JTUK

I run two little 12"'s which people talk about being mid-scooped but I can get them to scream through a mix whilst really laying down a trouser flapping bottom end. I can also loose the top end quite easily as well if the strings are too old from my POV. Other things that come into it..is how full is your band sound...who and what they play and with what thought and approach. But assuming that you have the band mix about right with regards to people being within their own space/mix and not overly in others, then a decent set of strings and a touch of high end through the horn is all that is needed. Amp is flat mostly, bass is active..which is a quick easy fix for this type of issue. I might tweak the amp a tad if the room is damp but something is really wrong if I am hunting down a sound all the time...like the other day when a single speaker blew and I was left going through just the one... that gave me a real run around until I realised the speaker had gone.

Can't say that is my market atm, but we have a new 450 capacity club to open..with another band.. and I think that is a bold move in this economic time. It is going to take some filling ..and 450 people is a WHOLE of people, but I think we will do it if the door is sensible but what the booking policy will after that....I don't know. To make the change from a relatively vibrant pub scene and music scene locally to one that draws acts from around the country..possibly..is a real gamble. Fortunately, the Brewery involved has always backed its pubs with music funding, IIRC, so they must be pretty confident and this is only a step on for them. Also , I think their overheads will be FAR less than a normal club but it will be interesting to see who they target as their draws. Economically, people talk about this year being worse than last..and if that is true, then those tickets sales will be fraught as people keep their money in their pocket more. We are wary about putting up our rates but there is plenty of work out there at the level we are interested in altho I know my mates prime function band have taken a hit on their upmarket cost weddings.. They'll play a pub from time to time..as a loss type leader but charge £1600-2000 plus for a wedding. So I don't think this is one of their better years all round.

I am very picky in this regard and I can also get the bass set-up best for me. I don't know what some people are doing sometimes... as I had a guy sit in with my gear with a fancy Overwater and it sounded like a dog...and it played like one. A friend of mine also has had one made and that is far more the ticket and was a very nice instrument indeed. I don't believe there is much different regards QC between the two bar personal spec, but one guy knew what he was doing with it and the other didn't have a clue. There is a lot that is subjective about all this but some people don't seem to help themselves. My basses are all set up light so I don't fight it at all, whereas some peoples basses are heavy and dull...by my perspective.. and I couldn't play them in a million years so therefore wouldn't want to and I could tell that within seconds of picking it up. Maybe my basses are terrible for them, but them I am not the one unhappy with it all. I can't see me selling my two main basses as I have them to fit me, IMO. What on earth would make me change, I just cannot think at this time.

I agree, its free and you get problem transactions anywhere. I have only had smooth deals here but am hardly prolific and mostly a buyer anyway, but I'd think it lucky to have these conditions but wouldn't expect it. I can understand feeling a bit put out being a taxi, but the deal isn't through until the goods are exchanged so there can be work to be done.

I guess they would say that... I suppose it comes down to what your perceive your relationship with them is like. I must say my dealings with the Gallery and Bass Merchant seem pretty straight forward..as in they do what they say they can.

I think you need to rediscover the joy of playing..and that can take a hit from time to time. You could have hsd your fill of it over a long period of time, or just gotten depressed about the perceived standard of playing. You need to find new jollies. Search out a style or technique or skill and find something that resonates and then set up a regime to get after it. I think you need to set aside an hour a day for this..and it can seem a chore but until you get past this hiccup, you can't really move on with much purpose. It actually took a long break for me to rediscover my enthusiam/mojo etc ... and now I think I am on track to be better than I have been for ages. It takes effort and focus though... so you have to plan to work at it, IME

I don't learn parts as such most of the time ..I just get to know how the songs goes, so once I have that framework of chords and arrangment, I put my lines in...trying to work with the drum part and other players. This way the song is invaribly instantly tight, IMO, as I am not fighting a part, I am creating it within the realm of the cover. This keeps me amused and also on my toes. If I know where the tunes needs to go, I can get there easily enough Of course, I have to pay lipservice to what the bass part is trying to do...but I am not a slave to having to learn it thoroughly and therefore get bored with it. It is a bit pretentious to say the part is a living thing, but it does kind of evolve and change. The bonus being I don't have to really take a whole lot of notice of players on the tracks that I don't have much in common with or even like. Works for me.... I think, I can make most rhythm sections work very quickly this way.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1187227' date='Apr 3 2011, 10:54 PM']...THINKING! I genuinely thought that it'd be like meeting up with an old girlfriend and she wasn't quite as nice/good as you remembered but it brought back all of the good things that I remembered of the 250 combos. Considering I'm only getting about 170-180w into the 8ohm load I'm seriously thinking that I'd have enough power to compete with the guitards and then DI for FOH. We'll see what happens when I try it with the band. [/quote] I think you should think [b]long[/b] and hard about getting back with your girlfriend...and that will give me time to save up load of pennies.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1187088' date='Apr 3 2011, 08:58 PM']I'm thinking of selling my Thunderfunk and pair of Aggies! [/quote] RED ALERT

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1187157' date='Apr 3 2011, 10:06 PM']Dub reggae for a start. [/quote] maybe... but then that falls into the bassy and no character camp, IMO. but you don't need a pup there for that sound either So, yes, not a fan of that position at all as you might have guessed but if the OP thinks he can carry it off, then no worries on my part.

