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I was a founding member, and spent 26 years, with a KISS tribute band. We wore the full outfits and boots (custom made and VERY expensive), had custom guitars made (and existing guitars customised) and took the musical/vocal/arrangement accuracy very seriously. To me, that's what makes a 'tribute' band, rather than a 'cover' band. I even went as far as to learn firebreathing and we filled our performances with the expected pyrotechnics too.... It all paid off though... We were the first KISS tribute to perform all over Europe & Scandinavia and played numerous international fan conventions too. Over the years we played with, played for and/or appeared with almost all original and latter members of KISS as well as appearing on both of Gene Simmons worldwide TV shows. We performed for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Def Leppard, headlined festivals and launched products (Volvo etc). We also performed at music 'trade shows', played Halloween at the Cafe De Paris in Monaco and toured Japan with The Bootleg Beatles, Counterfeit Stones, T-Rextasy and Royal Family (Queen show), gaining endorsements from Washburn, Ibanez, Cort and Spector along the way.... We even discovered that KISS were keeping up date with our performances and later found that a mid song breakdown/arrangement I had created had been adopted by KISS themselves in their live show! It was very hard work, but great fun and gave me life experiences that will stay with me forever. I also spent spare time in originals bands and cover bands over the years so have seen both sides.... Tribute haters gonna hate...... usually from their bedrooms...... but I guarantee I worked 10 times harder during every 2hr tribute show than haters ever have onstage....

I don't actually care whether a band is tribute, covers, or so-called originals. All that matters is ... are they any good?

But why? If you have a particular enthusiasm for the output of one artist/band, who is to say it is unhealthy or a bit silly to concentrate on playing that material? I listen to a very limited range of music, and am happiest when playing the music from that range. As it is increasingly unlikely that I will ever be invited to join the original band, playing with people who share that enthusiasm, to audiences who also share it, is the next best thing.

A House In The Boonies / S13 Ep4 / Wales Final Broadcast Transcript Run Time 29’:22” Pre Creds: Presenter (Wendy) to camera “This week we’re in Wales helping Ron and Marjorie to find … A House In The Boonies” Opening Creds – Theme Music: ‘Plinketty Plonk’ Scene 1 – Establishing segment Wendy to camera: "Ron and Marjorie Blart currently live in a poky, condemned one bedroom flat in London but hope to exchange it for a gigantic mansion in Wales possibly with turrets. Ron’s a retired astrophysicist and Marjorie’s a lion-tamer so they need some land for Ron’s collection of radio telescopes and an enclosure for Marjorie’s pride of lions” Shot of lions ripping zebra to shreds – Incidental Music: ‘Banjo Breakdown’ Wendy smarming to camera: "So how did you two love-birds come to be married?" Ron and Marjorie to camera, holding hands: Incidental music: ‘Disco Love Theme for Ukulele” Ron: “We met when Marjorie’s circus came to perform at Jodrell Bank. It was love at first sight” Marjorie: “I’d never seen a little man with such a huge telescope” Music stab: ‘Trombone Wah-wah-wah descending’ Wendy: So what’s the most important feature you’re looking for in your new House In The Boonies? Marjorie: The master bedchamber must have have lots of light. And I want a snug little room somewhere to do colonic irrigation. It's a hobby of mine. Ron: I’d need an absolutely stable gravitational environment with no electro-magnetic eddies… Wendy: Right… Ron: … but it’s not a big issue as long as Marjorie’s lions are happy. Particularly Rex… Marjorie: Yes, Rex. Rex is a bit picky. Wendy: (simpers) Well, we’ll be looking at three luvlay generous properties after the break Break Bumper Music: ‘Pizzicato Plonketty Plink Plinketty Plinketty Plonk’

I watch Later. Actually, I record it and ff through the stuff I don't like. I sometimes see a band that I like. I've no idea why people like the stuff I don't, but they seem to, so why should I call their music crap and slag off one of the only music programs on TV? I'm in favour of the TV companies filling their schedules with live music. We need more. Later is a good program and TV would be the poorer if it was cancelled.

