Franticsmurf

First proper bass I owned was a Hohner 'The Jack' headless back when I started to identify as a bassist rather than guitarist. At the time I was a bit self conscious that regular basses (i.e. long scale with large headstocks) looked a bit silly hung around my 5'7" frame, so headless made sense to me. I soon overcame that and a couple of headed basses came and went. I sold the Hohner during a lull in my playing career but recently purchased a different one from this parish which has recently seen a lot of action in the build up to a couple of gigs I'll be playing in the next few months.

The next milestone bass was another headless, my Spirit XZ2. Milestone because it's been with me the longest and will probably be the last bass to go should I have to sell up. It has a drop D bridge and I've fitted a GK3B pickup to drive a Rioland V Bass. Its played or been sat as a back up for probably half the gigs I've played.

Next milestone was my Sterling Stingray 34HH. Still the most expensive instrument I've owned (even with the discount my mate got for being in the trade). One of my influences is Tony Levin and that got me interested in the Stingray. It has a range of tones on tap and for the main band I play in that's ideal as the repertoire of songs is many and varied. It's heavy

The last one (for now) is my Fender Player Precision. Simply because it was the first Precision style bass I'd played and I was immediately smitten by the sound and the way it fits in with any band I've played with. I was a Precision sceptic until I was persuaded to try one.

4 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

"Personnel" might have been a typo, but assuming it isn't a typo, I think this is a case of "I'm in a band full of ar$eholes" rather than any more general personal issues...

Sorry, I misread. Still, the general message is the same. Don't let the personnel make @12stringbassist quit completely.

9 hours ago, 12stringbassist said:

I'm on the verge of cancelling everything next year.
33 gigs and a regular weekly jam.
Personnel issues.  are wearing me down.

I can't comment on your personal issues, but things change so don't cancel everything, just enough to give you the break you need for now. You can always cancel more if necessary, but if you have something to look forward to or work towards, that may be something to help you out of the situation you are in. 

I hope things improve for you soon.

I can't comment on construction/materials, but my house usually has around 60-65% humidity levels (I've just checked now: Hot day, windows open, light breeze through the house = 59%). The house doesn't feel damp and I've often wondered what a 'normal' level is. I have no problems with any of my guitars or electrical gear other than the usual change in tuning as instruments warm up or cool down.

+1 for the B1-Four. It's my go to practice device with a decent pair of headphones, I've gigged with it, sending the signal to FOH or using it for a couple of effects into an amp and on one occasion it provided the drums for a duo I was in when the backing tracks failed. In other words, it will last beyond your novice stage.

I love that Ampeg pre-amp pedal and like you, I've been looking for overdrive and distortion to compliment it (although I'm after more of a Chris Squire drive sound with the option to go a little further). I've got an EHX Hot Wax pedal (originally bought for guitar). It's two independent overdrive/distortions which can also be combined (actually the 'Hot Tubes' and 'Crayon pedals crammed into one box). Works for me with a P Bass, Hohner Jack and Sterling Ray34 HH into FOH.

Edit: I have also used a Marshall JMP 1 valve pre-amp rack unit, also originally bought for when I was guitaring. It has programmable patches that can be selected using a midi pedal and also has an FX loop. Rack and midi pedals, with attendant cables, is a bit bulky but I'd still use it for the right gig.

The Hulla band have no gigs booked until the end of November so last night's rehearsal, following the previous weekend's double gig, was due to be more relaxing and a bit of fun. Not that they aren't fun anyway, but the deadline pressure was off. It turned into a bit of a jukebox session, with the BL calling songs we hadn't played for months (or in one case over a year). Fortunately I have crib sheets/charts for most of the stuff we've done over the past 18 months so a combination of memory, watching the guitarist and frantically scrabbling through my book of stuff meant that I was able to keep up. Duff notes? Yes. Dodgy BVs? Yes. Brain fade (the BL called 'Summer of 69' and I called up the heavily flanged 'Dakota intro' patch)? Yes. Laughter, teasing the saxophonist, ukeleles playing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'? Yes!

