JTUK

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1476173121' post='3151868'] You say that TimR, Blue but if you don't like or are indifferent about the music you're playing how can you infuse it with that most important of elements, feel!. I've been in this situation enough times and never stayed long. I'd rather be gigless than play stuff I don't like. [/quote] I think it is important to be picky about what you play...and the reason I do it is because I've gotten past the stage where the enjoyment of just playing is enough. That ship has long sailed so I need or want to be choosy about the gig. To this end, I'll do a few pubs that are decent enough gigs..OR, ... by doing that pub date, we get offered a better festival date from them later. The winter is a tick-over period where you target the better pubs/venues to keep you going and keep you in mind. The spring is all about jockeying for position for the summer dates that are in abundance. Most of the pubs we do...will have a beer festival or weekend event done properly where the better bands get paid party type money. These will have stages, Marquees and hire-in P.A's so there will be a ticket charge to make it work. The one or two pubs that don't charge are subsidised by the Breweries but their takings are going to be much better than Xmas takings...by some way, so they can afford to have weekend budgets of around £2k plus. These are examples of the better pubs you target but they amount to less than 10 probably. You wont do every place with the same band but you might even be booked to be in two line-ups at the same venue. Depends how well regarded the line-up is by the booker. And yes, of course, it is sometimes jobs for the boys.and very very tough to break into otherwise, but you've worked hard to get to that point and your credit should be good. And most of the bands on these bills will not be flogging themselves round the circuit.. they will cherry pick the better gigs. This is called 'harvesting' the bill/rosta But, this works because you aren't wanting to be out every week as there aren't enough of these types of gigs, so if you have the contact, you determine the line-up with the band leader and you keep the gig. The other benefit of this is because these outfits are not out all the time, the gigs are rarer and get more interest. The downside is the line-ups have to be more fluid as the full timers are looking to fill their diary and might not be available...but because the gig is known as being a good gig, they will want to do them. Bit OT, but there you go..

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1476104187' post='3151277'] That it is! Why not join in next time? [/quote] what alternative to Soundcloud..

To me, the DB212 can is tough to beat..very tough, but I run 2 S112's as a lightweight rig. I power them with a Demeter, as opposed to the DB750 with the DB212 and I get quite close. I make allowances for the lighter rig but if I didn't have the A rig, I might not have quite as strong opinion as wouldn't have that reference to hand. I did try a 1126 in a test but had no where near the time on them...and I do like the Mid aspect of the S112 with a horn. I always run them paired and wanted them as a light compact option. Tbh, I didn't need to consider the 1126.

My thought would be for Phil Jones... and that is where I would start to tick off the options.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1476104144' post='3151275'] Could be that I'm too old but I wouldn't want to haul any of the three cab combinations up 3 flights of stairs. Both the DB212 and the DB410 are fairly 'serious' lifts and lugging a DB112 in each hand is going to get you a set of gorilla arms pretty quickly Not too bad with the DB112 if you make two trips (which I'm guessing you'd need to anyway to carry bass, amp cables etc). The new Aggie SL410 is a great cab and fairly easy to shift around, although any 410 is going to be a bit bulky in a tight stairwell. Unfortunately it's over £1,250 so quite an expensive option vs a DB410. We had a customer recently who tested a Streamliner into SL112's, DB112's and a pair of TKS112's. He found the DB's didn't pair brilliantly given the sound he was after and thought the SL's still sounded a bit too 'neo'. He left with the TKS (in a very funky snakeskin finish). [b]I think your stage volume is an important consideration here. If you're in the PA and only using cabs for monitoring and partial foh sound then the DB410 is overkill. Conversely the TKS cabs are going to run out of steam at very high volume because they are relatively small, lightweight, boxes and the drivers have a lower rating.[/b] Going modular with a couple of smaller lighter cabs will do wonders to preserve your back in the longer run though and give you options for small gig/rehearsal situations too. [/quote] I was thinking this as well.... BUT I haven't been able to run out of room yet and I've run the Demeter 800 at around 2 o'clock on the dial, (not sure what that means in terms of output) but that is getting pretty loud. Tbh, I don't think the 2 cabs have that much more to go but I'm not up for finding out either, tbh.. I have to wear plugs at that volume and with the band that I've done that with, I don't think we've given enough thought on the sound anyway. But it is not my gig, I just go with it. However, the cabs are loud enough, IMO, I think a TH500 is a good match as I ran one with the TKS cabs, but the real game changer, IMO, is that these cabs just sound very nice and strong in the mids but without that NEO presense/hump-call it what you will, which I'm not so much a fan of. In that sense, the are full down below and have a strong mid presense. They aren't as full as say, Ag GS112's but they don't lose definition across the strings, where I found the GS cabs got a little lost.-for me. In that sense, I feel a DB112 and TKS S112 would be in the same sort of tone area... Call me a fan if you like... but these are little tone monsters, IMO...and seem to be sympathetic to quite a few amps. (TH, Demeter and Thunderfunk, IME)

I used 2 TKS112 cabs outside up against a loud drummer and 5150 gtr..and my sound reached further back on the Camera we recorded it on.. (where the sound was mixed by stage/backline only as we were running Vox only thru the P.A) So, these things run very well, IMO.... After using them for 2 years, I think they are very well thought out, well designed and built cabs and they have always done whatever I've asked of them... I've not found their limit yet.... but having said that, I'm glad about that...AND I always need to use plugs on my ears so these gigs are too loud, IMO. I'd describe my sound as FULL but not deep ( as in bassy)... and these cabs continue to surprise me.