PRECISELY!

Doesn't make sense to me either, probably because that's not what I'm saying. Download a 30Hz test tone and play it through your bass amp or over headphones. Does it sound musical? Can you even hear much at all? 30-40Hz can certainly add a lot of weight to a bass instrument, but it doesn't add much to the 'musicality' of it. If you play that low 31Hz B-string then it sounds fat because the lowest fundamental is helping to underpin the overall sound, but much of what you're hearing is the harmonics above that. And you can roll of a lot of that 31Hz fundamental without affecting the overall tone or 'fatness'. Try it. Maybe with a compressor In a live gig setting, I'd be very wary of doing anything around 30-40Hz other than dialing it back due to the chaotic acoustics in most venues. If you're recording DI in a studio, it's a very different kettle of fish because the room is taken out of the picture and you can tweak to taste post-recording.

I'm in a Bowie Tribute band, but we're a bit different as our lead singer is female. Jane (for that is her name) does a bit of dressing up and uses the jagged metal tie on 'Man Who Sold the World. The rest of us just wear mostly normal clobber as you can see....that's me in the hat btw! We don't replicate the music note for note and have written an original tribute to Bowie song. Best part is we all take it seriously but also have a laugh, work hard on performances and audiences seem to like us. http://www.facebook.com/missbowieband

The 'buyer' refused the eBay refund I sent and insisted that I send the bass, so I have refunded him directly through PayPal (and have an acknowledgment from eBay that he has now received it). I'm guessing from his tone that he'd already sold it (eBay listing closed early), had seen a nice £600 pay-day coming his way, and is now rather miffed. What goes around comes around eh

Bedroom: Lovely, bass-rich, slightly mid-scooped tone with a hint of top-end 'air' (sniffs cork, quaffs, spits) Live band: Mids-boosted clank, leave everything under 100hz to the kick drum

Usual YT rumbling led me to these guys and I dig it, jazz bass with chromes through an B15 - bliss!

Anyone notice this trend? The BBC seem to be major offenders. Anything that's not serious drama, such as a programme about shopping, or a fluff-doc about some family business in Kettering, always has a constant moronic soundtrack throughout - usually featuring plinky pizzicato strings for a 'lighthearted' feel, or possibly an aphasic idiot whistling a merry tune accompanied by some jolly ukulele chords... and it's always too bloody loud! I get the impression this drek is to keep the population calm and sedate... much like the sort of easy-listening prevalent in the nation's secure units, loony bins and associated banana cabanas. Crime drama and other 'serious' programming is even worse. It's got to the stage where I cant even tell if something horrible is about to happen without the obligatory 'low synth drone', presumably intended to instil a sense of foreboding in the viewer... Any other feckless time-wasting, square-eyed, slack-jawed quinquagenarians agree..?

Here's mine.

I was in a Stereophonics "tribute" band ...we didn't look like them ..though weirdly I played in an originals band at the same time whos's singer was the spitting image of Kelly jones ( great singer but didn't sound anything like Mr Jones) We did mess with arrangements a bit and I didn't stick to the root note bass lines that Kelly jones insisted were played on "his" songs. I don't care if you like the idea of tribute bands or about anyone's idea of what constitutes a tribute band ...I had a fantastic time made decent money and played main stage rock city to 2000 (ish) people, all singing along to every song , three times....I'll die a happy man.

What really gets on my tits is with most things the music is always around blow your head off volume and you can hardly hear the talking

I'd noted on a few visits to my Dad's house, he's started watching TV with the sound off. No subtitles, no sound, nothing. It's quite nice once you get used to it. Much easier to make up you're own plot lines and game show rules.

I would phone you and talk you through this... but I suspect you wouldn't be able to hear me over your tinnitus.

Cheating? Don't be silly. Writing the answers up your arm when taking exams is cheating. Having the words etc to hand is being prepared.

