fretmeister

2 extra things: 1: Ear Plugs. ACS off the shelf ones will do to start with. They will knock the volume down while keeping the EQ roughly flat. No more foam rubber things making it feel like you are on a submarine. Wear them all night. You won't get a post gig volume headache and you'll save your ears. Then in due time get some ACS custom moulded ones that will be even better. 2: Make sure you tell everyone on here when your first gig is. If you get one of the experienced regulars coming to the show then if something does go tits up then you've got someone in the audience ready to help. Unless it's a singer problem, obviously. Nothing can help them. Sad.

If you print out set lists then do it in Black Ink on white paper only. If you play anywhere with any coloured lights, even just pub ambience then if you have used the same colour for text it will disappear on the page! Plan the set list carefully. A group of amazing songs can lose impact if the pacing of the show doesn't work. First and last 3 should be high energy. The middle is for a ballad or two (if you want) and other mid paced stuff. If this is your first band, then you are probably rehearsing mostly facing each other. That's fine to working on songs but it is not an act. Rehearse as if you are in front of an audience. You might feel silly, but this is where you remove any cringy stuff. Actually work on banter for between songs - especially until you get experienced. Segue the first 3 songs into each other. Don't give the audience a break - they WILL enjoy you! then say hello, but only briefly then get stuck in again. Then after another 2 or three thank the bar staff and the punters for being there. Always have an encore number in the back pocket. Make it something that all ages could sing along with. When I started Teenage Kicks was a good choice but I suspect it's not as well known these days! Take spares. Equipment failure happens. But being prepared to continue with the show is vital, especially when you start getting paid. Some people only take spare strings - but a 5 min string change in the relaxed environment at home can turn into 10 mins of dead space under the pressure of the gaze of the audience. And the singer will end up telling Knock Knock jokes. I always take a spare instrument, and a spare amp head. If the cab dies then either of my heads can be used DI straight into the PA. Not perfect but I can finish the gig. If you can get someone to film the show - that is such a great learning tool for seeing what worked and didn't. Now - get out there and have fun! If you look like you are having fun, then the audience will have fun. Even if you are only doing Morrissey covers, leave the Morrissey glumness at home. Smile, eye contact etc. The audience needs to know it's not just a rehearsal. Finally... If there is 1 person in the audience or 500 - give it full beans. That 1 person who came along deserves the same effort as a full room. I hate people who view low attendance numbers as just a rehearsal. It isn't: someone pitched up to see a show. Do it right and that word of mouth is worth so much. That solitary punter could end up being the best advertising you ever get.

Any particular genre? I'm not saying you'll get it - it's more about me knowing how disappointed you'll be with my music taste!

The body was already finished by the previous owner. It's got a nice feel to it. I could probably do a play-a-long or two with it. I haven't done one for a while. It's got flats at the moment so I could do that, and then another with some rounds when my new ones arrive.

It was a bitsa P bass that I got the parts for and delegated the difficult bits to my local tech. Fender mex jazz neck, a paulownia unbranded body from the classifieds, and so on. Then I realised whenever I wanted a P sound I always picked up one of my 2 shortie Ps, (on flats, the other rounds). I don’t have a stingray so modifying this seemed to be the best approach. I got the Aguilar MM pickup in the classifieds, the pickguard from eBay and the preamp was new. The MM was carefully placed to match the position on a Classic ray, and the routs for the P pickup hidden under the guard are perfect for the two 9v batteries. Next step is to get a radiused bit of wood or plastic to sit on top of the pickup as a finger ramp. I experimented with just raising the pickup more, but it’s too powerful when it’s very close to the strings so a little ramp will do the trick. I might see if I can find someone with a 3D printer for that. Probably be the easiest approach. That’s what happens when a stray bit of Lego is in your gig bag and the luthier thinks he’s funny!

Currently got Dunlop flats on it, but I might fancy some rounds.

Ye gods the boost available on the preamp is mad!

Sounds…. Just like a Stingray. For a lot lot lot lot lot less money. Aguilar pickup, OBP-2, 18volts. nice.

Considering how expensive a regular Stingray Special is these days I'm surprised that these aren't more expensive. Fender really took the mickey with their £15000 Phil Lynott P bass so I was expecting about £10K for the Pino Icon. Still mad prices for a bit of wood. But if they've sold 6 already they are clearly making something the punters want.

If the PA Desk doesn't have individual channel control for Phantom Power then it's a good idea to put a Direct Box between the Helix and the desk. Phantom Power shouldn't harm the helix (but it might), but it will make a horrible sound like a screaming whale if the power gets turned on.

Helix can do 4 outputs at once. 2 balanced 1/4 inch and 2 XLR. Can be mono or stereo. It is remarkably simple and powerful. The outputs can even have some with cab sims (IR) and without for occasions where there might be a signal to the PA with a cabinet sound, but the monitoring is an old fashioned amp and cab. I would recommend a Technical Rehearsal or two as all PA systems are a bit different and his sounds might need a tweak. Sometimes it's as simple as changing the IR, sometimes it needs a bit more, but a few hours to just get the tones set will be well spent, especially making sure the monitoring works well for everyone. One of the best bits about modern modelling units is their vast memory for sounds - so if you guys play some venues regularly he can actually save all the settings during the first soundcheck at a venue and name the patch(es) for that venue and just load them up again next visit. No need for a little black book anymore. The soundcheck process can get a lot faster.

I was clearing out old boxes and found my Yamaha MR350. (Key of G) I got it decades ago and thought I lost it and never got a replacement. It is my only one. I really fancy giving it a proper go now. It's a lot lighter than a bass too!

Dunlops are black silk at both ends so it's not them. My La Bella's are black at the headstock and nothing at the ball - what do you mean by "thin" silks? Got a photo?

I love mine on guitar - into a very good Marshall capture on a Tonex. Not tried it on bass yet. I don't get the price increases either - the renamed one is identical and everybody knows it's a clone anyway. It's not like the pedal itself - or any of the other cheap clones - have been discontinued.

£289 at Bass Direct - but they've already sold out the few they had. Sounds ace, and with more controls on the front there should be far less faff with secondary functions / apps etc compared to SA pedals.

I'm still thinking about some of these. For those that have them - how are you getting on now that they have played in a bit?

The Mark Bass Advanced Stainless Steel set are a lovely low tension set. Really easy to play. Don't know if they are long enough for you, but worth emailing them.

In 35+ years of playing I still haven't tried one. But they do look lovely. Congrats!

She was ace. Still annoyed with the bassist for not keeping to Flea’s line in “You oughta know.”

Mine arrived today as well! There were some chancers on ebay trying to sell these at £20,000 - more than a real one! Naturally I offered £40.

Andertons own comparison video is hilarious From about £50 all the way up to a real one. And they all sound the same.

You see, if you played jazz then gigging it would expose it to fewer people than at home. Job done!

I think that normal use damage / wear and tear and the odd accident are unavoidable for just about everything. Even for a sitting down jazz performance at some point a music stand is going to get bumped into an instrument, or the player themselves is going to stand up and collide with something. I gave up worrying about that sort of thing years ago as it was limiting my enjoyment of my instruments. I do my best to minimise damage of course, but some things are just unavoidable even if just playing at home.