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And I got the gig! Only 30 more songs to learn now

Well, shirley an envelope filter would be .....The Sorting Office? I'll get my coat.

- how did you work out / stumble on what sound you were after? Was it a particular bass player or a bass line on a music track (if so, who / what?) = Was told to go and get a Jazz bass for a gig I was doing at the time by a band member. Did so to solve an argument and found out THIS was the bass that made all the sounds that were in my head. Bass players on a lot of records I grew up listening to used a Jazz so I'm guessing that's how the sound got in there in the first place. - if you know your sound, how would you describe it? (May be a tricky one to put in words, I guess!) =Not "my" personal sound but borrowed. Back PU gives me a tight and defined Jaco type thing.(the yanks call it burp?) Both PUs gives me Marcus Miller slap thing or deep and round for grooving. Then there are other variables but mostly its these two simple settings that work over just about anything. (that I play on or bands I play with. Covers mostly.Pop.Funk.Soul.Rock.Indie) - what are the key ingredients in your signal chain that are essential to delivering 'that sound'. (Hopefully we'll get some great suggestions for combinations of strings, PUPs, EQs, amps, cabs and pedals, depending on which are the most important /really key bits of the chain for you). = Recording or low volume - Passive Jazz straight into desk or amp. Tone all the way off. PUPs back or both depending on tune. Gigs - Passive Jazz bass into sadowsky preamp pedal into EBS HD350 amp then EBS neo cab/s. In descending order of importance in the chain: Passive Jazz bass My fingers and where I pluck. Usually over near the bridge side near the back PU regardless of PU setting. Regardless of the bass I'd probably always do this anyway for finger style. That's how I get "my" borrowed sound. Strings by D'addario because they are nice to the touch and less effort due to low tension. From there its a preference but not essential. EG: I prefer the EBS stuff but its not the only amp that can achieve what I'm going for. I like the simplicity of it more than anything. There is a plug and play element to it that appeals to me. I know quickly if I'm going to get an ok tone or a great tone depending on the room so I can get on with accepting what its going to be on that gig and get on with it. The Sadowsky preamp pedal is more to give a signal boost than any major tone shaping. I use a touch of bass and treble boost. It works like that so I stick with it. I also use a Chorus pedal when I want a bit of sparkle for a riff or maybe in a solo if it fits with the tune.

I barely had time to photograph it, never mind upload pictures last night, it's too good... However, now I am at work I will be sure to take some better composed images at some point soon to show off how well this has been put together, but for today this will have to do. As you can see, it is bog standard, apart from some extra feet and a rotated badge to allow for portrait and landscape (default) orientation. 12 mm ply, and ceramic magnets in case anyone was wondering. An easy carry (scurry!) from the post office to home!

The nastiest drum I've ever heard is a piccolo snare. As a non-drummer, if there is one contribution I can make to this thread, it's DON'T LET HIM HAVE A PICCOLO SNARE!!!

I think this is accurate. For the record, I hate ‘acoustic nights’. Usually some over-earnest scrotter with a beard and unbuttoned lumberjack shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a Jack Daniel’s tshirt underneath playing ‘his take’ on classic rock numbers.

Hi All Lots going on at Chowny at the moment. So am sponsoring a thread to put you in the picture We've new offices in Bristol (in scenic Lawrence Hill) and would love to invite anybody who fancies it to pop by and have a play on our basses or pedals. Just give us a heads up when you want to come. So first stock updates: Stock in of all of the following: Retrovibe EVO Davie504 Basses Retrovibe EVO Retrovibe Volante Retrovibe Vantage Fuzzster Pedals Pitchcraft Pedals Stock incoming over the next month SWB Pro SWB-1 CHB-1 and CHB-2 (2018 editions) We've added a new video studio and are adding new videos to our Youtube channel twice a week. They will be a mix of things (jams, talks etc) Here is Scott Whitley and I talking about the SWB and how we came to make it. And here is Danny Sapko playing on the very first ever CHB that we made. Finally we are releasing our new Bassmosphere Pedal soon. It's boutique designed Chorus/Reverb pedal. Manufactured in China and sold for the price of £62 (plus the usual "basschat" discount). Anybody who wants to come and play some bass (and drums) or just bring your band into our studio to do a song - get in touch. Thanks! Will add to this thread as new stuff happens.

