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Get the drummer to wear one of these to isolate the mic from the drum? Available from all good vets - plus, as he's a drummer, it will have the added bonus of preventing him from licking his own balls (sorry @Dad3353). 😁

Well, the update is that they ditched the bass locally and I got it back. I guess they must have thought walking down the road at 5am taking a bass (not in a bag / case) for a walk must have looked a bit incriminating like they stole it or something. I am now paranoid they could come back and raid my studio. I have moved most of the guitars into the house but there is still so much gear I am frightened will go walkabout. I need to invest in an alarm.

Thumb NT4 Fretless Custom Shop (with certificate 🗞️) piezo. Still getting used to it but it’s very playable and the tone options certainly versatile. Heavy though.

I do enjoy Rick Beato’s videos. Pretty well informed, well argued, interesting topics... always worth a listen. So what better way for him to start the New Year than with a “Top 20 Bass Sounds” video. Some great players and lines on there and some stellar sounding basses. He asks about which tones he’s forgotten. I guess my nomination would be this one... always loved the bass tone on this track. He chooses a totally classic Chris Squire line but I must say I’ve always had a soft spot for this Yes track. Love both the bass tone and the bass line. The hair cut not so much...

Coming soon to a clickbait website near you: 50 dead bassists 25 oldest bassists 100 best-dressed bassists 40 bassists who don't play a Precision 69 top bassist divorces 101 things you didn't know about bassists 33 foreign bassists who don't talk like us and smell a bit funny 10 reasons why Brexit will improve bassists 5 richest bassists 100,000 bassists who don't appear in any other pointless lists

Epic fail on at least two levels. 1. Define 'best' - best chops, best playing for the song, best songwriting...? Get promptly mired in controversy. 2. Last time I checked, people don't play bass with their genitals, therefore 'female bassist' is as relevant as 'gay bassist' or 'black bassist.'

Not exactly new, got it on the day after Boxing Day, but I've been waiting for my 'Treble Bezel' to come before taking some pics... Love it! I had an ugly red and black 1980s 4003 in the 90s, which sounded equally good, but this looks far better to me - I love the McCartney look with dot markers and no binding (though I'm not about to splatter it with silver and white paint in a fab LSD frenzy). And the rounded body is more wrist-friendly when wielding a plectrum... V happy. And the case smells like a Gibson case - all vanilla and cupcakes...

Really enjoyed that, thanks. They all have unique characters. The Thunderbird was a pleasant surprise.

As @Al Krow has said above, all three will be very well made basses. I own the Yamaha BB735a and a Sandberg Electra VS4 and my thoughts are below: Sandberg Electra VS4 - super lightweight (it actually puts my more expensive California VM5 to shame in this regard) and with a lovely thick barky P sound. Stock, it comes with a 2-band EQ and an active/passive switch on the volume knob. There’s no option for tone control in passive mode though. I got round this by having a passive tone control installed at the Bass Gallery. If you want the versatility of an added J to your P pickup the Sandberg Electra is out of the question as they only come in pure P or pure J forms. To get a PJ you’d have to step up to the more expensive California series. Or modify an Electra VS4 by adding in a J pup, which is certainly possible! Yamaha BB735a - again, a lightweight bass. I used to own the older BB1025x which is purely passive and when this new series was released I was sceptical, as the 1025x had such a great tone I didn’t want Yamaha to spoil it by trying to reinvent the wheel. Turns out my fears weren’t warranted as this 735a sounds just as good as I remember my 1025x sounding, but with the added versatility of a switchable 3-band EQ and the treble knob becomes a tone knob in passive mode! I find the EQ points on the preamp to be very well chosen - Yamaha obviously know what they’re doing here as I struggle to get a bad sound out of this bass! The quality is just lovely all over, with a flawless matte satin finish all over the body and neck (I have the black version - the sunburst version still has a satin neck but with a gloss body) and everything feels solid, from the neck joint to the tuners to the control knobs. Quality control at Yamaha’s factory is spot on. And then the little details like the low battery indicator light next to the control cavity and embossed Yamaha emblem on the headstock just give the whole thing a feeling that the people designing it really spent time on it. I haven’t tried the Schecter CV but I’ve heard good things about it. I like the way it’s wired with the series/split/parallel switches and passive operation. Would really like to try one actually - they look like versatile instruments. You cannot go wrong with any of the basses you’ve been looking at, but in a shootout between the Sandberg Electra and the Yamaha the Yamaha wins overall for me in terms of features/price.

I'd strongly agree with test before twist. it's really not that big a change.

Snarky Puppy.

We played a gig in a tent last year... we provided the PA and the boyfriend of one of our vocalists did the knob-twiddling duties, first time he'd done it for us. He's a recent sound engineering/production graduate. I took a walk out front during the set, and oh my word the FOH sound was sublime. We're a 12-piece band, lots of horns and stuff, so mixing us is not a small task, but I could hear everything clearly and in lovely detail and my tone was perfect. I could have kissed him. I'm really hoping he comes along as our engineer in future.

