ern500evo

Well we did it, and it actually went quite well. It was a nice day weather wise so a lot of people were out in the beer garden but they came in and supported us, raised their glasses and had a good sing along. Our singer did really well seeing as he had to perform and at the same time comfort his 15yr old daughter who had just lost her mother. There was plenty of hugs and handshakes for the band after with comments like "well done lads, she would've loved that". This was the second wake I've done in 4 months, and I found this one a bit easier for a couple of reasons, 1) she'd been ill for such a long time that there was a sense of she's free from pain now, and 2) the one I did in November was for a very close friend, who's passing hit us really hard as a band, particularly me and the singer as we were very close to him. His passing was also a lot more sudden, he had a rare heart condition called Marfan Syndrome, he collapsed on a Thursday without warning and died on saturday. One thing to come out of all this, is it certainly makes me think about life and making the most of it, my friend was 40 and the funeral today was for a woman of 42 ( I'm 41). Anyway thanks for all your comments/advice/ best wishes guys, all have been much appreciated.

There's been a slight change of plan which has forced our hand a bit (maybe for the best). Our drummer can't get the time off work so it's gonna be acoustic. Our 2 singers/guitarists will be using acoustics through the PA but also bringing their electrics and small combo's, I'll use my electric bass and little Ashdown practice combo. I think it'll be ok, as I mentioned before, our singer has close ties to the family (the deceased was the mother of his daughter) and I'm good friends with a lot of the people who will be there, so I'm fairly sure the majority will get behind us. Thanks again guys, much appreciated. I'll keep you all posted.

Based purely on aesthetics, Rickenbacker's. They just don't do anything for me at all, they could play like a dream for all I know, I just really don't like the look of them. I also find something strange looking about the majority of singlecuts.

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated.

[quote name='Mark_Bass' timestamp='1331939304' post='1581351'] Black Stone Cherry's Third album: Between the devil & the Deep Blue Sea [/quote] Me too. Very easy to listen to, stuck it on my ipod and listened to it in work the other night, some great singalong tunes!!

Just spoke to other guitarist and it looks like we're gonna do it, but we both agreed that maybe an acoustic first set would be the best way to go, let them have some time to exchange stories etc. Then once they've had a few sherries we'll announce that at the family's request we're going to do a few of Deb's favourite songs, and do some of our normal electric set. Fingers crossed they'll appreciate that it was the family's wishes, and not just think we're a disrespectful bunch of heathens!!

I think our singer has probably already agreed as he has close connections to the family, so if we don't do it as a band he'll do it on his own. I've said I'll do it with him as I wouldn't envy anyone having to get up on their own and perform at a wake. I'm just trying to convince him that even if all four of us are available, doing it acoustic would probably be a better idea.

Yes that's what is worrying me tbh. It's the immediate family of the deceased (her mother, brother and sister) who've asked us to do it, and some of her friends have been in touch saying stuff like "Oh Deb would love that, you guys playing at her wake", but I'm still not convinced. As you said, people with more traditional values are gonna find it all just disrespectful.

I've been asked to play at a wake on Thursday afternoon. It's for our singer/guitarist's ex partner, the mother of his daughter. She was in her early 40's but had been really ill for sometime so it's more a case of "she's free from pain now" than "tragically and suddenly taken" (if that makes sense). Anyway, we did an acoustic thing at the wake of a very close friend of ours in November and a lot of the same people will be there, so I assumed they wanted the same thing. Turns out they want the full on electric set as, in their words, "Deb loved her live music". Now I don't mind doing that, but will some guests find it disrespectful that we go launching into our rock covers set at a wake? Sorry if it's a bit long winded but I'm a bit torn on this one!

I remember doing with my old band years ago. when it was suggested my initial thoughts, much like yours, were "G,Bb and C for about 20 minutes while our 2 guitarists go off on one" but when i sat down and listened to it properly there is some nice bass work in there. Used to amaze me, the number of cover bands that did it and how few of the bassists actually played it correctly.

I just showed this to a drummer friend of mine: Me "Have a look at this" Him(eventually!) "Hang on, that's a f**king bloke" Me: "haha took you long enough" Him: "F**k that i couldn't be in a band with him" Me: "yea would be a bit wierd" Him: "It's not the wierd bit i'm worried about, it's the fact that on the way home from a gig after a few Blackthorns i'd wanna knob the f**k out of him in the back of the van!"

BTW if you like the sound of your Warwick 210, there's a Warwick 610 in the FS section at the moment for £250 in Cambridge.

I used one with an ABM500 for loads of gigs without any trouble. They are heavy but with the wheels they're not too bad to move(unless there's stairs involved of course). Mine used to live at our rehearsal room so whenever i picked it up for gigs the whole band was there if i needed help. On the few occasions i travelled to gigs by myself i loaded it in/out of an Astra van or Ford Focus hatchback on my own no problem. With the Astra i used to just lay it down so the back was resting on the back of the van load area then pick the other end up and walk it in. They sound fine, nothing spectacular but decent for the money. One thing i will mention though, not sure if the MAG and ABM use the same castors but the ones on mine are sh**te!

[quote name='CyberBass' timestamp='1329434624' post='1542612'] Max at Southmead Tattoos in Bristol. A great artist :-) [/quote] Are you local to the area? I live about 5 minutes from that shop!

I ran an ABM500 (the chrome rackmount one) and an Ashdown 8x10 for years with no reliability issues whatsoever. I still own it now, it lives in our rehearsal room. So have fun and enjoy! One thing, not sure what sort of tone you're after but i found that when i added an Ashdown Hyperdrive pedal to the set-up it really brought the amp to life and gave it some grit. Just a thought!

