benh

I contacted Ashdown a couple of years ago about my MAG300 2x10 combo having a blown transformer. Bear in mind this was in the warranty period. It took them a month to sort out a courier to pick it up, then I didn't see it for 9 months despite numerous phone calls. Then to top it all off it eventually came back and it had an intermittent fault where it lost power every 30 seconds. I drove to Electro Music in Doncaster the next day and bought an SWR setup - NOT an Ashdown!! Hopefully this was just my bad experience and the customer support has improved since then!

First gigging setup was a 2nd hand Yamaha (one of the BB range I think) through a Peavey TNT 150, mint amps, wish I still had it! Then "upgraded" to an Ashdown MAG 300 2x10 combo (which was worse, and a lot quieter than the TNT!), then got an SWR rig and a Spector 5 string. Still gig with the Spector, but play it through a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 and a Barefaced Compact, good times!

A big +1 for the Compact, I run a Shuttle 6.0 through mine (350W @8Ohms) and I've never had it past 1/3 on the master volume - even in 600 seater, high ceilinged working mens clubs. Uber sensitive cabs, I love mine!

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='1067451' date='Dec 23 2010, 08:58 AM']I try and 'switch off' and enjoy the performance but don't always manage to do that. If I'm watching an original band then I find that quite easy to do. With covers bands it's more difficult as bum notes scream out to me, and basslines that are over-simplified compared to the original really grate with me. As with others, I'll always make an effort to tell the band if I've enjoyed their performance, or perhaps leave a comment to that effect on NWB or RoTN websites. If asked my opinion, I will try provide some constructive feedback, eg "that solo was good, maybe boost the level/add some treble so it cuts through more next time" type comment.[/quote] RoTN, great website for Northern bands and a nice bunch who run it! I tend to try and be positive regardless of what the band were like - I don't like giving criticism, whether constructive or otherwise, because it usually comes out wrong and is taken the wrong way! I must say my eyes are usually drawn to the bass player at most gigs I see, but I do try and enjoy the band for what it is. Adrenochrome, which band do you play for? I think I've probably seen you out and about in West Yorkshire, did you play one of the RoTN do's last year?

Don't tempt me! Happy with my Shuttle 6.0 but this looks promising...

I play a 5er mostly because in the band I'm in at the moment everything's played a semitone down, and the 35" scale helps keep the sound tight (for want of a better word). Also, even though it's pretty much your standard pub rock I find I use the B a fair bit - mostly to save shifting position. I like to think of it as using what's there to my advantage rather than laziness though!

Ended up playing bass after seeing my uncle play in a band when I was about 12, guess I started getting bored of classical instruments (been playing violin and piano since age 6 and dabbled in viola and believe it or not the church organ!) Plus seeing as though all my mates played guitar it was the only way I got to play any of the music I liked at the time - Iron Maiden and Metallica don't really suit the violin.... [Edited for typos!]

Yeah, that's what I thought. You can actually request different parts through an online form, so if you want different woods, fingerboards etc but it bumps the price up a lot. As far as I can tell they're the same components/woods etc that they use in the "premade" B40/50 range, which retail at over £1K. Do you think for a project it would be better to just get a knackered old POS and do it up? £650 is a lot to spend on something that might go wrong I guess...

Anyone had any experience with these - good or bad? They look pretty good for the money, don't see many Carvins this side of the pond though. The link's here: [url="http://www.carvinworld.com/catalog/guitars/index.php?model=bk50a"]http://www.carvinworld.com/catalog/guitars...php?model=bk50a[/url] I know of a website that supplies them in the UK, thinking of pulling the trigger on one of these next year, but I thought I'd see if anyone else has had a go and whether the results were any good. Cheers!

I use a Shuttle 6.0 with a Barefaced Compact, never had any problems with it not having enough oomph or bottom end. To be fair I usually end up boosting the bass on the amp, but then what's the point of EQ controls if they're not used?

