SPHDS

Oh.....I know that NOW....! (and he is very good....!), just meant, back when I was starting out, and got hold of a Fender catalogue...... The Roscoe Beck IV caught my eye......but had never heard of him (I knew who Hoppus, Pastorius and Sumner were....just not Mr Beck, in the Sig section) (As I said, same with the JC......liked the bass, looked the artist up.....!)

Like seems to have been said several times already.....I don't/won't buy into the whole 'hero worship' of signature basses, that said, there are several I do want to try/buy...... Fender Roscoe Beck IV (no idea who he is......but saw it and thought 'WOW....COOL!') Epi Jack Cassady (See Above - but also kinda wanna try a semi-hollow) Fender Mike Dirnt (Do like Green Day, but mostly love the '51 shape.....so.....)

My attitude depends on the other members of the band..... There are plenty of songs/bands that I am not keen on (and would never listen to, given the choice), but have been established parts of sets of bands I have joined, so have got on and learned/played them (U2 and The Jam, to name two) I am also willing to play stuff I am not a fan of, if the band really want to do it, or it is likely to be a crowd pleaser..... I am also willing to accept that others might not like my choices, but if they then actively sabotage, that is when I start to get irked.......in my last band (which I formed with a guitarist friend I'd previously played with), a set list was drawn up, with all members having input/vetoes (so no Billy Idol or Sex on Fire.....!), the singer/guitard then started to 'forget' to learn songs (then come up with a load of others (like ubit said....)), or claim he 'couldn't play them' (how you can play 'Rain' by The Cult, but then claim 'Lil Devil' is 'too hard' is beyond me......!) He and the drummer also flatly refused to play a song (then admitted that neither of them had actually listened to it......'but they didn't like it') It was at this point that I thought 'If I have any qualms about anything they suggest, I'm not doing it......' (if buthe co-founding guitarist suggested anything, I would, but then he was more willing to compromise.....and was enduring having to play Oasis......(drummer's choice, not mine.....!)) Mind you that is all academic now.....the drummer quit just before our first gig.......then mysteriously our singer quit 'as it wasn't what he signed up for' (having helped write the set list....), lo and behold, about a week later I see a post on FB that the drummer's old band (which he had kept reminding us, several times, every practice, had been going for 15yrs, played 100's of gigs, been really successful, for 15yrs, playing 100's of gigs.....) were reforming......having found 'a new singer/guitarist'........!

Had a couple of those myself! - Was playing a gig and some drunk yobbo tries to grab my mic, I wrestle it back, he goes again, etc.......afterwards have the band going 'you should have just let him have the mic.....' Thing was, they didn't spot the fact that due to the tiny stage, and the rat's nest of cables, every time he went for the mic, the PA speaker on its tripod lurched forward, had he got it off stage, the whole thing would have gone... - Playing a rather 'interesting' Pub, a punter kept on shuffling up and trying to stroke/poke various members of the band.....! - Watching a band in my local, a drunken woman kept on stumbling on stage, until the singer changed the chorus of 'Hard to Handle' to 'Hey Can Someone Get Her Off The (BLEEP) Stage Right Now'

Oh this is all all too familiar...... My band (formed on the verge of lockdown 1, by me and a guitarist I've played with on and off for ages, a drummer I played with years ago, and a new singer/guitarist) are now on the search for a drummer and frontman after those two suddenly 'weren't sure they wanted to go the direction the set was going (having helped write/build most of it during and between lockdowns.....) and decided to walk, just as we had been offered our first post lockdown gig......! Suddenly the drummer's 'old band', which folded when the singer moved away, has reformed (albeit 'looking for a bassplayer') with 'a new singer/guitarist' (I have no idea where he came from......!?!) Onwards and Upwards !

