Muzz

I've never had one, but I believe the handles are rubbish...

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1416242939' post='2608229'] Lovely-looking bass... but if you just listen to it rather than watching, it sounds very like a Fender (or cloned) J bass with both pickups full-on. To my ears, anyway. [/quote] I have to say I agree - if that's a signature sound, it's pretty generic. On the other hand, the playing doesn't exactly showcase the sound - I played the first minute, then skipped to near the end - does he just keep doing the same thing all the way through?

Making a song seem easy and sound good can be very hard...

I've had lots of PJs and nope, with the P pup soloed, the J has no effect (assuming the wiring's all sound). With 2 pickup basses I use the neck (usually a split/P pup) only for 90% of the time, but I like to have the option to run them both for a more scooped sound on the rare occasions I need it. I never, ever use the J soloed.

A location might help?

OK, I'll quote somebody else then: "Is that as hard to play as it is to listen to?" Try that at a jam night round our way and watch how long it takes for the drummer to start playing over it... I used to have a picture of Yngwie Malmsteen gurning on a small stick that was used in a Yellow Card kind of way at rehearsals for the guitarist...this is in the same league...

We do mostly weddings and functions where the money's very much worth it, if we're filling up the calendar with pub gigs we go out as a trio which increases the number of gigs we can do because the cheaper ones are then still viable money-wise. A wedding as a trio is even better... I also enjoy the different skill set and vibe needed for a trio, even from a four-piece.

They'd have to design one a lot differently to make me want to pick one up

OK, so in my constant search for the perfect luggable small cab, I picked up a BB2 on here this week, and it arrived just in time for a gig last night at RAF Leeming, so I threw caution to the wind and took the cab untested straight to the gig. Result. The gig itself was a 300-man crowd, we were on a raised stage in a huuuge hangar, normally a recipie for disaster (luckily I'd remembered my Gramma-tastic foam), but the cab was frankly astonishing - I could hear every note (not always a good thing with me ), no matter where I was standing, and although I'll need to have a good play to re-EQ properly, it performed very well at very short notice. A very perfunctory twiddle with the tweeter control did indeed perform as has already been noted in a different way to a lot of tweeters I've previously used (and mostly turned off) - it's more a subtle voicing change. The output level using my F1 (cranked louder than I normally run) was more than enough to sit with our big-hitting drummer, and just for giggles I muted myself at the desk for a number, and I was still there in the mix. After the gig the drummer offered to carry it to the van. It looks like I may have finally found my ideal gigging cab.

Well, that was a minute of my life I'll never get back...to quote someone or other: 'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should...'

I had a brand new Schroeder arrive via courier (I wasn't at home, it was accepted for me) with a ding to the packaging and something big rattling round in it. Turned out it was the magnet off one of the speakers... I've also had a Mesa head arrive almost lozenge shaped at one end, thanks to the courier. Both were sorted out, but some couriers can wreck anything...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1415563880' post='2601524'] A G-K MB500 Fusion and a Schroeder 1212L. Done. [/quote] This. Or a Streamliner instead of the Fusion. Or a 1515L instead of the 1212L. Or a Compact instead of either. Or a BB2. Any of these will keep up with a rock/loud drummer. Small amp, single light cab. Done.

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1415523130' post='2601041'] Well that's a great suggestion because if you have it shipped, the cost of shipping ,VAT, and import duty will cost you about the same as the trip to collect it. [/quote] You'd still get hit for Import Duty and VAT bringing it in yourself, though...what you're saving is the shipping element.

[quote name='zero9' timestamp='1415560432' post='2601487'] Yes, Fodera's are worth it, supply and demand speaks for itself. Some people wouldn't think twice about forking out more for an old Fender? Would you rather have a beautifully crafted instrument completed with all the TLC possible, or some old 'dog' screwed together from mass produced bits? [/quote] Looking at the Artists bit of the Fodera site, it would appear Marcus Miller would - his picture shows him holding a Fender Jazz...

The originals band is 4 guys who've known each other for 30 years, and played in various bands in various combinations over that time; we socialise (as far as that happens these days) together outside the band, and always go for a drink when it's possible. The function band is (mostly) two of us from the originals band and a series of deps so it's not as close, but some of the deps have been playing for 4 or 5 years, so although we don't socialise outside the band as a group, we still spend 5-6 hours in each other's company of a weekend, and the road trips across the country in the van are a great bonding experience. Especially in our van: the phrase 'united in adversity' is very apt...

You'll love the S12T Lozz - it's a massive sounding cab. Kinda sorry I sold mine, but my rig's getting smaller and smaller - I've gone for a Big Baby II now. Oh, and the handles are great...

I've never seen one I like the look of, and for that money I'd have to be in love with it. I've played some very very expensive basses I didn't like at all (and I'm including things like Alembics in there), and to spend over that 'excellence threshold' of about £2-3k where the quality of lots of basses is uniformly magnificent, you have to buy into the whole thing, and neither Smiths nor Foderas nor Ritters do a damn thing for me.

That's the problem with GAS: it often bears little relation to reality. I was the same with the Walkabout head: wanted one desperately, finally got one, I think it went back to the seller (WoT IIRC) the following week in a mutually beneficial regret-based transaction. He loves it and missed it, I thought it was a bit 'meh' and couldn't see what all the fuss was about. That's not to single the Walkabout head out particularly, tho: I can't say I haven't done the same thing with umpteen amps, cabs and basses.

I love to play live, probably more than any other part of being a musician. I'd do it for nothing, the money's always a bonus (wedding and function money even more so), so I look forward to even the smallest pub gig. Have had very very few gigs I havent enjoyed in some way or another, whether it's been a really good crowd, or the unalloyed joy to be had playing with inspirational musicians - I'm lucky enough to play with a lot of those...

Bought some knobs (fnarr fnarr...) from Alain: simple, easy transaction. One of the good guys...

With uk_lefty on the whole 'looks good, plays...meh', try before you buy thing - I had a 78 Jazz a while ago which was in great condition, all original, all good, but sounded...brown. And not in a good way Oh, and it weighed nearly twelve pounds...

Yep, Halloween special gig at a big pub/eatery Worsley way - just the trio, as space was at a premium, I ended up playing the bass with the neck almost vertical as the dancers were packing the dancefloor right up to us...we'd brought costumes, but it was waaaay too hot for them...felt for the punters in full regalia; Pinhead and Edward Scissorhands in particular looked like sweaty beetroots by ten... New venue for us, nice as it's only round the corner, and the landlord was impressed enough to want us back ASAP: "We've never had that many people actually [i]dancing[/i]..." Another trio gig tonight in a other localish pub, similar Guy Fawkes/dressing up do, we'll see how that goes...it's up int'th'hills Crawshawbooth way, if I see a wicker man on the hill I'm off...