Cat Burrito

I've played in a few covers bands & never played Mustang Sally & the usual covers. One band I had found a good scene & we were getting £400 a show. It's just knowing where the scenes are or failing that being happy to take unpaid bookings. The £400 band built up a reputation doing a lot of Open Mic & we didn't just stumble into paid gigs.

Welcome Ben

Welcome to the forum

[quote name='headofire' post='1128610' date='Feb 15 2011, 05:18 PM']I agree with 99% of burrito's post except....There is no treble to a tele bass! but yeah that should get you there if you stick flatties on.[/quote] I moved to flats before I bought a 51RI bass & that was the last bass to get changed over. And I'm not talking the tele bass with the mudbucker, we're talking about the early 50s ones that Squier & Fender have reissued - in case that gets me the extra 1% of approval!?

[quote name='timtoomany' post='1128251' date='Feb 15 2011, 12:42 PM']Heavy gauge flatwounds are in the post, and meanwhile I will work on my rusty picking technique. Love the photo. Is it obligatory to wear the bass at collarbone height? Thanks again for all the good advice.[/quote] Just bear in mind if you've previously used lighter strings you *may* need to tweak the trussrod. It depends on how big a jump you are making. Re bass height, that was just the fashion in the 60s, in the same way a lot of punks played near their knees!

Welcome to Basschat, those Epi T-birds are screamingly good fun & believe me the Gibson's don't play £800 better

We've done LP in my current band and I have done a 45rpm in the past but I'd have to say the 45s are harder to shift. It's worth having a record if you want to say you've done it (& this was a big deal for me) but having done it now I'd only consider LP records. Mastering can sort out a multitude of sins that develop when formatting your tracks so I echo the comments made by the rest of you.

I think it comes down to taste whether people think they look good (a bit like any product though!). People I know who own one seem to like them. Not for me I'm afraid

[quote name='TPJ' post='1128058' date='Feb 15 2011, 10:19 AM']I love to play both electric and DB. They offer different musical gratification and I can't do without either. [/quote] Pretty much where I am at

First Bass Owned: Fender Precision MIJ 57 RI 'Go To' Bass: Fender Precision bitsa 70s bass 'Your' Bass: Any Precision strung with heavy flats and ideally with foam under the bridge

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1127533' date='Feb 14 2011, 07:59 PM']TIM does the same but it's a long story! [/quote] Best we don't go there!

A little bit of both for me too but the bass came first...in order to get into a band

Everyone here seems to dislike the Hercules ones (from past threads) but mine has served me just fine with my Jazz.

My guitarist is self employed as a musician. Gigs are often suplemented with lessons in the day too. Unless you are really good / a bit lucky you will be taking jobs that a semi pro might turn down too.

[quote name='gareth' post='1127551' date='Feb 14 2011, 08:14 PM']I thougt he had quite a good reputation regarding the quality of his basses but obviously charging dealer or just sub-dealer type prices?[/quote] That's the impression I had too

[quote name='timtoomany' post='1126741' date='Feb 14 2011, 10:00 AM']Thanks for the advice. The only bass I've got with frets on it is a Squier Telecaster P bass, but you're right, it's got round wounds on it. I'll try out the flats and see how it goes. Another question though: won't I lose the punchy treble end with flats? - is that offset by using a pick?[/quote] You will lose the punchy treble because it's replaced by a woody thump... this was my concern & I'd never go back now! I own a tele P-bass & putting flats on it was the best thing I did. Try a cheap set, you can always sell them on here on Basschat if they aren't for you. Oh & thanks to this thread I bought Scott 4. At £4.49 on both Amazon & Play it'd be silly not to.

On the amp is the norm I thought... before the silly answers kick in!

I'd have left the fretboard alone personally but it's not as bad as I feared

I'm in an all originals band right now so if I'm not having a good time playing bass I only have myself to blame

[quote name='Roland Rock' post='1126563' date='Feb 13 2011, 11:37 PM']Why's that BB? I always thought a vertical format was recommended for best projection[/quote] The two speakers in each cab is hardly conventional anyway & I tend to raise mine by placing it on a flight case. They are small so it is more an aesthetic thing to have them side by side as opposed to any tonal advantage. My single 210SP really pumps it out so projection isn't a problem for me

I'd go with the Bass Terror plus two SP212s personally. Fair play to you getting an endorsement with Orange. I'd thought about approaching them myself but I don't know we're big enough as a band right now. Oh and I would also have the SPs next to each other, not on top.

Scott Walker is on my to explore further list but I'm fairly good on 60s bass sounds. I suspect you have ordinary roundwound strings? You haven't said what bass you are using? What changed me from a modern sounding bass player to a more retro sounding bassist was flatwound strings. The heavier gauge the better. I'd liked players like James Jamerson and Carole Kay but hadn't made the connection. I love Stephen Stills bass playing which is basically my tone now - Precision bass with flats. To get close to any 60s tone flats are the way forward. You can also try foam under the bridge to get an even more woody thump. I find amps are less important - any of the modern combos work ok, as do heads / cabs. Just make sure you have an older style bass (i.e. Fender, Epiphone, Hofner etc) and string it with flats and I promise you, you will be 95% there. I wish I'd taken that advice years ago. Now my sound is nearly always 100% where I want it to be.

I kept a Fender Precision & a Fender Jazz during the 4yrs I took a break.

Welcome. Good name