Well, a lot of this sounds very familiar....! Our journey started just before the Pandemic took hold....... I started a rock covers band with a guitarist friend I'd previously played with (our previous effort crumbled due to a revolving door of singers and drummers - deportations, getting so off their head they couldn't perform, not learning sets......) I contacted a drummer I had previously played with, and he seemed keen, as his previous longterm (15yrs) band had folded. We found a singer/guitarist (rather good at both, usually simultaneously, so bonus..), and made a 'MegaList' which we started to work on, and it all began well (albeit ensuing lockdown considered...!), but then the singer started to 'not be able to do' songs (even if they were same band/key as stuff we were doing....!), others seemed to get 'forgotten' repeatedly.....meanwhile new 'suggestions' kept on being made (distraction tactics......half of them he couldn't play!) We then get offered (a couple) of 1/2hr spots at a local(ish) charity bank holiday bash, through our guitarist, right, set lists made (by me.....but open for adjustment...), the drummer starts to get cold feet 'it's a long way away.....'(1/2hr from his), 'are we getting paid?', 'are they providing a backline?' 'Is it really worth it...?' etc, He then started to get into niggles over how songs were played 'because in his old band....', 'which was very successful, don't you know, and had been going for 15yrs, don't you know......' (he never said......!) Next week the drummer ups and quits 'as the music isn't going in the direction he wants to go in.....' (he was present at all points when deciding on songs....) A mutual friend, totally unprompted, went 'or, rather, you ain't playing his old band's set list.......' The Singer is now saying he isn't sure he wants to continue.......(for similar reasons.....but again, he's had input on the set.....!) As a result we have had to pull out of the charity do...... (Guitarist and I still want to keep going, and hopefully get a bit more of what we want back into the set.....) Oh The Joy of Bands!

I have rarely taken a backup to practice, but always (well, as soon as I had more than one.....) taken one to gigs (albeit the backup is not the same as the 'Main' bass.....) I have had to swap out (mid song......) due to snapped strings/loss of signal (dodgy jack, as it turned out) more than once, so always going to keep doing it...... Currently Epiphone Explorer/Squire P (quite like the OP sig pic, actually) in rotation Previously Epiphone Explorer backed up by an Ibanez JTKB JetKing, Before that, JetKing backed up by No Name Jazz Copy I did manage to break strings on both Main and Backup in one day......(A on the Main at a festival in the afternoon, E on the Backup at pub gig in the evening (luckily on the encore.....!)

When I started I used a pick, then switched to fingers (after not being able to play certain songs with a pick....) Now I am back to pick as I feel I can get a better sound.... As for what I use......depends, I generally have a few in rotation Most are Dunlops (0.96, 1.0 1.14) A load of random ones acquired over the years at gigs/as gifts etc I also have a few I've made with a pick press (current ones are made from waste plastic packaging from work, so not entirely sure what it is or exactly how thick.....just that it is better than old debit card or milk bottle...!)

I believe by 40 - 60 L they are referring to the volume of a suitcase/bag (25x40x60cm = 60 L for example) , as opposed to liquid - 60 litres of clothes weighs a less than 105 pints of beer.... But still some of those do look sturdy enough to hold an amp.....!

As the title implies.....a query about said head.... Seen one for sale.....I like the look..... But are they any good......and are they good/loud enough to be gigged? Thanks

I cannot remember exactly....But it was either - Pet Sematary - The Ramones or Burning For You - Blue Oyster Cult (There was also Sell Out by The Levellers before that, but that doesn't count as I still am not happy with how I play it.....cannot for the life of me seem to get the picking rhythm right......!)

My First Bass/Rig is a completely different beast to what I made my live debut with (Live debut being on my 21st birthday, playing a song with the band I roadied for...) For that I used a red stained Warwick Streamer (apparently worth £1500) into a Peavey Nitrobass 410/115 stack However......MY first rig was a little more humble..... £150 No Name Jazz Bass Copy (black with a Matt Silver scratchplate (with a hard case....!)) £40 GDR made SoundCity SC50 combo Still have them both, but neither get much use.....but were gigged in their day....!

