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This irrational dislike of Markbass based on the look is not shared by most bass players, 99% of bands and 100% of audiences.

Manchester...erm, mid-80s... Our drummer (in an originals-with-the-odd-cover 80s Rock Band) was about to become a Dad, and had reluctantly decided he'd have to shelve the rehearsals and gigging for a good while, so he'd stepped down, and we were on the urgent look-out for a replacement. As a thoroughly nice chap, and knowing we had gigs booked we needed to fulfil, he had even left his kit at the rehearsal rooms for new drummers to use, in part or whole, for the auditions. We organised a Sunday afternoon, with an hour slot for each drummer we'd contacted, and it started unremarkably, but then, second to last, was the standout. And not in a good way. He turned up in a six-wheel Transit, immediately earning about a thousand bonus points, but it became terribly clear that all this thing held was his kit...and there was little room for anything else. After refusing to use of any of the already-set-up kit, he began ferrying kit in. And more kit. And more kit. After ten minutes of watching boxes piling up, and with his end of the rehearsal room beginning to look like the dockside of the Queen Mary before a round the world jaunt, we volunteered to help, and then we all spent the next 45 minutes setting up a furry tigerskin-covered double-kick kit, with six raised toms, three floor toms, eight rototoms and so many cymbals we couldn't see him any more. As he tightened up the third china cymbal, I said "No gong, then?", and he froze, looking concerned. "I didn't bring it...should I have done?" I assured him it wouldn't count against him, and eventually, with about five minutes left of his allotted hour, he was ready. The singist had been forced to nip outside to intercept the last auditionee, apologise and ask him to bear with and go for a pint in the local for twenty minutes, and then our hero launched into the first intro, to a then-bog-standard Bon Jovi tune we'd decided would make a good starter audition song. Now, in 35 years of bands, I've never played in a freeform jazz ensemble, and I certainly hadn't back then, so I was unfamiliar with the five-count intro, and the thirteen-bar drum fill*, but this chap was clearly a master. We couldn't possibly fault him for brio, enthusiasm, and certainly energy...it was his counting which left quite a lot to be desired**. In addition, having taken so long to set up his mahoooosive kit, he was determined to hit every single drum and cymbal as often as he could, with scant regard for the song, or indeed the befuddlement he was creating amongst his prospective fellow band-members. I shall leave to your imagination the meal he made of the drawn-out ending, suffice to say Richard Wagner, had he been hanging around the rehearsal rooms (unlikely) and not dead for about a century (for once, fortunate), would probably have shaken his head and said something unflattering about bombast. In German. He finished by standing, his arms aloft and his eyes shining. Had that thing Usain Bolt does (not the running, the archery-arms thing) been around, he would have been doing that. We shuffled our feet, unable to maintain eye contact with him or each other, for fear of collapsing into hysterics. Eventually the singer thanked him for his time, and we all heaved-to loading his van again, while the singer went to buy the other auditionee another pint. He didn't get the job. * I'm probably doing an enormous disservice to freeform jazz ensembles around the globe here, so apologies if so, but I'm at a loss as to where else to place it musically. Perhaps amongst those gangs of glassy-eyed, saffron-robed enthusiasts one encounters on the city streets, each banging a drum in a random manner with a blissful expression and no regard for hard-pressed shoppers... ** I note that 'dyscalcula' is the numerical equivalent of dyselxia, and apparently A Real Medical Thing. It may have been that he was a secret sufferer; that would explain an awful lot. Edit: I've just spotted that I've spelt 'dyslexia' wrong in the footnote above. Oh, the irony...

We're called The Cheeze We play 60s & 70 pop, rock and prog mainly Every Christmas we have a band curry where we discuss what to rename the band. Every year after a load of silly and non-PC suggestions washed down with several pints, we come to the conclusion that we are too well established to change. However it is a name that is remembered. We also get a fair bit of "they can't possibility advertise that they play cheesey music, so they must be good" effect

The best advice I've heard on auditions was from Juan Alderete and it's something that seemed obvious to me, but apparently not obvious to a lot of people who've tried out for bands I've been in: If there is a recording of the song - album, demo, live tape, youtube, whatever - learn the part as it was recorded by the old guy, irrespective of what the band say about your artistic freedom. You can change it later if you get the job and you're more likely to get the job if everyone is hearing what they recognise as being right.