[quote name='countjodius' timestamp='1476048406' post='3150880'] Interesting! How do you find the weight/portability (i.e. will do myself a hernia carrying it up to my 3rd floor apartment?!). I see some 212 users saying they wish they'd opted for the modular 2 x 112 for transporting. I love the DB 751, but unfortunately portability is more of a consideration for the domestic gigs! The STM 900 is in the ballpark though for a class D, so could maybe work well with the DB 410 also! Cheers for the info so far! Any other experiences? [/quote] My A rig is a DB rig and the DB212 is indeed a a belting cab... BUT not for 3 flights of stairs, I'm afraid. I use TKS S112's for a light modular rig and they are great little cabs and light to boot...(10kg) I'd put them up against the DB112's as a consideration but without AB'ing them, I've a feeling I'd stick with the TKS112's... Having said that, I prefer the DB212 with the DB750 amp...( but haven't tried the swap the amp/cab combos around yet, and I do LIKE the DB212. IF the DB112 x 2 was the same sound, I might go for that but I feel it would be close and not something I'd swap now, since I have already bought them.. If I was in the market, I would seriously be trying to hear them side by side. I know of a pair or Bergs going for sale.... I believe they are ceramics and HS112's In our little review, ..which you could find on here, we A'B'd SL112, CN112 and S112 and the TKS came out of top..and that is very good company indeed, IMO.

I run 2xS112s with a 800w amp, and they go loud enough. I run the 800w amp pretty hard and never had a problem but if I think the gig is iffy with regards to volume I use a DB212 and 750. But that is more the way I play and I'm sure most other players wouldn't need that consideration I rated the SL112's but chose the TKS for sound, and they are lighter too, I believe, which was a nice bonus.

No reason why the £ has dived...unless you trade in currency, of course. these people don't much care what the excuse is, just that they can get away with redistribution of 'wealth' which they make a killing on.. This thing called 'confidence'...........hmmm. But sure, back OT, £3k for a Metro is silly, just as £3k on CS is a con.

Good fun

I picked up the bass and the first thing I wanted to do was play gigs... never thought much else about it, that was what you did. It still drives me on today and if I had no gig prospects there would be no point. I've put the bass down before for around 18 months when I became very jaded, and took no gigs at all and therefore never picked it up. I've slowly recovered that ground, (as they find someone else, of course) so now I take gigs that I fancy rather than have to do. There is a fine line between blowing out a good band thru one or two poor gigs but by and large I do the gigs I want to do with the people I want to play with because it keeps me interested. I like music ---can get very passionate about it-- but it is not all consuming anymore. I need a reason to get up there. I'm not at all showy in an overt look at me stage though. I just do it for me....

If I had £3k ear marked for a bass it wouldn't be going anywhere near a Metro. Yes, we need a revote, so we can have nice cheap basses what were people thinking..!!!

I'd expect 20 years plus without missing a beat... but only if you buy quality in the 1st place

I do what I do... not looking to rip anything too much so the most I'll do it give the original a nod, but I am not interested in emulating very closely.

Far more than you'd think would be my guess. I hear this said a lot about BC.

Sounds like Melvin Davis. Presense, but not a strong top, scoop, jazz and new strings.

I've started with Moondance many a time, but it is generally a throwaway number unless the band can really do something with it. I'd call it a jazzer which may or may not have its place... it definitely depends what you are trying to do... or if you have even thought it thru..!!

If your circle is cosy, and you don't meet a lot of others players, you may not know what you need. I see this a lot at a local level where guys are doing it totally by ear when they could really do with knowing more than jamming a 12 bar and not too well. I advise people to get out of 'their' comfort zone as this will likely show up where you may be short. If you are known outside of your town by good players who work a lot, it will be apparent what you need to know and be able to do because you wont work with them otherwise, These aren't your mates who tolerate you, they have choices of a lot of people.... If you don't give a damn about that, then no problem, but if you only have a very small circle of friends you play with, I feel this can be very very limiting. if you want to push on. It is certainly not the root to getting good dep gigs either, IMO.

