Marvin

I'll have a look at the SC01 as the mixing desk has sold. Many thanks

One of my sons is learning guitar and I thought it'd be an idea to play along together at home. Obviously, there are others in the house who don't appreciate the artistic ventures of stringed instruments at volume (mostly his older brother, the miserable toad), so I was wondering how to go about us playing using headphones so we could hear each other and a backing track. I noticed a little 6 track desk for sale locally (pic below) for not much money. I thought we could both plug into that via Zoom multi fx pedals (I bought him the G1on recently, because I got fed up with him pinching my B1on), plug them into the desk and then use a spliter cable in the headphone out so we could hear it. There's also an aux in input for mp3 I think. I've never had anything to do with desks, not a thing. So, sounding like someone who doesn't know his musical derrière from his elbow, would this work? Or is there an easier way of playing along together using headphones? Cheers

As long as you don't put it upside down, it'll be fine.

I can agree with you on that. I've always been very work man like in my playing, not flash or anything. However, I've always managed to keep my place in a band by making sure I learnt the material and playing it properly. 6 years ago I was in a band with probably the best guitarist I've ever been in a band with. I'd been in a band with a guitarist who was more technical (he could do all sorts), but this guy was, what you might say, more complete. My playing improved a lot very quickly. Looking back I think I was better then then I am now. I was being more creative and trying stuff I'd shied away from. My confidence was increased as well. It became noticeable when we had to replace the singer in the band and we turned to someone I'd been in a band with a few years previous. She actually commented how I was a completely different player. I'm very much out of the loop these days, I've not been in a band for over 2 years and lost a lot of contacts...maybe because I fell out with a few

When I returned to playing after, a very lengthy gap, the first gig I did the guitarist used one of those. It worked fine...until the derrière forgot to switch it back to standard tuning for the next song.

It is something bass players seem to go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...

I'm always the worst player in any band I've been in. It somewhat tells of how desperately short of bass players this little rural hell hole is, that I've never failed to get into any band I've auditioned for.

This might help...but it might not

I used to have the Schroeder 1212L (800w). It had a real mid-range kick to it. It was considerably less 'bassy' than say, the Ampeg 410 I had.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54371559

And now to Doves new album, which is what I am listening to now. I'm really liking it A LOT

I'm getting somewhat pessimistic about the prospects of gigging returning in any meaningful way for some time. I see gigs being advertised for March 2021 for venues holding about 500 and I think 'fat chance'. I'm 50 in 2023, maybe by then gigging might return to something recognisable, I'd be able to have a celebration maybe

Obviously very US dominated, there are loads of bands/artists that I've not even heard of. That said, there are some awful errors. For example: I'm a fan of The Breeders and the list does include one of their albums, The Last Splash. Ok, it had the catchy Cannonball on it, however, as an album it's not as good as their debut album. Weirdisms

I'm glad I didn't buy the one I saw locally, it was more than that. 😯

I don't own a guitar as such, on account that I can't really play one. (I know a lot of bass players say that and they only can strum along to stuff, but I can't enough do that, I've never learnt to play guitar). I do have a Westfield Strat Clone hanging around the house, I bought it for the kids. It's ok, I think. My middle son started to learn playing on it. Roll forward to lockdown and because my 3 boys got very good reports/praise from the school for their hard work during the lockdown I gave them £100 each. The middle son does the right thing and puts it towards a new guitar. He bought this: It's a Squier FSR Bullet Mustang Competition. It's short scale, quite a thin body...and I have to be honest, I'm quite envious. It feels really rather nice, and sounds pretty good as well. For £140 it's an absolute steal. I will say, he bought this particular one for the right reasons. Not because of the pick up config, or the shorter scale, or that it's a hardtail. He bought it because it's his favorite colour, orange. I pinched it earlier and strummed G and D, the only 2 chords I can play and it made me sound awesome.

No I didn't in the end. I've bought a Peavey Minimax head and am currently looking for a cab to go with it.