My contempt for the facile, simpering jauntiness of daytime TV incidental music is utter and complete. Were it possible to enact without risk of penal servitude a savage, physical retribution on the gurning halfwits who manufacture these odious 'programmes' I should proceed accordingly and with gusto. Faugh!

I got the Sire V3 that was up last month and as far as I can see there is nothing wrong with it 🤔

Absolutely. And sustain too... A common misconception on here and elsewhere is: "What on earth would I want my bass to have good sustain, I don't play any long notes?" When in fact sustain is more about how the instrument generates harmonics, which are fundamental to a good tone.

I don’t actually have much personal experience of Rays first hand so as far as the tone of the Solo’d MM pickup I don’t have a particular frame of reference. What I will say though is that it isn’t only useful as a blending option with the P - it’s actually an incredibly useful sound in its own right. I’ve found myself playing along to tracks with a dense mix of instruments and soloing the MM has given me the perfect starting tone that cuts through the mix better than any other pup setting.

Well, you seem to have got an accurate picture of them then!

I’ve just realised, @mcnach, part of the reason for my purple wood grain bass GAS was seeing your Maruszczyk “JazzJake” custom. To be fair I was already GASing for that colour/wood combo but you added fuel to the flames

Ok mate no need to shout, I heard you this time. Maybe you EQ’d those out of the bottom end......

It's a shame that there has been a post belittling tribute bands , music people love is heard everyday through headphones on the move and LPs in peoples homes so why would the visual and live performance recreation not be a next step for some fans. The one thing I love about the musicians I know and call friends both weekend warriors and pros is their love of life and tolerance of people just being into whatever it is they love, be it tributes , originals or running a Sonia fan club

How about posting a live video of your band and let the ridiculous tribute band bass players see what makes you so much better.

Dear Dan Dare, The word 'tribute' has nothing to do with 'fake'. A 'tribute' is actually what is correctly known as a 'paean' - meaning 'a creative work expressing enthusiastic praise' or ' an expression of praise or exultation' (Wikipedia) This may all sound a bit nancy noo, but that's the way it is. By the way, I personally am not a huge fan of tribute bands, but, hey..........................

I don't think I particularly looked like one, but the smoke machine definitely helped!

Anything by King's of Leon just awful

This poem was in the order of service at a memorial service for a young Bass player I knew, taken too young. I appreciate that not everyone shares the poems view on bassists "place" in a band, but the sentiment was definitely shared by the young lad.🙂 Thought I'd share it.

Was 1979 really 39 years ago??? Thanks....I'm now feeling so much older...

I've been wanting a Dingwall for a long time, but never saw the right one for me. The Combustions I tried felt great but the sound didn't inspire me (I think it was the preamp) and the NG-2's I tried, I didn't like the colour of (fluorescent highlighter pen colour palette). So I waited. I put a deposit down on an NG-2 a couple of months ago, but decided to hold fort for this instead as it showed as being on order at BassDirect, and oddly not reserved. When it landed and appeared on the website I decided to take the punt, and I picked it up on Saturday. Everyone knows about the NG-2s so I won't detail that, but the obvious difference is the addition of a 3rd pickup and different switching options. They are: 1. Bridge 2. Bridge/Middle 3. Middle 4. Neck/Middle/Bridge This wasn't known to me when I ordered, I think I would prefer the option of the neck pickup alone, but would lose the middle pickup alone option and also the 3 together (replacement switches are available quite cheaply from BassDirect, and appear solderless). Thankfully, Dingwall routed the bass nicely so I can have the pickguard off also if I wish (my preference at the moment). Soundwise, of course - it's brilliant. Current favourite positions are 2/3 with a slight mid cut.

I remember helping out backstage on an event that they were headlining - terrific singer...!

An alternative approach is 2 MDF boards, with a partially pumped up bicycle inner tube folded up between them. You can tidy it up with a bit of edging around the bottom one to hide the tube as long as the top board fits inside without touching it.

