. Always had a great rhythm, pity I didn't pay closer attention or even play bass then. Cheers Ian

[quote name='Zach' post='1168459' date='Mar 19 2011, 04:46 PM']correct me if i'm wrong, but would the full chords look something like this? Verse: Gmaj7 Gmaj7 Amin7 Bmin Cmaj7, Cmaj7 D7, D7 Gmaj7 Chorus: Cmaj7 Gmaj7 D7 Emin/D7 F#dim7/D7 Gmaj7 x2 I've only recently started to appreciate and use all of the notes in the chord, I used to leave out the 7th quite a lot, but have now realised it adds a lot of character (as you can probably tell in the way i wrote those chords). Also, pretty sure that F# should have a diminished 5th, so that'll be interesting. Are there any extensions with 9th, 13ths etc? If so these will be reinforced by your inclusion of them The general advice I was given for constructing walking basslines was to start each bar on the 1st 3rd or 7th, as these are the main defining notes, the 5th is fine but unless it's diminished like on the F# it doesn't add anything the root doesn't. My apologies if that's all obvious and patronising, but it's the kind of stuff that i've finally started just thinking about after 4 years of playing! Edit: a youtube vid of the song you're playing over might help too[/quote] Thanks Zach. I'm still getting to grips with walking basslines, so any help is gratefully received! I'm just looking at adding something else to my arsenal as a musician . Well, you've got me thinking about the chords now as well - I've just copied them as written, but I can't see any reason why they wouldn't have sevenths. Hmmm, maybe something to check on. My first attempt is looking like this (I've highlighted the root note for each progression); Verse: [b]G[/b], A, B, D, [b]G[/b], A, B, C, [b]C[/b], E, G, A, [b]D[/b], F#, A, B ----> [b]G[/b] (Repeats again) Chorus: [b]C[/b], E, G, A, [b]G[/b], A, B, D, [b]D[/b], F#, A, B, [b]G[/b], B, D, A (and rinse and repeat) I've stuck with the root in the chorus, as the guitars and keys will be playing the slash chords in all likelyhood Here's the video - it's in the key of C, so I came up with a bassline in that key originally, then transposed down a string to put it into G. BTW looks like the bassist in the video is playing a six-stringer, which really had me confused. HTH, Ian

Hi Chaps I've just been emailed a couple of songs to play in church tomorrow morning. We've recently had an influx of African students, mainly Nigerian and Ghanaian, so we're starting to incorporate some African songs into our set list. One of them has a really cool bass groove that I'm trying to replicate (so far with a little success, but needs some polish) Verse Chord progression (in key of G-major) looks something like this: G G A B C, C D, D G Chorus Chord progression: C G D E/D F#/D G, x2 I've been using a 1, 3, 5, 6 structure to move the bassline along but wondered if there's anything I can add to it? HTH, Ian

[quote name='EskimoBassist' post='1164834' date='Mar 16 2011, 07:21 PM']If you're wanting a distortion that will go from tube grit to all out high gain insanity, the Bass Drive may well be for you! I love mine to bits and the switchable boost is a great tool. Lots of love for the Bass Big Muff too, not sure what's it like with a close to line level signal, but I've had no problem sending very hot and boosted signals through it.[/quote] Good to know. Think I'll go hit the 'Effects for sale' thread.......Oooooooh, shiny! Ian

Apologies for the thread resurrection, but I thought I'd update people with my search for a fuzz pedal to replace the ODB-3 [quote name='paul_5' post='1029887' date='Nov 19 2010, 08:38 PM']Dirty bass is a bit of an obsession of mine, so here's a couple to try. A Sovtek Big Muff (big green one) are prized by a lot of bass players for the warm, fuzzy sound (though this is fuzz, not overdrive, which tends to be a bit 'thinner' to my ears) but are out of production. The Bass Big Muff does well enough in reviews, but I've not tried one myself.[/quote] A quick look-around and some reviews and I'm leaning towards a Bass Big Muff Pi (or clone). I've seen 'em new for about £55 on several websites, and quite few s/h here on BC. I did see someone mention a Bass BMP clone / DIY job, but I can't seem to find the thread anymore..... Have a couple of questions: (1) How does the BBMP fair with a high-level input i.e. from an effects loop or close-to-line-level input? (2) How does it fair with an active bass (considering putting it at the start of a signal chain, so I can use the Dry and Effected outputs into seperate amps if the Effects Loop idea doesn't pan out). This is for future reference in case I go ahead with my planned purchase of a Cort GB34A; both of my current basses are passive, though. Have been trawling GGG for ideas - I can get a BMP clone kit for $65 + ~$15 shipping, although I'm then getting fairly close to the UK list price for a new BBMP. Would the DIY route be better? Any thoughts welcome!! Ian

Me too! Now lighter by at least 20Mb - couldn't believe I had uploaded that much. Gonna make my Gear thread a bit sparse, though Ian

