misrule

[quote name='Jase' post='215590' date='Jun 9 2008, 06:14 PM']Perhaps your grit might sound like a bee in a jar if you use it with a DI....Be best to mic it wouldn't it? Or do both.[/quote]
I don't know -- I've never had to do it before. Does the sound from an amp vary going through its DI channel? Is a mic the best bet?

Cheers

Mark

Hi, folks --

On Saturday, we played a gig for which our singer/guitarist set up and ran the PA system. He's a sound engineer, and very good from what I could see.

All our amps were either miked up or DI-ed so he could record the set. My amp, an SVT 3 Pro, has a DI output on the back but he wanted me to use another DI box to give him a clean signal, without my pre-amp in the way.

He said he'd get the pure sound of the bass. But I insisted on him using the signal from my pre-amp -- otherwise, why would I bother using it?

My questions are: Why does he want a clean signal when I play with a lot of grit? What can he achieve with it?

And was I right to stand my ground? Would I have been better off leaving things to him?

Cheers

Mark

"It will make you sound good even if you can't play a note".

Hmmm. F-ing miracle

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='215189' date='Jun 9 2008, 12:35 AM']I used to hate gigs where you're not getting any rapturous feedback from an audience (if indeed there was one) and would just get visibly more and more fed up as the set dragged on but now I don't mind them. At worst they are a paid rehearsal. We did one to about 30 people a few weeks back and I put in as much effort as I usually do and had a blast in the process. Stick with it man.[/quote]
Thanks for the reassurance, Ou7shined. I once went to a gig in Putney, by a reasonably known band, where I was the only one there. The sound was good so I leant a chair against the back wall.

After our gig at this village fete, I deliberately stood in the vast, empty field in front of the stage to encourage other people to watch the band on after us. They were good guys.

[quote name='OldGit' post='215349' date='Jun 9 2008, 12:13 PM']PM me if you want some tips[/quote]
Thanks. I'd be glad of any tips you can send. I'm in another, classic rock covers band that goes down better -- but the lead guitarist and singer are genius-level people with other commitments. And we only play support slots or friendly pubs.

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='OldGit' post='215144' date='Jun 8 2008, 10:40 PM']You did well...
75 minutes outside in the afternoon with loads of distractions for the audience is a hard gig for anyone, let alone a new band.
Just to get through it is an acheivement.
However I'd suggest you stick to gigs after dusk for a while. Punters are a tad easier to entertain then

and it could have been worse, You could have been on [i]after[/i] that other band ....

[/quote]
Thanks for your kind words. I think we'll stick to pub gigs for a while until we find our feet.

This was our third outing -- the previous, at a social club, was a disaster of similar proportions.

The only way is up ... baby.

Cheers

Mark

Our newly-formed covers band played a village fete on Saturday -- the biggest crowd in my short career (several hundred, with 1,000 tickets sold) and 10k PA outdoors.

The sound was gorgeous -- but we were on too early and vanished into a pool of listener apathy without so much as a ripple. Or we were crap, depending on your viewpoint.

I prayed for the ground to swallow me up as we played song after song for 75 minutes with nothing but the faintest, polite clapping between and about 100 yards to the nearest punter. And it's amazing how a situation like that saps morale all round, leading to f-ups and blunders. We started out playing our best ever but ended up shambling about like dullards.

Then the second band came on and comprehensively blew us away.

This morning, I was dejectedly wondering if I should jack it all in. We certainly need a serious shake-up in many areas, including the set list.

The only good news -- we got £75 each, a personal best. Rant over -- thanks for listening.

Cheers

Mark

Those look stunning. I've loved BCR since I saw Aerosmith playing their guitars in the Seventies.

Now I just need the price of fuel to come down ...

Cheers

Mark

I've not played these places, but I've been recommended the Malt Shovel in Horsham (see website in the post above) and the King's Head in Billingshurst.

Cheers

Mark

Can you catch VD from it?

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='the_house123' post='200496' date='May 16 2008, 03:18 PM']i always find it annoying having to test them on a shop floor. Its more of the awarness of other people in the shop issue if you know what i mean.[/quote]
Assuming you were in Anderton's, they have two try-out rooms hidden in the back behind the (limited) bass section. Ask if you can drag what you want to try in there.

Cheers

Mark

Just a note that luthier and tech Chris McIntyre, formerly of Cable Street, London E1, has moved to:

Unit 228, Blenheim Court, Blenheim Grove, SE15 (off the charmingly named Bellenden Road).

It's near Peckham Rye station.

See here [url="http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|Peckham%20Rye#map=51.46936,-0.06824|17|4&loc=GB:51.4702:-0.06892:17|Peckham%20Rye|Peckham%20Rye,%20Rye%20Lane,%20Southwark"]Multimap[/url]

His website is here: [url="http://mcintyreguitars.com/"]McIntyre Guitars[/url]

And he did a fantastic job setting up two basses while I waited. I only wish I had the money for one of his custom builds.

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='bassmanbish' post='198079' date='May 13 2008, 04:14 PM']I remember catching an episode of Ballamory (that my son was watching, I hasten to add) that featured one of the grooviest, funkiest slap lines ever. I very much doubt it was him, but it really sounded like Mark King - style, tone etc.

