casapete

Some good advice already offered.
Try to make sure your bins are n't on the stage wherever possible.
Most stages are hollow, and just encourage boom and rumble which can be problematic. Setting the
PA offstage can help reduce this, so try experimenting at different venues to see if it helps.
Good luck!

www.wdmusic.co.uk
Usually have Musicman plates in stock in many finishes.

These Lytes are great versatile basses, and Paul is a top bloke too.
Good buy for someone looking for a quality instrument.

Doing a party Sunday evening for a friend of mine. He has around 80 guests coming and it's
predominantly an outside event at his house. Just checked the BBC weather, going to be slinging
it down all evening, and not that warm either. August in the UK, don't you just love it.....

Great amp, would n't be without mine.
And don't forget - these amps weigh only around 18lbs, so for most not really a problem to gig with.
GLWTS.

Singing BV's was a must in my current band The ELO Experience, as you will probably imagine!
Thinking back, I've collared gigs where there have been better bassists available who could n't sing, so
would recommend anyone to give it a try. Same as other posts, I have a fairly bland voice solo, but
seems to suit singing harmonies without overpowering the lead vocal. Works for me.

Same for me too. Used Musicman basses for years, but had to change to lighter instruments when
the aching started to get painful.
That aside, have you tried altering the playing position slightly, strap height etc?
Sometimes it can help, as can a better strap as you mentioned, but ultimately that 11bs
around your neck is the problem I'm afraid. Reducing it by even a couple of pounds could
make all the difference. Any way you could try / borrow a lighter bass to see if it helps?

+1 for the USA Sub. Nearly half the price (s/h) of a standard USA Ray and not much
in it. As stated above, an ideal way to dip your toe into Stingray waters without
risking so much outlay. And as they usually fetch around the £350 ish mark, will
probably hold their value should it not be for you.

Great basses, had 3 over the years. Best 'bang for the buck' around.
Bit on the heavy side for an ageing old gimmer like me, or would still be using one.

Recently got one of these in silver/gold black sparkle, and it's a beaut.
They do crop up occasionally, will keep my eyes open and let you know if I see anything.
Cheers
Pete.

Always have to thoroughly clean a used bass before I feel I can bond with it. My crap is okay, but
not someone else's. I keep my basses fairly clean generally, not keen on finger marks and greasy
patches which can look bad under stage lighting. Usually give them a good tidy up when I restring.

For how to use a Les Paul in a guitar / bass / drums line up look no further than Vintage Trouble.
Great band, who use their instruments perfectly to make a wonderful noise - the
Les Paul sits so well with the bass and drums without overpowering things.

Available this August / September and December!

Just received a Dano bass off Paul. Actually completed the deal 3 months ago, but due to us being over 200 miles
apart we decided not to go the courier route and wait until we could meet up.
Paul very kindly delivered the bass to me this week en route to visit a friend in Yorkshire. The bass is exactly
as Paul described, and he has been an absolute diamond bloke to deal with throughout. This is exactly why I
love this site! Hopefully Paul is coming to see my band soon when we're in Southend.
110% recommended, cheers Paul.

I had a Peavey MkIV 400BH bass head for years, never missed a beat and sounded great.
Two channels,graphic eq,compressor etc, very well specced in its day and sounded better than
Trace stuff to these ears. I eventually part exed it to a local PA hire company, where it is still
going strong to this day. Wonder how many of today's amps will be doing that in nearly 40 years time?
Also had a Sessionbass head, and briefly a 2x10 combo which was just stupidly heavy. Both sounded
well though, and were built to last a nuclear attack.

Top player, with a very good taste in basses too.........(even though it looks like a Jerry Jones)

Was fortunate to see The Brothers Johnson at Manchester Apollo in the late 70's.
I worked in music retail at the time so often got on the guest list for gigs, this time courtesy of A&M records.
The band were amazing, and in particular Louis. I think it was the first time I'd seen anyone play bass that way!
Strawberry Letter #23 remains one of my favourite tunes.
RIP Louis.

Great amps, not overly heavy at 18lbs and very reliable.

Recently heard some Alto SXM112A floor monitors, well impressed.

Beat me to it! ^^^^^

+1 for keeping everything separate. More 'upgradeability' when you decide you need to change stuff,
and certainly more s/h bargains to be had whilst everyone rushes for digital desks and active cabs.
Nothing wrong with these of course, just think unless you're buying the upper end of the market stuff
that there is some sacrifice in sound and build quality. As stated, beware of active cabs stating
unrealistic output levels, and try to go for established brands.
Of course, just my opinion etc.....

Peavey used to do such a thing - the EDI ( Equalized Direct Interface).
Useful bit of kit made in the USA, wish I had n't sold mine.

I play a weekly Thursday night residency in my band The Fork Handles at The Railway pub, Cottingham (near Hull).
We've been there for over 7 years now, and have a solid regular crowd as well as newbies coming in each week.
They are very receptive to pretty much anything we play, from old western swing stuff right through to recent
material by Eric Church etc. All cover tunes at the moment, although plans are to include some self penned stuff
in the not too distant future. We have amassed a vast pad of material, which helps in keeping things varied
when playing to a regular bunch of punters.
I am fortunate in being able to play with great musicians in this outfit, including a wonderful guitar player and
pianist who front the band. We seem to get a largely middle aged crowd, but some younger ones too who hopefully
have realised how wide the term 'country' can be. Having played for years in bars, I must agree with previous
comment above about how enjoyable it is to play to an appreciative audience who are n't off their heads. (The
pub serves a good range of real ales which the punters enjoy though, so it is always lively!)

With respect to some of the posts above, the paid up mortgage scenario is something people
in the UK seem to strive for all their lives. Being happy in who you are and what you do is
often overlooked just to call a tiny piece of the country your own. In Europe and the US this
scenario is frequently not the be-all and end-all for people from all walks of life.
Just sayin.....

Having suffered from problems onstage with levels of instruments including drums, we got round the issue by
inviting a friend down to the pub who is a sound engineer. Sat him half way down the room with the mixer,
and asked him to make us sound better.
This involved him asking the drummer to play quieter, which is partly what I suspected was the problem. We
noted the new settings on the desk, and all agreed to adhere to his advice.
The result? Onstage levels so much better (have n't needed earplugs since!) and lots of regular punters
commenting how much better it is offstage too. Sometimes getting advice from someone you respect who
is not involved in the band is the answer methinks.