Whilst I`m not exactly keen on bands playing for nothing, sometimes, when starting out on the originals circuit it`s one of those things that has to be done. You either get 5 paid gigs a year, or you take a punt on a few more unpaid as well, knowing you`re expanding your audience/merch sales/fan-base. Additionally, and in regards to the op, they agreed to play for nothing. Now irrespective of whatever any other band is getting, if you make an agreement you should stick with it imo. Again, not wonderful but you can gain a reputation as trustworthy, which can work in your favour - it`s how we`ve done things. An example of this is we were playing Gateshead on a Friday night, Blackpool on the Sat night afterwards. A big gig in Glasgow was offered to us at very short notice. So we did all three, doing an early afternoon Glasgow set, we wouldn`t bin the small Blackpool gig for the better Glasgow one. It was knackering, but in honouring our commitments it further cemented our reputation as a band that can be trusted.And the band is now self-funding, we don`t take any money from it but it pays for all recording/merch/hotels/flights/ferries/van & driver hire etc. But if we`d binned all the early unpaid gigs I wonder if we`d be in that position now.

You know I’m just messing with you Al

This is looking very tasty Ref the headstock veneer - if I get time tomorrow I'll do a quick A-Z of how I iron on veneer rather than clamp. Great thing is that it gives pretty much instant results and you can see what you're doing. I did a live demo of the technique at the Midlands Bass Bash.

I essentially picked up a yamaha gigmaster kit for about £60 (gumtree - parents desperate to sell a poorly thought out xmas gift lol) and a yamaha electronic kick, hihat and ride cymbal from ebay for £55. The module I use is a Megadrum which I use to trigger Superior Drummer on a laptop. To convert the toms I used some cone triggers i picked up from ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-pak-drum-trigger-replacement-DIY-foam-cone-Convertible-Percussions-/152148530322 They're nothing more complex than a piezo and a little foam cone but thery're really very good. I followed this technique The cymbals are pretty simple with two piezos on each, some thick clear 3m sticky back plastic (the stuff some people put on their cars to prevent stone chips) and a little plastic box inside which I wire the piezos to a jack. There are some far more advanced ways of doing this to allow cymbal choking etc. Try this for an idea (sorry the guy is pretty annoying but its a good demo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npnuaguzq6Y Any questions just ask. I'm really looking into a 2box drummit 5 module so we can work live without the laptop but it might mean a bit of work needed on the cymbal set up and a better hihat system. More often than not, if we have to use it for gigs we use a real hihat and ride cymbal as they are so much better than any of the edrum conversions I've been able to sort.

I took a picture of it for someone else, and it seems to work ok visually. So I did some other stuff, I got some veneer, spent a bit of time fitting it, overnight glueing etc, and then removed the clamps to reveal: Ok, so that didn't work and I peeled and sanded it off again! I finished the holes, and redid the lower horn as a friend of mine pointed out the angle was wrong, even though it didn't really matter (it isn't a clone), I decided to route it out a bit more: I bought a bit of rosewood as I decided I wanted a bit of contrast for the electronics cover. Not done that perfectly but I am pretty happy with it: And finally, bought some Stunning Stain from Crimson Guitars in crimson red and a black concentrate so I can mix them. This is what the red looks like after a coat, so I think that is what it is going to be done in, maybe a bit darker at the edge

It's the way things are going certainly and round our way there are a LOT of acoustic om nights. A lot of the bedroom warriors need to learn how to project a song and entertain an audience, but I've seen some stand out performances from singer/guitarists or on one occasion a ukulele duo! If it keeps live music in places that would otherwise not bother, I think it's a good thing as long as the quality is there

With no pay there's no Contract. I wouldn't play

Ron's answer to the question at 45:59 reminds me of a passage in Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance where Robert Pirsig wrote that when on the road he would check the bike over every morning . He had done it so many times that just the act of laying out his tool roll on the seat had become the ritual that readies his mind to see the state of the machine as it really is . With peace of mind gained about the equipment he is then able to enjoy the moment .

