mcnach

I know people say this in jest often, but I *did* spill my coffee over my T-shirt !!!!

I'll be there next Friday and Saturday... I might take my amplifier and see how it goes. It's got a built-in adjustable HPF so that must help.

Then go to Chris McIntyre. You won't regret it. Great guy to chat with too... although I always feel guilty from taking him away from his work

and if my grandma had wheels she'd have been a bicycle...

I'm not sure that drilling 4 holes equally space is so complicated that you would expect 'teething problems' from a guitar manufacturer with decades of experience... They look like were made by a previous owner, the rest of the bass does look ok to me... correct bridge and saddles, etc

It's again translated mostly literally, so it doesn't sound quite right to a Spaniard, but the words make total sense on that one at least! The pronounciation is awful, 'though, it took me a few listens to figure out what he was singing

It looks like a literal and half-arsed translation into Spanish, and in one case they got the verb wrong... but it's pretty normal as far as translations in songs go. You'd imagine they'd use someone who actually speaks the language, right? No le gusta caminar - He doesn't like to walk (nothing about dancing on that one!) No puede montar a caballo - literally and in isolation "no puede" = "he can't", however... if you say "no puede montar a caballo" it implies that there's some kind of impediment... either physical, or maybe he's not allowed to. When you really mean that the guy just doesn't have the ability/know-how... we'd use "saber": "No sabe montar a caballo". But I don't know what the right person should be... the Spanish ones are in third person while the English ones in first person. I would assume the English is the correct one... so it should be "No me gusta caminar, no se montar a caballo" Similar story with the other bit...

I found this below here: https://web.archive.org/web/20140810054301/http://www.cbsc.ca/english/decisions/2011/110831.php

... and that's not what I said (sorry, I don't mean to pick on you today :D) I just said that a Stingray without the preamp still makes a sound that you *know* it's a Stingray. The right pickup at the correct spot already gets you a lot of what is characteristic in a Stingray. How close it gets it will depend now on an array of other factors. Some basses with certain pickups can get so close that the difference does not matter. Others... not so much. At least that's just my own experience playing with my own Stingrays and various OLPs I used to own years ago, made with a variety of woods and which I modified in many ways...

It is a crap idea, sorry The point you're measuring will vary from bass to bass due to the strings used and action which affects the intonation adjustment, which is not the same for every bass. The scale length of 34" is just the *nominal* scale. However, the measurement from the pickup to a fixed point above it (choose any fret, not necessarily 12", 20" will do just fine) should be the same for every bass.

And it works both ways... sometimes you like someone, until you listen carefully to what they say.

This. Saddles have slightly different positions on different basses. Always measure from the neck side: 12th fret is a convenient spot.

The preamp is only important to give you the "variety" of sounds that people have come to expect from a Stingray... there's a bunch of "typical Stingray" sounds that are quite different from each other. If you bypass the preamp on a Stingray, the sound you get is... you guessed it: unmistakeably Stingray. If you place the right pickup at the right place, you have something that will sound much like a Stingray.

actually, same here. After I started reading his twitter stuff I saw him in a different light, then I saw a bit of him in an interview... Now if I hear him on the radio I would actually enjoy it.

@TheGreek I have just ordered a set of Status tapewounds, based on your recommendation (no pressure! :p) Let's see how it goes! At £16-something I figured it was worth a shot and I want to restring my Mike Dirnt Precision...

My experience with the BC series of TC cabs is not great. The ones I tried did not sound bad, but they were not capable of making enough noise compared to pretty much anything else that looked similar. Chances are that a different 410 would work much better... or, if budget allows, I'd rather go for a couple of 210s. A couple of good 210s stacked vertically allow you to get a better sound onstage without necessarily trying to be louder (partly because of having the speakers closer to your ears, and partly because of the dispersion in the midrange you get from a narrow tower like that). If you don't have PA support, it will still be pretty much as loud as the standard 410 configuration... BUt whatever you do, I think moving away from the BC 410 will be a necessity.

Not at all!

It's unreasonable... to YOU. But not them, clearly. I know where you're coming from, 'though. You sound like a person who will be at the required place at the required time, regardless how you have to get there. But for a band who doesn't know you well, that attitude is an unknown quantity. It's a risk. Words are just words. I know people that I know I can absolutely rely on, and will never let me down. But I also know people who are lovely, yet I wonder how they managed to tie their laces in the morning... and the first time you meet both types, they seem almost identical and they all talk the talk. Some people may be more trusting than others. Some people may have been burnt before and avoid certain situations at all costs... It's nothing to do with fairness really.

No, having a car doesn't trump all the other things, but having the ability to independently get to any gig anywhere could be an important consideration especially if the band members are scattered over a wide area. You may be responsible and willing to do what it takes to make it, but if they don't know you well enough, to them is just another musician promising things... and let's face it, 'musicians' at the level we're talking about include a lot of unreliable people. Perhaps they already suffered and decided to make sure it won't happen again. If there's a lot of travelling involved, and one member is *never* going to be able to drive... that may not be very attractive in some bands. Sometimes, after certain gigs, some people may want to stay, others leave, others go elsewhere... knowing from the start that someone HAS to look after a given member every single time, may be enough to want to look for another player who can provide the same skill, enthusiasm, etc... but also have their own transport. A band I was playing in, we were 8 members, and only two did not drive, with a third who had limited access to a car. It was easy to figure out travel. However, one of the non drivers in particular started to bring his girlfriend to every single gig. Several times it meant bringing one extra car just because of having an extra person... that reduces the income from the gig for everybody, as well as the extra hassle for the person who ends up driving... I think non-drivers often don't fully appreciate what it means for those who drive you around, in terms of time, energy, cost (there's a lot more to cars than petrol)... The time I damaged my exhaust driving onto a festival site because I was carrying an amplifier for somebody else (I would have left my car somewhere else otherwise), I was not very happy. I was ultimately responsible, but guess who never runs risks like that? You got it. In many cases for many bands it does not matter, but on some bands travelling may be a bit more critical and if you cannot help with your share of driving, you may not look as a suitable candidate. It really depends on the band. I wouldn't be bitter about not being chosen by that band you auditioned for. They clearly know what they wanted, and unfortunately you weren't quite it, for non-musical reason. Hey, others don't make it because of their age, or hair, or... It's tough out there.

Every band I'm in makes me money... just not very much on the whole, so I have a day job. I'd still call these bands a 'hobby' really. We do it for fun, the money is a very welcome bonus which helps offset the many hassles encountered at many gigs, especially when they involve a substantial travel and lots of waiting around etc...

I'm not sure... anybody with a reasonable level of competence should be able to work with a 4/5/6 string bass... it may not be as comfortable as their favourite instrument, but it won't be unplayable. If I wanted to make sure I'd be able to join the house band and be really comfortable, I'd bring my bass.

I do prefer my own gear... but if I am given something else I'll still get a similar enough sound. Not the same sound, but a similar enough sound. I understand preferring your own gear, of course! I use mine most times. But I really don't understand saying that you won't get 'your sound' with something else...

Because it's practical. You may prefer your drumkit, but if transport and/or setup times are an issue, your tolerance to provided kits increases. Same with bass... I much prefer my own but if it's a hassle and they provide one, I go with it. It may not sound teh same, but it will not be THAT different. You're going through the PA in most cases, so your amp becomes a glorified bass monitor in those situations. I will use my own everytime I can, but if it is going to be a pain due to parking restrictions etc and I have an alternative? I'll use what they give me. I may not enjoy it quite as much (although sometimes you do get very good equipment) but we will still sound good out there even if onstage it's not amazing.