Keep it, you`ve got a Mexican Wall before Trump gets his

So I took a trade I didn’t really want, but it was for a Basschatter who I consider a mate and it was a fair deal and he wanted my bass more than I did so went ahead. He offered a Roger Waters Precision in great nick and all the bits. It sat in my car overnight, such was the way - I’ve got a new daughter who’s been in hospital since she was born on the 4th April. I came home and plugged it in. Christ it’s lovely. So what do I do? I wasn’t selling to raise funds, I don’t “need” it. But the neck is very similar to my old MIM 50’s which I enjoyed...and it plays really well. I thought I liked skinny necks?! The black/Black/Black/chrome thing doesn’t work for me...so it’d have to see a few new bits to stay. The Bitsa I was debating keeping definitely has to go if this stays...

Prob just someone saying what s legend you are

I keep trying to start an INXS tribute band named Stranglew4nk, some right weirdos come to audition

I have a gen 2 2i4 and love it. Working via a Mac and Logic Pro X. No issues at all

^ 'chocolate starfish' - nice one, profanity filter!

I had a band called Not the Hoople once. We did two gigs. We were not a Mott the Hoople tribute, it was a silly joke name because one of the local bars had tribute acts with really lazy names that may as well have been "not Queen" and so on. We were an acoustic duo. We did have a Mott the Hoople fan arrive who thanked us at half time before leaving saying "it's good but not what I was expecting". To be fair, it wasn't even good.

So the moral of this seems to be "Buy but don't sell.." Well, that's what I'm sticking to then!!

I've used Jacks Instrument Services in Manchester for the occasional oddity. He's pretty good imho.

At which point you whip out your smartphone, plug it into the PA in the rehearsal room, play them the original to prove that you're right and they're wrong ... and end up wondering why you didn't get the gig.

My KZ ZS10s arrived this morning They take quite a bit more energy to drive than M6 Pro's but they definitely have more separation and clarity, and sound bloody great, but a replacement for 64Audio, UE, JH, etc they are absolutely not! I was expecting more low end, sub and low mid... However, they were £33!! For spare Generics (for deps, etc) I'll probably stick with carrying some M6's, but for myself, I will happily use the ZS10s until I can afford to get customs done... Has anyone else pulled the trigger yet? Would be interested in your thoughts!

Chrome bridge and knobs. And swap the scratchplate - still for a black one, but with the Black / White / Black construction so you get the outline. Would be perfect then.

Sadowsky are certainly entering a fairly crowded area at that price point, especially if you open that up to what you can get secondhand for that kind of money. The Sadowsky is a very different beast to the American original Fender and I would be as bold as to say that as good as Sandberg are, the Sadowsky name carries a bit more weight and pedigree for a lot of bass players. I would be very surprised if there is a noticeable difference in sound between the Metros and the new Express models. There may be some noticeable differences in fretwork and feel of the neck but I would go out on a limb and say it won’t be worth the approx £700 difference between models. So where is the appeal in the existing Metro range? I guess the same appeal that makes folks buy any variety of expensive instrument, because they have the money and are happy to spend that much. Also there is a certain level of exclusivity attached to it and a certain level of romanticism that the Metros are crafted in small batches by fine craftsmen in japan and not made in some generic factory that churns out models for almost every other guitar and bass company out there. It will be really interesting to see the first lot of real world reviews come in.