I had a cab drop from nearly that sort of height and it was the speakers that were damaged. The amp would have been unscathed had not the jack lead rammed into the pre stage ... but otherwise it would have survived the 'drop' I'd be very nervous of the chassis' myself. But assuming the cab isn't damaged, you should be able to drive it from that ext socket..IF you unplug the input lead.. But all this is not ideal, IMO.. good luck

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1475918954' post='3149712'] Bit of a yawn here, I am afraid. In a perfect world it would be nice to learn music theory as it would make make my bass playing easier plus I would have greater understanding of what I actually do and why I do it. Unfortunately I don't have time as I have other, equally demanding aspects of my life away from music. But[b] I get by perfectly well - I play in two bands where I would say the level of musicianship is pretty high and my lack of theory doesn't hold me back, nor does it matter to my band mates. In one band the guitarist sight reads and is one of the most gifted amateur guitarists I have heard, the keyboard player is a music teacher. Yes, it slows me down during the learning process but, importantly, once I am there I believe I can play what I need to play as well as anyone. If I couldn't I wouldn't be able maintain my spot as bassist in those bands as they would find someone better. [/b] So for me, the type of music I play and the situations in which I find myself musically, it doesn't really matter and the extra effort involved in learning music theory doesn't seem necessary. I suspect a lot of us are in a similar position. [/quote] In some bands the guys wouldn't have the time or inclination to wait whilst you got it but it can't be a problem in your outfit as they'd use someone else otherwise. There are plenty of pick-up bands that do the gig on the spot... you don't know the set, you have a large repetoire of songs you know ...but you've never played and you are given the key or a pad. You probably haven't ever met half the band-- these are the situations that you need to nail if you want to play with other guys that can do that. And the reason you'd probably want to do this is because most of the good guys inhabit this territory, IME Having said that... there is always some very talented guy who breaks all the rules and just does it his way.. The more tricks you have, the more bases you can cover..? Reading 'fly-sh*t' doesn't mean you can play tho' either so you get known for what you can carry off..when the heat is on.

Two good examples of thought would be Good Souls and Come together. This former is a powerhouse with the right band and says the band means business and the latter is a well known tune which you sound check too. I don't think you need 'popular' as such as long as the opening number is a statement... if only to say to people, stick around, the band is worth watching and listening to.

As always it depends what gigs you want to do. Essentially, you need the tools to do that 'job' and it depends who or how that job is defined. If you have both and are a balanced player you wont lose gigs because you have both, but you might if you only have one of them. If you are in fast and quick dep situations, you'll need to know what you are doing ..sometimes on the fly and knowing what lines will work against a chord chart is pretty key, IMO... You may not have time to work it out as the song has already been counted in...

No.... Carlsbro and HH were indeed a pile of pooh...so much so, that Peavey became the preferred option. I think my first gear was Selmer and a Voz 18..but both had seen much better days. I had marshall which was a gtr amp really and swapped it for a Hiwatt which was MUCH better. Thankfully, I avoided having to use Carlsbro and HH and seeing them in the local rehearsal studio brings back memories of them being totally woeful. No wonder Trace Elliot did really well..and even then, only because they were the least worst, IMO. So, today...we don't know how lucky we are.... even if there are still some amps I wouldn't use to rehearse or practice with...

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1475840502' post='3149105'] The most padded version Roqsolid do is I think 5mm. That's what I had on my Compact and BB2. It's similar to the TKS one, to give you an idea. It'll protect casual gentle bumps but that's it. However, most of us don't have the luxury of employing roadies so that's probably ok during transport. For me the problems with the 'tuffcab' finish came when the cabs were in use actually. Someone bangs a stand against it, or a hard case, and you can get a chip on the finish. Easy to touch up, but not the most durable. I used to have a TC Electronic RS210 years ago. If you want a pretty looking cab, that is not the best to go for. It acquired marks amazingly fast, and I tried to be careful! One of the options for the Roqsolid covers include a 'sleeve' where you can add a rigid board for further protection, but I think they only do it on the front, for cloth-grille cabs I suppose. Still, they're just covers, they will never offer the kind of protection that a hardcase would, which is what you'd use if you relied on other people loading and unloading your van... and they'll negate any kind of advantage that a light/compact rig would offer. [/quote] All my cabs have padded covers and they do ok with a defecting bump. More than that and I'd be wary especially against the lighter cabs whose material is less solid and I'd include TKS in that. I like their covers and the cabs look very very good after wearing them for nigh on 2 years but their default cover is the least I'[d go to, tbh. The more solid ( heavier) cabs are less of a problem but even so, the 5mm type padding is required. IMO. For that reason, the lighter Roq cover is little more than a rain cover and would protect against scuffs getting it in and out of the car but not much more. That has been my experience with them... but better than no cover at all.

If a cab chips too easily, then I don't think the Roc covers I've seen would be that much help over any period of time. You'd need quite a padded cover to protect against bumping into doors etc..which is always easily done with any size cab.