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Thanks guys. I didn't realise it was AJ playing it, great sound!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mODgTDZSSVc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mODgTDZSSVc[/url] What song is the bassline he plays at 3:32 originally from? I know it was sampled on a few tracks in the late 80's but what track was it originally on?

Where would i put my cigarettes, lighter, towel and all my other sh*t if i didn't have my amp behind me???

[quote name='NJW' post='1273638' date='Jun 18 2011, 12:12 PM']I think I'm one of the only people I know who used D'Addario PROSTEEL strings.[/quote] I used to string my Spector with DR's and my P-Bass with Roto's. Then i tried D'Addario Pro Steel XL's and thats all i use now. They are excellent strings.

I bought my USA std without trying it, largely due to price. My local Sound Control at the time had one in stock which i tried but i specifically wanted a sunburst/white scratchplate/maple neck and because they would have to order it in they weren't prepared to budge on the list price which at the time was £949. I ended up buying it from GAK for £729 delivered, popped it into a local shop for a £30 set up and it plays like a dream, job's a good 'un! I'm glad i took the chance and bought "cold", i have a friend with both a Squier P and a MIM P and we both agree that the USA just feels and sounds better, i can't really put my finger on why, it just does. So if you see a good used USA Std for a good price, i wouldn't have any worries about buying it without playing it first, the money you'll save would far outweigh the cost of a set up!

I've had this with girlfriends in the past, but my wife now is cool with it. She comes to quite a few gigs (normally when i play the "nicer" places!), and she doesn't seem to mind that i've slowly transformed the office in our house into my music room. Unlike our singers g/f who comes to gigs and then does nothing but moan that we're too loud/heavy for her, and tells us how her friends husband is in a band and they are not loud at all (just to clarify, her friends husbands "band" is 2 guys playing acoustic guitar to backing tracks!)

[quote name='MatthewKeys' post='1254373' date='Jun 2 2011, 06:22 PM']Yeah, it's a shame because if it really does look like the perfect 8x10.. It's almost as light as a markbass one! Any more opinions on the Ashdown ABM and it's portability anyone?[/quote] I don't think there's any doubting the capabilities of an ABM810 and if you can get it for £300 with a cover its good value, i guess you just have to decide if it suits your requirements and if you fancy humping a 70 kilo cab around! I'm biased as i hump a MAG810 around and it doesn't bother me. The sight of your amp parked on top of an 8x10 and the sound when its cranked more than makes up for the physical effort!

[quote name='MatthewKeys' post='1254170' date='Jun 2 2011, 04:03 PM']Yeah Ampeg 6x10's are about 50kg... 20kg lighter than the ashdown... but also around £200 more expensive. But then it might get a similar tone to my 410hlf which I do not like.[/quote] I'd say for £300 the ashdown is worth a look, but depending on the size of venues you play i would be inclined to keep the 4x10 as well, for smaller gigs.

[quote name='MatthewKeys' post='1254104' date='Jun 2 2011, 03:07 PM']that is reassuring, thanks! I've read that Ashdown 810's are 70kg and Ampeg ones are 63kg or something... would it be worth saving another £200 to save up for an Ampeg one? I am 6ft2 but pretty weak, I think I would struggle getting it to, and out of the car for almost every single show. But i'm not sure because i've never tried to move an 8x10 before. I struggle with my 410HLF, purely because it's so low down.[/quote] I've never used an Ampeg 8x10 but i imagine they must be pretty good considering how many of them are out there! Maybe a 6x10 might be worth considering?

[quote name='MatthewKeys' post='1254026' date='Jun 2 2011, 02:31 PM']thanks! I hear that the ABM comes with better quality components anyway. How do you find moving the 8x10 around? Can you move it by yourself?[/quote] I can lift mine into the back of a van on my own but i wouldn't want to do much more than that! They are very heavy but i'm lucky that mine is stored at our rehearsal room so i just wheel it into place to use it and wheel it back when i'm done, and when we gig we all travel together in a van so it's rare i have to lift it by myself. Everyone seems to be going to lightweight gear now, so there's some bargains to be had if you don't mind a bit of bulk! So if you don't mind a bit of physical exercise, go for it. I guarantee the first time you stand in front of it when its really cooking, the weight of it will be the last thing on your mind!!