I own 4 basses - 1) No Name Jazz Copy 2) Ibanez JTKB JetKing 3) Epiphone Explorer 4) Squier Affinity P I am not gigging at the moment, but over the years all have been gigged 1) as it was my only bass at the time, then as a back up to 2)..... 2) then became the back up to 3) 3) and 4) alternated as my 'main bass' (dependent on mood.....), with the other on back up duty 1) and 2) don't leave the flat very much, and mostly used for playing along to records/youtube etc, as it is in Concert Pitch (3 and 4 are tuned a semitone down for gigs) I used to use two basses at gigs, in different tunings (usually EADG and DADG, or DGDG....), now just use the Hipshot. I always take a back up, as, as has been said, swapping bass is quicker than restringing....! I have had to use it a few times, usually due to snapped strings, and once as the bass conked out (turned out to be a duff solder) I once had two gigs in a day (Summer Festival on the back of a truck, and pub gig) and snapped a string at both gigs (one on each bass, second break luckily on the last song of the night at the pub.....!)

Not quite a ERB in covers, but I did see a bloke on a Hofner Violin in a Heavy Metal band.......!

Interested in this Topic (due to a bit of a 'Pie in the Sky' idea) How 'Stupidly Small' do you mean?

Fair enough..... I take it is one of those 'it will/won't work/sound pleasant' type lotteries...... Or would fireworks/catastrophic cone failure ensue? (like my former bandmate's Cornford turning into a 5 bar fire mid-gig........)

Regarding mixing cabs, I can understand why mixing impedance is not the best of ideas, but are there any other reasons? Also, why is mixing directs with horn loaded a no go? (sorry if these qu's are dumb......just curious...)

DISCLAIMER - I am posting this in multiple places, for maximum exposure/to get as many answers as possible, so sorry if you get fed up of reading it multiple times.....!) Anyway......I was watching a video reviewing and comparing small valve amps (albeit guitar.....15/20W) , with a variety of speakers (10" and 12") and valves (types and quantities...ECC83's and 81's, EL34's, 84's and 6L6's, and anywhere between 2 and 6 tubes) Now I know different valves give different sounds, and different arrangements of components used also influence characteristics.... So......during the review they described the amp with the most valves (6, 3 pre and 3 power) and least (2, 1/1), both same power, as 'lacking headroom' (which I get to mean that they were starting to distort with little provocation.....) So...what does the number of valves have to do with sound/character Also two amps had exactly the same valves in the same configuration, wattage and speaker sizes......but did not sound that similar.....(both best sounding imho) Is the difference down to the other parts of the amp being different from each other? And finally.....it is obvious that number of valves has little to do with wattage (most and least valves were both 15W, and 20W had 3 and 5 valves), so what determines power? I am sorry if these are just stupid questions, I was just curious.....

I have a query ((valve) amplifier related), but to get maximum exposure/info/knowledge etc, due to curiosity.....I am tempted to post on BC (bass amp and guitar amp sections) and GC, (almost literally cut and paste), but do not want to fall foul of forum rules......is it allowed.....or where is best to post....? Cheers

Apologies if this has been done to death......I did have a look but turned up nothing...... Anyway...... Obviously I know that the Precision Bass has evolved over time from the '51 Tele-esque original to the better known post '57 shape...... But sound wise, how do they compare.....? Always liked P's in general, but do kinda like '51 style looks (particularly something like a blonde and black...) So......is a '51 original and best, The Revamp where it is at, or something like a Dirnt best of both? (I am also aware that necks/radii/bridges/pickups and the like are all varied and subjective....) So....let the discussion begin.....

Hello Fellow 'Chatters Seen a fair few Boss ME series pedalboards for sale.....trouble is, almost all are 'guitar' boards (Bass ones seem rare and rather dear.....), would the guitar boards be usable with a four stringer.....? I bought my father (a guitarist) an ME-70 (replaced an ME-6) which he is really impressed by, so though about getting in on the action.....so thoughts.....Pros/Cons.......? Cheers Sam

Ahhhhh, fair point....didn't think of that......! Have you tried Warmoth......?

Maybe a dumb question/suggestion......but would it be possible to convert an 8-Hole SSS to HSS (ie cut out a bigger hole for the bridge pick up.....)?

Cheers for that! I knew about the 'less is more' situation when it comes to getting a good sound out of a valve amp.....so will try and quietly nudge him in that direction......and point out the ears/back situation........so ignoring the wattage....what would people suggest was a good place to start......brand wise....? Sam