Leaderboard

I am an expert here on compression, and I can categorically say that sometimes I cant hear it, out of the context of a mix. Because you just cant, not a 'transparent' compressor with a soft knee set to just pull everything up a couple of dB on the softer stuff especially in parallel. Good luck to anyone who can, you're definitely not normal. But put that in the context of a mix and if you know what to listen for you can hear the difference the compressor makes. So why bother if its that hard to consciously perceive? Because perception isn't conscious, psychoacoustics are hugely important and influential and definitely can make a band sound far more pro than the level of the venue they are playing in. Lets put it another way, would you rather an expert live engineer use everything at his disposal to make your band sound as brilliant as possible regardless of the venue, or would you prefer him to keep some of his tools in the box? Do you think your punters would tell the difference between Dave the drummer throwing some faders up on a shitty 6 channel Behringer desk and Wes 'The Wesernator' Maebe with a Midas Pro One and some choice outboard? What about Wes using the same desk as Dave and a few choice dynamics tools? I reckon Wes could make my band sound better live than I can with the same gear literally anywhere, he's the absolute canine undercarriage at his job, so I'd be some kind of an idiot if I didn't feel that. What does he use to achieve this? Simple, the basics that every sound engineer understands: good mic placement, good gain structure, good dynamics control, good spacial and additive effects, great musical understanding, great ears. He will use compression all over your bass to make it work in the mix better, think I'm kidding, check this out and especially this where he daisy chains two 1176s, the man is a master of compression, its his bread and butter. So what does this have to do with the OP question? Its simply the wrong question. It actually shows why most bassists probably shouldn't be trying to use compression, because it breaks down like this:- The audience should not generally be able to tell that a compressor is being used per se, but they will know that something is different if you turn it on and off. It depends on what the compression is for. A transparent gain riding compressor is going to work at a psychoacoustic level. On the other hand if you are using a compressor to drastically change the envelope of your bass sound then every single punter will hear the change as you swap it in and out. Its just a daft question really. Think like a bassist and you cant tell what its for, think like a sound engineer and you cant imagine a world without compressors on nearly everything.

Learn "Forget You" by something called Cee Lo Green they said. Is that a band? A person? I wondered. Never mind let's have a listen. Ah good, given my hectic learning schedule a nice repeated three chord pattern is just what I need. I like days like these, they make up for the 'now let's learn Everybody Dance' days. Then, just as I'm smiling at myself for having essentially learned the bassline during my first ever listen to the tune, just under three minutes in and the bloody bass player wakes up and decides he's bored. Never count your tofu until it curdles folks.

Just got this. Huge Kings X fan...

I wandered into Norwich PMT a while back to blag a box for a bass I was flogging. Figuring that even asking nicely wouldn't cut the mustard for a very crumbly 63 year old who looks disturbingly like Compo, I thought I'd better buy something before asking. A charming young man, helpful, knowledgeable and chatty but never patronising or irritating, introduced me to their two secondhand bass cabs. Deciding I didn't really want a Fender combo, we switched focus to an MB 121 Traveler in great nick for £280 label. He went to endless trouble to set me up with a head I liked and left me alone in a booth to noodle as long as I needed. He was so nice I could see no alternative to buying the bloody thing (but TBF it was starting to make sense to me - God I love MB tone). Once I'd got my wallet out said lad was willing to haggle but wasn't a push over, and happily agreed to work several suitable guitars boxes into the deal (what I originally went in for, if you recall). Then when he learned I was parked 400 yards down the road he carried (yes he did) my new cab all the way to my car. I almost put him in the boot too and took him home to introduce him to my daughter. Then I remembered I don't have one.