It's the same material (3mm cast Acrylic). The flipside to having great optical clarity is that it does have some reflections but not that you'd notice in any of the playing environments my screen protecctor has been in over the past few months - indoors with lots of stage lights and outdoors. I'm just finishing off the design for the Helix Floor model as well ready for prototyping

An excellent thread! For me the sound I like comes almost entirely from the bass itself. Pedals to some degree too, but that’s only to provide sounds which would be impossible to achieve with the the bass alone. I never really found “the tone in my head” until playing a Yamaha BB1025x a couple of years ago. It was grin inducing in a way that I’d never experienced from a bass before. Since then I’ve made sure I have at least one P-style bass in my arsenal. A recent discovery is that I have a lot of love for MM humbuckers too - they seems to cut through certain mixes better than a P, yet retain a degree of fullness often lacking from soloed Jazz pups. I’ve found my MTD Super 5 (dual coil-switchable MM buckers) to be the perfect Neo-Soul/R&B machine. Smooth and deep yet defined and cuts through a mix surprisingly well. Once upon a time I might have been in the camp of having “my sound” and sticking with it regardless of the context but now I think of myself as a bit more of a tonal chameleon. I’ll play the bass with the tonal configuration that works best for the music at the time. As has been said, though, the goalposts do shift if you’re in a covers band vs an originals band. I’m not in a band at all, so I suppose I play covers by default! In summary, I guess I don’t always know the bass sound I want immediately but I do know that I want the bass itself to be the primary factor and that I don’t want the amp to be colouring the sound at all. Those are the only two constants.

I bought one of those new years ago for £365, couple of surprising quality issue with loose pots and wobbly input that wouldn't tighten... That tone though! I've never been as satisfied with a tone before or since that bass...

+1 to the above as starters, just to get the principle established. Nylon-tipped sticks won't help (they're what I use exclusively, but they're no more quiet than wooden-tipped...). Another 'ruse' might be to get him to use Vic Firth hickory sticks. If he's a hard hitter, he'll soon get tired of 'em busting..!

Good, dynamic drumming, at any appropriate volume, is largely a question of technique. The real solution, if the bloke is up to it, is a good, competent drum prof to teach how to get the best from the kit, in all styles, at all volumes needed. It won't be over-night, but it' the 'real deal'. Meanwhile, there are solutions that work, but always, as usual, with a downside. Hot rods..? A very useful tool, indispensable in some styles, but a 'heavy hitter' will probably trash 'em pretty darned quick; they're not the strongest sticks around. This could cause budget issues, as they're not cheap, either. Worth a try, but not much to gain, without restraint from the fellow, I'd say. Drum screen..? Excellent as a solution, but very expensive, much stage footprint lost and one heck of a 'faff' in intimate venues. Worthwhile if the cost, weight and space are not an issue; I fear it'd be tiring over time, though. When I was playing in folk-rock bands, 'back in the day', I made up a set of covers from linen sheets and knicker elastic (don't ask how I acquired that..! ) to slip over the drum heads, a bit like a shower cap. That certainly muffled the drums (I've never been a 'lumberjack', but we were rehearsing and playing in very quiet venues...). The sound of the kit was, of course, radically changed, so if big, expansive 'Queen'-type toms are required, it won't fit the bill, but it may be worth trying (cover the heads with a cut-up tee-shirt to see if the tone is workable..?). Drum lessons, though. That's the secret. Technique, learned, as quickly as possible from a good teacher, that's my 'top tip'. Good luck with it; it sounds as if he's worth it. Keep us posted as to progress, please..?

Squawk box, surely!!!

Nope. Have to search.

