OldGit

[quote name='paul h' post='562642' date='Aug 7 2009, 10:41 AM']You are 100% correct of course. However I do feel I should be able to get in the first 5 pages for "robot-t-shirt". There a just over 3,000,000 results for that search term, and the majority of the ones that currently beat me do not actually [i]specialize[/i] in robot t-shirts. Other than that, it's viral all the way. Twitter is proving pretty good for that already.[/quote] "robot-t-shirt"? with two hyphens? I'd not use that term (but I am constantly amazed at what search terms people use when we run search workshops) But that is also a generic term - and "category" terms. That's the sort of thing you put in your About Us page but is it what your potential customer uses in a search for a tee shirt? I'd expect your searcher to use something like "bass robot t shirt" "bassbot tee" or "guitar robot" or white guitar tee shirt" or robot playing white 62 RI P bass" or "machine man playing precision bass" "robot playin bass" and "tee-shirt", "t-shirt","teeshirt" "tee shirt" " wife beater" cropped T" "Women fit Tee" "girls T" "Girl's fit T" etc etc etc ... or whatever other term they use to describe the image on the shirt they just saw someone wearing .. Tricky eh? To bring this concept into band marketing, it is always a good idea to try to find out what people use to search for a band like yours. Ask 20 people "what woud you put into google to find our band, or a band like ours, [i]if you didn't know our band name[/i]" That last bit is crucial, of course, as finding your myspace or website if they know your name should be a doddle, it's the other ones that need a bit of work.

[quote name='JTUK' post='562395' date='Aug 6 2009, 11:30 PM']I don't go with the pandering too much of the audience though or we'd all play Queen covers and 80's cack as that is pretty popular round here.[/quote] Nope you don't have to pander to that audience. They have bands that do that for them. [i]You[/i] have to entertain [b]your[/b] chosen audience. Yeah, 4000, no need to go all over that again Jon's got it sussed. I bet his band is entertaining. That's why other people's audience members sign up for their myspace and their friend and sandwhich shop people come along to see them.

Cracking. That flamed top looks good to. Excellent achievement at all but doubly so in the time.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='562617' date='Aug 7 2009, 10:14 AM']If a 4 string will do you Al you have a pick of mine Peter[/quote] oooh! take the cheeky Harlot!!!

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='562582' date='Aug 7 2009, 09:38 AM']Tell me more cariad [/quote] I have a 1980's MIJ 57Ri for sale.. CAR/White plate/Maple board (of course)

[quote name='paul h' post='562586' date='Aug 7 2009, 09:42 AM']That has been an almost perfect example of my week. Except the tables bit! [url="http://robotrobotrobot.net"]http://robotrobotrobot.net[/url] is back on Google! But it's down to page 20 for "robot t-shirt". So still a lot of work to be done. I have started to implement some of your suggestions Si. I haved added your alt tag to the header. I have also made sure I mention "t-shirt" in the h2 tags. I will be changing my image naming conventions but I am getting good results for robotrobotrobot so I will just be going for specific t-shirt descriptive names. I have also added a little hover "tooltip". That way I can write a much bigger description of each t-shirt without changing the simple layout. Fingers crossed for some real traffic![/quote] As I said in my Pm, you are on a hiding to nothing with generic search terms such as t shirt and robot. Google results Page 5 is fine if someone is looking for your specific t shirt (and knows it's out there somewhere) as they will stick with it and drill down through the results pages a lot further than a casual searcher. The myth of "it must be on page 1" is only true for type 3 searches: people who don't know you exist but are just hoping there's an answer to their problem out there on the Web somewhere. ie "concept searching". As long as you don't expect loads of business from these people you'll not be disappointed robotrobotrobot already dominates page one of the google results for that word or phrase anyway (your twitter and inbound links from here and other recommenders) so you have type one searches covered : That's where they know you exist and they know you have a website and your name. Other than that, and bring this back to how it relates to band web stuff, if you are stuck with generic search terms like t shirt, function band, Motown covers, party band etc you just have to do other marketing as well. Once the customer/ client/ mother of teh bride to be etc is searching for your actual [i]name [/i] ie band name or company name, it becomes a lot easier. It's easy to be in the number one spot on Google results page one for your own band or company name, assuming you have one that isn't a very common word. Even that isn't a disaster if used well: Try a Google search for Green. (689,000,000 results). Now try one for Day (2,150,000,000 results) ... Now try Green Day - still 25,700,000 but they are probably all about the band, certainly the first 5 pages worth. Green and Day on their own will never be easy words to market on Google but "Green Day" is a weird combination and very much easier to work with. Same goes for Simply Red, Arctic Monkeys, Yellow Jackets, Florence and the Machine, Kaiser Chiefs etc. The weird juxtaposition of normal words works. It's no co-incidence that a word+colour band name is common. They stick in the mind and are easier to market on Google. That's something to think about when naming your band.