Why why why would anyone do that?? Yes i agree it's his money, his guitar, his choice but surely if you put it side by side with a beautiful unmolested 60's Les Paul, at some point you're gonna look at them and think "Oh bo****ks, what have i done??"

I remember the first time i ever saw this i was completely blown away. I can normally take or leave unaccompanied solo pieces to be honest but this just draws me in, it's mesmerising. Even if it's not your cup of tea you have to admire him, he's a genius.

That's one hell of a cab for that price!!

I started off with a Laney Klipp guitar amp and matching 4x12-wish i still owned it now. Then i made the mistake of trading it for a Marshall 1x15 combo because i wanted a "proper" bass amp. I hadn't been playing long so didn't know a great deal about bass amps. What i do know now is that the Marshall was by far the worst amp i've ever used in my life, it was bloody hateful! I'd like to track it down now just so i could take an axe to it, that amp made my playing life a misery! Next came a Peavey MK3 and 2x15, It weighed an absolute ton, but it served me well for quite a few years and enabled me to earn enough gig money to go towards my first brand new amp, which was: Trace Elliot AH350SM with matching 1518 and 2103H cabs. I loved this amp, this was the early 90's and remember the first time i gigged it i couldn't stop looking at it, i thought the UV light was so cool! Then decided if i was in a rock band i simply had to have an 8x10, so in came an Ashdown ABM500 Evo, the chrome rack mounted one with a matching 8x10(I still have this rig, stood in my dining room) And finally to my Warwick Tubepath, WCA411 and WCA115, Love this amp, Sounds great with my Streamer. Looking at the weight of the last 4 rigs i've owned i'm surprised my back is still working!!

That 30th anniversary Streamer looks mint! Mind you, so it should for £4.5k!

[quote name='DoesThisBassLookBigOnMe' timestamp='1326793750' post='1501911'] Regarding PMT in Bristol: Although now trading as a PMT store, they are basically the same bunch of people who's business has gone under many times in recent years (I'm not so certain this has anything to do with the recession either!) and each time the store returns like a phoenix from the ashes. They have an OK selection of equipment (not so much for bass players though) but never once have I been satisfied with the staff at their store. To be fair I have noticed a slight improvement in attitudes since they have become PMT though I recognise many of the faces from previous incarnations and I guess this may be where things are going wrong. In a previous incarnation of their store I asked to try some equipment out and was told they don't allow demos anymore because people try their equipment out and then go home and buy it online. Never once have I personally done this to them - instead I have spent thousands in their store on equipment for a home studio. Recently I parked near their entrance with the intention of nipping in and literally spending about £1000 in their store as I knew they had something I wanted. Unwittingly I contravened some unsigned rule about health and safety by parking near their entrance. The manager came out and asked me to park elsewhere. Lucky for him he gave me a b****y good discount so retained my custom. I go there regularly enough to know that there is basically no parking space in their store and most of the spaces that exist are taken up by their staff. In short, not a very professional bunch. [/quote] I bought my Spector from them when it was sound control about 11 years ago. Useless!! I tried it out and decided i wanted it, said to the guy i'd take it and i wanted to also buy a hard case for it, " i don't think we have any, i'll just go check". He came back an eternity later with the biggest flight case i'd ever seen, so i said jokingly "I wanted the case for this bass not for a piano"! I put the bass in and there was about 6 inches of space either side of the body, so i said "that's no good, it's obviously for something else" the reply was amazing, "no thats how it's meant to be, it's so you can get your leads and stuff in it as well"!! As i looked at him in disbelief an older guy appeared, pointed at the case and said to him "what are you doing with that, thats a case we ordered in specially for someone for a flying v bass"! The young guy just looked at me embarassed and said "sorry i'll just take the bass to the till". I said ok, i'll just take it in it's box, "oh we don't keep the boxes, you can just take it like this and i'll order you a case" which is just what you want to hear when you're parked half a mile away and it's p**sing down with rain. I also tried to buy a USA P bass from them in '05, i said i wanted a USA standard in sunburst with white scratchplate and maple neck, he shook his head and made that noise that builders and mechanics make when they're about to attempt to financially rape you "I'd have to order that in, so it would be full rrp" i asked how much that was "£949, you won't get a better price" was the reply, i looked at him and said "funny i've just got off the phone with GAK and they can get one to me by the weekend for £749". He basically called me a liar, and said there was no way they could do it for that price, and that GAK were known for these sort of tactics, showing stuff online when they don't actually have it in stock. He even looked on GAK's website, i said i'd get them on the phone so he could hear it for himself. He then got all pissy and said i'd have to wait while he served someone else. I went straight home and ordered ir from GAK. Seems like any PMT's which are Sound Control shops which were bought out are the same. If they were existing PMT stores the reports seem all good.

He's so entertaining to watch, you always get the impression he's having the time of his life! A friend of mine met him at trade show in the US a few years ago and said he was one of the friendliest people he'd ever met, making time for anyone who wanted to chat to him or have pics taken.

Just been looking on TM Stevens website, and after the London Bass guitar show he's doing some masterclasses and gigs. He's doing masterclasses at Tech music schools London, The Institute London and the Academy of contemporary music in Guildford. He's doing live shows with Swans in flight at Colchester Institute March 9th, Exeter Phoenix 17th March and Livewire, Saltash 18th March. seeing as i'm only an hour away in Bristol i shall definitely be heading to Exeter on the 17th, might even make a weekend of it and see him on the 18th in Saltash too!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc7Ovp-6Ptc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc7Ovp-6Ptc[/url]