martin8708

[quote name='Drax' timestamp='1421529341' post='2662425'] Martin - do you ever take a different bass if you're playing a gig where you know you won't be able to keep that close an eye on it? [/quote] Sometimes I will take a 58 American Vintage re-issue , but we always have at least one member of the band watching over the gear , especially during loo-breaks or trips to the bar . The current band I'm with don't even know that I play a vintage Fender , to them it's just a beat up bass.

yup Precision + Markbass amp + decent cab ( vanderkley or berg ) = great tone . Throw a Sansamp Bassdriver in the signal path for a classic Ampeg sound .

I play / gig a 63 Precision , it's pretty worn and battle-scarred and one more ding or dent just adds to the character of the bass. 99% of the audience don't know the value of any instrument , but I never let the bass out of my sight in case the 1% scumbag tries to help himself to it . On the other hand , I occasionally get the " you need to treat yourself to a new bass , mate " comments .

Out : my trusty Yamaha BB1200 - sadly missed . Trussart Steelcaster guitar In : Stephen Eden flamenco guitar. What have I learned ? There's very little bass wise that can't be done with a good Precision . Learning different styles / instruments brings real benefits to bass playing , I now pay far more attention to timing /rhythm / accents on notes .

I've still got 9 birthdays to go before I hit the big six zero , but I've still got three decades of pub band gigging . Most of the older musicians I play with seem to have a very narrow spectrum of musical taste , they seem to concentrate on a very focused style of music , any suggestion of widening the musical spectrum from " he who plays 4 strings " is met with looks of derision . Playing with younger musicians can be refreshing , some are YouTube hero's , but some have a good sense of style and rhythm and are open to suggestions of different styles of music . Suggestions of trying a bit of country or reggae or Beatles is met with more enthusiasm .

Many thanks for the replies so far . Thanks howiebass, I have seen the Ampaholics website a few times , it never seems to change and a small note at the bottom states last updated 2013, so I'm not sure how active the site is , mind you , anythings worth a try . Thanks to Steve and Skank as well , wow, £1500 for a pair seems a bit optimistic to me , I'll have to watch them to see if they sell. Seems to be more radio / hi-fi application , rather than putting it in a guitar cab . many thanks again . Martin

I have this old vintage Goodmans speaker as part of my current speaker stash , and I'm struggling to find out any information about this speaker . I know there are quite a few knowledgable speaker guru's around the hallow'ed halls of Basschat , so if anyone can tell me abit more about the speaker , ie , age , application and poss it's worth , I would be grateful. I assume it is an Alnico Speaker and the box has AXT2 1210/15 T/L w/cone . Its a 12 inch 15 Watt speaker with cone is as far as I have got . E Toogood is Eric Toogood , who may have been the local Isle of Wight dealer for Goodmans . I have the original box which is labeled Goodmans Industries Limited , Wembley , Middlesex . I have tried Mr Google and Yahoo , not too much floating around at the moment . I known it's not really a based related subject , ( more poss guitar related ? ) Many thanks in Advance Martin

Pub gigs down here pay £90 to £150 depending on venue , we all know this , so there is no point moaning about it . Our band is just not good enough to get the big event gigs , so we're happy with just small pub gigs . As a non pro bass player , the chance to turn up the amps and rock out , and get £30 for the privilege seems like a fair deal.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1416077070' post='2606677'] Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The ideal number of basses is n+1, where n is the number you currently have [/quote] It does'nt just stop with basses , after the guitar bit , you move onto the huge array of amps and cabs , then pedals , leads , tuners ,straps , gig bags and all the other paraphernalia that comes with this cursed addiction . Of course , scanning the for Sale sections on basschat just fans the flames of desire .

Ideally , the best band would be great , talented musicians who were friendly and easy going . I've played in bands where the musicianship was great , but you could cut the atmosphere with a knife . Current band is kind of opposite , really nice guys , very sociable , but the drummer insists on beating the sh+t out of his kit , and the guitarist needs to acquaint himself with his tuner , so rehearsal is more sociable than musical . Thankfully , I remain on good terms with previous bands I've been in , so the odd short-notice gig still pops up .

Will this patriotism be carried through to the amps and cabs section ? Always fancied a nice British built valve amp .