[quote name='TimR' post='562334' date='Aug 6 2009, 10:28 PM']Given that Basschat signatures only appear when we are logged in, and Google analytics has not picked up on any inbound links from Basschat for my site. Do the links in our sig lines get picked up by anyone other than reqistered users of Basschat?[/quote] Interesting question. I didn't realise the sig's are dynamic and therefore not counted in Google. I dug about and found that the Basschat links to my band's site, [url="http://www.jellied-reels.co.uk"]http://www.jellied-reels.co.uk[/url] , () only come from threads where I've linked specifically from inside the discussion such as here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=27936&view=findpost&p=289210"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=289210[/url] There's no links in from my sig although we do get a steady stream of people coming to the site from Basschat. I assume that's interested BCers clicking on my sig link. The same with my Talkbass signature and links. Only the topics where I've put an explicit link in the discussion count as inbound links. So to get a link into your site from BC and TB that Google counts you may want to add a post containing a link to threads like that one...

[quote name='paul h' post='561032' date='Aug 5 2009, 11:42 AM']All fixed now. [/quote] Ha ha Yeah. So true. That's why I don't build them any more

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='562563' date='Aug 7 2009, 09:22 AM']Yeh - thanks fellas - I have absolute confidence. As I said I have no regrets buying this bass - all the boxes are ticked and I'm sure it's only going to take a slight tweak to make it perfect. Since we got together I've started being a bit bolder with the EQ and have got it sounding a lot better playing along to cds in my Tascam and that is a real indication of how it'll sound with the band. I'm going to have a dabble at the weekend with the mid trim pot and maybe raise the pups a midge's ar5e on the B string side and see what that does. I just need to find a decent back up bass so I can leave it with Jon for a while and we happy. [/quote] How about a '57 P like in Homer's ear? I may be able to help there

Been there mate. You can take comfort in the fact that they probably only got their act together because you stormed out. It's all down to you.

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='562123' date='Aug 6 2009, 05:58 PM']Well Dave - where to start....it's quite bright sounding soloed but not unpleasantly so but I find myself knob twiddling like a possessed erm...person when I play with the band as its character completely changes in the mix. The pups are angled further away from the E/B strings and I think this is causing the lack of presence and punch I'm experiencing. I'm going to take it to Jon and get it fettled - even going as far as changing the pups if necessary. It's a lovely bass and I don't regret buying it at all - it's just going to take a bit of time, money and effort to get it how I want it.[/quote] Chippin' in here as that beauty was built for me. I miss looking at it, for sure. I asked Jon to built a bass that had that "solo bass Marcus Miller sparkly highs and piano sound bass strings" type sound to compliment and contrast with the 5 string passive Precision he built for me before. Well he really achieved that but I found I'd not really thought about my needs and abilities enough. I too was knob twiddling endlessly during the few gigs I played it on simply trying to make it sound like my other Shuker. That's really why I decided not to keep it. I just don't play the kind of gigs where it would be able to shine. It just needed to get out there and get some exercise and get infused with some gig vibes. It will improve with age and playing, I am sure. As it is it can do a million tones and sounds great if your band leaves you sonic space to work in. I am sure Jon can help achieve a more punchy tone as it's basically the tone woods of a JJB Shuker P bass so a different pickup set will probably make a large difference. Stick with it Al.

