JTUK

I just can't for the life of me see this as being anywhere near playable... I can't see it being anything but cheap and nasty and something to put back down as soon as you have picked it up I must be doing something wrong You guys sure it isn't badged a Gibson..?

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1131880' date='Feb 18 2011, 09:47 AM']Well it's a decent enough bass for £60, there's loads of uses for it. It's always handy to have a cheap bass knocking about. Yeah, everybody buying one is a bit of a fad and there are better basses for similar money floating about on eBay, but i guess we all have disposable income and it is going to a charity. Not the best basses in the world, or even at that price range, but fun and i can think of worse ways to spend £60. I just have to resist the cream strat they have in my local branch, it looks lovely![/quote] Aplogies if it is in a good cause. You can tell I skipped 23 odd pages.

If I had to recall a sound of his, it would be Brass in pocket and that was a lively string sound played with a pick. I would start with the MB flat on the main controls and use the filters but I doubt you will get there as the sharp attack sound is the pick at work. Not much you can do to imitate that with fingers, IME.. unless you can get a nail in there. You may be able to thumb it...but unless you use that technique, you'll have to learn it, and if you do that..you may as well do that with a pick. Great sound, btw.

I have stayed out of this...but a bass for £60 that isn't in a skip...???? really..??

[quote name='crez5150' post='1131826' date='Feb 18 2011, 08:35 AM']I wouldn't say it was easy at all.... but there are tiers of different functions.... Alot of the Corporate work we pick up is because we go the extra mile where other bands don't or agencies can't be arsed..... Agencies are a complete waste of time IMO. In 5 years of the current function band I'm with we have had 4 bookings through agents and all were absolute nightmare. It's not the fact that corporations cannot be arsed with the hassel, most of the people I work with are very much on your case for the engagements. It's more the point that they know they are getting what they pay for, they know that we turn up when asked and provide everything they need to have a successful function/product launch/lick off meeting... whatever it is. They don't want the local pub band turning up at half past six in the evening and carrying all their equipment through a crowded room of dinner guests. Why do you think that the market has settled??[/quote] I say it is easy to do function work but accept that can be a glib remark as I don't go out of my way to get them. When they come in, we made a distinct decision to do them ONLY if the money or gig was right. We don't even have a function set as such and are not interested in getting one. The only one who is is the drumemr but then he brings so few gigs in anyway, we tend to do them if they sound like a good night for us. We only do weddings for freinds. I am sure there are bands who want them more than we do and they are welcome to them, personally. When I say hassle, you are talking about a company booker who may not really knew their music so from that respect I can understand why they would go with something that works and has been successful in the past. Yes..agents...ha ha !! I always want them to turn up and pay me..just so they can see what they may have lumbered us with.. but again, don't use them anymore. As for bands turning up at the wrong time..that is just basic... First questions you should ask when booked for a function. Where, what time, dress code and how much for how long... I say the market has settled as those prices I have given are the most easy to obtain once you have listened to the enquiry in the first instance. As there are so many new venues cropping up...only just replacing older ones that have died off, mainly, it is often that we will have to help out the organiser...get them bands and point them in the right direction. Have had to do this for a few places and one of them last year was a very successful beer festival and they really do things well, but they don't know about the music side at all...things like hiring in a PA and lights...stage, power supply...etc etc even the names of a few decent bands. Last night, a few of the musos in the pub agreed that the area is really quite vibrant for music...so not all bad..far from it.