In the rock band it's usually a mixture of these: Still Of The Night - Whitesnake You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC From Out Of Nowhere - Faith No More Summer Song - Joe Satriani Sad But True - Metallica Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy Buck Rogers - Feeder Enter Sandman - Metallica Tush - ZZ Top Jump – Van Halen Cant Get Enough Of Your Love – Bad Company Whiskey In The Jar – Thin Lizzy/Metallica Smoking In The Boys Room – Motley Crue Gimmie All Your Lovin – ZZ Top Wishing Well – Free Back In Black – AC/DC Dakota - Stereophonics Free Fallin - Tom Petty Word Up - Gunn Rebel Yell – Billy Idol 99 Red Balloons – Nena/Goldfinger Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/DC Smoke On The Water – Deep Purple Run To You – Bryan Adams Living On A Prayer – Bon Jovi Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd Highway To Hell –AC/DC Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N Roses Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue Nothing Else Matters – Metallica Panama – Van Halen The Boys Are Back In Town – Thin Lizzy Aint Talkin Bout Love – Van Halen and in the glam band it's usually something like this: Action - The Sweet Cum On Feel The Noise - Slade Well Bring The House Down - Slade Mama Were All Crazy Now - Slade 20th Century Boy - T-Rex Jeepster - T-Rex I Love To Boogie - T-Rex Delilah - Tom Jones/Alex Harvey Band My Coo Ca Choo - Alvin Stardust Little Willy - The Sweet Wig Wam Bam - The Sweet Devil Gate Drive - Suzi Quattro Hot Love - T-Rex 2-4-6-8 - Tom Robinson Band We Will Rock You - Queen I Want To Break Free - Queen Teenage Rampage - The Sweet I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick Tiger Feet - Mud Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet Block Buster - The Sweet Hi Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck Neither are in any particular order.

The Smiths probably, although I'm not overly keen on Morrisey it's fun stuff to play.

Good luck with the gig - and with learning 42 songs in 3 days!

[quote name='Jigster' post='979086' date='Oct 6 2010, 08:15 AM']can anyone recommend any digital doo das that are good for plugging into and just noodling to a drum track with - I'm not talking anything majorly expensive. I used to have a Boss BR600 which was an 8 track recorder with stacks of drum patterns on that was cool for this and I regret selling it. - alternatively, are there any software packages with drum loops/patterns that i can buy and install on a Mac Pro? Thanks for any info[/quote] I just use the radio, useful when the PC's on the fritz!

Can't Get Enough of Your Love (Bad Company) Tush (ZZ Top) Smoking in the Boys Room (Motley Crue) Dakota (Stereophonics) Tie Your Mother Down (Queen) Might be a bit predictable but people seem to like 'em. All suggestions so far have been good I think, could make a giggable set from all these suggestions I'd have thought.

In the rock band, it's "The Boys are Back in Town", in the glam band it's "Action" by the Sweet

[quote name='cetera' post='971741' date='Sep 29 2010, 02:18 PM']If you like the Ampeg tone then why not pick up a used SVP-Cl or SVP-Pro preamp and a power amp? Alternatively, try a Sansamp RPM or RBI with a power amp. Or try a Genz Benz...![/quote] +1 for Genz Benz, I run a Shuttle 6.0 (4lbs) into a Barefaced Compact (26lbs), 375W @ 8ohms and it's killer, my drummer said it looks like a "stupid Fisher Price rig" until I brought it to a gig. Needless to say he ran out of insults, and possibly soiled himself when I turned the volume above halfway. Result! Stupidly light and ridiculously loud, and a great sound. If you're after a larger cab, Barefaced do a 2x15 version, the Vintage. I can only imagine how loud that could get

QUOTE (thunderbird13 @ Sep 30 2010, 11:02 AM) Turning up dressed a as a wizard [quote name='Conan' post='972490' date='Sep 30 2010, 11:07 AM']Yep. That's the one that above all others defines what makes a "bad bass player".[/quote] Does dressing up in a lycra catsuit and wearing size 12 platform boots count??

Enjoying reading through the replies, this really interests me because I hear so many people slating bass players who I think are great (Adam Clayton being one of them!) That doesn't mean I don't enjoy the odd noodle about a la Mark King/Victor Wooten, but it really irritates me when you see some idiot playing million mile an hour slap bass over a "pub rock" ballad and thinking they're "it". That personifies bad bass playing for me. PS about the "in the real world of gigs tablature doesn't exist" - totally true. I got the biggest kick up the rear end to learn how to read notation when I tried to do a gig reading from TAB for a stage production of "Little Shop of Horrors" a few years ago, mistake!

The title was going to be "What makes a good bass player", but I thought this one was more interesting. I ask this because I'm forever watching bands (well, bass players!) and trying to learn things from other people's techniques and tricks, whereas I know people who go and see a band and tell me "That bass player's sh!t", when I've thought they've been more than up to the job. So I wonder, what IS a bad bass player? Are there really any players in "famous" bands that are no good?