[quote name='Rich' post='562255' date='Aug 6 2009, 09:10 PM']Must... not... make... juvenile toilet gag... [/quote] I just set them up

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' post='561546' date='Aug 5 2009, 10:20 PM']The money doesn't really bother me. I just like to play in front of more than one man and his dog/cat . Looks like 90% + think I should just carry on regardless. I'll tell this to Mr. Drums . We may form a duo Triangle and Tambourine,(and probably getmore interest). [/quote] I'll say it again .. you have to: 1) be entertaining to your target audience. If you don't know what will do that gird your loins and ask your mates to be honest about why they don't come to see you. Ask them what it would take to get there ars3s off the sof@ and to one of your gigs ... Then change what you do. If you don't want to change then you may have to face the fact that you just ain't got what it takes to entertain people. 2) you have to tell them when you are playing. Make sure they know your band name when on stage and give out gig lists at gigs with your myspace address on it, collect emails and use social networking website stuff to get sign ups. If you don't want to do that then use the old ways - they are still relevant, collect names and addresses, send out post cards of your gigs, put up posters, flyer local gigs by bands like yours, encourage groups of people along .. However if you don't do number one, you are wasting your time doing number two. If no one comes to see your band twice they are telling you something....

Looks like I'll keep the 62RI and sell the 57RI .. Something about maple necks that just doesn't do it for me.. and the US 1979 too ...

[quote name='Moos3h' post='561866' date='Aug 6 2009, 11:54 AM']Purchased an SX 'Fecker Pretender' from Si and he even met me a cool 100+ miles away from his home to deliver. Top chap![/quote] Cheers James. Nice to meet you and have fun with the Fecker

Nice Shuker, Al How's it going?

Well known scam. You bank the checque, your account shows it as paid, you release the goods, and pay them the extra dosh and then the cheque bounces... Double stuffed.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='561750' date='Aug 6 2009, 09:55 AM']It's not a "bot" but what about an angry Irish Gorrilla called Ape O'Plectic?[/quote] Paul Do a BBC bot!

[quote name='paul h' post='561737' date='Aug 6 2009, 09:47 AM']+1 Just discovered the new site has now completely dropped out of google! It's not even registering as indexed any more! [/quote] Weird Did you do something naughty?

[quote name='paul h' post='561694' date='Aug 6 2009, 08:59 AM']I already have a Hannibot Lecbot! [url="http://www.redbubble.com/people/robotrobotrobot/t-shirts/3471116-1-hannibot-lecbot"][/url][/quote] Did he already have the Chianti thought bubble? Synchronicity!

[quote name='paul h' post='561694' date='Aug 6 2009, 08:59 AM']I already have a Hannibot Lecbot! [url="http://www.redbubble.com/people/robotrobotrobot/t-shirts/3471116-1-hannibot-lecbot"][/url][/quote] Ha ha sorry my bad Just lost a long PM to you re the site Damn computers

How about a slight mod of the Hitler bot to a Blakey bot A team bots Mr T bot Hanibal Hanibal Lecter bot "Got a nice Chianti?"

Howsabout a Jimmy Saville Bot Guys and Gals Sports bots Archery, Cricket Rugby Footbal Goalie Bot Bowls bot Curling Bot

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='561318' date='Aug 5 2009, 05:46 PM']Tell me OG, what is it that makes the Shuker stand out above the rest (apart from the extra string)? Is it build quality, dimensions, weight, tone, a bit of everything etc?[/quote] Good question. Tricky to answer as I am sure you know from your own experiences with hand built basses. The bottom line is that it feels absolutely right and it sounds better. When I first went to order it I played my USS P bass against the JJ Burnel Jon had there. That was like the difference between a rainbow in greys and one in colour. Mine is esentially a JJB with a fe mods but the same difference is there. Hard as it is to describe sounds, that kind of summed it up. I like lots of overtones and harmonics nestling away in the notes I play and a full sound. The Shuker has that. It also has a fabulous neck, super thin and flat; the balance is perfect, and the inherent tonal solidity of the instrument is fab. Acoustically it just sings. But the real difference, of course, is that it has side LEDs