bassbiscuits

Yeah - I think the drummer is the only one who didn’t play lead guitar at some point! But he did a drum solo, so that made up for it. They were great tho - a good match with our little trio in terms of the sort of material and audience they attracted too so it worked out really well.

Had a great time as one-third of the Andy Wales Blues Band, opening for a band called the Cinelli Brothers at the Musician Pub in Leicester. Good crowd came to see the headliners (who were ace) and thankfully it was already pretty full when we played our 45-min support slot. We are quite a new band but seem to go down really well, mixing up some carefully chosen old blues/soul covers with our own original material, and turned up dead loud. What’s not to love?

I've bought a few things that haven't worked out, but I don't regret that. I needed to find out for myself. And it's always stuff I've been able to sell on. All part of the journey.

I think any of those Markbass amps would work fine. I've got a couple of Little Mark heads (the same amp as the combos I think) which I use with either a 102P traveller cab, a 121H cab or a STD102HF (the bigger 2x10 cab), which creates much the same set us as a combo. A cab with two speakers will sound louder than just one speaker, as it shifts more air and will have greater SPL (sound pressure level) rating usually. But any of the combos you mention would work fine, and give you the option of adding another cabinet in future if needed. Good luck, and enjoy!

Nice one that’s a nice clear explanation. I do wonder why it has suddenly happened tho and where in the system the problem might lie - plugs, cables, leads, basses, pedals, venue wiring etc?

To add to the issue of lightweight amp heads moving, I use a roll of black rubber non-slip matting from our local Wilko store (RIP) which stops anything creeping about on top of my cab mid-gig.

Did a gig last weekend and halfway through my bass amp started making a horrible humming noise (it's a Little Mark III into a couple of MB cabs). Even with the head turned off, there was a massive loud noise thru the PA every time the channel for my DI was unmuted. Eventually we flicked the Ground Lift switch on the back of the LMIII and the buzz stopped. a) What on earth might have been going on there, for it to be generating such a racket even when turned off? b) How does that ground lift thing even work? c) Could it have been something to do with the cabs (I was test driving one of them for the first time, but it seems to work ok), the amp head, the wiring at the venue, or something else? Just interested to know what was going on really! Did my head in mid-gig.

Ah cheers, I’m with you. I clearly need to get out more!

I’ve not heard of it. Where in Leicester is it?

Gave up social media in 2017, deleted my Facebook account etc. I have no idea if I've missed out on anything since, but I have a lot more time now I'm not trawling through pointless junk every evening. I should probably get on social media for promoting gigs etc, but I don't and I have enough work for my needs without doing so, so I'll stick with the old fashioned way for now.

I was playing in very decent originals bands well into my early 40s - didn’t have the aim of “making it” but they did have great songs and I did believe we might go somewhere. Alas like most bands they folded. I’ve always held down a job while playing - something I thought was holding me back from being a “proper musician.” But I now realise that I’d have to say yes to all kinds of gigs I didn’t like if I was trying to make a living from music. So I’m glad I do it for pocket money and enjoyment.

Bought Geoff’s Markbass cab off him. Had a lovely evening chatting about basses and amps too. Top man. Pleasure to deal with.

I was 11 in 1985, and I hadn't yet discovered the rock/metal that would go on to be important to me. So I'd say something like Chris De Burgh "Spanish Train" or Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" at that stage of my life. I was still a year away from discovering the joy of Iron Maiden, Kiss or the Scorpions...

It did! Sadly it’s not my amp - it’s the supplied backline at a Butlins weekender. But it was great and smelled like a hot car engine.

Sorry yes I should have clarified - it’s a P bass. An old sunburst one from 1970.

I’ve never chased “the one” but my bass for life has just become that over time. I didn’t set out to crown it the ultimate bass - seems a bit unrealistic. Mine has just become my companion over years and years of playing. Im sure there are many others I’ve yet to discover. Bit like being married in that sense!

I found my "one" in 1994 when I was at university - a 1970 sunburst precision bass that was in Musical Exchanges in Coventry. For a long time it was the only bass I had. Since I've owned it it's had a new nut, refret and various smaller repairs along the way, as well as being stolen and recovered, and acquiring the sorts of wear and tear befitting a gigging bass. But I still take it to the better gigs and it still sounds and plays nicely. No intention of selling it ever, and aside from a house and car it's the only thing of value I have any claim to.

Criticisms of overdubs etc aside, Kiss Alive and Alive II capture the band far better than any of the studio albums either side of them. Maiden’s Live After Death - way better than the studio albums. Scorpions Worldwide Live is also a classic bit of 80s stadium rock, and while the studio albums are pretty damn good too, the live album captures them giving it some proper welly.

Loved Appetite, and I really like Duff’s bass playing. Nothing much special about this song tho.