12stringbassist

I was invited to audition for a band once, over in Oldham and a guitarist that i knew was putting it together. We all learned a few songs in advance and had goes on the night. I was a known quantity to the guitarist and was sort of 'in' as a result, but he was very keen on this keyboard player. The keyboard player was really good (apart from her having a proper strop at me for not knowing Riders on the storm by The Doors off the top of my head, as it wasn't actually one of the songs we'd been asked to learn). She was reliant on the guy who was singing that evening for transport. He couldn't carry a tune in a paper bag. Listening through the evening, I seemed to be the only one who was distressed by his warbling. I rang the guitarist later - he had serious designs on getting this excellent keyboard player in and if the singer was part of the deal... well, so be it. He was mortified when I told him that I couldn't be in a band with someone who couldn't sing in charge of the lead vocal. They lasted another two rehearsals. The singer and keyboard player started to haunt a number jam nights in our local area and, while she glared at me, he insisted on getting up singing and trying to chat people up into taking him on. It sadly never worked. A band is only as good as the people in it. If you have a lead singer who can't sing, you're knackered.

I'd love to take all of this out again.

I've got 4 4003's in different finishes. They are a bass on their own and if you amplify and EQ them right, they cut through with a tone like nothing else. And they are a big talking point, too. That said, I am into my Fenders at the moment.

My take on vocal pitch correction is that you can either do it or you can't. I'd rather see a colostomy bag attached to a singer than a computer that makes their singing acceptable.

I did say a couple of posts above it was usable in the studio.

The vintage sound thing is just a pointless bass cut. Fortunately, it can be ignored.

Yo cats Frank Zappa

If you watch Kay Mellor's TV programme 'Girlfriends', that's where the shot is from (on the set - we were the band in the show). I am now worried that I may have inadvertently caused a slight continuity error with that bottle, as I don't think it was on the rig when I had to play through it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyt1TSe6jXE They picked a song from the 'on pain of death' section of our setlist. The additional guitarist in the middle was an actor. Gerrard Fletcher.

This is what I normally use: This is my backup rig:

This is a sales blurb from a site I just found at https://reverb.com/uk/item/7087494-hiwatt-b300h-300w-bass-head-solid-state-maxwatt-series-brand-new-boxed "HIWATT B300H 300W Bass Head Solid State Maxwatt Series DESCRIPTION The B300 Head puts out 300 watts into a 4-ohm output or 200 watts into an 8-ohm output. The Head includes: passive and active inputs, gain control, master volume, shape control (push/pull flat/boost) and a 7-band EQ with push/pull - on/off control. There is also a built-in LIMITER with ratio and push/pull - on/off controls. Outputs include XLR balanced line out and a headphone jack. This amp, again, is a tried and tested solid state modern classic. This is the most popular and the only solid state head that we make for bass in this price range. In fact, some bass players swear by this for full on LOUD! The pre-amp has high & low sensitivity switch. There is simply no better sounding, looking or engineered solid state bass head amplifier in the world in this price bracket! FEATURES Front Panel Controls: INPUT, PASSIVE/ACTIVE SWITCH, GAIN, BASS, TREBLE, ON/OFF EQ, EQUALISATION, MASTER VOLUME, LIMIT SWITCH, MP3 IN, PHONES INPUT, MAINS SWITCH Back Panel Features: LINE OUT, 2 X SPEAKER OUTPUTS, XLR OUT, AUX IN Output Power: 300W. Please note this amp can be used for keyboards as well. Dimensions (Unboxed) L x H x 😧 59 x 32 x 26 cm Weight (Unboxed): 19 kg" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As for the guitars in the picture, it's an old picture that I took of the HiWatt rig, before the lockdowns started, so I honestly don't know if they still have those in. They have lots of weird and wonderful looking guitars.

I have four 4003's and the neck pickup never gets solo'd on any of them, simply because the overall sound of both pickups is what I am after. I'm generally one of those people who will just leave all the tone controls in one place (fully on) on the bass and sort my EQ on the amp and I'm good to go on stage. The neck pick up has a very good sound but needs boosting. The bridge pickup always sounds nice and trebly, but it's the mix of the two that I will always use. In the studio, it's a versatile enough bass. The vintage pull out pot they have added now is a waste of time for me in a live situation, as it just sucks all of the bottom end out of the bass and I could only see a possible use for that in the studio, but I would just EQ around that on the amp to get the sound right, anyway..

One thing to remember with a 4003 is that the overall sound that everyone seems to love (unless, of course, you don't) seems to come from the balance between the pickups.