Hey all, So here's my quick and simple comparison of La Bella flats with Chromes on my Precision, and Lakland Rounds with Gold White Nylon Tapewounds on my 55-01: https://soundcloud.com/simonpoulton/sets/la-bella-vs-daddario-lakland Each track has a description of what is happening, test environment etc My conclusions are that La Bella's are quieter, across their ranges, than strings I've previously used (my Gold Flats on my other Lakland are also quieter than the rounds they replaced too, but just means my amp does a little more work, easy enough, doesn't bother me). New La Bella flats, sound like 3 year old Chromes, so more mellow out of the pack. Gold White Nylons do an excellent impression of broken in rounds, whilst feeling very smooth and lasting a hell of a lot longer hopefully (due to being tapes). All in all, am very happy with these early tests, think I've finally found a company that has a varied and interesting string roster, where I can get everything I need from one place! Cheers Si

Hi Basschat! I recently purchased a beautiful Ocean Turquoise 4-string jazz elite bass, and had our monitor engineer send a desk recording from one of our recent shows @ Alexandra Palace, I'm super happy with how its tracking in a live situation, thought I'd share it and have this thread for other people to share their live recordings of their Elite's! (precision + Jazz)

For me, it's this by a long way: That'll gleam with a coat of Andy's Magic fluid - No innuendos please!!

Was just listening to this album today and thought I'd put something on here as it's an integral part of my Bass playing influences. I can see it's been mentioned before, but you usually get a discussion about how it's divisive so I thought I'd put my two penneth in. When the album came out, I was a pure 'metaller'. If it wasn't 'eavy', I didn't like it. I was a teenager then, and had already been playing bass for a year or so in a rap-metal band (I know). I bought Earthling 'blind', having a fleeting admiration of Bowie, mainly due my older sister buying the Dancing in the Street single years earlier. (I know). The thing that struck me about the album right away was the bass playing of Gail Ann Dorsey. I appreciated the magnificent tone, and the concise, accurate yet still impressively written basslines, even though I didn't realise at the time this is what I was hearing, if you get me. The songs are amazing and yes, the album probably did sound dated for a while, but in my opinion, it has been long enough for the 90s drum and bass elements to now sound 'vintage' to younger ears and would be well worth a listen. It's easy to see why it's not everyone's cup of tea but It's the album that got me to listen to bass players, appreciate not over playing, and get the importance of a good balance between instruments/vocals, not to mention getting me to explore Bowie further, which obviously opened a pot of gold.

Shang-a-lang always goes down well at our gigs.

I'll just incarcerate any future threads you start on the topic. Job done

Thanks for all the positive feedback..!!!! Inspiring to see the other kids basses too; bands like the Royal Blood, 21 Pilots and current established groups that feature prominent bassists (Chili Peppers, MUSE etc.) appear to be driving the instrument to new popularity.. Anyway, he got to see and play it last night; he was speechless (which is a lot with him..!! ) and managed four solid hours playing Chili Peppers, MUSE, Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Green Day and anything else he could think of...!! He is at his first band practice tonight, as a bassist, so got four days to learn 4 songs from scratch - he's done it too..... They're not simple tunes either and he didn't have a hand in choosing them (Mardy Bum, My Sharona, Mr Brightside and Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor). When he got up this morning, he went to play it before school and said "every time I open the bag, I think - what a beauty!".............. I can't ask for more really. Going to film him playing it and I'll put it up here shortly. Peace..

This ^ Are you sure it's nitro? It looks more like poly to me. Same solutions if it is poly but probably gives you more options of lacquer products you could use.

I learned about mirroring too and it really opens your eyes to peoples intentions. My experience is that when you point this out to people in Britain though is they take it very defensively. Things in Britain you can talk about: Weather, football, immigration. Things in Britain you shouldn't talk about: Feelings, death, other peoples intentions. The rumours are true.

I take it not as spectacular as your HGBM? But seriously, well done @tonyxtiger and @Cuzzie for making this happen - it's great to see BC in action like this!

Ohh.. well that explains that awkward incident then...

After an 8 hour drive to Newcastle and 2 hours back to Yorkshire on Sunday and a 6 hour journey back home to Somerset yesterday, I now have the following in my arsenal: Just need to find a key for the case...oh it's a 2003 CIJ. Big thanks to the Monkseaton Mikes who helped.

I'll see if I can get hold of them. Can't promise though. I'll let you know.

... and you're 'available' any week-end or weekday, for the next few years. Am I wrong..?