Don't really know but I talked about this with Martin Sims when he was building his basses with a multipickup design and not one was placed near the neck. He got all range of sounds from P-bass-to Jazz to various MM types so I am at odds to what useabable sound you could get The point being that the sounds of all those bass is pretty critical with the pup placement which is why a jazz can't get a P-bass sound as the pup is in the wrong place ect ect ... It may get close, but there are degrees of cigar, IMV. Not a lot of help really....but I'd expect it to be pretty bassy without any character just my 2p.

Seem a few plec players do that sort of thing...so they can get the slap type pull-off.

Looks nice and tidy. 2x12..?

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1184990' date='Apr 1 2011, 04:55 PM']You'll be surprised at how well heard these poxy wee lightwieght gadgets are. I have a Markbass 2x10 combo & play with a loud drummer & 2 noisy guitarists & have no problem being heard.[/quote] Really rate this combo but on its own it is not enough if using my mates one the other day in anger was anything to go by. I didn't feel I could really push it ( not being mine ) and I am sure it would cope with most things with a cab underneath though. On it own..?? hmmm.

[quote name='icastle' post='1185503' date='Apr 2 2011, 03:05 AM']+1 As an 'aside' to the regular covers band, we formed a little splinter group. We take songs apart, rearrange them, change the instrumentation and have no qualms about rewriting portions of the song. It's been a long process and a real gamble, but we're getting repeat bookings and a nice little following now. Audiences like it enough to sing along and dance and it's quite entertaining watching the realisation dawn on their faces as they realise they know the song but can't quite put their finger on it...[/quote] Not something that most bands want or are up to do tho, and the audiences can take their time getting to know anything but an easy listen. I woudl imagine this took longer than a year or two to get a decent following and probably the same to re-write the songs

Depends on your monitoring and whether the PA has decent side fills. Small pubs deffo overkill..large stages...?? needs to look the part. If you need more than one there, your PA isn't spec'ed well enough. Seriously, most bass playes have more than 300watts on tap in small venues even if they don't use it. The 'usual' is a 500w amp into 4 ohms..300 into 8...typically, if you were to canvass most on here

Depressing. If a player wasn't in the original line up, sematics says he is covering a part. You need a degree of talent to sell your act which ever genre you may pursue. Cover bands often take the easy way out with choices of material etc etc ..but there are a few round here worth seeing...and that includes the dep line-up of standards as that will include a few choice grooves and spins that make a line and song work. The players are mostly deent..and if they aren't it doesn't work. Tribute bands take an easier route and trade off on a polular theme...they still need to cut it as far as their audince goes, though. I have seen as many poor tributes as covers though...thinking Pink Floyd here Jazzers...good and bad.. Originals...well, if you can't play...it is harder to notice as you have no reference So what we are left with is if you get paid, you are worth it to the venue..the rest is a subsidy or pay per play. If you get out and about and listen to local music, you will come across who does what and like it or not. I don't pretend that a band that pulls enough to gross £6000 a night over a bar is the best band around, but the landlord sure loves them..and the band has been going long enough to have that following and they will have something going for them That..we are told is the benchmark round here... but how that same band would cope out of their comfort zone and playing circle..who knows..? Criteria and opnions..who'd have it..???

I have an irrational NEED for a 212 and a 610.. I don't need them and am happy with my current rig and will not have a use for them for 95% of the time but this will not go away. Hmmmm

Well, funnily enough, I am going to go the opposite way as I think I'll need and want a 610. It will not come out often and I will need to arrange alternative transport maybe, but I can't go on these stages with a weedy 12" or two, I'm afraid. Hopefully, I am in the minority and I'll pick up a bargain. As long as it has wheels, it might start to fit the bill.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1184758' date='Apr 1 2011, 02:22 PM']That's an observation worth noting, BTW. One of the best ways to build up exactly the following that the OP refers to is to break in to the handful of genuinely premier music pubs, the places where people go on a Saturday night simply because they know that, whoever the band is, they'll be good because the landlord only books good bands.[/quote] We have targeted what we consider the best places of the local towns/cities round here. The best, as far as we are concerned, are big places that aren't a sqeeze for the band, pay reasonable monies and are manily town pubs which means lots of passing trade. Once they ( punters) are in, it is upto the band to keep them... and the landlord doesn't want his accrued punters to walk so he IS discerning and goes with what he knows and wants. But, once you get in.. then the favour is returned as he supplies you with a market that you haven't had to trawl that many dives for. The downside is that that venue might 'encourage' you not to play locally on his patch and it is up to the two parties concerned to work out if this suits. Personally, if the 'premier' venue..and all landlords would say that, btw..ha ha .. is indeed that, then we are happy with this 'exclusivity' deal..but again..it has to cut both ways. He might have to offer us 4 gigs a year for us not to play his local competition and that seems reasonable. We are a relatively new band so have had to go in on the low side money-wise..£200-240, for the whole year but will talk to the landlord if it works well by our second gig. If you do well for him/her, then another £40-60 a night is not an issue..if he is doing £3000 of takings. You just need a fair arrangment with the venue. They don't mind paying if they are earning..but breaking through is the hard part. If the landlords can't get that last part....the relationship/trust goes downhill somewhat.