Ok, I'll play! Clean bass, then adding the layers of Diabolik, Octabvre Mini, MXR Bass Envelope Filter, MXR Carbon Copy: https://1drv.ms/u/s!ApKsVfvGwYkOiqkL9mVycX-u9kCMAA Chain is in that order, octave after the fuzz to keep the low end clean. Recorded direct, no amp or speakers involved.

Thanks Rob. It is and more... Thanks for all your sound advice during the ordering stages

Yes, mid-September. Sorry you missed it.

Welcome Christine...looking forward to seeing your builds

My instinct is to agree with this, but one thing gives me pause for thought: the promoters who do no promotion often have a lot of free time to get their version of the story out if they feel slighted by a band. This guy's clearly chock full of s**t, but there's a risk that he'll decide to spread a load of "fake nooze" about you guys cancelling and being unprofessional or whatever. If you wanted to hedge your bets...you said you've got some interest. Play this gig. Bring your crowd. Demonstrate just how good and professional you are - like Lozz said, watch the other bands, have a drink with them, make connections and flog some CDs if you can. Better still, asking the other bands seemingly innocent questions like, "oh, are you getting paid for this gig, then?" might help to sow the seeds of discord and quietly let them know that the promoter's trying to shaft you. If the promoter asks you whether you'd like to work with him again, you're in a really strong position to give him both barrels. If he doesn't, there are plenty of groups and message boards online where you can tell other musicians everything you've told us. E.g., if you're on Facetube, the "advice/blacklist for uk bands promoters and labels group" has about 17,000 users who could (should) be warned off working with the guy.

As a beer enthousiast, I was referring to IdrinkHeineken

I welcome your new word and looking at the picture you posted, would also propose craftsmanshit be added to the list

Awesome! Really practical for that situation where... Umm... You know.. Hang on... It'll come to me... ... Oh wait, no I've just remembered it's fecking useless

Nick's work is just mind-blowing. I'm actually saving up to buy every single product he's sent me prototype pictures of!

If you can't live with it as it is, you probably need to admit defeat and treat the guitar to a new one.

Indeed the blend knob is a bit of a revelation when it comes to exploring grindy tones from the VT. As a low gain tube amp sim it's best to have the blend all the way up, but high gain with the character at noon or below turns to mush as a result of too much low end being fed to the overdrive section. Solution - whack up that character control to send predominantly mids to the overdrive section, then redress the balance by cutting mids and backing off the blend. It's a good way to approximate the sound of the new Tech21 DP-3X pedal if all you have to work with is the VT!

Way back in early '86 I spent a wonderful day at the much-missed Wapping Bass Centre, trying a whole load of fabulous exotica. Out of curiosity, I had a quick go on a Steinberger L2... It turned out to be a very quick go. What a ghastly instrument. No redeeming features aesthetically, ergonomically or sonically. Just utterly dreadful.

Well that's a great point! Our sound is as much, if not more, about "us" / how we're playing as our gear, for sure. I certainly have a long way to go in terms of becoming a better bass player! But I already know that I like certain sounds from my range of basses more than others. I guess probably the single biggest influence on "my" sound (to the extent I have one) would be the growl I get from the Nordstrand pups on my Ibanez. That bass seems to cut through whatever rig I am playing through and I'm guessing that those pups would deliver something similar whichever bass they were on? So for me the 'foundation' to my sound has to be a great set of pups. However as a covers band player I also know as much as I like that sound, that slightly aggressive growl is not going to be appropriate for a lot of the material we're doing, so immediately there's a 'stop' to how far as a covers band player I feel I can take it. I'm glad, however, that this thread has cured you of GAS!

I’ve always been chasing the bass sound equivalent of a big lazy idling American V8 burbling away inside a Plymouth ‘Cuda. Randy HT’s work with Incognito reminds me of this.

You sure it isn't one of those superinposed joke vocals over a video thing? Like

Going to the correct venue always helps , unlike my band on Sat night ,I pulled up to British Legion club turns out it was completely the wrong town & not even a British Legion Club ...other members not being organised makes me anxious ,saying things like can we play this in a different key tonight & bringing a second guitar on the basis that it's pre tuned for a certain song & its still in it's case & not tuned but they swap guitars anyway?

