lanark

Yeah ... it's only a trivial thing, but I had my guitar setup and a cracked scratchplate replaced and the clear protective film has been left on. After almost 6 months it's coming away at the edges, but because it's a P Bass I'll have to take off the strings and the pots to remove it - and even then I'm concerned that the corners will still be there under the screws. Eventually it's probably going to annoy me enough to remove it - but why didn't the lutier remove it when he put it on? As I say, it's a little thing .... but little things are sent to try us.

Look a gorgeous bass - especially like the shiny scratchplate.

Try making your own: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y4_2odvHUk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y4_2odvHUk[/url] It actually looks a pretty cool instrument and sounds surprisingly good.

I've come to bass from thin strings (not that I was any good at it) just a few months ago. When playing geetar I always picked with all fingers - never used a plectrum - and I appear to have carried this technique unconsciously with me to the bass, so if I'm playing a riff across all four strings, I'll often use my thumb on the E string and my ring finger on the G. Now although this works for me, is it setting up problems for me in the future and should I force myself to use the alternating finger method?

[quote name='jake_tenfloors' post='731729' date='Feb 1 2010, 02:02 PM']Get some leads made with VanDamme cable & Neutrik connecters and you'll be set for years![/quote] Yeah - I'll probably order some from Obbm (Bassic Bits) for when I upgrade my amp.

[quote name='jake_tenfloors' post='731729' date='Feb 1 2010, 02:02 PM']Nothing winds me up more than seeing people wrapping their cable around there arm, its no harder to do it properly.[/quote] Maybe, but it's not really something anyone ever points out to you (unless they're beating you about the head with the ruined cable).

OKay - thanks for all the info, everyone (that second twist look deceptively weird to me and would probably be really easy if someone was standing next to you explaining it, but seeing it on a video several times, I'm still left thinking "wahh?") Next question is: is there any way of getting rid of all the existing minor kinks in a cable so that it returns to its clear unkinked glory, maybe by hanging it up in a warm room ?

[quote name='Legion' post='730446' date='Jan 31 2010, 12:13 PM']+1 on this - my job often meant using 110v extension leads all the time and coiling them up round your forearm was a sure way to destroy them. I don't do it with my guitar cables anymore either and they are staying in really good shape ever since...[/quote] Anyone have a link to a video explaining how to do this "twist / antitwist" thing? I don't quite understand the idea.

Cables seem to be so easy to break - at the connections and along their length. What's the best advice on how to store them, transport them and use them - in practice, home and gig situations so that I get the best out of them. I'm considering buying some custom-made cables from our friendly Bass Chat provider but don't want to invest that much money before I stop destroying them almost by looking at them. All I'm doing is looping them around my forearm and transporting it in my gigbag - I don't THINK I'm abusing them in any way at all, yet I've had two just stop working. Maybe it's just the cheap crap I'm investing in in the first place.

Okay, I can sight read music for a piano (so I suppose that's a start), but I'm stuck reading tabs for the bass in my band. I know which note I'm supposed to play, but I can't convert that to a finger position on the fretboard quickly enough, so tabs are easy and a difficult habit to break. Anyone switched from tab to music? Any advice on how to do it with least pain?

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='723647' date='Jan 24 2010, 10:33 PM']Love them, here's one I painted. [/quote] I love the design and colours of your basses. Wish I had a spare so I could take the time to repaint mine something bright - how did you get the chequer board design?

[quote name='Clarky' post='675701' date='Dec 6 2009, 02:06 PM']Each time I mention these, someone inevitably takes the mick. However, if you have a shiny new bass and think there is a chance that at at some stage you may sell it (rather than keep for life, how many of those are there?) then its amazing how much the buyer appreciates a rash-free rear to the body.[/quote] Why not just stick a cloth over your buckle rather than buying an expensive gizmo?

The salsa band in which I play bass will be playing our first ever gig on Friday Dec 4th at the Slug and Lettuce in York. Wish me luck - there'll be about 100+ people there anyway so I'm not wanting people to go, just shouting out. We have an 8 song "preview" at the salsa Xmas party, in prep for full gigs sometime next year. I'll let you know how it all went. I'm really hoping to make the most of it, as you never get a first gig again. Everything went well on the last set run through in rehearsal last night so ... fingers crossed nothing goes wrong.

[quote name='erisu' post='660306' date='Nov 20 2009, 04:37 PM']Alice nine - Velvet... initially we were going to do Mika Nakashima's Glamorous Sky but our vocalist is bored of singing that song as he sings it all the time at karaoke loll![/quote] Hmm, ours are all salsa tunes, so again foreign writers / composers (Lloraras, El Preso, Bamboleo, Rumbon Melon and Usted Abuso). We also have three tunes written by band members, but as we're not members of the PRS it wouldn't count anyway. It's really only a preview as we don't have enough tunes for a full 90 minute set but everyone's very interested to hear us.

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='660173' date='Nov 20 2009, 02:25 PM'] OP: It's worrying that you're worrying about PRS paperwork on your first gig. Just enjoy it...[/quote] Worrying is rather overstating it - I just don't want to be caught out with any unexpected paperwork.

So are DJs supposed to do this too, submit a full list of songs that they've played in their set? Because, to be honest, a lot of the DJs I know don't actually know the titles and artists of the songs they've played (I go to salsa nights and they tend to pass CDs between each other and the track details aren't always attached - so you ask what the last record was and they'll say disc 12 track 5 or something)

[quote name='chris_b' post='659328' date='Nov 19 2009, 03:31 PM']The promoter should pay the PRS. If he asks you to fill in a form with the song titles then he might be above board, but I bet he won't![/quote] That's kind of what I wanted to know - whether it's our responsibility to make payments or the venue's. We'll have the details ready just in case. EDIT: damn you lot are quick at replying.

I was just wondering what the routine is for this. We're going to be playing our first gig in York on Dec 4th (a preview night run by a friend, we have 8 songs, roughly enough for half a full show). The set consists of 5 covers and 3 originals. I was wondering what, if anything, we do about PRS payments - does this come out of the venues licencing or is it somethiing that we have to submit and pay for? Not sure if this topic should be put here or under gigs, so any admin shoudl feel free to move it if they think I've put it in the wrong place. Thanks for the advice, in advance.