[quote name='Phil Starr' post='1131809' date='Feb 18 2011, 07:56 AM']Bands have a choice here surely. Form a tribute band if you want to make money and pick up bookings, because everyone knows what they are getting. Play all the old favourite covers if you want regular work and an instant audience reaction and become a genre band if you want something in between. At the other end of the scale you can keep your integrity, be creative and play originals but there is no ready made market or audience and you risk struggling for gigs money and audience reaction. We've decided as a band to play covers but to choose the songs we like playing and do best and take the hit in terms of pay. We don't do weddings/parties unless someone particularly wants us because we aren't a dance band. My worry is that with a limited range of instant recognition songs and a lack of imagination from promoters and bands we are going down a blind alleyway. Pub band down here means mainly 70's/80's rock covers with a bit of more modern guitar music chucked in. If you don't like this or the genre band (blues,punk/ska etc.) then you don't go to the pub when there is a band on. Pubs are closing down or stopping music due to a lack of punters but no-one is offering the range of music which might draw in new audiences. It's as if every restaurant in the country decided that as Chicken Tikka (Mustang Sally)is our favourite food and they were all only serving curry from now on. We need to be more outward looking if we want a vibrant live music scene. There's nothing wrong with Mustang Sally, it is the folk music of our times, nostalgic and comfortable but it is a bit sad to see a bunch of musicians born in the 80's only playing songs written before they were born.[/quote] Yes.. I was out with Beedster last night and we went to a local pub where the brewery sponsors the music, IIRC Incidently, this brewery is very active generally musically and will be opening a music venue soon ......and we have the opening night spot... but they are a big help to music venues as they sponsor/encourage their stable of pubs. so credit to them there. The band last night was a standard blues band with a twist..all good players .. and the evening worked well. The local scene here is indeed dominated by 70/80's rock acts but that is the limitations of the bands or their outlook, IMV. 3 or 4 piece bands are limited in what they can cover sound-wise and that is before you even get to play. There are some very good 4 piece bands that do well enough to pull people in but it can't help a pub that is struggling if you get the same band set most music nights. When I am touting for gigs, I am always asked what we play... I generally cite the more popular names, Weller, Pretenders, Talking Heads, The Who...etc but those names alone are normally enough to get us a date. At first, I thought it was standard fare, but having been a lot more active of the circuit lately in taking an interest in GETTING the gigs..rather than let someone else do it all...and getting out and seeing other bands, I am struck by the sameness of the genre and numbers being played.. I think this firmly an issue for the bands.. and I would say, if you want to stand out..then play a stand-out set..in every respect.

[quote name='crez5150' post='1131791' date='Feb 18 2011, 07:06 AM']Not really... but I guess it depends on what your view of success is...... be that packing out the pub, or winning the contact to do all the entertainment work for a large corporation.....[/quote] Everyone knows that to do decent function work, you have to make the effort if that is what you want/have to do. Also, function work is so easy... line up the songs, play them reasonably well and you can't fail. If an event fails, it is more likely marketing rather than the band..but that does assume the band can play, of course. I can see why an events organiser would want to use the same bands as they need to know that the band can cut it at every level.. but why a corporation would want the same, hmmmm not sure.... same band, same sort of clientelle, it smalcks of someone no wanting the hassle of knowing the bands they book... so pass it over to an decent and trusted agent Around here, resonable functions bands can get £1000 for the night, with not much more than a dressed up dancey pub set...and not much longer either. the more sorted ones, by quite some way, will talk about £1600 plus.. Getting it all the time, is less easy. For that, you'll have to be prepared to travel a lot. Personally, if I do function work, the first question is always how much..?? but I don't want to do it very often. It seems the market has kind of settled, and there are tiers of payments. £200 is startup money in a decent pub...£280 is a good drawing band..and £350 is the same in a BIG pub. £350 is mate's rates for a pub set party. £500 is an normal pub set function and £1000 is for a decent event for 2 plus hrs.

White, mint, tort in red or white...but the least fave in this colour scheme, IMV, would be the red tort. Having said that...it really doesn't suck, I just prefer the others, if it were me. And.. if you are going tort, get a decent plate made up..and not the very cheap off the shelf ones, IMO. There is a world of difference, I think.

[quote name='4000' post='1130955' date='Feb 17 2011, 01:11 PM'] Genius! The thing is, how many popular songs are there out there? How many that could potentially go down a storm? Hundreds of thousands? So why do many cover bands have a set list 99% the same as each other? I personally suspect this perception is perpetuated by cover bands themselves, not punters.[/quote] For sure, it is a lack of imagination at least, IMV..the need to play safe.. why..?? If I talk to a lot of my freinds when they ask about what do we play, I tell them and they always sound positive. When you ask what they like these days... their tastes are hugely varied and no one says 60's Stax/Atlantic RnB etc etc ( nothing wrong with those numbers, of course, in themselves) and yet, that is the staple diet round here. The younger bands will do KOL and the like. We just do what we like. Of course, you need one ear on what is a good song and what will work, but something different just means we can be a slow burner on a gig.. but by the end of it, all is forgiven ha ha !! That has been our experience so we trust our choices and we need to want to play it as well. What other bands chose to do is up to them..but being much of a muchness can mean you are popular----ish from day one, but then people go off you as they hear the set so often. Very simplistic, but that is the way I find it.

I agree that the SL NEO's look pricey. Personally, I'll give them a miss until they get some time in as I am not convinced by NEO's at this time. I think Warwickhunt has put a lot of time AB'ing his DB's and still uses them so that tells you a lot, I think. But, of course, the sound may not be for you but coming from Eden..I don't think you'll be far off. Eden always had that mid bias but in a different place to say, SWR.. so I would expect a deeper fuller bass from the 12's over your 10's and a tad less mids. I would expect this to be an exciting matchup of Eden and Ag cabs.. I would certainly like to hear it.