I've not been a fan of any of the VM/TM series based purely on demos I've heard, I always felt the MM pickup was too far south from its natural habitat and it didn't blend well with the P. I'd have to try one out for myself though! I was always interested in the single pickup Basic model though as a slim necked Stingray alternative: I picked up a Sandberg Basic from here for an absolute bargain and it's the best sounding bass I've ever had. Just plugged straight into any amp it sounds great even in passive mode, whereas with other basses, I've had I've always been trying different pedals and preamps to make them sound good!

I certainly see the appeal of tribute bands and done well can be great fun, I'm never going to see Metallica in a tiny venue, but I've seen tribute versions in small venues. I remember going to a tribute night in Camberly a few years ago - High On Maiden, Mentallica and a Rammstein tribute The Rammstein were awful but the other two were great, particularly the Maiden tribute who used wigs to great effect

Thanks very much!

Rickenfakers https://m.facebook.com/groups/78514186083

do try playing around with taping the ports, makes a huge difference to the bass... I gave mine a good 3-4 hour burn ing before I was happy, but as you say, for the money! I actually used them for a gig the other day... pretty damned good!

I'm not sure what sort of rebate cutter you're looking at. When I have done it I've used a hand router with a rebate jig. You can then adjust the height and depth of the rebate and use a normal straight cutter Then use a cabinet scraper to scrape the binding level after gluing

I was listening to a radio talk show a few months ago that brought up the subject of tribute bands. There were a few callers who were slating them saying they were cashing in on other peoples success. Then someone phoned in and made the point that there has been some fantastic music over the years from bands like Zep, The Who, Floyd etc who are being rediscovered by a younger generation. That younger generation would never be able to experience them live (the environment that said bands excelled in) and a good tribute band could get 90% of the way there if they took it seriously enough to recreate the stage show. This was the lightbulb moment for me - its keeping some great and influential music alive for a new generation to experience, and because of this its a winner for me. Ps i played a charity festival a few weeks ago along with a fabulous Bon Scott era AC/DC tribute band (PureDC). They absolutely nailed the look and attitude of the earlier ACDC and i thought they were excellent.

I play in Her way to hell, the only female fronted Bon Scott tribute in Scotland, mabye in the UK. We just played Bonfest for the second year running, up in Bon`s birthplace of Kirremuir last week and went down well. The tunes are exactly as the band played them either on record or live versions that the band did, except of course we have a girl singer. This comes in quite handy as we can play all the songs in their original key and even ac/dc don`t do that! We don`t add in any fancy widdiling that wasn`t there originally unlike some of the other dc tributes, just straight ahead rock n roll.

I don't have the shirt!!!

Some twenty five years ago now I was the bass player for a band called Sack The Drummer, we recorded a couple of albums part of which were done at Whitfield Street studios (Sony's studio in London at the time) we recorded the week after the Spice Girls were in......a week's difference and Mr Beckham may not have been so lucky! We were managed by a director of Sony Music and were being touted as Britian's answer to REM...........except REM had already been around for about 3 years and were already a global success, still we played some good festivals including supporting Peter Green on one of his first comeback gigs....we worked bloody hard for a good few years but eventually fell apart. Now at just over 50 I am still playing in an originals band we are still courting national radio play and are still getting excellent reviews and I am still playing with the keys player and guitarist of Sack The Drummer

It's Christmas Eve 1978. I am playing at Portsmouth Radical Club with a jazz/dance quartet. We launch into the Birdies Song and, about halfway through, there is someone waving at the other end of the dance floor. It becomes apparent there is someone lying on the floor. The drummer at this gig is a first aider and goes over and the floor clears. An ambulance arrives quickly and they spend a good 40 minutes working on the guy before they put him into a chair and wheel him out, he looks grey. The drummer returns and I say to him "you managed to get him back then" to which he replies "no, he was dead but they didn't want to cause a panic". Turns out the chap had had open heart surgery and been told to either take it easy and live a bit longer or just carry on and face th possibility of a major heart attack. He chose the latter. We played The Queen (as you did back then) and we packed up. So, I have killed and got away scot-free!!