Linus27

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='456243' date='Apr 7 2009, 11:13 AM']yours, for £300 ;-) Seriously though, im a one bass man. While i have my P5 i have no need at all for anything else. Im not saying this the best bass in the world but as i can only play one at a time anything esle would just sit at home. I tend to buy basses because i want to play them and have a need for them but always based on only ever taking one bass to the gig. I got the P5 because i wanted a 5 string P so at the moment i dont need anything else. I still have a HW1 Jazz at home in case i need a 4 string for some reason but everything else has gone. Once i get tired of the 5 string ill go back to 4 and i guess it will be another DD. By that time you'll be ready to sell LOL.[/quote] HAHA this bass is famous now. You would not even get change from £300 for the gigbag :) The only problem with your P5 is its broken. They put a 5th string on it. I mean how silly is that, everyone knows basses have 4 strings. Typical Fender quality control I thought you sold your HW1. Good on you for keeping it. Oh, and I'll never sell the DD. I have two children following me who I hope one will get into bass playing.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='456181' date='Apr 7 2009, 10:03 AM']Sounds good. I guess its just one of those things (well, at least 5 of them anyway). Did you ever find out what pup it was? Yeah i do miss mine although its been about 5 months since i last gigged it. :-( I put off getting it because of the colour first time around but was very pleased once i did get it. I don't think most pics show how nice and sparkly it can be. Of the two i had the one i sent back was a sightly darker red with less sparkle. The thing i miss most though is the Fralin. I put Elixirs on my DD and it sounded perfect. I put a set on my P5 last week and it sounded very different. In fact after one gi gthey came off and my Chromes went back on. Keep us posted once you get it back. Good luck. (Note to self. stop talking about Lakland ;-)[/quote] HAHA well, all this talk of Lakland I must admit, coupled with the quality, service and playability of the bass has made me think about getting a Darryl Jones bass in natural with maple neck and block inlays. One of my dream basses is the Fender Jazz American 75 re-issue in Natural with the black block inlays. However, I just love the Lakland brand and wonder if its worth just getting the Darryl Jones instead. The only problem is I would have to sell my Fender Jazz 70's re-issue which again, is an amazing bass. I have only just bought it so would probably lose a fair bit of money on it despite it being in mint condition. I think the true decider is when I gig it. I am yet to gig it so if I am not happy with the sound then that would be my mark to sell her. My ESP jazz is my reference as no other Jazz has sounded as good so if the Fender is not as good then she will have to go. As for the pickups on the Duck Dunn, as far as I know, they are Lakland's own, due to the red and black wires. Fralins I think have white and black. Lakland have also confirmed this. I so can't wait to get the bass back. The tone is to die for. So, which Lakland are you going to buy?? If I post some pictures, will that help

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='456127' date='Apr 7 2009, 09:08 AM']Thats really good news mate. glad its slowly coming together. Personally i would have asked the seller for some sort of compensation for all this, especially having to get all the electrics done. I think (bound to be wrong though) that even second hand you have some comeback. Mines now gone to a good home but i do miss it.[/quote] Yeah, I can't wait to get her back and play her full time. Going to be a week or so untill the pickups come over from the states and are fitted. As for the previous seller, all I can say is that he has been more than helpful and a true gentleman in compensation towards the problems so I have no complaints there Mine looks like your one now with the black scratchplate. I pulled her out of the bag at the luthier and two other people who were there said WOW. Considering I was worried about the red, I now adore it. I bet you miss your one

[quote name='bumnote' post='455785' date='Apr 6 2009, 07:54 PM']Im not totally surprised, Laklands customer service is awesome. Very few companies would go that far.[/quote] Yeah, even Jo the luthier is totally amazed at this customer service. He says they have been great to deal with and so helpful and friendly.

[quote name='silddx' post='455596' date='Apr 6 2009, 03:52 PM']Bloody great, Linus! If only all things were as smooth as you made that I live in Ealing, you should have asked about traffic, I could have given you some cheeky cut throughs. It's probably a friend of mine's rehearsal studios they use too. I think it's the only one in Ealing. Congratulations!![/quote] Thanks The studio was Loz Vegas Music in Perivale. As for traffic, after Chiswick, I ended up going along the A4020, then cut up the B455 onto the B452, back on the B455, onto the A4127, then the A40 and then off at Perivale. Very lost but sort of followed thos roads and it worked out ok in the end despite the traffic. Only took 45 mins to get home Do you know if there are any rehersal studios around Twickenham, Richmond etc??

