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borisbrain

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Posts posted by borisbrain

    Chipped the paintwork on my bass! F***!

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by borisbrain

    I feel your pain. Just put multiple dings in my hitherto immaculate P-Bass, and learned an important-but-otherwise-obvious lesson: don't wear cufflinks whilst playing the bass, especially if you tend to thump it for effect. Now hand me that dunce's cap...

    : (

    BB

    Band problem #27187

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    It's an interesting position. As Bruce Thomas (of The Attractions) once said, "in a band, there's creative tension, and then there's just tension". However, at the risk of offending a fellow 4-stringer, I gotta say that on the one hand you have some very legitimate grievances, and on the other there seems to be a bit of whining going on.

    The van is yours, and you let the band use it for gigs. Great. The others help pay for fuel but not servicing costs like exhausts and so forth. But you'd probably think the lead singer was off his/her trolley if he/she expected you to contribute to the taxing or servicing of his/her car. If the van was purchased solely for the use of the band then you'd have a very strong argument, but I'm guessing that you get to use it at all other times.

    As for belittlement, then every bass player in the world gets the piss taken out of them. We're only one up on the evolutionary scale from drummers... ; )

    And if the band is going to move up a gear, then that means everybody has to move out of their comfort zone and work a bit harder. So yes - this means everybody else facing up to their financial commitments, but you will also need to play your part in stage presentation. Stage-managed bands like One Direction are indeed awful and clichéd, but they make a stack of money, and work very hard at it. Gene Simmons has to wear ridiculous make-up and stick his tongue out with Kiss; Angus Young keeps wearing those shorts in his 60s; the Bay City Rollers wore all that wretched tartan; the Glitter Band wore all that, um, glitter. If the band wants to be better-known or - gulp - [i]famous, [/i]then this is the crossroads you're at: either up-the-ante or fold.

    I guess it comes down to whether or not you like the band and enjoy it all. If so, then say your piece to the others about sharing legitimate costs, then put on the glitter trousers and spangly boots and jump about 'n stuff. If you don't enjoy it, and feel that you're being shown the door, then you'd be equally entitled to move on (taking the van and other stuff with you, of course...)

    Hope it all works out, and bestaluck

    BB

    Ampeg PF500 and twin SVT210AVs

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by borisbrain

    Hi fellow basspeeps, wonder if you can help/advise...

    I currently run an American-made Ampeg SVT 350h and SVT410 HLF. I love, love, love the tone, but hate, hate, hate the weight. It's the ideal sound for my CIJ Precision and the punk covers band I play in, but I'm pushing 46 now and it's like carrying around a fridge full of bricks.

    So... in order to preserve the Ampeg tone I like so much I've been looking at possibly getting a PF500 and a couple of those dinky little 2x10s that Ampeg market their micro CL heads with, since I really like the tone that the 4x10 delivers. This would certainly tick the boxes for portability and tone, but a couple of issues niggle me.

    First is the cost - I really don't have a lot of money to throw at this and I'd have to get much of the cost back by flogging my current rig, and I understand there isn't a lot of love for 350Hs (though it's fine for me). Second is the fact that the PF500 obviously delivers 500W at 4 ohms, and the cabs are only 200W a piece at 8ohms. If I spend the money, I obviously don't want to cook the amp, and I don't want the PF350 since I have two psychotically loud guitarists to contend with ;)

    So, does anyone out there run this configuration - and if so can you let me know how you get on with it? Or any other suggestions for classic Ampeg tone without sacrificing what's left of my dodgy back (and wallet...)?

    Many thanks,

    BB

    Stage Presence - Do You Have Any?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by borisbrain

    I'm reminded of a classic YT video. It's probably done the rounds a thousand times, but it seems apt again in this thread. I won't embed it, but just in case there are one or two who haven't yet seen it...

    'Mark Hoppus - Bassists Look Too Bored':

    [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF7vghzj6pk&feature[/media]

    BB

    Edit: I [i]tried[/i] not to embed it, but alas...

    Stage Presence - Do You Have Any?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='mike257' timestamp='1364915319' post='2032558']
    There was once a (rather scathing) review written of my old band that contained the killer line "And no, Mr Bass Player, flailing around the stage like a lunatic does not equal passion".

    I like to enjoy myself on stage - not my fault if the critics can't hack it!
    [/quote]

    Ouch! But then again - stuff 'em!! Go for it...

    Stage Presence - Do You Have Any?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I suppose it depends on the type of music, but I've seen too many bands who play very well but spend two hours rooted to the spot, looking at their fretboards and stomp boxes. It's like watching the telly.

    Of course, it's hard to play 16th notes while doing scissor kicks and licking the sweat off the girls in the front row, but hey - it's rock and roll. People are there watching you because they [i]don't[/i] want to watch telly...!

    80's cheesetastic recommendations

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Thomas Dolby - 'She blinded me with science' and 'Hyperactive'
    Flock of Seagulls - 'Photograph'
    Berlin - 'Take my breath away'
    Imagination - 'Just an Illusion'
    Madonna - 'Like a Virgin' and 'Get into the Groove'
    Anything by Nik Kershaw
    Anything by Howard Jones
    Anything by Shalimar

    That's just for starters. I think I was traumatised by much of the 80s...

    BB

    Calling all Lefties!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='sblueplanet' timestamp='1363033846' post='2007437']
    Hooray!
    A thread for lefty discussion is now active in Bass Guitars. A separate LH sale thread is active too!
    [/quote]

    Excellent news! Well done to thems wot did it...

    BB

    Calling all Lefties!

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by borisbrain

    Didn't know until now that the lefty section of the 'for sale' section had gone - that's terrible. Having recently bought one from a fellow BCer, I thought I'd better resist any additional temptation for a while. However, the GAS is sure to return, and the lefty section was essential viewing. There's no doubt that it was flawed in places, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. If BC is to keep improving, it needs to be more useful, not less so.

    BB

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