Yup. It is at Chase. Head £399 4x10 £299 1x15 £299

Busted Loose Dave Edmunds

It must be 2017, that I first saw a huge HiWatt rig in a shop not far from me. New. Maxwatt 300 amp plus 4x10 and 1x15 cabs. I sent a mate a pic in 2018 to tip him off, but he didn't bite. I had an excursion away from my regular Hartkes into Blackstar, which didn't go well. I was reluctant to change over but before covid struck, I started to think a spare rig might be useful. The shop was closed since early last year. It wasn't in their online store. After a few attempts to get to the shop to try the rig, I managed to get there today and (ringing to check the shop was open), the rig was still there. I played through it with an active Jazz bass and it sounded great. I haggled for a deal, but it was already reduced as far as it would go. I was sorting out purchase of the head and the 4x10. Some one came along to lift the head down and he said how heavy it was. I picked it up and it was REALLY heavy. Oh... I asked what the 4x10 cab weighed. Two guys got it down onto the floor. I could only lift it 3" off the floor. Damn. If I couldn't get it in the car, what use would it be? I left the shop dejected and cash unspent. Damn.

Ric 4003 neck pickups are generally less powerful. The cure is a replacement.

The band I was in was run by the drummer who was matey with the singer / guitarist from the headliners. He bent over backwards to get them to play with us. We just were told they were using our gear. They had watched us from out front and I did say the amp was set and didn't need changing. He just didn't listen. There wouldn't have been a problem if he had left it alone. Like you say, it's about respect.

Slade at Manchester Apollo in 1982 gave me a migraine. The sound guy must have been on a bet with someone. I saw them about 50 times and they never ever were that terrifyingly loud.

I once got stuck with a name nostalgia band that we were supporting using our gear at a big civic centre gig, so they could just walk on stage. We had the sound set so everything was fine. The bass player from the headliners (a former Eurythmics bassist, now with a single member of a 60's Liverpool band) walked on, cranked my bass rig up to stun level, causing the crowd to start holding their ears as it became deafening in the PA and the guy doing the sound told me to sort it out. I walked on stage while they were playing and turned them down again. I told the bass player that if he did it again, he'd end up going back to his car for his own combo. He shot me a look of pure hatred. I got applauded as I walked offstage. Another time at the same venue, we did the same favour to a 70's band. I asked politely and their bass player left my controls completely alone. They nearly blew our guitarist's Fender combo apart, though. I'd never heard it sound so good, but he moaned for weeks afterwards that they had ruined it.

Demis Roussos - Forever and Ever

I think Status Quo are irrelevant to a lot of bass players. I love them and own every note they've recorded, but don't expect anyone else to. Lancaster was a great bassist and locked in brilliantly at live shows with John Coghlan. In the studio, a few parts were apparently redone by Francis Rossi. Rhino is an excellent bass player too. He's done a lot of good things outside of Quo and he seems to be a really good all-rounder on bass. Where Quo are an example to other musicians (besides their music) is their perseverance.

I suppose the other band members are doing a bit of blue sky thinking and aiming very high with what they think is the ideal bass for the band. They're not the ones who have to pay for it, though.

I once had a brand new bass rig fail on me minutes before a gig (B*******r U***y 500 and 250w extension cab) and I had to drive 20 minutes each way to get home pick up my usual bass rig. It didn't help that they decided to close the M60 for roadworks while I was on the way back. The DJ covered and we played late but the same length in one long set. After repairs to the 500, the 250w extension cab then died on me at the end of a jam night. I began to feel paranoid. After a replacement 250w extension cab arrived, I went to a rehearsal for a reunion gig with my old band. The 500 then refused to put any sound out. I went into the PA to get thru the rehearsal. Third strike in not very long. The whole lot went back. My Hartke rig has never given me any grief.

I would never ever go out without a backup bass. Passive, I just pick two basses that I'd like to take out for the evening. A beer festival saw me show off 3 P Basses. Active, two basses, plus possibly my 12 string bass.

If I joined a theatre standard pro tribute band that was earning a decent living and I had a more than passing resemblance to whoever I was being passed off as a tribute to, I could maybe understand why they may lean towards suggesting I bought the correct instrument for that role. If I was in a common or garden pub band and someone came up to me and said I needed a red Fodera P bass because they'd heard one and it sounded nice, I'd try to politely decline the suggestion. I don't mind at all being told how to blend in with the sound of the group I am playing with, but to have bass choice requirements placed on me by other people, based on some wacky idea they have, rather than some wacky idea that I have, well.... no.