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1162418' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:31 PM']What's too much cab? I don't understand. My back might agree with you, but I certainly don't see the problem. [/quote] Well, yes my back agrees with me too. The 1x15 is an easy one-hand lift into the boot of the car, without having to move the seats down. At 26Kg, it's a reasonable carry over short distances, although I prefer to use the trolley for shifting it further. The 4x10 on the other hand is obviously heavier (neither cab has Neo speakers) at 41Kg, which is just about manageable loading in and out, but requires the rear seats in the car to be folded down, limiting space in the back for other stuff. Plus, it's just a bit too big for the size of the hall we're using with PA support, even when turned down. The 1x15 just feels a bit more rounded for that environment. I'm looking at moving stuff around and maybe investing in a 2x12 or similar as my main go-to speaker cab, lightweight being an obvious advantage, so BareFaced or Genz-Benz (or maybe the Greenboy-designed 1212/6/1 DIY cab on Talkbass). I'd then keep the 4x10 and 1x15 for gigs where I'd need a bigger setup and run the grit side of the tri-amped rig through those instead. Have got plenty of options. I'd be interested in any GK 2x12 cabs, especially Neo drivers. Ian

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1162385' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:10 PM']To be honest I was thinking more along the lines of taking down my two 410RBH cabs and (if I get the MB fusion, 2 neo212s and a backup MB200 like I'm thinking) stacking the 212s on top of those and the in-house trace 810 on stage too. With my 2001, the fusion and the MB200, I could run it all, 16 10" speakers and 4 12" powered by 1780w. haha. Not sure how much Jay (the sound guy) would appreciate it...I'm sure he'd see the funny side though..maybe.[/quote] Mwahahaha. Kudos for you if pull [i]that[/i] off!! I chickened out when I got to 1300w (1x15 from the GK, 4x10 and two 1x12 PA cabs from a 400+400w PA amp plus x-over). It [i]was[/i] outdoors, though (that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!! ) [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1162385' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:10 PM']Ok, so basically you're purely using your MB for stage monitoring with a bit of colouring from the pre then using the Sansamp to EQ and DI? The "lightweight" rig I'm thinking of would still be quite tall (and of course I'd mainly be using the MB fusion head), so I should still be able to hear it fine. I'll bear it in mind though. I am wondering if I should skip the two 212s and maybe go for 2 112s though, or maybe one of each for the versatility. I'd still have my 410RBHs if I need big volume. Damn you Gallien, why do you do this to me? I'll own them all one day! haha.[/quote] In a nutshell. I tip my EBS 1x15 on it's side to get the tweeter up a bit higher and stick it on the stage behind me (we normally set up just in front of the stage). I've tried various combinations of cabs - 4x10, 1x15, two 1x12s and all of the above - the 1x15 is the most useful for practice and medium volume gigs with PA support. The 4x10 is just too much cab sometimes. 1x12s were OK but being PA cabs, weren't great with my downtuned 4-stringer. Have tried it all set up indoors, and by God, could rattle the windows something terrible Anyway, good luck with your search for tonal nirvana - sounds like you're well on the way! Ian

Oh, that was just.......schweet . Loved the melodic playing at the end I do look forward to what pops up here in the Recording forum (oh, and BTW, I've suscribed to your YouTube channel as well). Keep it up, Mike. Good luck with the new tunes. Ian

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1161677' date='Mar 14 2011, 12:52 PM']It's a shame the NEO810s aren't coming out, an MB200 perched on top of one would've looked great!! If I do get a second rig, I'll be taking it down to the old bell in Derby at some point and hide my other heads, let people think that I'm using the teeny MB200 through 4 cabs haha. Or I could use their in-house 8x10 too...mm.., volume. I managed to drown out their PA with just my current rig! [/quote] Indeed. You could fake up a huge 8x10 rig and large head made out of just the facia and hide a smaller cab (I dunno, maybe a Neo 2x12 and the MB200) behind it, kinda like those mammoth stage rigs you'd see in the '80s...... [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1161677' date='Mar 14 2011, 12:52 PM']How come you use a Sansamp from the FX out? How's the direct out?[/quote] Well, it's a long story, but I've found I can hear myself better on stage through my 1x15 if I run it clean directly off of the head (with maybe a smidge of bass rolled off, and the contour all the way off, everything else flat). Seems to suit both of my passive basses and playing style. The SansAmp is purely for the PA, so I set it up using the default setting out of the user manual for the 'Active Bass Simulator' i.e all the EQ controls fully clockwise, ~75% wet/dry blend, smidge of drive, and volume for the PA desk input. I don't use the DI out of the head, unless I'm tri-amping. HTH, Ian

[quote name='funkygreega' post='1162016' date='Mar 14 2011, 05:07 PM']Thanks mate, I use a 9v battery and when it first occured I quickly changed the battery, the light still seems to dim but the problem may not be the Sansamp, I think it could be either a cable in the effects chain or one of the effects. I eliminated them one by one yesterday and when I removed the tuner and a cable, it seemed fine. Im gonna give it another go tonight. Thanks again[/quote] Yep. Try a known good battery, or if you're able, an effects PSU (Boss-type will work fine). Also, plugging in a cable into the Input jack connects the battery via the Screen of the barrel as well, so it might be worth checking there's no crud on the jack-plug or in the socket that's making a bad connection. HTH, Ian