Skybone

My avatar went missing yesterday as well.

Always used MusicGuard for mine. Pretty decent level of cover for an affordable price per month.

Back to 3 basses. 2 Acoustic guitars & 2 Electric guitars.

Well, the deed is done, we are officially looking for a new drummer. The guitarist had a long phone conversation with the old drummer, in which he finally realised that the drummer couldn't commit any more time to the band due to work commitments, and the fact that he's newly married and wants to start a family. If he didn't have enough time for the band before any sproglings come along, he certainly won't afterwards. Thankfully, the rest of us have older kids and realise this, but thankfully now, the guitarist can see that the drummer just doesn't have the time to commit to the band (despite all of his assurances). Fingers crossed, we can find someone suitable soon! Bandcamp link: https://thousand-mile-stare.bandcamp.com/album/overrun

Have you tried looking at Thomann or Musik Produktiv? Both do variations on the Ashdowm ABM 300 Evo III Music Produktiv do a 2x10 version: https://www.musik-produktiv.com/gb/ashdown-amp-c210-300.html As well as a 1x15 version: https://www.musik-produktiv.com/gb/ashdown-ampc115-300.html Thomann do a 1x15 version: https://www.thomann.de/gb/ashdown_toneman_c115_evo_iii.htm Both amps are tried & tested amps, dating back about 10 years, but still sound good, they're in a Rootmaster cabinet, and come in at around 23kg, and because they are new Ashdown's, they are covered by a standard 3 year warranty, extendable to 5 years if you register the amp online. The Thomann Toneman is cheaper, but they don't do a 2x10 version, but have the 300w & 600w heads and matching cabs available. Music Produktiv just do the combo's & cabs. I bought the AMP (Ashdown Musik Produktiv) c210-300 combo earlier this year, and I'm very pleased with it.

After years of wanting one myself, I got one, and was sorely disappointed. Shame really, it sounded great but it was a bugger to play, especially if you've been used to playing "double cut" instruments. Best advice would be to "play from the hip" (a la Mr Way).

What @4000 said. Back off the neck pickup a tad, compared to the bridge pickup. Set your amp/preamp EQ accordingly (I would suggest that your Mids need to be higher than the Bass & Treble). If you've kept the Warwick and will be running both, maybe look at a programmable preamp with settings suited to both basses. Like @NikNik, I don't have a Ric anymore, but use Rockinbetter Faker's, with a HD500x into an ABM300 combo. Works for me.

Tech 21 VT Bass 500 head and a neodymium speaker loaded 2x10 or 2x 2x10? Fender Rumble 500 & matching cab? Employ a roadie. Helix or other amp modeller (though you still have to think about some other way of hearing yourself playing, either an FRFR/Active PA Speaker or a lightweight combo). I'm currently using a HD500x (predecessor to the Helix) with an Ashdown ABM300 Evo III combo, and plug the HD into the Effects Return of the amp to bypass the preamp. Amp modelling and monitoring on the cheap!

A long way from London.

But it still warrants you sharing the picture.

It certainly feels as though I've become the band leader by default, as it seems that it's me that organises rehearsals and tries to get everyone in the same room at the same time, and me that's been banging on about the missing drummer for months. At the end of the day, IMO, it's a team effort, but it's only a team if people agree. This episode is certainly putting a sour taste in my mouth, especially after years of hard work trying to get us where we are. Unfortunately, original bands are thin on the ground here, and especially after having invested a lot of time & effort into this project, it's seriously infuriating as well as exasperatingly regular. I've been trying to get a 'unified' response to the issue out of everyone, rather than acting unilaterally, but it would appear that you can lead a horse to water, and even though it's thirsty, you still can't get it to drink.

Seems as though it's finally dawned on everyone that we'll have to cancel the gigs. If they'd have done something last month's when I mentioned it, we might have been able to salvage one of them at least. Foxtrot Foxtrot Sierra.

Thing is, the rest of the band want to keep him involved. I'd imagine that they're trying to hedge their bets, and keep their bases covered in case anyone else pulls the same stunt. They're all pi55ed off with the situation, but really want to keep the flaky feck. As Phil was saying, I'm also getting the impression that I'm the bad guy for pushing on getting someone else involved. Subtle irony, as they all complain when he cancels at the last minute. Guess I'll be surreptitiously scanning the bass player wanted ad's from now.

Completely agree, and I've been trying to nudge the others into making a decision. Where they agree in principle, no one wants to stick their neck out and tell him it's the end of the road. The consensus was to offer him a hiatus, and be "open and honest" with anyone coming in about the situation, which I think is not a viable solution, and merely trying to hedge your bets, and would not really make a new drummer want to commit to any band, especially when we need someone on board who can and will commit. Feel like I'm banging my head against a wall just now, however, I do have a lead on another drummer. After writing the initial post, I messaged the old drummer offering the hiatus option (to placate the other band members), but there's just been radio silence from everyone since then. In the meantime, I am making a nice dent in the wall.

Sack the Drummer... please! Sorry folks, another Drummer related moan, but also a "band in general" moan too. Our drummer has consistently let us down regularly since last year, saying he's OK for rehearsals and then bailing at the last minute incurring cancellation costs. OK, I appreciate he's pretty busy and has a fair distance to travel, but fair warning that you're not going to make it to rehearsal is not too much to ask is it (the rehearsal room has a 48 hour cancellation policy)? We did a couple of gigs in January, and he was bouncing around like Tigger after them, full of enthusiasm for the band and where we can take it etc. However, since then, he's only shown up to 1 rehearsal (when we have bookings weekly). We can only work on new material to a point, but then progress grinds to a halt. The situation has got to the point where there's no new ideas being put forward, and it's more of an expensive social gathering than a rehearsal. We have also had to turn down a number of gigs because he can't commit to any. The rest of us have spoken about where we go from here, but no one's made a definitive decision on the way forward. And therein lies another problem... indecision is really twisting the knife. We need a new drummer, and soon, we have a gig coming up on the 11th May. However, all this in mind, no one wants to let him go. Yes, he's a seriously good drummer and a nice guy, but that only carries so much weight when he's over-commited elsewhere, and continually lets us down and costs us money (it's also incredibly rare he contributes to rehearsal room costs). We had a long discussion about it on Friday, another discussion about it on Messenger yesterday, and yet they still want to "keep him on board". They're a great bunch, but the indecision is seriously pi55ing me off, so much so, the ultimatum of "it's either him or me" was uttered on Friday. Apologies again, but needed to get this off my chest, to folk who can possibly sympathise even on the most superfluous level.

Tool Station do a 40w soldering iron for £8.23. It's a Silverline one, but it's certainly man enough for the job. https://www.toolstation.com/soldering-iron/p74671

Really wish my tinnitus would all but disappear, but unfortunately not. It's that thread that made me want to do a bit more research, and ask what everyone else prefers.

Been using the ACS ER20's for years, but recently bought some new ones, and they've changed the design to a silicon plug with no stem. Not convinced they'll do the job as well as the old one's, but I'll give them a go. Been considering some moulded plugs for years, but never been convinced about the attenuation levels, though I see that ACS are now doing some with a 27dB filter. What do you prefer? Custom moulded or off the shelf? Etc.

My Rockinbetter with one of Tim's luvverly mirror scratchpads & matching TRC.

Tempting

The RM cab is the same dimensions as the combo, where the 'matching' cab, although cheaper, is the wrong size. Now that's getting anoraky for you! 😁

I'm really liking my Ashdown 300w 2x10 combo, plenty loud enough for a 4 piece rock band, with room to spare. My OCD wants another 2x10 cab, but my budget says no (the Ashdown RM210T is the most likely candidate).