fretmeister

I’ve played in a lot of 3 piece bands over the last 35 years. Expanding on my Jack Bruce comment… there is loads that can be done in the spirit of the original arrangement. Still follow the chord charges as before but do different things with it. So if the original just has pounding root notes you could keep the root on Beats 1 and 3 but play octaves for 2 and 4. Or Back it off and only play on 1 and 3 to leave space and give more room to build. Then in bar 3 go back to playing all the notes. Depending on the song, behind a solo that builds up as it goes I’m a big fan of simplifying the original bass line for the first 2 or 4 bars, then getting back to where it was, then adding octaves, and then going to a walking bass part with octave shifts, like Jack Bruce did with Cream. It’s important to approach it still as a bass line where the rhythm is the vital element. So jumping up the neck is not a solo, it’s just a higher bass line. If the guitar solo is high don’t be scared of playing the normal bass part up an octave for some of it. The kick drums are still pounding the low end so let the bass move up as the guitar does. Repeating a bar in a higher octave works really well too. So if you are pounding the crotchets with AAGGF#F#EE in bar one, then in bar 2 play it identically but an octave up in bar 2, then down again in 3, and then up an octave BUT also change something in bar 4. If it fits playing it in reverse keeps the structure for the rhythm but also makes it more interesting to the listener. JS Bach wrote the best bass parts in history. Like mini tunes under the melody that elevated the main tune to greatness. I swear Jack Bruce must have listened to his stuff! Tone. Something I’ve discovered over the years is that a mid heavy tone, like a P bass instead of a J tends to work better. Theres a fatness that helps fill the tone out automatically. I’ve got a massive collection of 3 piece live albums and the P bass or PJ seems to rule above all. Theres a lot of flatwound use too, if the player is a pick user. John Deacon’s tone is amazing for it. Have a quick listen to the live version of One Vision live at Wembley. Theres a YT version that only shows JD’s cameras. It’s so fat! P with flats and a pick is the basic bit, but pay attention when the rest of the band have backed off a lot… the tone is actually a bit unpleasant. It’s very mid heavy and has farty drive going on. None of that ice pick Darkglass tone, it’s a wide frequency fartiness that sounds horrible on its own and fantastic in the mix. It’s quite similar to the old Cream live album in that respect. I use a Catalinbread SFT pedal to get that farty drive. I never use it in the house when playing alone as it sounds horrible! 😂 But even just with drums and nothing else, something magical happens and I can’t hear fart, I can only hear fatness and harmonic richness. A different approach is the dUg / Entwhistle / Sheehan split tone, mixing clean and dirt. It can sound great, but it’s also really easy to make it sound like ar$e. The issue is getting the clean portion of the tone to decay at the same rate as the driven part, and that means dialling in compression on the clean to match the natural compression of the drive. Overall though, build the band tone from the bottom. Drums first, then bass, then guitar. Then it will still sound full when the guitar is soloing. If the entire tone is built on the guitar and everything else has fit round it, then the band tone loses all weight during solos. But despite all this… enjoy the space of a 3 piece! A wall of noise gets tiring for an audience. So many bands these days seem to ignore dynamics. Have quiet bits, loud bits, thick bits, thin bits etc etc. The average punter will notice that sort of variation far quicker than anything else and it will keep them interested. Otis Day and the Knights had it right….” A little bit softer now, a little bit softer now…… a little bit louder now….” Anyway, I hope that helps a bit!

Little bit of drive to add thickness. Dont over do it. Then redo the arrangement. Thats far more important. Channel your inner Jack Bruce.

bugger!

I have long given up relying on any wattage = volume assumptions. For a start it completely ignores speaker efficiency. I'll almost certainly try one at some point - as long as the fan noise is very very low - and then get a mad drummer to play next to me.

Is there a PA system there? If so - bass and a preamp unit to go straight into the PA. No amp.

Some places appear to have stock. I'm tempted but at the moment I have spent a bit on other things and I don't fancy sleeping in the shed.

Irrespective of method - if the band don't look like they are enjoying it then the punters won't either. I don't think that comes down to the PA. Mind you - for some genres, like rock, a live gig can sound too perfect. I want to hear the pick scratches on the strings and that sort of thing that makes it different to just staying at home and listening to the CD at a louder volume. IME bands live or die on 2 factors (ignoring basic musical capability) 1: Band enjoyment / entertainment level. Bored band = bored audience. 2: The FOH engineer. Always either a genius or a cretin. Unfortunately most seem to be the latter. Excessive kick drums and muddy bass, very little anywhere in the mids, and eye gouging top end where only the cymbals live.

Manual Found the manual online. As per usual Boss haven't explained what the frequency centres of any of the controls are. Bit annoying that.

I'd really like to try this. Decent onboard compressor, adjustable HPF - all good. They have missed a trick by not using those LEDS on the front to also act as a tuner though. That would have been excellent.

The "Bottom" knob is an HPF

Very nice!

I had a V1 and for the life of me I could not dial it in to stop a really obvious dip and swell of the note when using high output pickups. It was fine on a good old P bass, but on my EMG equipped basses - where I have the pickups about 1mm from the string when fretted at the last fret - it just couldn't cope at all.

- Starting with 0.40 maximum on the G - They have several sets like that. - Hex core or round core? - Depends on whether you like a more flexible feel - Roundwound is a must - ok - I want a good slap sound on the B-string (for example Something Got Me Started - Simply Red & Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel) - All basses vary. It's as much about the bass as the string. - Nickel or Stainless? - Only you can decide that - Normal or taperwound? - DR does not have a lot of choice here - 120, 125, or 130 B-string? - Personal preference. The 5 string sets come as they come. If you want a different B then you'll have to buy a 4 string set and a separate B You'll also have to check to see if the DR's speaking length is long enough for the 35.5 scale on the B. DR put those figures on their website.

Larry Graham style vocal mic

Kahler trem Kill Switch

And holodecks.

Hopefully there will be a bar.

Close your eyes or look away from it and do your settings by ear, not with your eyes.

I'd go natural, rosewood board, chrome hardware, black plate - just like 'Nards one. And the SLO neck profile. $2999 which is about £2377 today + shipping + vat = about £2971.

I got mine from Thomann. Doesn't look like they stock them anymore though. Maybe email the manufacturer?

My last gig was pretty much sitting (jazz) unless I was having to balance on 2inch square of stage. For a more active band I think I'd want a chair that I could get up from when I felt good enough for it. If the set is planned in a fairly conventional way - first 3 tunes being high tempo, then next 2-3 a bit slower etc etc then I'd probably stand for the first ones, then sit down for a bit - maybe even up to the finale. But that depends on the extent of injuries of course.

I have one of those. I used it a lot after some hernia surgery. The Fearless Flyers always use guitar stands like that too: