martin8708

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 .

Go snorkelling instead , there are some great house reefs in Sharm . Great food and weather to enjoy too! Your bass will still be there when you get home .

Byron bought my Yamaha BB1200 , very easy deal with good comms, even paid the asking price . Look after the yammie , it's a real gem . cheers Martin.

Reasons for being turned down for a band . 1) not jazzy enough 2 ) being too jazzy 3 ) too old 4 ) too bald 5) too quiet 6 ) too outspoken Being in a band is like being married to 3 -4 different people . ( never done any session stuff , though )

Been band-free for a few months now and I really look forward to staying in and cooking up a great meal accompanied by a nice bottle of red . Plus I get more time to socialize and get to blow the dust off the classical guitar . Probably start to miss gigging in a few months , but for now , it's no major biggie .

I bought a 212MNT about 2 years ago , I was in a two guitar band ( ie , loud ) and the Two Markbass 604's just seemed to get wiped out by the Marshall 's and the Mesa's . The 212 really cut through the mix and was a great cab for a loud pub - rock band . The band folded about a year ago , and most of my playing is now with duo / trio bands stuffed into small corners of pubs , and I felt as if I was barely getting the 212 warmed up , and althought the cab is only 25kg , it was quite bulky to carry around . With the 212 gone , I am the proud owner of a new 210MNT which is a far more manageable size and weight , the difference is only 8kg's , but it feels a lot easier to manoeuvre into tight spots in pubs and cramped venues . The sound is probably a bit more middley than the bigger 212 , the bigger cab did have a bit more "heft" to it , but both cabs respond well to small EQ changes , so dialling in a bit more low mid on the amp sorts out the sound . My current set up is Fender P-bass through Sansamp bass driver into Momark pure 250 or LM tube amp into the 210 , I have yet to feel as if I need anything more as there is plenty of volume on tap . I have found with the vanderkley's that I don't have to turn them up as loud as other cabs as the detail of the sound comes through (which can show up all the bum-notes ) The cab feels very solid , well finished and looks great , not cheap as you say , but I don't think I need anymore than this .