[quote name='bremen' post='455577' date='Apr 6 2009, 03:40 PM']You lucky, lucky boy. I have an audition tomorrow night. I'm hoping they have a great drummer. If he's good, it doesn't really matter how bad the guitarists are; if he's bad, it doesn't matter how good they are ;-)[/quote] Good luck. Hope it goes as well as mine did. Lots of great help in this thread. Well worth a read again.

[quote name='boabskiboab' post='455573' date='Apr 6 2009, 03:35 PM']I have used a company called Jeannie Pickguards in the US before. They ask you to send your pg so they can make an identical copy, they also have a large range of materials available. All in all took about three weeks from me sending my guard away to getting it back, to me well worth the time and cost (around £35 inc postage)[/quote] Yeah, I just bought a pickguard from them for my Lakland. Very good service.

Singer just phoned me to say that he is really pleased I am up for joining the band. He said the whole band were really impressed with my playing and I seemed to be a really good fun guy who seemed to be really enjoying playing the songs. For him he said, he was really impressed with how quick I locked in with the drummer and thats when the light came on for him that I was right. Thats cool for me as their drummer is bloody amazing and probably the best drummer I have ever played with. He's on another level to what I am used to working with and I hope it will improve my playing along the way. I'm really happy that I did the audition with fingers also. First time playing live with fingers after playing for 20 years with a pick. All that practise last year at home has so payed off. I just need to really work on technique. Still feels very odd when playing on the E string. Feels like my finger is in no mans land floating despite resting my thumb on the pickups sometimes. The A, D and G are ok as resting my thumb on the string above feels so natural, its just the E thats feels a bit weird. Oh, more practise :)

[quote name='chris_b' post='455451' date='Apr 6 2009, 02:05 PM']Great news. If you haven't got the gig it's usually no eye contact or chat and all over in 2 numbers. Have they any gigs lined up?[/quote] No gigs yet. Planning on getting bass player up to speed and working on set and start gigging at the end of summer.

[quote name='OldGit' post='455395' date='Apr 6 2009, 01:21 PM']Hey Congrats .. Is ot this band called "The Fleas" in which case you'd better look after your bowels ... ------------------------------------------------- -Bowelshatteringly British indie rock and roll band!! -Originally from London, The Fleas is fronted by Piers Eccleston on Vocals/Guitar, Demi Poiadzis on the Bass, Rico on Lead Guitar, Mannie playing Drumms and Percussion and Bernadette doing Backing Vocals and additional Percussion. -Influences: Magic Numbers, Pixies, Keane, Kasabian and Gary Numan, among others. -Bern took the photo so she is not there,you'll have to use your imagination! -Very good fun on stage! ----------------------------------------------------- [url="http://www.channel4.com/music/myband/Fleas"]http://www.channel4.com/music/myband/Fleas[/url][/quote] Thank you. Thats the ones although Rico I think is now Nigel and Demi is now me Not so sure on those influences though.

[quote name='neepheid' post='455352' date='Apr 6 2009, 12:54 PM']Also I believe WD Music have a custom pickguard service where they can generate one from an accurate tracing of your existing one.[/quote] Cool. Thank you.

[quote name='Twigman' post='455334' date='Apr 6 2009, 12:39 PM'][url="http://www.simscustom.com/"]http://www.simscustom.com/[/url] [url="http://www.simscustom.com/html/scratchplate_files/scratchplates.html"]http://www.simscustom.com/html/scratchplat...atchplates.html[/url][/quote] Wow, that was quick, thank you very much. Jobs a carrot

I have an ESP 400 series Jazz bass in black with a white pickguard. I would really like to get a black pickguard for it and had hoped that a Fender Jazz would fit but they are different shape and size. Is there anyone or anywhere that can make me one to fit the ESP? Thanks for any help.

Either wedged between the D string on the bridge, in a pocket, on the amp or on gaffer tape to mic.

[quote name='obbm' post='454915' date='Apr 5 2009, 09:05 PM']Congrats. What's the band called?[/quote] Thank you. The Fleas.

Well I got the devil bass back from my Luthier who changed all the electrics (pots and wires) in the bass but alas, no difference. He copied a standard precision setup and also set the pickup height to what Lakland recommends and despite being slightly better, overall, its not that different and the problem continues. However, he did notice that the coils are vibrating like crazy and Lakland have offered to replace the pickups free of charge which I thought was rather superb of them. So this is what I will do and fingers crossed, will solve the problem. It has to really as everything else has been changed already.

