Dad3353

The whole album, but this is the track that just finishing. Good Stuff...

Why..? Just 'Why'..? Why can't folk just let it be..? T'was never a splendid song in the first place, Spector or not. I don't hear much difference anyway, certainly nothing that now makes it worth playing. Beatles fan..? Up to a point, yes, I am, but not for this stuff. Weak before, it's weak now.

Not quite the same situation, but close enough. We don't play excessively loud, and our floor monitors are rather good, but it's true that the singer (he's very good, too...) needs to hear himself to be at his best. Our two guitars are the problem when rehearsing, as their cabs are facing each other, with the singer right in the middle, between 'em. No, it's not ideal, and there are other arrangements that could be made, but there's a certain amount of stubbornness in the mix, it seems. One solution that I suggested : IEM's. As a trial, I got a wired pair of earbuds, to see how it would work without too much initial expense. No good, as the singer couldn't get on with them (he's not very 'techy'...); he couldn't get them to stay in place around his ear, and the experiment failed. The issues are still there, but one needs some cooperation and 'buy-in' for any solution to have a chance. Luckily, we'd not invested in a quality IEM set; it would have been wasted. I'm OK; I can hear just fine, the instruments and the vox, but, although the singer would be better off with IEM, it's not going to happen, I fear.

Looks like he's caught his fingers in the strings, though. Is the Gibson version just as painful to play..?

Keith Moon..?

Ahem...

Good afternoon, Skilamalink, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

What, one in each door panel for listening to R4 on the move..? Right... It might knock the fuel consumption a bit, though.

Fixed.

Going for 'zero' might be the best starting point..? No idea otherwise; I'm a drummer, so 'Pitch..? Schmitch..!'.

Good evening, Ian, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good afternoon, HD, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. Recommended topics..? Hmm... Bassless, you say..? Hmm Marketplace, maybe..? Be warned: there be Dragons..! Phil Lesh..? Ambitious; one of my all-time favourites. Good Stuff.

'Best' I don't know, but we use a Smooth Hound, and it's darned good. The sound is right, it's lightweight, the batteries last ages and it was affordable when we bought it, a few years ago now. I'd buy another with no hesitation.

You are @Leonard Smalls and I claim my £5..! ...

Good afternoon, Dave, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

It depends, partly, on where you live.

True, today, for us, but there are plenty enough on the Planet that live without access to oil products, living off what Nature can provide for them. A diminishing way of life, but one that has done not so badly for Humans for the past... well, maybe even longer than that. I'm rather of the conviction that, for better or worse, our present life-style is rather the exception, and many would agree that it's not sustainable, whatever its advantages. Not that, for myself, now, I'd be willing to adopt a 14th-century way of life, but there's something to be said for keeping a hold on the past; it may be Our Future, as a species.

It's only in very recent times that leather has become, to some, a 'waste product'. Traditionally, tanning and leather goods were a major industry. Much has been taken over by motorised transport (less call for horse harnesses etc...) and petro-chemical garments (nylon, or PVC instead of leather jackets and shoes...). Once oil production dries up, I suspect these 'natural' products will have a second heyday. The alternative could be cotton, but it's not as hard-wearing, and difficult to water-proof. Just sayin'.

Good afternoon, Mike, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

It's quite common to remove the neck (of a suitable bass, obviously..! ...) so that it can be carried on as hand luggage. Just sayin'.

Just to say that the penny has finally dropped, concerning the picture. As I've noted elsewhere, I'm not on 'top form' at the moment, but still... There have been clues galore, and I even have the photo as my PC 'desktop' screen (as every month, to help with 'inspiration...), but it was only last night that illumination came. It makes a bit of a nonsense of my compo for the month, though; more fool me..! Thanks for the picture; it certainly had me pondering.

For what it's worth, I think that this ^^ is the crux of the matter. For playing '60s and older' stuff, there's very little hi-tech needed, and with all that you have at your disposal, there's no reason to not get a Good Sound very easily. I'd suggest an experiment. Use the bass you feel most at home with, the Handbox with all the 'gadgets' turned off and the tone controls set to 12 noon, and play what you like to play. The tone should be right there, and definitely not 'farty', unless you're playing too loud for the cab. Is that 12" cab the only one you have..? It's the only element that I could imagine as being responsible for any lack of conviction in the tone (I could be wrong there; I don't use cabs of the sort for bass, so...). Try playing like that for a couple of weeks, with the same settings (no cheating, fiddling around...); your ears will become acustomed to your 'core' tone, and your fingers will be able to make a difference (closer to the bridge, 'digging in' a little harder, using a pick, maybe..?). It's only once you have this basic tone firmly established that it's possible to move into other areas, adding compression, or EQ or whatever. Firstly, get the initial, straight 'out of the box' tone between your ears, and move on only once you know what it is you want that's not already 'there'. Hope this helps.