[quote name='MatthewKeys' post='1253990' date='Jun 2 2011, 02:04 PM']Hello I was just wondering what everyones opinions are on the Ashdown ABM 810. 1. Are they much heavier than an Ampeg 410HLF? Would it fit into a Ford Focus? 2. I can pick one up for £300 in immaculate condition with a free case worth £75... is this a good deal? 3. How do they sound? And any other things you have to say about them! Thanks![/quote] If they are the same dimensions as a MAG 8x10 then yes it will fit in a Focus. Never used an ABM 8x10 but it's a lot of cab for that price especially with a cover thrown in. My only gripe about my MAG 8x10 is that the castors it comes with are rubbish, mine started to fall apart after about a month! But i managed to get much better quality replacements cheaply so it's not a major problem.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='1253178' date='Jun 1 2011, 09:12 PM']The thing is, I like the guys in the band. They aren't alcoholics (a new type of musician on me) and learn the songs that they say they are going to (also a new thing). I'm keen to stick with it...[/quote] Sometimes it just takes a bit of time. I'm sure at some point most of us have had this problem, i know i have. The drummer in our band now is good, but it just seemed to take us a while to click. We're lucky that our rehearsal room is the back room of my friends pub, so we can just turn up and use it anytime, so we just did a couple of sessions of just the 2 of us and it definitely worked. On the flipside, when our old drummer first joined the band we clicked in about 5 minutes, it just works out like that sometimes.

The Kilo head has been delayed so many times i'm gonna be too old to care by the time i get to try one! I asked Larry back in March when they were coming and was told May! I really hope they're worth the wait because they look awesome.

[quote name='dood' post='1201625' date='Apr 16 2011, 10:27 AM']I think the only upgrade I may be tempted by would be the Hartke Kilo when it comes out in August -[/quote]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1250308' date='May 30 2011, 02:16 PM']I really can't decide I have £450 to spend and I know I could get either for that. The Orange looks cooler but is the RH450 the better amp?[/quote] How would the Tube Tone on the TC compare to the overdrive channel on the SVT5?

[quote name='mcnach' post='1139413' date='Feb 24 2011, 12:38 AM']The Ashdown Hyperdrive (don't let the "James Lomenzo" signature scare you ) is really very very good. Around £75 new, and used £40-45. Don't trust the youtube videos. Yes, the sound on the videos is achievable, but it can do a lot more, and a lot better. I've tried a lot of pedals over the years, and this is the first one that really sounded great to me, keeping a great definition and a fat bass bit with a good distorted edge, not just a swarm of angry wasps on top of the bass sound or a farty bass. Regarding some of the others mentioned here that I have owned or still own... The MXR M80 is very good, but the distortion doesn't do subtle well. The MXR Blowtorch is very interesting, again not subtle, but great for some quasy-synth type of noises. The Digitech Bad Monkey is okay as a mild overdrive. But the Danelectro Transparent Overdrive (Cool Cat) is a similar pedal, a bit cheaper, that works substantially better. The Boss bass overdrive is... horrible. Unless you want always tons of ultra fuzzy distortion, this is not a good one. I like the Ibanez PD7, not mentioned here. It's not a great pedal, but I like its ability to add just some "metallic grit" on top of the undistorted bass using its clean setting wth the attack switch set at 1. Think of RHCP "By the way", the bit in the midle when the bass is left alone... you get a very similar sound. It does many other things, but that's the one I like best. The Digitech Bass Driver is a good substitute for the Boss overdrive, in that it gets much more useable sounds, and actually has some useable mild overdrive tones too, but it overlaps a lot with the Boss, so I prefer the Digitech. But the Ashdown Hyperdrive wins. Only problem is that it's huge. But you could use it to defend yourself if you're being mugged [/quote] I use an Ashdown Hyperdrive and they are really good, the blend knob allows you to add the grind without the ass end dropping out of your sound. A few gripes, a) you need ascrewdriver to get the battery cover off b)the chrome knobs make it difficult to see where everything is set, and c) Its a pretty big pedal. The size isn't such a bad thing i guess, it gives it a very sturdy feel. These are only very minor points though, especially as i got mine on a special deal from Dolphin Music for less than £60 new! They are definitely worth trying out.