Well, just got an email for the band saying it was great playing with me yesterday and would I like to join the band. WOOOHOOO, so looks like I did an ok job Once again, thanks for all the help and support guys.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='454740' date='Apr 5 2009, 03:51 PM']As a matter interest did they tell you in advance they'd be asking you to play songs you had not had chance to rehearse?[/quote] No, not at all. In the email I got mid last week, they asked if I could learn 3 songs, so I learnt to play 4. After we had run through them twice they gave the impression that it was going very well and so said, lets run through some others and mentioned a few titles. I said the only problem is I don't know those songs and have never heard them. They still wanted to jam and told me the chords for the verse, bridge and chorus. We then just started playing through them. I had no idea on structure or ryhthm etc and so had to make up bass lines and listen what was happening with the drums and structure. Also, some of the songs I had learnt, they had changed the structure a little so I had to re-learn the new structure on the spot and write a few new bass lines. I also locked in really well with the drummer. Still, it did go very well even if I don't get it

My Lotus Elise S1 should end up as a classic. Its going that way at the moment. Not many for sale on Pistonheads and seems to be getting less as the years pass. Mine is 12 years old and cost me £8000 and has not lost anything in value. Still only has 40k on the clock and is it amazing condition. As its in the original Lotus Racing Green colour with cream interior like the launch car, fingers crossed it will be worth a bit in 10 years plus. Some say that they think it will go the same way as early Porsche 911's. I think its very difficult to predict which cars will be classics and worth money but its worth looking for bizarre or rare models. BMW have sold bucket loads of Mini Coopers so I can't see that being a classic but maybe the John Cooper Special might. BMW Z3 probably won't but the BMW Z3M Coupe probably will.

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='454661' date='Apr 5 2009, 01:44 PM']Our drummer has the tempo for every song we play written down and programmed into his metronome thingy that he has attached to his drums. He counts us in using that. We're generally not too far off the tempo that way.[/quote] Yep, we did this also. Really does help, even to get you starting off at the right tempo.

Thanks again for all the help guys. My audition was at 3pm in Ealing. Thought the best route from Camberley would be M3, M25, M4 and then cut up to Ealing just after Heathrow. Well for some reason, I ended up in Hamersmith and got totally lost. Decided to make my way back through Chiswick and cut back up rather than turn around and head back along the M4. However, after Hammersmith and Chiswick. which was a nightmare on Saturday, I then got hit by traffic heading to Wembley but took some shortcuts and got to the audition just in time Got stuck right in with the four songs I had learnt which impressed them and it all sounded very good. In fact they were pretty impressed how much I had learnt. They said I am a very mathimatical bass player, learning the songs down to the last note. Never heard of that saying before. I was also very happy with how well I played considering first time with fingers and nerves. We then stopped and had a chat and then got back to playing again. Went through the songs again and they were sounding really tight and again, the band was very pleased. They then said lets play some more songs which I did not know and so had to make up the bass lines on the spot. After the first song they asked if I had ever heard it as your playing like you know the song. I had not so they were very impressed and applauded me. We then did three more new songs which again they applauded me after. The audition lasted for 3 hours. So all in all, I was very very happy with my audition and played as well as I could. No idea if I have got the gig but even if I don't, then at least it has given me the confidence to know I can do it. Also, I'm a big believer in fate, so if it happens then its supposed to be. If not, then I know its not right and something better is around the corner. I'll keep you all posted and thanks again for all the advice.

[quote name='bassace' post='453677' date='Apr 3 2009, 08:59 PM']Good luck! Are you taking the Stagg? If not it may be a good idea to mention it to show your versatility. Might give them some ideas.[/quote] No Stagg this time, probably just the Jazz. I might take the Musicman or the cursed Lakland as a backup. Mentioning however as well as fretless might be a good move.

[quote name='leschirons' post='453672' date='Apr 3 2009, 08:52 PM']20 years of playing? you only look about 22 in your pic. You must be the "Peter Pan" of bass players. Hope it went well for you and you got the gig.[/quote] hehehe thank you. Well I don't look 22 but I have been told I don't look my age (38) so I got something going for me :)

Thanks for all the advice. Some great tips which would not had entered my mind so a big thank you. I'll keep you posted.

Tomorrow afternoon I have my first ever audition. In the 20 years of playing I have never had one before. Always been in bands with friends. So as you can imagine, I am a little nervous especially as for the last year I have been learning to play with fingers and I really want to play with fingers in this audition. 20 years of pick player is a hard habit to change. All the songs are original and I feel fairly comfortable with what I have learnt so far despite some of the bass being hard to hear in the mix. Can anyone offer me some pointers, tips or advice for my audition. Thanks.