I often get frustrated at Hulla rehearsals as they are also the only time that some of the band play their instruments (it started off as a social/community thing so about half the band don't consider themselves musicians). It means we don't spend enough time on arrangements. Fortunately, the core of the band (BL/vocalist, guitar, bass, drums, sax = the loud ones) are able to get the arrangements done and the BL conducts the others so it all works. In the last 18 months the band has improved immensely and we're getting more word of mouth gigs as a result.    

1 hour ago, hpc364 said:

I saw little heads (Bam200 and Gnome) but the cabs that come with these heads maybe don't have enough low end, maybe I'm wrong.

I use a BAM 200 with either a Gnome 1x12" or one or two TE 1X10" cabs. Plenty of low end, especially with the Trace cabs.

Thanks for sharing.

That Lakland hollowbody is rather nice. A hollowbody is the only style of bass I don't have. I can feel the first rumblings of GAS! 

16 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

2 gigs in a trot with a long drive kills me these days

It wasn't so much the distance (about 15 miles) but the circumstances of the journey home on Friday (see here).

One from each gig last weekend.

Friday - fresh faced, energetic, ready to go.

Saturday - after a stressful journey home and little sleep the night before.

I've not been in that exact position (apart from the 'no new songs for x years' once) but I know that a lack of response from an audience does affect me negatively - more so than a negative response because at least that is a response. I would find it hard to be enthusiastic about those poorly attended gigs and if it looked like a trend that was getting more frequent, I think I'd be thinking the same as you. I would certainly take it through with the other band members and see if there is some alternative to jacking it in. It would be a shame to lose the work you've all obviously put in to get that tight and 'great guys, decent songs' seems to be something worth fighting for if some of the other posts on BC are to go by.

Maybe a full band break; take a few weeks and then start to have informal rehearsal/jams to see if the mojo is back?

Whatever you choose, good luck.

Following on from my experiences on Friday (see above), I headed back along the same roads to Port Eynon for a wedding party gig yesterday. More rain was forecast but the venue, another outdoor tented affair, was much better. We avoided the road I got stuck on (there were cars that had been stranded in the water still blocking it) but the road in to Port Eynon was blocked as it had collapsed into a sink hole! We found an alternative route via an unmade track behind the dunes. The venue was flat and the tent was actually a double teepee(?) with plenty of room and, more importantly, dry and sheltered. We had a few issues with power as we set up - it was coming from the village hall about 50m away. Fortunately, two of our line-up are electricians so it was quickly sorted.

We played our full set with a number of requests from the bride and groom. Our first half was very tight (it benefited from having been played the night before) the second suffered a little from being a bit rushed between songs. I was very tired from the previous night's adventures, so I wasn't playing at my best during the second set but it went down well with the folks who were there (we had about 50-60 guests). We had dancers from the start and through to the end. 

I'd left my kit in one of the vans from the night before so the line up was my Ibanez EHB1000s through an Ampeg pre-amp into the desk. I had my full IEM set up, which was great, and this time I was singing. For once we had plenty of room on stage.

We were booked to play a new festival being held in Gower this weekend. I felt sorry for them as the weather forecast was horrendous and there weren't many people there. When we turned up the van got stuck in the mud and had to be pushed several times. We were due on third but the 2nd act had cancelled at the last minute so the opener, a solo sax act, valiantly played on until we could get set up. By the time we relieved him, he'd been paying for 2.5 hours. Not our regular sound guy but he was very quick getting a decent sound and we played for about 75 minutes (rather than the 45-50 we were due to play) which put the event back on track. The last 15 minutes was punctuated by great flashes of light as the lightning arrived. The stage was facing out to the sea overlooking Oxwich bay, so it was spectacular. But also a little unnerving as each flash got a bit closer! We finished and managed to get the vans packed just before the torrential rain started. Finding our way down to the gate through the field was almost impossible but every few seconds a massive flash of lightning lit the whole field and we managed to get on the lane and away.