Nor do I. That's why I'm glad it was an 80s back catalogue of quality hits by Madness instead.

I love Rick's videos too. The 'What Makes This Song Great' series is worth a watch.

Just ordered one from obbm. Thanks for the tips fellas!!

Late report on NYE. Final gig for the Rock n Roll Outlaws and we worked hard to get it spot on by missing any rehearsal and pioneering one new number during soundcheck! Total of 3.5 hours playing time, pretty damned tired afterward, but a fitting, well-played end to the band. A fine way to bow out of the rock business, quieter stuff awaits!

isnt the guy playing the ric bass a famous porn star ron something or other

I would have thought the natural habit of any bass is turn up and get a plectrum out, it’s is in my household. Sounds like at some point I should probably get a Ric....

Somebody has a Sire P/J for sale for silly money in the classifieds: nudge, nudge, wink , wink! But of the 3 you have mentioned, I would go with the Yamaha BB 734. The neck is between a P and a J, active / passive 3 band eq and a rock solid neck with the fancy mitre joint. I don`t think they do an Electra in a P/J version? Never owned a Schecter so don`t know. I own a Sandberg and it`s fantastic and have owned a few Yammies, still have an BB 1024 and if I was buying without playing one first with your budget, I would buy the Yamaha.

I know plenty of women who have gone in the men's without the use of any device. Just got fed up of waiting. I also know plenty of men who have gone in the ladies at a certain music club I frequent. It's usually full of old blues men and so the queue for the men's is actually longer than the ladies. I live such a low, dirty life! Haha.

And don't forget the Sneakiness.

Not a band, but both Michael Manring and Steve Lawson. Hearing them I realised that bass isn’t just a role, but a fabulous solo instrument in its own right.

+1 for Snarky Puppy (though it was a while ago). Corduroy blew my mind when I first heard them. Recent discoveries include Raw Stylus, The North 41 and Pigeons playing Ping Pong. Plenty on YT to browse through.

Hi ya Teebs, I always enjoy reading your posts , keep em coming 😀

Sire get a lot of love and cheaper than your budget.

It's not over my head! I am suitably amused! 😁

This is how Britain's Got Talent and X Factor works. When awful singers get to the live auditions and people are saying, "How on earth do people think they are good...?" - because they have been through 3 or 4 auditions before where the production staff are massaging their egos and telling them how good they are. This is the one that sticks out for me. They obviously made her do all the talk about Pink... Pink, Pink, Pink... edit it together, manipulate the public... and there you go. You got to be clearly a bit dumb if you can't see the whole charade. They clearly told her to sing a Pink song... so they then could then lay into her in the manner that they did. They would have told her to dress like she does when she normally goes on stage as Pink. We never told you to sing a Pink song - No, the production company did... and the panel were complicit in this. The producers knew exactly what they were doing - and the sooner that this sort of "entertainment" is regulated, the better. It's no wonder 1 in 10 people suffer with mental issues... especially when you have the public humiliation that this girl had to subjected to. You may say she knew what she was signing up to... but her getting through to that stage of the "competition" was for the sole purpose of getting that footage. It may get viewers... but I wouldn't surprise me if this girl has been left with serious mental issues after this... and of course, due to the "contract" there is no comeback on the producers. At least you'd hope that Matt and Luke are wise to it - and going by their social media interactions, are also in on it - or at least happy with - in the way that they are being portrayed. EDIT: just looked Zoe Alexander up...looks like she's still continuing with the music career. Good for her.

Absolutely. I might be one of the few people out there who's watched it twice (long story) and second time around - and having been involved in some similar TV work in the dim and distant past - I started to get a feel for the degree to which people on screen were being manipulated by people who weren't. The two brothers are both classic beneficiaries/victims of music industry success. Frankly there are probably only a small number of us who could say that in a similar situation a TV production company couldn't make us or one of our bands look equally petty and dysfunctional. Matt is in Vegas, and as is suggested by the early scenes, is likely surrounded by people who say yes to even the most ludicrous request or opinion. Luke is in LA, and whilst a little more grounded than his brother, I suspect his head is still in the clouds much of the time. I'm guessing the way the world is at present both are grateful to the production company for the attention, and will spin it all to their benefit, but I can't help feeling a little sad about it. A more intelligent take, Louis Theroux or similar, could have been equally engaging but could have left the audience understanding a little more of why and how Luke and Matt are where they are.

Sounds a bit Deere?

