brensabre79

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1349422149' post='1826023'] Thank you all for your replies, I'm going to look into the ACS ones, especially as they seem to be available on most high streets. What decibel reduction is a sensible number? I want to get some that will suit my needs as a player and also standing in front of Lemmy's PA [/quote] I'd go for 20, while you'll hear everything better with 15s, I find a bit of ringing with those still though after a gig.

Onvi is a great resource, I went here before trying the two 51m0n mentions (and a couple more) and decided on the Markbass. Its not that big really, but its one of very few valve compressors that actually uses the valve to do the compressing (like the expensive studio rack ones do) most of the so-called valve comps just use a standard solid state compressor circuit with a valve preamp to drive the gain. Not that that is a bad thing, but its a cheaper way to do it and you'll only get the benefit of the valvey loveliness if you drive it - which isn't always ideal.

I'm not even sure its a Squier body. The pickups are definitely further apart than 60s spacing but seem slightly further together than 70s. As a visual guide I usually see that the screw on the scratchplate is approx. equidistant between the two pickups on a 70s spacing bass - although if the plate is wrong this may be an illusion. Could the body have come from a 70s/80s jap copy? What sort of wood is under the paint there? And who the hell fitted that badass!?

[url="http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/mil-b-gauge-type/"]http://www.neutrik.c...l-b-gauge-type/[/url] I thought that was a Bantam Jack as mentioned earlier, certainly the same type as on the Bantam patch bays I used to use. The old GPO ones are different entirely. The ones in this link are almost the same as a standard jack in diameter, but not quite. I would say that is your best bet!

Yep Jam nights are a good way to start in a new town. Getting your face (and your bass playing) known is they key. I moved to a new town a few years ago, answered an ad in Gumtree for a hobby band just to get out and about and gigging, that band split up after a few months but most of the members joined or started doing other bands, they know people, the people they are in bands with know people. After 3 years I had the lovely surprise the other day, I responded to an ad for a bass player with a view to auditioning for them. They reply I got was: "Hey there, its OK our guitarist knows who you are, an audition won't be necessary. When can you practice?" Just get out there, don't be shy

I just use a cheapo stereo USB mic stright into the laptop. Sometimes we use an iPhone wrapped in a coat! I think Zoom make a fairly inexpensive 2 track digi recorder with a built in mic too. Edit: There's a few of [url="http://www.andertons.co.uk/pocket-recorders/pid12369/cid734/tascam-gtr1-portable-recorder-for-guitarists.asp"]these[/url] sort of things around... Is that what you're after? I'd imagine they are all pretty similar in terms of features and compatibility.

[quote name='SoVeryTired' timestamp='1349342592' post='1824865'] These look realy interesting - I'd give them a try but the two-set minimum is a bit of a turn-off when money's tight. The Is anyone using them succesfully on a 35" scale? [/quote] Two set minimum is for custom orders i think. The standard ones are pretty balanced, and you can try the strings out and see. The other bind with the custom orders is the 28 day turnaround. I usually go through two sets of strings in that time - although with the Newtones and some DR StringLife one will probably last that long...

There's also a [url="http://www.proguarduk.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=46&Itemid=39"]new product from Proguard[/url] which is specifically for musicians and eliminates the oclusion effect most earplugs give you. As someone who stands right next to a bass amp (as most of us on here do) I find a lot of earplugs block out all the nasty frequencies but not the bass, ending up with a really bass heavy mix. Not good if you're trying to listen for a guitar cue and all you can hear is boom boom. I've just ordered a set of these and will report back after my gig on saturday. The Noizezz ones I mentioned are by the same company so will make an interesting comparison. These are 20dB reduction (average) so should be ideally between the ER15 and ER25s nottswarwick...

The [url="http://www.noizezz.com/eng/product/gehoorbeschermers-universeel.html"]Noizezz[/url] ones use the same noise filter as the expensive molded ones, but feature a generic sleeve rather than a molded one. I've tried the Alpine and Ety ones and found they muffled/coloured the sound to much, as I also do the sound for some of the bands I play with its essential I get a realistic balance and protect my hearing. Now the rest of the band uses these and we can all hear each other. Best of all we can all have a normal level conversation with each other during practice without taking the earplugs out or shouting at each other! [url="http://www.noizezz.com/eng/product/gehoorbeschermers-universeel.html"]http://www.noizezz.com[/url]