I make up for my poor musicianship by having no stage presence or appeal whatsoever. I sit with my back to the audience, I wear dirty old clothes, and I pull terrible bass faces at the drummer whilst moaning about his playing. I drink brown ale and smoke crack on stage. If people don't applaud when I take a solo, I turn around and spit on them. I threaten men and make sexy growly sounds at the ladies. I often get so absorbed in the music that I soil myself on stage. I play mellow jazz standards in an intimate wine bar, on a yellow 1987 Kramer with a pick, going through 34 dirt pedals into an SVT and an 8x10 cab.

Actually I have to give County Music in Canterbury a mention. No high end bass stuff in there as such, but I bought a short scale Squier Jag from them a couple of weeks ago. I took in my own pickups and they installed them and set up the bass at no extra cost, and they had it ready in a couple of hours. I know a pickup swap is not a big deal but it's nice of them to do it for free, especially when I wasn't spending big bucks.

Gigged it again last weekend. This time I set the gain so it was flicking orange as I hit the bass hard and controlled volume via master volume control. This was in a medium sized hotel reception room with about 100 people and PA support. No noticeable compression or limiting this time. Played through a Big Baby 2. I took a pic of the settings but had to turn it down from what's pictured. Bags of volume!

Serched a little and found what they do in mine. From the web: I see you have earlier models of the TRB, mine has 2 trim pots and are for this exact reason, to balance the "phantom" coil or whaterver it's called with the pickups to eliminate noise. Take out your backplate (post some pics here of your electronics in each bass) and rotate the trim pots with the bass plugged in and see if you notice any difference.

Drew's retired but the GBBL lives on - the stock and business was transferred to a new owner, based in Congleton - and the first pics look a bit like a lounge setting too, so expect more of the same I imagine!

That`s a shame, Athens is great, was there a few weeks back, played at Tres, great gig and a great audience, def should be more music shops there.

It always amuses me that when this topic comes up folks tend to start discussing it in polarised extremes. It's worth bearing in mind that there is a spectrum of different approaches between... ...and... I think Gary put it very well above. It's about the band demonstrably enjoying being there and connecting in some appropriate way with the audience, wherever on the spectrum that is!

Audience..? What is this 'audience' of which you speak..? (Don't forget, we play for free. How could we be expected to have an 'audience' ..?)

As long as you have the front-person performing appropriately, I don't think you don't need every band member hamming it up, as long they look professional. Luckily, in my current band (swing jazz n blues) it's not expected. I have to hold my hand up and admit to being of the Bill Wyman school of stage presence (AKA Everybody's Favourite Undertaker). If I try to smile too much at the crowd, people look like they're about to call security or the door man I'm afraid. As to theatrical chops. I occasionally lift my right hand an extra couple of inches if I play a long growly note.

No, I didn't.

Paul's a great keys player, he'll be hard to replace. Good luck.

I think you might have misunderstood. He used in-store vouchers (not cash) to pre-order a pedal that has been delayed (as pre-order items often do, due to production schedule delays). The vouchers were then used to buy alternatives as store credit is rarely given back as cash and Thunderpaws was also quite happy with this. I doubt GG we’re at fault in any way, it’s their supplier who has delayed the product shipment.

Very tasty playing as usual. Nice tone too! Preamp flat with a bit of tone knob rolled off?

If it's poly then trying to patch it by spot filling will not work as well as if it was nitro. Poly cures to a hard finish and patched areas will leave visible fracture lines, unlike nitro which melds with the existing finish.

