Conan

[quote name='lojo' post='1021469' date='Nov 12 2010, 02:25 PM']perhaps they got offended by some of the avatars[/quote] I already suggested that, but apparently they didn't.

[quote name='SaxxyBass' post='1021314' date='Nov 12 2010, 12:49 PM']Okay...shall I write "I am a girl" in my sig? Edit - done! >>>>[/quote]

[quote name='SaxxyBass' post='1021304' date='Nov 12 2010, 12:43 PM']Don't I count? [/quote] You're a girl then? That fact is not immediately apparent. Maybe it needn't be? Discuss...

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1021152' date='Nov 12 2010, 11:09 AM']Mrs T and Endorka seems to be the only female posters. What happened to Zoe BillySheehan and Sarah 5 String? Was it something we said? [/quote] Without going over old ground, is it just a teensy-weensy bit possible that their disappearance coincided with a sudden increase in avatars featuring semi-naked women? Naaah. Couldn't be that.

Joking aside, it's a serious point. This is turning into a version of the old "master's staff room" in here. Pipe and slippers anyone? Pass the brandy Colonel!

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1019951' date='Nov 11 2010, 12:41 PM']But what bugs me is the countless "I paid ££ for it and I'd like to get that back." threads. Why aren't people happy to take a small hit seeing as they've used it and now posses the first hand experience/knowledge of owning it not to mention having notched up an extra owner to it's history? Bah humbug! [/quote] Agreed. The market is as much about what buyers are prepared to pay as about what sellers would "ideally" like to get for the item. Why do we need to know how much they paid for it? It's irrelevant and seems to be an attempt to say "this is worth a lot more than you skinflints are prepared to pay - so cough up!".

I completely misread the title of this thread and thought it must be about uninteresting bars where military personnel hang out....

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='1018432' date='Nov 10 2010, 09:53 AM']Danny Thompson Pino Palladino John Giblin[/quote] Tasty! Do you have an allergy to frets or something Owain?

[quote name='3V17C' post='1018556' date='Nov 10 2010, 11:03 AM']which all goes to show that one gig is worth a hundred rehearsals![/quote] Spot on. Or, at least, one [i]good[/i] gig is worth a hundred rehearsals!

Just to reinforce the patronising stereotype that everyone in Newcastle knows everyone else... I used to teach Alex Butler! He left our school last year...

Geddy Lee, Stanley Clarke and David Margen. Just wish I sounded like any of them!

So how'd it go?

I just sit down (or sometimes, if I'm feeling raunchy, stand up!) and play what I feel like playing until I am bored. It could be an entire Rush bass line, or a single lick from a lesser known Level 42 track. Sometimes I try to pick out the vocal melody on the bass and other times it might be the drum part! Variety is the key for me. If practicing was a chore I wouldn't do it. Sometimes it is, and I don't. Other times I love it. It's my bass and my house (where I do most of my practicing) so who else really cares?

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='1017513' date='Nov 9 2010, 01:44 PM']I prefer to play higher up. In fact, I tend to avoid playing below 4th position (or thereabouts). It's just more comfortable up there, and my little hands can stick to one-finger-per-fret without too much fannying about.[/quote] Fair enough. Being quite tall and having big hands I much prefer to play low down and take advantage of any open strings that might be available... I tend to find that the combination of the thicker strings and the smaller fret spacing makes intonation difficult up at the dusty end. Then again, I do have quite a heavy touch! Horses and courses again!

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' post='1017339' date='Nov 9 2010, 11:34 AM']... the extra string is very usefull when youre playing in that far and uncharted region near the end of the fretboard![/quote] You play the B string high up the neck?! I don't understand... Unless you're talking about a fiver strung EADGC??

[quote name='Alfie' post='1017145' date='Nov 9 2010, 08:01 AM']I have always wondered whether I should be plugged into the active or passive input when using pedals.[/quote] I guess it depends on how high you have the gain set on your pedals?

It's funny, but it's very rare that someone says "I've got a budget of £XXX, help me choose a four string bass!". Fives are still kind of regarded as a different instrument and approached with caution... I guess that mindset is a big factor here. If you approach it with an attitude of "I'll give it a try and see how I get on", you will quite probably enjoy five strings less than four, stop playing the five and subsequently sell it on. This is one of the reasons why there are so many low-to-mid range fives for sale in the used section! On the other hand, if you make the decision to switch full-time to a five string, go the whole hog and get the best one you can afford! That way, you are far less likely to find the change as challenging in that you are unlikely to be held back by the quality of the instrument. Obviously, there are some differences that are down to personal preference - tone, balance, string spacing, etc; but most manufacturers that make four string basses also make fives - so the choice is enormous! I envy you your budget, but as others have said - you could get a very decent instrument for a quarter to a third of that, especially if you buy a used instrument. And with the range and quality available on here, why would you not?! Good luck in your search and enjoy the journey!

[quote name='JPJ' post='1014155' date='Nov 6 2010, 12:22 PM']I find that only active basses with 18v preamps need the built in pad on the active input. All my 9v actives run better through the passive input IMHO. That said, I tend to leave the eq on the bass fairly flat and use little tweaks to compensate for room dynamics etc. This might not be the case if you whack everything on full on the bass.[/quote] Totally agree. Even my 18V Status is fine through the passive input on my LH500 - but I tend to have the tone controls set flat (i.e. centred - no cut or boost). Some active basses seem to have pretty low outputs while some passives can be pretty loud! As WH says - use your ears. If it sounds OK it's highly unlikely that you are doing any damage.

[quote name='chris_b' post='1014200' date='Nov 6 2010, 01:02 PM']Active and passive inputs on an amp are there to help people who haven't managed to master the gain control.[/quote] Maybe... but there IS no gain control on the LH500!!

Back in the market!! Any serious offers considered - one can but ask.

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1016167' date='Nov 8 2010, 11:15 AM']Just see how it goes first. These guys might put in on energetic and engaging show which will make all your worries vanish.[/quote] Yes. Have the other band members played many gigs or are they quite inexperienced? On a personal level, I do think that if there are no butterflies before a gig there is something not quite right... I also think that you have just been unlucky in your experiences with the NE band scene so far. Having said that, my band is now struggling after losing our singer and being unable to find a decent replacement!

How often do you gig? How long are you planning to give the new bassist to learn the set? How many tracks are in the set? Do you play pubs or clubs? Any original material? Etc, etc. I may well be interested - but would need to know a bit more!