I think a lot of this info is really useful, but while you're at the cutting edge there will always be large manufacturers a few years behind. The mixing cabs thing is a relatively new realisation to the mainstream I think, as well as other things, so it will take a few years to set in but manufacturers are always changing their product lines. I used a 4x10 and a 1x15 together for a while, because at the time I got that rig, the 4x10 was a relatively new idea and the 1x15 was pretty standard. I never got the sound I wanted, in the end left the 1x15 at home. I was happy with my 4x10 until recently when I started using a 2x12. Now it seems almost every manufacturer is offering a 2x12, its the new 4x10! And this will change again in the future. Certain manufacturers also trade off tradition (especially the valve amp making ones), and have configured their speakers to work like the classic rigs of old. You're always going to get this as long as people want to sound like Geddy Lee c.1973 or whoever. The designers, want to design the cabinet, the marketeers want to make it look sexy, then the accountants come in and ruin both the good looks and smart design because they want to the thing to make a profit (what a crrraaazy idea huh?).

Best first bass for rock (or any style of music) is a Fender (or a good copy). There is a reason that the Fender Precision and Jazz basses have been on more records than any other type of bass. Even some who use other basses for videos etc. use a Fender bass in the studio. Why? Because they work! The Squier Vintage Modified series are awesome basses for the money and you can probably get one with your budget too! Also, because Fender basses are pretty much the industry standard, you can always get spare bits, easy to upgrade and customise too! If it really [u]must[/u] be an Epiphone... SG bass - Similar to the Gibson EB-3, the neck pickup is really muffled, Bridge pickup really nasal. Combined they sound quite full, not sure if its a rock sound though. They have a distinctive sound that you can't escape really. The body is not a great design for balance so they can be a bit uncomfortable to wear. Thunderbird bass - This is the only real 'rock' bass from Epi! Neck dive is a major issue, but can be fixed by moving the strap button. Again the sound is distinctive. If you go for the T-Bird Pro (probably secondhand) they are a more up to date design with a more flexible sound. And actually nice to play too - you'd better be tall though I'd avoid the Violin altogether for rock. Trust someone who has been down this road though, Fender style basses are the best first bass. Add Gibsons Epiphones Rickenbackers etc. to your collection later on, they all have their uses, but a Fender Jazz can cover them all pretty well!

Its a risky business. There are exceptions, but basically if you buy something from the US new or secondhand it doesn't matter, if it has not been bought in the UK then No VAT has ever been paid on it so even if its a 20 year old item, as far as Customs and Excise are concerned it is VATable. You could declare the value for less than you paid, you could even get the sender to say its a gift, but you'll still have to pay VAT and if anything happens in transit the declared value is all you'll get. Best case you'll pay less duty and get your bass in perfect condition. Worst case you'll be found guilty of tax avoidance and insurance fraud, the bass will be seized and you'll get a fine on top.

Good news for real music venues though, I think we might see more places putting bands on in future. [url="http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/66432"]http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/66432[/url]

One of the guitards in a band I play with knows these people. Basically I think they get bookings for gigs and put together a band out of their roster of local musicians that are available for the night. I think its a good thing if you're looking to get some gigs and get your face known with other local musicians. I think they also are agents for complete bands rather than ones put together for the night. He stopped doing gigs with them as he was getting sparodic bookings and would often have to learn a whole set in a week. They provide a PA and a van but these are rented and he got fed up of having to do the PA because nobody else knew how to. I've heard that others are more regularly booked and do OK from it. I guess it depends on what you're looking for but I get the impression they are high pressure gigs because the band have never played together and don't know the material. good grounding for session work though I suppose...

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1349210234' post='1823449'] if you want lots of power in the low end a jazz cant compete with a SR 5 HS, i totally dig those basses... but i think for an awsome slap tone and great articulation a 75 in particular has it hands down... nothing like a jazz bass with 70's spacing... just my opinion of course [/quote] This. That little extra space makes the world of difference. I do find the BPU lacking in bottom end though on mine so I have to dial in a bit of NPU, but when I do the sound is very different from the 60s spacing - more growly

[quote name='heminder' timestamp='1349187326' post='1822977'] Oh, but we [i]can [/i]control it with resistance to those who continuously push to restrict and censor the internet. There are countless civil liberties groups everywhere for this sole purpose. Learning by ear, while a useful skill, is correctly deemed unhelpful because it dodges the issue that this problem relates to. [/quote] OK well good luck with that. I'll stick to my unhelpful method thanks. Out of interest how do you get on at jam sessions without TABs? Or does someone to tell you where to put your fingers...?