Same here, pal of mine has a Ric he adores and thinks is a legendary classic bass. It sounds terrible and is an absolute chore to play though. If it didn't have the iconic look he wouldn't give it a second glance. Joint first position for worst bass however is a Hofner violin bass (one of the more pricey ones) I used the last time I was persuaded to go to a jam night. Just as clunky as the Ric with a similar amount of useless cosmetic adornments which hamper playing only this time it sounded like mud being played through more mud rather than a choice selection of honky farts like the Ric. I can only assume all the controls on the bass and amp were broken because it sounded the same no matter what. Again the owner was really proud of it and I have no idea why, I've seen his band a few times and the bass guitar and kick drum are indistinguishable from each other in the mix.

Blimey, they look like the boys down the local Quickfit tyres. Wheel balancing is extra, Sir.

My mate has a Rickenbacker which he’s very proud of. I played it once - felt like a cheap 70’s starter bass. I just didn’t “get” it. So many do though. Strange. I don’t like marmite either.

I completed the most important part of my build this week, which will help everything else: Yep, a shed, now I can do stuff that isn't outside! But having been busy all week and last weekend it has been slow progress. Never mind, I have next week off. But tonight I got a chance to do stuff, so I made a template for working out where the machineheads go on the neck, I placed and drilled the holes for the controls, in collaboration with my wife. I started work on the shaping of the arm rest bit, rounded off the corners (need to learn how not to burn the wood and chipped a few bits) I took out more wood in the electronics hole (need more out but I am taking that one slowly), and met with the long lost hole for the cables that I drilled when it was still two pieces of wood. Still rough in places, loads of things to correct but no major messups so far and nice to feel I am getting somewhere!

It is a good set up with the 2x RM fifteens. Haven't yet done the 15+ 2*10 but the 2*10 on its own sounds good.

Have used 15s in the past and liked them. But there are still those who think that frequency response and transient response are linked to cone size, which is not necessarily the case. I've used 10s that can vibrate the building and hit you in the chest - admittedly they were in an 8X10 cab being powered by an SVT-CL, but you get the point...

OK, my journey seems to be going somewhere. I now seem to be the type of person who is genuinely excited be woken up early on a saturday morning by the postman delivering this: (you will never know how many times I rephrased 'wood', 'morning' and 'postman'!). So yay, now all I have to do is glue it together and start cutting (after first making sure to make a pickup cable hole. I bought some pickups yesterday too, turns out musicman style OLP 5 strings have a 15.2mm pickup spacing, which is ideal, so I got some of those. Still wondering about a narrow bridge but it is looking like individual monorail style. So glue - what glue do I use? I see people just glueing these things together and then carrying on. Is there really nothing else that holds the wood together than glue? I read a book on the net that said about having dowels as well, but I have never seen anyone do that.

I have the day of this week, I have been fairly ill, but not ill enough to be off work, just ill enough to not sleep because I am coughing too much, and as it is nice now and it won't be for long, I thought I would take the day off. Because I just decided I didn't have anything I needed to do, so I sat in the garden and decided to shape the headstock. Found out loads of things. A router is way to agressive for doing these things unless you have a routing table, that I haven't. Cutting towards the end of the wood can cause the wood to come apart in an unpleasant way A dremel is much better than it seems I only possess 2 chisels and 2 files (I have a load of little rat tail files, but not really useful here), which is news to me, I though it was a lot more. They seem to have gone. Of the 4, one chisel is a little blunt, one has obviously been used to open cans and brute force things, so it useless. Both files are good, but one is too small to be useful in this case. Ultimately, however good your power tools, if you don't have a whole workshop, the end bits you need to do by hand. So off out to get some new chisels, a slightly roundy wood file and maybe some kind of hand planey thing. I have decided after a brief moment of indecision, that I will post the pictures however bad it goes, because when I have looked on here before everyone is way better than me, so I am here as a beacon of how not to do it, or what happens when you don't know how to do it Nice day for it though!