Huis Clos - un drame de JP Sartre (Scène: une chambre en enfer. Entrez John et Henry). John: Regarde! Une guitare basse qui intègre des fonctionnalités de marque déposées par Rickenbacker! Où est mon avocat? Je veux menacer quelqu'un! (Henry inspecte la basse) Henry: Est-il possible de fabriquer cette guitare basse mais beaucoup plus bon marché? Et de le fournir dans une couleur que personne ne veut? Avec des potentiomètres qui ne fonctionnent pas parce qu'ils n'ont pas été soudés correctement? Les deux ensemble: L'enfer c'est les autres! Fin

It sounded great thanks, I played it for an hour and am really pleased. I fixed the output jack (just needed the contact bending in a bit). A pleasure to play such a light bass, my dodgy shoulder is very happy. My fingertips are sore though, not used to those 105s! The band liked it too, so once I’ve fine tuned the set up I’ll take it to a gig. Here it is tonight alongside my number one, and the studio’s house amp.

Or a chrome bridge and knobs. The “all black” look is a bit too rawk for me...

Keep it, but get some black tuners on it

And finally, it lives!! (Minus some knobs, I need to order those...) I set it up well, and I now have a low action and good intonation. It’s very, very light and is obviously quite neck heavy. But the strap I’m using is really grippy so it’s not really a problem. The Wilkinson pickups are a revelation; for twenty quid they’re incredible - all the thud you’d expect and really punchy, but if you turn the mids up on the amp it gets honky, almost Jazz bridge pickup like. I’ll definitely use them again. Brilliant. The only issue is that the output jack is intermittently cutting out, there must be something not connecting properly so it needs sorting before I gig it, but I’m going to give it a go at band rehearsal tonight and see how I get on with it. I’m really pleased with it. There are things I’d do differently next time, but that’s all part of learning isn’t it? I’ve leaned a lot, surprised myself and really enjoyed putting this bass together. I wonder what’s next?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KZ-ZS10-4BA-1-Dynamic-Hybrid-In-Ear-Earphone-HIFI-DJ/253569550715?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=552772983798&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

There's no way I'd be getting involved with this, I'm not bothered about people flipping stuff but until it's in his hands it could have a broken neck, faulty pickups or anything, I'd refund and meet up and exchange for cash only pretty much half way across anywhere in the uk.

This is really interesting, learning about other players' techniques, it does make perfect sense.

I don’t use nails (barely have any), I stroke the strings through to full on pluck depending on the sound I want. I also play so as to almost tap the strings on the way through (quicker action as opposed to smooth pull through if that makes sense) for a punchier sound when I need it.

Interesting, as I said above, instinct is quite a powerful force isn't it

Doug vs dUg! He was banging on like it was a big conspiracy, the huge Darkglass corporation trying to control your mind and make you buy their pedals. Probably a flat-earther.

So very true: I adore The Beach Boys' music, but that name has not aged well when you think about it. See also The Beatles...do you think if they'd known how revered they'd become, one of them might have said, "you know what, lads? I don't think we can carry on with this terrible pun for a name..." Mind you, one of my favourite groups have gone by "Hooverphonic" for over 20 years. Originally they were just called "Hoover." In their defence, English is not their first language.

I shouldn't beach...but that doesn't mean I won't! One of our previous singers was technically excellent: great ear, plenty of power huge range, but...she used to insist on singing everything like she was Shirley Bassey belting out the theme from Goldfinger. With subsequent singers, obviously we'd use the studio recordings as a reference, but always with the subtle hint of, "that was her style, of course, but feel free to put your own spin on this one..." The improvement was remarkable...

I think you've nailed it right there. I have so far tested them with my phone (Samsung S8 - No noticeable difference between M6's and ZS10s here at all), my studio interface/mixer (KMI K-Mix - with a slightly higher headphone gain, they are definitely working better!), but not with my IEM gear yet.... I'll try and do that this evening! The low end issue... there's plenty there, I just expected more... for testing bass I used Boz Scaggs - "thanks to you" and my current fave PA setup test track, Umphrey's McGee's "Booth Love" ( https://youtu.be/3SwFSAGPgWw - if you don't know it). both of those will cause serious issues with crap gear! Yup, same here. I am still totally in love with my Markbass Multiamp, and it lives in a 3u rack with my G55 and LD MEI1000 (still, for the timebeing!), add a midi pedal, a bass or two, and I'm done! Straight into the PA, I rarely take cabs out these days!