[attachment=81353:bass_rig.jpg]

DR's are great, they are expensive but they last well. I've switched from Roto's and have been using D'Addario pro steel XL's recently. Not sure what other gauges they do as i only ever use 45-105's but so far i'm impressed with them. I had one pack that had a dead E string but that was a one off. Well worth a look.

[quote name='vmaxblues' post='1248976' date='May 29 2011, 10:31 AM']My two penneth worth is that slap is like swearing, put it in context in a good piece of work and its absolutely fine and dandy. But when you go to a long awaited bass show in London and hear 50 frustrated drummers all slapping the hell out of the equipment it is really, really bad. The bass is an organic instrument to me, it is very expressive, it has its own voice, and overdoing the slap you might as well have bought a washboard! It is a technique, it is valid, but keep it in context and like super powers, use it sparingly![/quote] Spot on! I like to listen to slap when it's done well and it's funky, but within 10 minutes of walking into the London Bass Guitar Show i was sick of the sound of "machine gun" slapping! Whilst i admire anyone who has developed their technique to such a high standard you need to know when to use it, a burst in the middle of song and people will think "wow" but when you've been doing it for 20 minutes they'll be thinking "yea i get the point, you're really fast, now shut the f**k up"! Ps Did you catch TM stevens performance on the sunday afternnoon? Now, that man can groove!

[quote name='amnesia' post='1249386' date='May 29 2011, 04:48 PM']Said to me by another bass player... "You dropped a few bum notes there" My reply - "Yes, I did - but everybody had a good time so it doesn't matter". I only take critisism from people I respect - and this guy isn't on that list.[/quote] Don't you just love playing to other musicians!! Had the same thing recently, Other bass player "Do you know you played the wrong note in the middle of that last song?" Me: "Yea but i don't the think the crowd of people dancing noticed so i think i'll sleep ok tonight"! Tosser!!

I think it's purely a personal thing, if you have the cash to buy expensive gear then go for it. It's your money so why should you have to justify what gear you buy. At the same time if you're happy with budget gear and you can get a good sound then happy days. As for taking expensive stuff to rough pubs, you just have to be sensible i guess. Most of us probably wouldn't take a £5000 boutique bass to a council estate pub with bars on the windows but that doesn't mean you shouldn't own one if you want one and can afford it I use one of the cheaper spector's (£600) most of the time, but i still take my USA P-bass to every gig with me, i just make sure they go straight back into their hardcases as soon as i finish.

[quote name='Salt on your Bass?' post='1245777' date='May 26 2011, 03:39 PM']Drums - Joey Jordison (slipknot) Guitar/backing vox - Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) Guitar - Tony Iommi (Sabbath) Keys - Janne Wirman (Children of Bodom) Vocals - Cliff Richard I can see this band going places!.....a summer holiday perhaps??[/quote] I would pay to see Joey Jordison and Cliff onstage together!!

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1245707' date='May 26 2011, 02:58 PM']Mark Knopfler - Guitarzzzz Guy Garvey - Vox Chris Adler - Drums We'd be called 'Big Hat, No Horse' and we'd play country covers but with amazing drumming from Chris. It'd be the wick! Truckstop[/quote] Love the fact you've even got the name sorted out!!

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1245710' date='May 26 2011, 03:00 PM']Dave Grohl = Drums Matt Freeman = Bass Fat Mike = Singer/frontman Kim Thayil =Guitar 1 Tom Morello = Guitar 2[/quote] Would you not want to be the bass player??

We always get asked who our favourite bassist's/influences are, but what about other musicians? If you could put together any line up to join you in a band who would you choose? I know your answers will change depending on mood and what stuff you're listening to at the time but let's have your ultimate band mates. I'm in a rock mood so i'm gonna go for the following: Dave Grohl (drums) Zakk Wylde Corey Taylor (in his Stone Sour guise, minus the boiler suit and mask)