Sounds like you are going to have fun... 8X10 how loud do I have to shout it...ha ha ..!!!

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1130850' date='Feb 17 2011, 12:18 PM']The thing is, most decent 2x12s (the neo kind) are around 52-55lbs+. With the Berg, you lose the 'casters' option so its a dead lift. The Neo X 212T is 52lbs, and has the tilt back wheels, which does help. The DB212 is 70lbs. Its no lightweight cabinet, but I imagine the sound it produces is associated with the box size and the wood its made from. The difference of 52lbs-70lbs might seem like a lot, but its not a huge huge amount, especially when you factor in casters, handle placement, etc. Some neo cabinets, like the Genz Uber 212, (which I have heard excellent reports about) are almost the same weight (63lbs), but they have a larger box than the other neo cabs, and more ommph I guess. Its a game of give and take.[/quote] Good points, G... I like the idea of tilt back and casters on these min stacks. Seriously thinking about getting a SWR 6x10 that crop up here from time to time...although I have never needed it so far. But I have a few festival stages this years, so..??? uh oh..I feel GAS a'coming..!!!

I would definitely love a DB212, but my compromise would be the 2xDB112 for carry and space. 2 GS112's do indeed sound SOOO much better than the single, IMO. In fact, I'd go as far to say I probably wouldn't recommend a single GS112, but 2 cater for my loud band and really fill out the bottom end should you want it to.

[quote name='Marvin' post='1130027' date='Feb 16 2011, 06:30 PM']I don't think not wanting to play certain songs has anything to do with snobbery. It's more to do with not wanting to play/murder/get bored/become suicidal over songs that have plagued clubs and pubs for nearly half a century. From what I saw on NYE's it's only women of a certain age and of a certain alcohol intake that dance to these supposed standards. It's not about wanting to play obscure stuff to 'educate' punters. I left a band after half a dozen practices as they were insistent on playing All Right Now. Why? Have some imagination. Give the audience some credit. Play popular but not obvious. I also think it's somewhat lazy of supposedly self professed 'good musicians' to be playing predictable sets I see a lot of them around my way. One guy around my way thinks he's a great performer and said to me one night "we do All Right Now but give it our own spin". Yeah, he f@cking murders it and it sounds dreadful, because it is a good song unfortunately massacred by 40 years of weekend warriors.[/quote] I'll go with this....but by the same token I don't care. Our set is our set...and it isn't loaded with standards, I don't think, and we aren't going to play what so many other bands play for the simple reasons, we don't need to or want to. For example, I am trying to ditch Talking Heads version of 'Take me to the river' which is along the same lines as Mustrang Sally for popular round here, IMO.. Heard it enough and played it enough, thanks.. We originally did it for a function and it has hung around, unfortunately. We get enough gigs and we get a good response and we are happy with that. If I dep a gig and the standards come up then I'll play them as well as I can, I'll just be thankful I don't have to do that week-in week-out. You either get booked doing what you do, or you don't...your call, but one or two places round here have banned lists of certain numbers and Mustang is on it, as it happens. In fact she did not used to book bands who played it. It shouldn't be beyond some bands to play what they like well enough to win a crowd round but I get fed up playing certain songs so I doubt I'll be that knocked out to hear others do them to death. I don't know what that makes me, but when I watch a band I am a punter as well...so...???

Shame about the BD212. I'd be inclined to do 2 DB112 as a close match but not a cheap way to do it unless you can get 2 for £600 SH..which is not easy. If I saw them for that money, I'd be buying as well. The AE212 sounds interesting but too new for SH prices. I think 2 40lbs/20 kgs lifts is acceptable and that would be ceramics. Neo would be a better weight save, possibly. Don't know about GB Neo's but 12's from Epi, EBS etc should be on the right lines, IMO, maybe.

We don't do the popular covers, that is for pick-up bands that can do something with a number but don't have the time together to do much else. Our gig isn't a dep gig as such and we approach it by playing numbers well ( we hope ) rather than being too populist. It does concern me that we might loose a few through playing more obscure numbers but then in chats with people, they like the sound of the numbers we attempt rather than going to see the same sets played by all and sundry. I guess we please ourselves and pick the numbers we want to play rather than be dictated to and atm, I am backing our choices. Once we have the people in, then I back us to keep them, but it is crossing that line for a new band..in as a few of our gigs are first dates.. rather than being known and being good that is the biggest thing, IMO. If anyone suggests a number that is too 'circuit' we are likely to out it for that reason alone. Do I have any worries that we will do ok with this tactic..? no, not at all...although we will have to bend more for functions

And from me. I use them in two basses and the basses sound good passive, IMO. The pre can liven things up on stage and you really don't need to go mad with the tweaks to get very good results. The tone shaping possibilities can be extreme, but you don't need them flat out at all...just a notch here or there and your sound is up another level in live situations, IMO.