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1411977490' post='2564390'] I've started looking out for the "other" definition of upside down, where you put the bridge on the headstock and the tuners by the control knobs ... [/quote] Steinberger bass ?

We are all human , and we all have an " off night " or day , where things get on top of us . If you are fed up with the band , quit with your head held high . If you really want to stay in the band , eat humble pie and apologise to the band for your behaviour . Guys who's only income come from gigging are far more cut-throat than weekend warriors with day jobs . ( you have jeopardised their wages ) Good luck , hope your not the canary in a coal mine .

I have always found singing and playing bass a lot harder than singing whilst playing guitar . There is always the strong temptation to sing the words on every beat , you have to try and lift the vocal away from the bass line so you are in effect " multi-tasking " . Try to learn the bass line so well that you don't even have to think about it , so it just comes automatically . This will then allow you to concentrate on the vocals , the correct pitching and phrasing . Start with a simple bass line , this will again free your concentration for your singing . Watch youtube vids of the masters of singing /playing , Sting and Mark King come to mind . Yolanda Charles has a very good tutorial vid on this very subject . Practice , practice and even more practice . Good Luck

We try to get together once a week , but the expression " herding cats " comes to mind . We are a covers band , we all suggest songs , but few seem to go home home and learn them . This is no biggie as we're not really a heavily gigging band and we enjoy the social side of just getting out the house . Between learning new songs and going over old songs , we discuss the best Supermarket deals , comment on the drummers dress sense , the best way to strip a carburettor of a motorbike , and generally chat about work and home life . I really enjoy my Wednesday night out .

When people say " I have the best singer / guitarist / drummer in town ( or in my case , the Island ) and we need a top level bass player to complete our line - up " Like wise , the " we have record label interest ".

I was in Paris last weekend , the only live music I saw was a great busker in Montmartre with Gibson J200 copy and a bottle of red wine. Their are some interesting ( if pricey ) guitar shops around the Pigalle area . Great city , great history and food , enjoy .

Some of the best " gigs " I've played have been in my front room plugged into my Micromark and headphones and just sifting through Youtube with a glass of red on the side . I love live gigging , I ve done done fabulous gigs with great audience involvement , but there can be quite a lot of baggage that can come with a band , if you are blessed with a band of like-minded souls , hold onto them with both hands . I was mates with a bed-room guitarist when I lived in Peterborough , I called him " fast Eddie " , this guy was a phenomenal player , but had no interest in playing in a band . I just could not understand his logic of acquiring all this skill and technique with no intention of showing it off in a band situation , he seemed perfectly satisfied just jamming along to records and CD 's . I play for fun at home and in a band situation as well.

I have to agree with both Fleetwood Macs Albatross , and G&R Knocking on Heavens Door . Thankfully they are not in our current set.

Bought some DR neon strings from Milty , very prompt delivery and good communications . Very smooth transaction . Cheers Martin

All but one of my buying / selling experiences have been very straightforward , only once was I led down the garden path by a web of lies about an item being sent to me , this is possibly due to doing deals with the " old guard " of basschat who are well established and reliable folk . On the other hand , if I make an enquiry about an item , this does not mean I have agreed to buy it. Many of the listings are woefully lacking in details / pictures / location / delivery or collection , can these people also be included in the " time wasters " population . My view on things is the sale is only complete when the money is in the bank , and the purchaser has the bass/ amp in his hands .

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1389289729' post='2332469'] Mark is a really nice guy and can be very talkative when he gets the chance, bearing in mind he is a one man operation and always seems to be really busy. Beware that he is a man with very definite views, which may not be the same as yours! That is not to say that your way of doing things is wrong, but be prepared to be challenged a bit - he never read the memo about the customer always being right!! However, he does know his stuff and he may give you a new perspective on certain types of gear, etc... [/quote] Pretty much this . I live on the Isle of Wight , but I have made the journey 3 times ( expensive ferry and 250 mile round trip drive ) so that must say something . Avoid weekends if possible , as it's only a one man shop , it only takes 3 or 4 people in the shop to make it feel packed , and Mark,s attention is then divided . Considering that most music shops sell stuff that comes out of a container from China , it,s great to try out some quality bass gear .

A Markbass amp through a good non Markbass cab ( Berg / Vanderkley / EA ) seems the best combination for me . Only tried a TC amp once , seemed OK , but happy with MB at the moment .