For a home cinema, music listening room or studio; with a static, seated audience and careful acoustic treatment; I would absolutely go to town applying the scientifically-correct sound reinforcement solution. Because in that environment, the variables are minimised, and the results can be more fully appreciated. But at the Dog and Duck, with a packed car park in the rain, an L-shaped-low-ceiling- room-with-a-bar-and-ante-rooms-and-windows-and-glass-conservatory, packed* with standing, moving, 'refreshed' and loud-talking punters? Then the goalposts move. If I can hear clear vocals and distinguish the instruments from the busy parts of the room then I'm happy: and if that can be achieved with a more portable set up with less trip hazards, less power strips and less footprint then that setup wins. Sadly we're not generating anything near-enough the gig income to switch, so it's teetering PA tops for the foreseeable. Mind those stand legs! * anything more than three, including dogs

I`m not sure about this as a whole, but I do know that having worked with great musicians/great song-writers who had those as their only redeeming features, I wouldn`t choose to work with similar again. I`m not sure if I have any stage presence, aside from - not my words I should add - looking scary and staring the audience out. Which in fact means that with my middle-aged eyesight I`m just looking at the audience to see if they`re enjoying it. Wearing appropriate clothing for genre, and not looking at the floor, even if you don`t leap about like a deranged gibbon conveys a better stage presence than looking like a bunch of guys who don`t even know each other, and won`t make eye contact with the audience. If the people on stage look together, look like a band, and connect with the audience even if they don`t say a thing, well already their stage presence has taken a step up.

My lad Dan got this for his Christmas present a couple of years ago, I sprayed it blue and got Scratch-It to make a Pickguard of his favourite team... Started as a Harley Benton 3/4 lefty. Mores the pity he’s got his hands on the wrong way - a very serviceable little bass 😑

Hi, My wife recently showed me a video she had taken of our 3 year old grandson playing my jazz bass, on its stand, like an upright whilst she played some music on the stereo. "can you do something for him" she asked. So I bought a secondhand Gear 4 Music 3/4 precision. For the money its not bad but it did need a fair bit of work to make it anything like playable. The neck has no finish at all so I gave it 4 coats of tung oil and lemon oiled the fretboard. I had to lower the nut, shim the neck, adjust the truss rod and then set it up. So he will get it four his fourth birthday and we'll see what happens. Regards, Doug

There's none as deaf as those who won't hear.

@tonyxtiger i’d Be happy if you stick in some tablet and a wee dram, that’ll do me

If the shop in question is the one I think it is, I was just going to add that I have been considering going for a bit and have decided against it due to several bad experience internet posts and anecdotes. They are dotted around the net on various different platforms, and although I wouldn't usually 'cut my nose off' as some have put it here, what worries me is that the reviews are all talking about the same specific issues, despite being in totally different places, from different times, and are fairly well spread out chronologically. This tells me that the problems are consistent, long standing and most importantly, not learned from after bad feedback. Interestingly, the pattern also includes a bit of smarm following each problem, with no changing of attitude, which is even worse. I would say this is a good reason to raise grievances like this. Everyone has an off day, and maybe writing off a place due to one bad experience is rash, but a consistent lack of consideration for customers walking in the door is inviting people to go elsewhere, and how else will consistent bad practices be challenged? It won't happen by just individually moaning a bit AFTER handing over your money, (that's advocating bad practice), but shared experiences being exposed on forums like this. A lot of people here probably have a good idea of the shop that's being talked about..which kind of highlights how much of a problem there is. Good on you for bringing it up AND challenging it I say.

That looks really good. Many of the budget instruments available are amazing value. With improved electrics and a bit of work on the frets they can be really great.

I have trouble with some of my own basslines! Make some, play some and everything is great. Have a break then go back and I've lost the feel or timing! It's just like someone else had written them...

I'm a sucker for a white bass, especially nice looking if it's translucent.

Session 26a.mp3 Session 26b.mp3 Session 26c.mp3 Session 26d.mp3 Session 26e.mp3

Session 15d.mp3 Session 15e.mp3 Session 15f.mp3 Session 15g.mp3

Session 14.mp3 Session 14a.mp3 Session 14b.mp3 Session 14c.mp3 Session 14d.mp3 Session 14e.mp3

:eft to right: 2002 Fender Standard Jazz fretless w/ epoxied fingerboard, Lollar pickups & Gotoh bridge 2005 Geddy Lee signature Jazz with Antiquity II pickups and vintage style bridge 1966 Jazz, refin & refret 2001 Blade B2 Tetra Bass with Nordstrand pickups and Aguilar OBP-1 preamp 2013 De Gier Bebop 5, custom order