Bonus... Enjoy..!!

[b]Doddy[/b] You're right, my posts are all about the money because that is what I go to work for... and that what this hobby full-time becomes, IME. Getting up at 08:00 and travelling the lenght of Austria and most of Germany in a day for a show and then heading most of the way back a few days later gets to anyone..certainly me. I agree, I am too old to want to do it now and even if I get offered a nice weekender abroad and am looked after nicely, I wouldn't want to be doing it for too long. The few days are enough. Don't get me wrong..I'll really enjoy it and get a buzz, but that can get numb sometimes. It is like anything..do it to death or just plain too much and it becomes a pain...to me, anyway. As for running up and down the M1 because I have to make that money..it is not for me. I think I am pretty well networked around here and I know the guys find it tough. I know what they charge and I know what they earn... their tax returns might enable them to keep more of less though..that is the nature of self-employed, limted companies My plan is to give up work altogether as soon as poss not have to run myself into the ground doing this stuff for bills. There are some success stories for sure..but there is also an unglamourous side as I am sure you will know. If I faced redundancy, I'd probably have to consider it as well if I couldn't back into my job market. I have always been pretty serious about music but I like too many other things as well and a golf and skiing habit does not come cheap. You play your cards the way you want them, though. For the OP..if it is something he wants to do then do it...just know there are two sides to the story. The only point I have been trying to make is that it isn't easy and it isn't always great.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1127773' date='Feb 14 2011, 10:42 PM']I should add that I've got a mate that has no problems making a living as a gigging musician and lives life to the max; managing to combine snowboarding with Alpine residencies in a band during the Winter season and surfing and Butlins during the Summer (OK Butlins is stretching it) and he wouldn't have it any other way. Am I jealous? Many times I am but would I swap... I'll tell you when it's too late! [/quote] hmmm sounds ok if you are 22 and what does he really earn? It might support his current lifestyle but it is the lifestyle of a poor singleton, I'd say. Lives cheaply and rented, banger car and ok for a few years. I wonder what he will think when he sees his mate who has plodded along with the council fo 20 yers with a decent house, family, pension, ect etc.. a very young man's normadic game. A friend of mine plays a quality tribute band and he goes all over the world, Auz, Brazil, Ukraine and the gigs sound very nice but he is never at home. I think it is like football... only really really works if you have made great money and can retire on your stash early and play at music for the rest of your career as you really don't need to do anything else. I only know a handful of people who have done this successfully....and there are varying degres of that..you still see them turn up for £50 gigs which may or may not be fun for them...and these are people with very impressive CV's.. Sorry fr being so cynical, but this has been my experience. Do it by all means but know the bigger picture....just my 2p..

1st bass Fender Musicmaster Go to bass Sei Jazz5 RW My bass Sei Jazz5 RW I currently have 3 basses and use 2 all the time

I would add that this job can get very gutty....just like any other so you need to keep your work head on. Plus knocking yourself out travelling all over to make the money is one thing at 25... not so easy or as attractive as you get older. Could you stand being out 4 nights a week and travelling 400 miles to and from a gig..??? and more to the point, could your missues and family? I learned the hard way..there is a lot ot be said for a solid 9-5 at a decent salary and then music is a release. You can go off music pretty damn quick if that is what you have to do all the time. To make this work, you'll need a function band that can pull £1600 plus per gig, IMO, for a 4 man band, or multiple of £400 per man for anything larger, which in itself isn't that hard..and you'll need to be doing them most weeks the year...which really is. Getting the good payers one-off isn't really the problem so much, be it sessions or this gig or that if you are good enough and plugged into the right netwwork of players Marriage/relationship-wrecker

By posting something, this puts that thread at the head of that forum..so bump generally means bump to the top of the forum.

Work back from what you want to make a year..and then fill in the weekly work needed to make that. You will prorbaly find you need a big payer per week...so that might be £250 per man on a wedding/corporate gig. You will then need to fill up the other nights with pub work at say, £50 per head. You are now getting close to around £350 pw... you could do a bit of teaching and make that £450.. The problem is working up to this figure... plus pulling all that work week in, week out, 50 weeks a year.. That is where it is not easy

Synth stuff is very hard to get close to..of course, but I recall Jimmy Haslip making a decent fist of it on a live show but it would take one or two very good keys to make sense of the top end of the track, IMV. If it doesn't, it is too much for the bass to do otherwise. Funny how the bass player might get the blame for the groove not working tho...