It's brilliant, often for the wrong reasons, but it ultimately is a film about the toxicity of the music industry (thanks to Mr Lawson for that perfect summation), 'making it' and how they've both managed to survive. When you consider that when most 90's popstars became old news, they fell into obscurity, yet these two managed to maintain careers to a lesser or greater degree, in LA and Vegas. Now, I agree, they don't come across particularly well, with both of them way too serious, although it really is Matt who comes off the worst. That said, it probably shouldn't be said that they don't work hard, because I think they do. I think they deserved to have one last arena show (not sure if anything else came of it?!), but they probably employed a fair few people as a result of the film and the show, which is always great for the music industry. Not least the hired band REALLY deserved to get a cool arena show out of it after what seemed like a horrendous rehearsal period. Favourite bit? When Matt is getting particularly passionate about how you can't now play conkers in the playground without safety goggles. Luke, in the background but still looking at camera, hasn't quite heard him so asks what he's talking about. Matt then restates his case to Luke, equally as passionately (the world has gone mad etc). Luke's reply? "....I'm alright with that". Excellent TV, pinch of salt here and there (it's all in the edit), very strange duo...........enjoyable. 8/10 Si

Aguilar DB751 Just an incredible head, not light but man that sound!!! Orange 4 stroke 500w now as back up into either - Barefaced 610 or Big Twin T - either is mighty! Both super light and that makes up for the not so light head. Ultra reliable, can do any gig size I throw them at (up to now) and the sound is my sound/the sound I was after. Always with an old P bass, just killer.

Probably because they checked if it was 'in stock' and it was, sort of, on the Mir Space Station

Sound guys almost always ask for pre-EQ. I always say "Sure..." and then send them a post- EQ signal. They then often remark on what a great bass tone I have sent to their desk...... and how little they need to do to adjust for the room. Quel surprise!

Black 734a for Christmas- sounds phenomenal. Yet to use it in anger, but I can't wait until the first rehearsal! And just so pretty.

Exactly. We should all go to the studio and press our faces right up into Mr. Holland's...to get that 'really there' vibe. Right. Up. Into. His. Face. Squish.

Pro's can use any bass, but here is why they are asked to use a P bass so often. . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=habje7Yl0Ug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0F9lh8TiSM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUngZLJVscc

bit the bullet and watched it yesterday...brought back a lot of memories from school days. My opinion of the twins hasn't changed - Luke is basically a nice bloke, if not the sharpest tool in the box (and was noticeably fairly relaxed and self deprecating with the band until his brother arrived), Matthew is still a massive c#nt with no sense of humour. They hated each other at school (I remember them being quite annoyed at being lumped into the same form when they joined the school, as they'd always hated being treated as "the twins") and that clearly hasn't changed. Some of it rang very true - Luke is right that he was always regarded as "the ugly one", but in fairness that's when he's standing next to his very good looking brother - he didn't struggle to get girlfriends, and misses that he was also regarded as the much nicer one of the pair. Clearly still got a massive chip on his shoulder about that, despite him having had a much better career since the band broke up. Also, given that he spends the entire film in a leather jacket and Soundgarden/Chili Peppers/etc T-shirts, he's basically modelled himself on how I was dressing back in the day. Sadly he is modelling his haircut on how I look now. He is the world's worst Monkey Steve tribute act... Matt still has a massive ego, no trace of self awareness, and has added to that a complete inability to express himself in simple, straight forward sentences. Why can't he just say something instead of having to create a badly constructed analogy that he clearly hasn't thought through and makes things quite difficult to understand..."you can go down 15 one way streets..." anyone?

Man, I just love the Doobies in all their incarnations, would definitely be in my top ten of my all time favourite bands.

Brexit (at Tiffany’s).

I suppose we all take the same instrument and individually make many different sounds with that same instrument. It would be interesting to hear what different people make with the same sound you have recorded here. Essentially you are using the printer and an editor as the instrument and creating your own sound with it in the same way we would with a bass guitar. Boundaries being shifted again. Always good to see that.

When there's PA to take care of the bass, my amplifier becomes my monitor really. As such, I want to be able to tweak EQ to help me onstage without worrying that I'm damaging the mix FOH. For that reason, I always give them PRE. I like the flexibility I get that way onstage, and the sound engineer already gets *my* sound, since I tend to get the sound I want between the bass and any pedals I may be using, I do not rely on the amp for that.

Kazoos should only be picked up to be thrown in the bin.

No way will they find 40...

New year, new layout. This is the big board for working on sounds. I have a Novo 18 and a much more compact SA Manta filter for gigs, but we’re taking January off. The loop switcher allows me to run a clean blend with all the dirt pedals and to run the bitcrusher in parallel with the Okto Nojs and then all into the filter. The parallel Mastotron / Okto combo into the Moog sounds tremendous - the gating on the Mastotron is incredibly tight. I'm still getting new sounds out of the Scrutator - the sample rate reducer is really powerful, everything from almost wind like artifacts through to really atonal ring mod sounds. I got a Mosky Black Rat to save space but I’ve done the Reutz mod on the ProCo and it makes a significant difference to the low end, so I’m putting up with the inconvenience for now. The most likely change for 2019 will be the delays. A DD500 would give me MIDI control via the ES5 and it does dual delay and Echorec, which is what I aim for with the El Cap/Flashback.

So here we go... ACG Krell Kompakt Fretless 6 String, Uber Spec, multicoil pickups, DFM preamp, 32" scale. These are Alan's pics - way better than I could do and it sounds and feels as good as they look! I'll try and get some sound clips together over the next few days. It's been worth the wait! 😀