dmccombe7

To be fair to them the singer and drummer were running a very successful band last year doing some really good gigs and gigging regularly which is why i was interested when approached by them. The drummer keeps all his gigging gear at the singers house and gets train down for rehearsals and either train back home or singer drops him off. Singer is approx 40miles from drummer. Got the feelers out again to see what's out there and will wait to see what comes up. I'm usually getting calls or emails from bands looking for a bassist but not at the moment. Must be because Xmas is coming up and everyone is already in a band and sorted. Dave

Think i'm gonna keep it on hold for a short while but start searching to see what else is out there. Just to answer some of the points mentioned so far. Drummer lives 90miles away and doesn't drive so jamming with him is gonna be difficult. The singer usually picks him up and drops him off as he lives central to rest of the band. Other guys from the band contacted me when they got same message so i'm guessing its a genuine reason. Its been approx 2 months since i joined and now 1st rehearsal is cancelled perhaps for genuine reasons but its a bit like Boy that cried Wolf for me. If you are committed to a band then you should be rehearsing every week to get things moving. Its got to a point that i'm losing focus and interest in learning the songs because the rehearsal was so far away from when i first joined. I've never experienced that before. I've only met the guys once at my house and they came across as genuine nice guys but one meet doesn't really tell you what they are really like. I'm one of those guys that always puts in 100% for a band i'm in. I put the work in between rehearsals to make sure i'm never the one holding the band up because i missed something. I write everything out so that there is no confusion on song structures. I never miss a rehearsal and i'm never late for them either. I'm always available even at short notice for rehearsal or gig. I make the effort to be available when called on. I expect everyone else to be like minded but doesn't always work out that way. Dave

I'm curious now. What amp have you bought. ? Dave

If it wasn't for bad luck i'd have none at all. New band i had joined few weeks back had scheduled first rehearsal for tomorrow night. Got a txt message tonight from the singer who started and runs the band saying he has a serious domestic issue enough to put his marriage at risk and will need to cancel the rehearsal and put band on hold for time being.. No idea what it is and i've only known him for about a month or so. I'd already put a lot of work learning the 6 initial songs in past few weeks but decided to learn all 12-13 songs they had listed as being part of their previous set. Now i'm not sure whether to just wait and see what's gonna happen or just start looking for another band. There have been several delays with this band from work related to studying for exams issues (mature student) and then one of the guitarists couldn't manage the first band meet and then couldn't manage the suggested rehearsal dates and eventually 6-8 weeks later we agreed a rehearsal date. Any thoughts on way forward Dave

That could be down to either a poor sound guy or the recording isn't too good quality. Also depends on what you are playing it thru. My laptop speakers are crap but when i use headphones i have the premium sound setting for headphones and it changes the tone dramatically to give a full rounded bass tone. I always set up my stage tone and volume with the band and then bring the PA in. The sound guy will swing between my on stage tone and PA tone to make sure they sound same. During set up song i will walk out front if possible to hear the PA sound.

Yep that's my sentiments exactly. Its usually the crap they can't normally sell that ends up in the sale at a fraction off for the sale. Its probably been reduced in price for months beforehand.

Did he not mind ?

I'm a fan of earlier Kiss and i like Gene Simmons more as a showman than a technical bassist so maybe a bit biased. He's a Rock bassist so being technically brilliant isn't really what its all about. I would think that if Gene Simmons was endorsing your bass there would be significant sales mainly because Kiss have a lot of fans whether you personally like them or not they are one helluva business. Think there are too many bassists out there with Signature basses that a standard bass would have suffice. The one that comes to mind is Roger Glover with his Vigier. I'm a fan of his but the standard Excess bass is virtually the same as far as i know. Cliff Burton from Metalica had a signature Aria or he used an Aria and the company eventually made a Cliff Burton bass so not sure if that counts. Think the Adam Clayton signature bass is the odd one for me too. Not sure it brings anything to the table and it looks daft too.

Up until Bowie bands including Sweet for me were just good songs on the radio that stood out from the usual mundane stuff on Radio 1. Bowie was probably the first band that i bought albums and really took an active interest in him, the band and most important the music. Rush was the stepping stone from popular music to a more Prog style rock music. The musicianship on those albums from 2112 was superior to mainstream rock on the radio and created a whole new world to indulge in. Dave

Altho i mention influences like Beatles, Sweet and Bowie i think i'll stick with Rush having the most effect on my musical direction over the years. Dave

Have to say i even had the plastic Beatles guitar and the plastic Beatles wig at 4yrs old and i have photos to prove it somewhere Think that was probably the only record that touched me up until my early teens to be fair. I do remember my Mother playing some great songs ranging from Themes from Greek Islands, Tijuana Sound of Brass to Elvis and Lynn Anderson and even The Platters albums. Then i found Glam Rock and all down hill from there Dave

Have to say i saw them years ago in early 80's i think it was at Heathery Bar in Wishaw and they were ok but having bought The Road of Bones album i was totally blown away. Everything about that album speaks quality from the songwriting to musicianship to the production. Has to be up there in my top 10 albums of all time. Dave

Almost every amp i've ever used the EQ started at mid-point flat and only ever moved 1 notch (anywhere between 11 and 1 o'clock) either way to adjust for room acoustics. it doesn't seem to matter what cabs or amps or even bass for that matter. That little tweak is always enough to compensate. Dave Having just posted this and re-read it why the hell have i been buying loads of gear to get that perfect sound ???