I'd left my car at our rehearsal place (a couple of miles away) so I was dropped off there and headed home. Most of the road is at the foot of sloping fields so the water was running through the hedgerows like little waterfalls. I was driving (slowly) through 6" deep water most of the way but the first I knew of the really deep stuff was when my headlights dimmed. The water was blocking them. I managed to keep going and it took about 30 seconds to get through. Then I went through a shorter section of the same depth and finally came across a car stuck in the middle of a third. And all of this during an almost non-stop display of lightning. 

Got home about 3 hours later, having had to dodge debris from collapsed walls and hedges on the way. Our gig tonight is back in the same area and I've just been told that the road into Port Eynon village has partially collapsed. Rock 'n' Roll! 🤘

With a small stage, I decided to use my Ibanez EHB100s through an Ampeg pre-amp pedal (which was always on) and I DI'd into the desk. I was really happy with the sound and it was a good band mix. 

1 hour ago, bass_dinger said:

Do you know the difference between "don't mind" and "don't care"?

That's a really good question, not just for newbies.

3 minutes ago, SimonK said:

I think traditionally the friend who couldn't play any instrument was given a bass and told where to put their fingers

Before I played anything at all, I was that friend. I played the repeated bass note to Queen's 'Flash' after having been directed to the correct fret by the guitarist. 😀

I think the answer to your question is 'I just knew' which doesn't really help but I don't recall an actual moment when I decided I could be in a band.

Once I'd learnt the basics of my instrument (I was playing guitar at the time and had been for about 18 months) I started off with a couple of mates who were better than me, and we jammed regularly. Once that seemed to be working we talked about forming a band but for about 6 months all we really did was play a few simple covers over and over, plus we started writing our own songs. That 6 month apprenticeship taught me to play with other musicians and once I'd got some decent gear and built up my confidence it just seemed obvious that I was ready. I think if I'd been planning on joining a band it might have taken longer and there probably would have been a few rejections along the way. And when I was starting out, there were no open mic nights to let me test my abilities.

As has been said above (while I was writing this) just go for it! If you can play along to songs you like, you're ready to start being in a band. Find people who are a little better than you and jam with them. Have a look to see if there are any local open mic nights where you can join in, build your confidence and make contacts. In my first bass gig, I only played root notes to simple songs and I hid behind the PA speaker for most of the night. 😀 

Just do it, good luck and keep us up to date with your progress.

On 01/09/2024 at 20:05, tauzero said:

On the copyright front, if you create an original work then you automatically have copyright. The issue is proving that you created it first - traditionally you would record the song and put the cassette/CD into an envelope which you would seal and send to yourself through the post which would result in a postmark with the date on it finishing up on the envelope. I suppose nowadays you'd just video yourself doing it and put it on Youtube.

This is what we did in my first band, way back in the cassette days. And every time we wrote new songs, we'd collect them all on another cassette, add the original mailed envelope into a new one and repeat the process. Of course, we could have mailed separate envelopes, which would have been the logical thing to do. But we were rock rebels rejecting 'The Man' and his logical ways. 🤣

I heard the single (or whatever it was) online a few weeks ago and I agree with @BlueMoon in that it sounded much like the Yes I first discovered and quickly grew to like a lot. I've seen a few of the YT videos of the live shows and they're sounding good too. I discovered the Band Geeks during lockdown and loved what they were doing, not just with Yes covers but with other bands too. I'll definitely be getting hold of this recording.

Fortunately, I don't have to listen to the cover so it doesn't bother me, but I agree I think they could have done better. At the very least, including an image of the Band Geeks.

The Hulla ('The Hullabaloos' in this poster) are playing at the Gower Harvest Hoedown next Friday and a wedding just down the road on Saturday. The Hoedown is a new event - this is the first year it's been run - and so getting details of what will be available is proving difficult. I've been told there's a professional PA and sound guy but looking at the line-up it's mostly solo acts with backing tracks. I've asked several times about back-line with no response. I'll be taking my BAM200 and a TE1x10" as a compact noise making solution. We'll have our own PA and sound engineer for the wedding.