Well, you've got to pretend at least you know what you are doing when you are trying to get your kit over the volume of a backline of amps all running full tilt. Screw everything else! :-p

I reckon you could take that down to a kick and oh with the right oh condenser coming over the drummer shoulder pointing towards the snare. I say reckon, I often do!

In all honesty I think working in Focusrite Tech Support should be the easiest job in the world, those products are made with such quality that I don't think they might have too much to do. I even help a friend record some stuff with his 1st gen 2i2 and I can't say I found a problem with it. I got an old Saffire 6 which I absolutely love, so easy to install and still records with no issues.

That's good to know, thanks!

+1 To the above - sounds like a lot of aggro, and life's too short to do something that isn't working when you've got the wrong people on board.

Drinking on the job, something I don't do and frown on. However, Musicians are going to drink, a battle I don't want to take on. Blue

You won't have any clipping issues on the 2i2 if you're purchasing a 2nd Gen version (there shouldn't be any 1st Gens at dealers anyway). You should also be absolutely fine with the driver on Windows, there are of course some other programs that can sometimes mess with things, but if you should have any difficulties at all, just give our UK based tech support a call and they'll have you sorted in no time at all Cheers Si // Focusrite Media Relations

Another Essex occupant here, and in Hornchurch as well, as referenced by others. However, I too am an outsider, having arrived from the Frozen North some 37 years ago on a mission of Spreading Culture To The Locals.... you can guess how that turned out. LOL

Despite suggestions that Mr Henry Juskiewicz may continue as CEO one hopes that whoever assumes control will sideline Hapless Hank into a powerless 'continuity' role, wrap him up tight in an NDO and pay him for a year to keep his mouth shut, at the end of which period they fire him out of a howitzer into a barbed-wire factory. It's a tragedy in the truest sense of the word. A man sets out to do good, succeeds for a while then succumbs to hubris and madness. Fate beckons. The cannon roars. Curtain. One of the most piquant details of this sad drama: having tried - and signally failed - to thrust auto-tuning upon guitarists, Gibson now finds itself being sued by Tronical Systems, the license-holder for the much-despised digital Min-e-tuners. Indeed, so loathed are these excrescences that there is actually a land-fill the size of Wolverhampton comprised exclusively of Robo-tuners removed from Gibsons. It remains to be seen why the Hamburg-based Fritzes at Tronical have it in for Hank but being sued for $50m can't have helped Gibson in the last week or so. Juskiewicz: victim of circumstance? Or just a hopeless tw4t?

To echo comments made elsewhere, Gibson was/is a brand you aspired to; I remember when I started out, I'd get a Bells catalogue or drool over stuff in Beat Instrumental, but on my paperboy salary Gibson (and Fender) were well out of my league. From a bass perspective, our Gibson choice has been very limited; by comparison with our six string bretheren, we have experienced limited model choice, limited colour pallettes, limited options. Yes, I know other manufacturers are available, but when you want something, you want it, eh? I've seen that Joe Bonnamassa is interested in taking the business over. Honestly, love him or not, having a musician running things might make things better. There was an interesting video posted elsewhere where three guys were discussing the decline of Gibson and summed up that you need to be able to buy a decent guitar for $1,000 as beyond that figure, you're looking at people on doctor and lawyer salaries. Perhaps (if Gibson survive), it'll be a case of giving the publice what they want, less custom shop pricing, more choice, less reliance on Les Pauls and SGs. There's a lot of demand for double cut Les Paul Juniors, so why didn't Gibson start making them again, preferring to go with the Firebird X or these ridiculous limited run models? Because they became detatched from this customer base and diversified into other markets. They're a company selling (apparently) 170,000 guitars a year. They shouldn't be in the state they're in.

1. They must have a plan 2. No "classic rock" 3. All gigs are paid 4. Gig at least 4 x as often as they rehearse. 5. Bloody good drummer 6. No divas 7. Everyone pitches in with set up and tear down. 8. Whole band continually aims to improve.

This pic of a pre-production sample 5 string was on Marco's FB page a couple of days ago...

The idea that you need 500 watts for a pub gig seems bizarre to me. What kind of pubs are these?