Oddly enough the Beatles All My Loving EP was my first ever record for my birthday. It came out in 63 but i think it was my 4th birthday in 64 when i got it. I would have been 4 yrs old and still have it. That was my only Beatles record tho. Dave

I think Trevor Bolder only used 2 fingers on Jean Genie. Obviously others have pointed out Geddy uses his fingers on both up and down stroke like a pick I only use 2 fingers for galloping styles and altho i can cope easily enough with the occasional song i don't think i could do it all night like Steve Harris.

I stated Rush earlier but having read some of the more recent comments i would have to add that it was Rush since my bass playing days in 76ish and have continued to enjoy them longer than any other band. The first band to influence me was probably Sweet with Teenage Rampage and then their various hit singles Then at 13 i heard Bowie and became a Bowie fan for few years. Those Bowie albums from the 70's have remained imprinted in my brain ever since and still listen to them to this day. They will never fade. Dave

Altho Rush is "My Band" as described by OP initial post i would also agree that some albums like DSOTM and Trick of the Tail and 2112 created a world you could get lost in. For many many years Genesis Seconds Out was my fav album even after i started to dislike them when they became more a pop band and the songs weren't my thing any more. Probably still is but this is another thread to be talked about. Dave

When i was first learning bass after the initial knowing where the notes on the bass were and a year of lessons i came across several Jazz bassists incl Jaco. I was listening to Weather Report and Mahavishnu styles simply because i had never heard bass played like that before and it intrigued me. I used that style to my advantage and was able to use some of it in Rock and Prog bands i played with at the time. I wasn't a fan of the music to be honest but the bass playing on those kind of albums was way beyond the standard bassists i had previously been listening to. So for me i wasn't a big fan of the music but there were so many great bass parts to learn and that in itself made it interesting for me. Like most Jazz / Fusion style of music i find that sometimes it works and other times it just sounds like an ego trip to me with no musicality (is that an actual word ? ) Back then Jaco was the bassist that others tried to emulate even in professional circles and because of that he has to be one of the most influential bassists at that time. Things have move on since those days with people like Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Mark King, Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey and they have all been influential to many bassists during their peak periods. That how bass playing develops thru time. Poeple push boundaries and others take up the mantle to try and push it further. At one time bass was either a walkng bass or 4 notes to a bar just as a basic rhythm section. Now it is being used as a lead intrument. Maybe we should be classing bass as Progressive Dave

Rush since 1976 its the only band i've followed and bought all their albums. 2112 was so different from anything else i had listened to and since that point they matured into the amazing musicians they still are. Dave

Good advice Yank. I'd agree 100% with that. I can remember when i started you either had a Fender Precision, Jazz or a Rik. bass with either a Marshall or Sound City amp and cab or possibly an H/H which was cheaper if i remember right. Wasnt until late 70's early 80's that Peavey and other amps started to appear in our local shop. I loved my Peavey MkIV head and Marshal 4x12 stack but bloomin heavy to cart around. Young and naive in them days. Dave

When i bought my little Markbass 121 amp with ext cab i thought my sound was pretty same as my other rigs incl my Berg set up. I played at first gigs with band and it was such a great tone and volume loud enough that PA guy decided to leave bass on its own without PA support in a venue that held 200 people. The sound out front during set up was pretty impressive for a lightweight small rig. (Glam Rock covers band) I also used it with a Prog band and it just cut right thru the mix with keys, gtr and drums far better than my Ampeg, Bergantino or GK1001 rbii amp. On its own at home i found it either sounded a little thin or close to my other cabs yet when in a band set up it was quite noticeably full, rounded and clear and all with virtually flat settings using a Jazz bass. The guys in both bands commented how good it sounded from where they were standing. Just goes to show you don't need a massive cab and heavy amp to impress others..............maybe its just to impress ourselves Dave

Might be best to check with Marshall that it will do same job but cant see why not.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marshall-PEDL-91003-Pedal-Two-Button/dp/B00KMVYREC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511641756&sr=8-3&keywords=marshall+pedl I believe this one does the same job with twin LED's PEDL91003. I checked the schematic and its virtually same item Dave

£30 buys a new one on-line