Yes. For a while now I've been after that growly, clanky Chris Squire sound but without using a 4001 or stereo wiring set up. For the current band I need to be able to switch between it and several other sounds as our set varies considerably through the night. The best I've been able to come up with is a patch on the Zoom B6 with a mildy overdriven SVT amp sim. It doesn't help that I like to cycle through a few basses during the year. I made the effort and stuck with my P Bass to get the sound on the B6 and I was happy with the result during the first half of the year. But now I'm having to use a couple of the headless basses (EHB1000s and The Jack) as the upcoming gigs are on small stages and we're a 13 piece band. So it's almost back to the drawing board. But I quite enjoy the process of building new sounds.

My workflow (using the B6 as the source but it's similar if I'm using pedals) is to roughly identify what I need (I have a list of all the songs the band is likely to play in the year, which is currently approaching three figures). This is usually as simple as 'Clean', 'Chorus' or 'Drive' for the majority of songs. If there are any special sounds required, I'll highlight those too. I'll start off with a basic clean sound (usually a clean SVT), a basic driven sound (SVT with the gain up enough just to add a bit of grit) and a lighter (=slightly less bassy) clean sound. I think that those three staples would work for 75% of the stuff we do. The beauty of the B6 is that I can add 'pedals' to the patch to switch on and off which means that if I need a flange effect (e.g. 'Dakota'), it's simply a case of stomping on a switch in the SVT Driven patch. So for each patch I'll have a few pedals that i think I'm going to need. All of this is roughed out at home, including balancing patch levels, at low volume or on headphones. 

At rehearsals (we try to rehearse once a week) I can start to refine the sounds at gig volume. Our sound guy is good at telling it like it is and so I can tweak the sounds on the fly. It usually only takes a couple of rehearsals to get the sounds working with the rest of the band and this usually only requires minor tweaks. The longer I work with the B6, the more I am able to judge in advance what will sound good in the live environment. I try and keep things as simple as possible for me, so unused stomp pedals are disabled or removed. If I'm using physical pedals, the board starts off large and almost always ends up with only two or three pedals by the time the gig season arrives. 

I think it helps that the signal chain is consistent - with The Hulla I DI into our own PA and the sound guy comes with the band.   

With a previous band I was able to get close to the Squire sound with my Sterling HH set to coil split through a Marshall JMP1 valve pre-amp into the power amp stage and speakers of a Laney RB7, and later DI'd into the PA. The band played mostly songs that this sound suited so there was little variation needed, and I could get any clean sounds using a different patch on the JMP 1 (for those not familiar with it, the JMP 1 is a midi enabled valve pre-amp with programmable patches).  

10 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Accidentally bought the bass

Yes, I've done that before now. Got home, checked my pockets and there's a bass that's somehow slipped in. 😀

11 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Great basses. I have had a B2 since the late '80s and have a Jack V as well.

 

P.S. Mumbles?

My first 'proper' bass was a Jack - I got it as I landed the bass duties in a band I was to be with for 20+years and still occasionally dep for (ironically, on guitar). I sold it years ago but recently found a fantastic example for sale in this very parish.

Horton, near Port Eynon. As you can see its an inshore station. They're usually quite busy rescuing people from Worm's Head.

Last night's rehearsal became a gig at short notice when we played in the local RNLI lifeboat station as our usual hall was the venue for an art exhibition. The Station Manager and one of the helms are in the band so it was all above board. Despite the rain earlier in the day, we played to people coming off the beach and a family who were staying in a holiday cottage a few yards away. Surprisingly for the boat house, the acoustics were good and we had a lot of fun. I played my Hohner 'The Jack' through a Zoom B1Four DI'd into the desk.

EDIT: YouTube link to a short video from this 'gig'.

This is one of the helmsmen, our band leader.

On 25/08/2024 at 19:46, Mickeyboro said:

Can you blag your way onto Saving Lives at Sea? 🌊 

Probably, but we'd have to sacrifice one of the band to the waves. 🤣

33 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

I'd love the five-string version.

I think this is the fiver - the low B is on the reverse side.