[quote name='heminder' timestamp='1349182527' post='1822865'] To not censor user-submitted tabs. [/quote] I don't believe you or the OP has any control over this. A solution that you [u]can[/u] control would be to learn the 3 chords by listening, hence it was brought up yet deemed to be unhelpful.

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1349123927' post='1822237'] Again if this was Talkbass I would berate you for your humour then post a picture of my boutique fanned-fret 8 string basses (bonus points if I can somehow include a picture of myself wearing a Hawian shirt playing my $500,000 rig at some backyard BBQ gig). [/quote] We have those here too, but the moderators keep them at bay most of the time

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1349180831' post='1822807'] The thead is about the fact that Tabs have been removed due to what appears to be a contentious reason. [/quote] Yes.. someone wants to learn a song but can't because the TAB has been removed... ...and the solution to that would be...?

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1349132920' post='1822368'] there is something very holier than thou about the people telling us to just 'develop our ear', just a touch of arrogance. Of course in an ideal world we'd all be able to read music, play scales sing in perfect pitch and be able to improvise in 11/4 time etc Guess what some of us have cloth ears, others have jobs and families and other commitments, for some of us it is just a hobby we enjoy. If tabs help us on the way then what is the harm, actually if they help people get started then that's more than OK it's brilliant and the sometimes inaccurate tabs are done by people who are kind and generous enough to give their mite to strangers. Come to think of it who decided being able to read music notation is fab and reading tab is for thickies? Rant over, sorry. [/quote] Actually I didn't say anything of the sort, I simply asked what was wrong with learning by listening? I think if anyone is coming across 'holier than thou' here it isn't the people saying why don't you try listening... Its the most reliable way to learn a Feeder song, and that is how its relevant to the post. I can read music but very slowly and it takes me ages - i certainly couldn't sight-read. I find TAB almost as slow to be honest. The simple reason is because I don't practice reading musical notation or TAB often enough to be up to speed. I do however listen to music all the time, to the point where I can play along with songs I've never heard and guess where its going much of the time. I'm not wanting to lecture anyone at all, I'm just saying if you rely on TAB or traditional musical notation to learn how to play songs you are relying on someone else's ear. if they make mistakes with the notation you will make the same mistakes (and so will everyone else who downloaded the TAB). If they remove the TAB due to copyright etc. as is the case here, you won't be able to play that song unless you can learn to use your ears... And don't give me that crap about having a job prevents you from using your ears, that's the lamest thing I've ever heard. I have a full time job, usually 10 hour days and I manage OK without resorting to someone else's cheat sheets. Just because you are a thickie doesn't restrict you to using TAB, thickies can use their ears too! And do you know what, its miles more fun! now that my friend is a rant

Is the jack socket hole not slightly bigger on a std one KiOgon?

I have an S1 switch on my main Jazz, it is the most useful control on there when you need a little bit of a boost, both volume and the cutting mids part of the EQ. You will lose a bit of sparkly top end but it sounds really fat and powerful. A bit like a Precision Its the first place I go to get a P-Bass sound out of a Jazz, I couldn't live without it. I also put an S1 switch on my Sabre, two MM humbuckers wired in series, now that is a HUGE sound, if its not stuck down you're gonna lose it

If I had the dosh out of those two I'd go for the Hofner. I think the modern Hagstroms are now made in Korea or somewhere these days. I just got an Ibanez Artcore, mine's the older full scale one, but the new ones are short scale. In terms of playability, its a pretty fine bass actually - I usually don't like Ibanez etc. but this one is lovely - if you can get over the design on the headstock

Whats wrong with listening to the record and figuring it out for yourself? I don't think I've ever used tabs to learn a song and as a dep for function bands I've often had to learn 20 or more in a week! Improves your listening skills no end if you can listen to a tune once or twice and figure it out... One of the guitards I know used to send me tabs for songs all the time, usually I can tell they are wrong within one listen - who writes these things!?

Like he said, in the early 80s Fender were in some ways at their lowest ebb. The cost cutting had gone to the extreme to the degree that the new Japanese made Squiers were actually considerably better in quality! There are some gems out there though, as there are from every era. Watch out for the single piece plastic scratchplate/control plate ones, these were produced to a budget, and a low one at that - doesn't make it a bad player though. If its very early, its probably more like a 70s model. In terms of desirability, I would not put these in the same value range as a early/mid 70s or a 90s model personally, I'm sure there are those who will disagree though.