Space, if I don't like what I've got, or I'm not using something I've got. Space is the big factor. I've only got a smallish house so can't have lots of gear around the house. I've never had more than 3 basses, at the moment I've got 2. There's gear I'd still like to have, but to be honest I'd not use it now. There a couple of bits that I really regret selling. One was a 1991 Squier P bass, made in Korea. The other was a Fender Rumble 500 combo. I sold my last amp and cab about 18 months ago because I wasn't in a band and had no intention of being in one, so it was surplus to requirement. I didn't sell my 2 basses, I just can't. They're not expensive or anything really special to anyone else, but they are 2 basses that I really like playing. I did buy an amp a few weeks ago. But with modern amps, they're not difficult to store. And although I'm not likely (like many of us) to be gigging any time soon I am looking to get a cab. It'll have to be small though.

Several years ago I bought a new Yamaha TRBX504. I wanted a Yamaha and these were new to the market. I chose the 504 because the 304 had a preset toggle on it that had preset eq settings. ( It did have a flat option on it though). Lots of amps and preamps seem to have ever more presets on them. Contours, deep, spangly...or whatever. I've always steered away from the TC Electronic amps because of the TonePrint feature. On multi fx pedals I always make my own patches, the preset ones have always been inappropriate for the bands I've been in. The preset patches are useful as a starter/guide to what settings produce a certain sound, but beyond that... As you might have guessed, I REALLY don't like presets. I'd rather add/cut/twist my own knobs, not have someone decide for me. What's your preference?

Doves - Compulsion. I think the bass playing by Jimi Goodwin on this is just brilliant

Neither of my parents played an instrument or were what one would consider musical. My mum always had the radio on, she loves listening to music, especially the pop music of her day (60's/70's). She used to pinch my Queen albums, and for that matter my stereo so she could take them to work with her. She used to be the cleaner at the local secondary school. She cleaned a couple of classrooms and the main corridor as you walked in the main entrance, and you could always hear that Toshiba stereo cassette player blasting out either Queen or Abba, in the evenings. I suppose my mum always listening to music is where I got my interest in music. My dad's taste in music is dull...no, actually, it's just awful. I wanted to have guitar lessons, and if they could have afforded to, my parents would have paid for them, but they was skint most of the time I was growing up. Just one of those things. My dad did take me to the local music shop when I bought my first bass, and then let me use his Hacker valve amp...that was supposed to be used with his Hacker turntable...because I couldn't afford an amp. I think I nearly broke the thing. It looked like this https://picclick.co.uk/Hacker-GP42-Gondolier-vintage-Record-Playerplus-hacker-224065916852.html My parents knew nothing of bands and music, so when I was making an awful din with my mates they supported it as far as it went...which to be honest wasn't far. I took a long break from music, but when I got back playing several years ago my parents have both come along to some of the gigs. Some they've liked, others not so much My mum particularly didn't like the indie punk band I was in a few years ago. 😎 I suppose I never really wanted to make music all I did, or to make it my job as such, so for my parents that made it easier I suppose. I'm just thankful my Dad gave me lifts with that great big Warwick combo I used to have (it weighing about as much as a Cathedral). I probably faired better than my brother who wanted to be a tennis pro and go to the Andre Agassi training camp thing in US. He's still not forgiven them for being to skint to let him go 😂

Price listed at £177. 😮

I live down in rural Devon. A round trip to even Bristol is +5hrs. Work (I work most weekends now) and family just don't make it feasible.

The Ashdown is where I'm leaning to at the moment I must admit

I don't bother with a tuner, I made sure the shop tuned the bass before I bought it...sorted.

I bought a Peavey Minimax recently and now need a cab (I sold my last rig 12 months ago, Aguilar TH350 + Schroeder 1212l). I've got £300 available. Second hand can be difficult due to where I live, most cabs seem to be 100 miles away. Occasionally someone will courier a cab, but we all know that's rare and a bit of a faff. I need something compact with a small footprint, just for home and maybe practice rooms, but could eventually do pub/club size sort of gigs. The last amp/combo I used was a borrowed Laney RB 500w with a 15"driver. It kept up with the drummer and 2 guitarists On my list of possible Ashdown RM210t Fender Rumble 210 Markbass Black 151 (would have to negotiate the release of extra hour funds for that 🙂) Markbass NY121 (this one is second hand, but seller is willing to courier). Ampeg PF115LF GK 210MBE-II All opinions gratefully received.