Cheers
Matt[/quote]
There's a very fast slap line on Me Too! as well, while some woman cleans a bus. Since it's the same production company, it may be the same bassist. I had a rummage around the internet but I can't find out who it was.

Cheers

Mark

There's some good stuff on Me Too! -- the daft show by the Balamory team about what parents get up to while their kids are with a child minder.

Cheers

Mark

She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult -- can't get much easier than that and it usually goes down well.
The Middle by Jimmy Eat World -- bit punky, probably, but a three-chord-wonder with nice harmony vocals.
Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus -- you'll need somebody squeeky to sing the girl-asks-him-out bit.

Have fun.

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='Rich' post='190423' date='May 2 2008, 12:32 PM']That's what was so great about the Bass Centre (RIP) back in the Wapping glory days of the late 80s... you'd wander in there and a guy would approach you and the first thing he'd say after 'hello' was "Is there anything you'd like to try?". That's [i]try[/i], not buy. It was always kid/sweetshop time in there. I remember going in there once and telling him what I wanted from a bass... he sat me down at a Trace amp, pointed me at the free coffee m/c, and then brought me [i]fifteen [/i]different basses to try, gave me all the time I wanted, and never once prodded me for a decision or showed any sign of impatience... ahhh man, those were the days... [/quote]
I was working near the Bass Centre one Saturday in 1999, so I popped round to look at the acoustic guitars in the back. I arrived after 9am but found the place wasn't open until 10. However, a guy was carrying boxes out into the street -- and he waved me inside with a cheery "try anything you like".

So I sat for an hour on my own playing their hand-made stock in the humidified 'conservatory' place at the back. Not much there under a couple of grand.

And I bought a beauty which I still have. The bloke's attitude was an exercise in how to sell stuff.

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='David Nimrod' post='167133' date='Mar 31 2008, 07:29 PM']All I can say to that is:-

If I can do it, you can do it.

Now go and do it!!! [/quote]
+1. I'm 44, in one band, looking to join another and standing in for a third. I'd be classed as cr*p by most people on here -- I depend on a good ear and reasonable timing.

Get out there and find someone to jam with. You'll feel so much better

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='phatbass787' post='147353' date='Feb 26 2008, 06:02 PM']I have just ordered one of these and am very very excited, there has been a lot of hype from those who heard it at The Namm show over on talk bass, and only £59!

[url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/detail.asp?section=labs&ID=210"]J Lo Hyperdrive[/url]

[url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~Ashdown-James-LoMenzo-HyperDrive~ID~8587.asp"]http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product~name~A...ive~ID~8587.asp[/url][/quote]
It better be good -- I've just ordered one based on your and Spider's recommendations. Thanks

Cheers

Mark

And Rics -- only for people called Richard.

Cheers

Mark

I'm just coming to the end of learning 26 punk and hard rock songs for a similar stand-in. I have the band's two sets on CDs to play along with at home plus copies in the car to learn the backing vocals.

I don't bother with tab -- it's usually wrong. I just plod through the songs one by one -- and I've really enjoyed learning them.

One thing I'd suggest is to work the stuff out at a basic level, then concentrate on songs you find hard. I've had to play some painfully slowly over and over to learn tricky tempos and sing harmonies on top of contrasting lines.

You might also get lyrics off the net, even if you're not singing. They act as a prompt to me and I can scribble notes on them.

Good luck.

Cheers

Mark

I once played a £10,000 classical guitar before it was sold, sight un-seen, to Jacques Villeneuve -- who apparently collects these things.

It was nice but not worth the money. However, I bought a Brazilian rosewood Amalio Burguet at the same time which I love. I'm no expert but it's a delight to play -- and I hope it will one day contribute to my pension. It'll be ten years old next year

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='clauster' post='152495' date='Mar 6 2008, 04:51 PM']Thought that might be the case, but not keen on spending that sought of cash on a bass I can't play first.

Maybe I'll finally go and see my aunt in Florida.[/quote]
Good move

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='clauster' post='152435' date='Mar 6 2008, 03:24 PM']I've sudenly found myself gassing for a Ric, not the 4003 but the 4004.

Anyone know of a UK stockist for the 4004?

I've tried the usual (GAK, Bass Gallery, etc etc)[/quote]
I was interested in a 4004 a couple of years ago. I emailed the UK distributor to see if there were any in the country -- but they said they had no way of knowing

So I gave up.

It might be easier to see if you could get a US import.

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='143571' date='Feb 20 2008, 10:23 AM']How about;

'Bolinforsoup'

'bolinbolinbolinkeepthosewagonsbolin'[/quote]
Nice looking bass with a -- dare I say it -- Les Paul vibe.

You could be Marc Bolin

Cheers

Mark

Les Paul bass? I've never tried one but they're said to be similar.

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='Shaggy' post='138679' date='Feb 12 2008, 09:31 AM']Very little advertising compared with other commercial stations - is that the root problem?[/quote]
Probably. Advertisers obviously want to reach as many people as possible for their money -- so they won't bother if the station doesn't have many listeners.

I'll be sad to see Planet Rock go, too. Where else on the radio will we get the old, screamy rock stuff?

Cheers

Mark