casapete

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.....

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.

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.

Rocking Horse were - Billy Kinsley / bass, Mike Snow / piano, Jim Campbell / guitar and Dave Harrison / drums. More footage on YouTube -'Chuck Berry Lost Broadcasts 2012' show the band in rehearsal in Germany. [u]Chuck's rider details here -[/u] Chuck Berry. The father of rock guitar travels light on the road and is all business. After receiving his total fee via bank wire at least three days before the engagement, Chuck hops a plane, checking his Gibson ES-335, stereo, and one bag. Once Chuck arrives at his destined airport, he is given the keys to the largest, gassed up, four-door Mercedes Benz they can find (excluding Japan), a key to a suite at a “five star” hotel, and $200 per diem to cover his food. Once at the venue, in addition to the normal sound and stage requirements, Chuck demands a card-carrying American Federation of Musicians band (drummer, bass player, and piano player) that knows his songs. Chuck also needs two matching “unaltered Fender Dual Showman” heads with cabinets and a guitar cable. A friend of mine did one of these Chuck gigs. He said there was no rehearsal. They stood onstage for about an hour before the show waiting. Chuck walked on two minutes before the curtain opened, plugged in his guitar without tuning, hit an out-of-tune chord to make sure the amp was on, then turned to the band and said, “You all better know the songs. We’re starting with ‘Roll Over Beethoven.’” Not a bad day at the office.

I would love to play bass for Chuck! The challenge of doing a good job would be enormous but would relish the chance. Incidentally, believe the bassist in Rocking Horse could have been Billy Kinsley, ex Merseybeats / Merseys. Seem to remember he played Gibson Thunderbird / Firebirds too?

I left a steady job with a local newspaper when I was 35, ( with a wife, young daughter and a mortgage etc ) to join a function band, and did n't regret it at all. Not exactly rock and roll I know, but bear with me....... I left behind a company pension, car and a monthly salary for an uncertain future. Tried to do both initially, but soon realised it was going to have to be one or the other so I jumped. Sure, the first year or so was scary, always wondering if there would be enough work coming in to pay thebills etc. I played / depped with anyone who asked, and soon realised that even playing some stuff I was n't wild about was infinitely better than clock watching in a mundane 9 to 5 world. I was fortunate to have the support of family and friends too, although do remember the look of horror on my parent's faces when I told them my plans! Over 22 years later at the age of 57 I'm still earning a living from playing bass. Not a day goes by when I don't realise how lucky I am / have been. Played throughout the UK, Europe and Morocco, with possible US work maybe next year too. Been to some amazing places which I would never have managed had I not taken that risk. At the age of 22 I'd say go for it!! Good luck whatever you decide.