bassace

Give it a couple more pages and everyone will get a mention. Nothing changes.

Ho ho. He speaks a lot of sense.

Stingray Pete introduced me to a mag pickup at last year's DB bash. It provides a loud feedback-free sound and you can individually balance the vol on each string. The sound is a bit away from orig DB but if you're in a shouty band it's just great.

This topic comes from time to time. Thing is, there is no one definitive answer: every one has his own favorite. but my take on it is that it depends very much on the double bass. I favour an Underwood with an outboard preamp to subdue the infrasonics - in simple speak to 'tame' it. But when I acquired my Bryant I couldn't get a clean amplified sound. A David Gage Lifeline did the trick. What this goes to say is if you have a bright bass fit a dull pickup and vice versa. Of course this discovery comes from trying all sorts which is not always feasible. I'd say a Bass Max.is a good pickup to start with. It's one of the easiest to fit although be minded that it needs a slightly wider wing slot than an Underwood or Shadow for instance. You should be able to mod your bridge quite easily. It's not too expensive and if you later decide to upgrade you could keep it in your wire bag as an emergency spare - as I do. You can fit it on the gig in a couple of minutes. Hope this helps.

Better than back to normal, I'd say, Geoff. Very envious of your trip to ISB; hope you can do us a few words when you get back. If you're able pl try to say hello from me to Gary Upton or anyone else at Upton Bass.

Hi Mike Apart from the obvious advantages of an EUB, such as portability and working on a tight stage, the 'smaller' acoustic sound can be useful to overcome a boomy or otherwise difficult stage where sometimes a full DB can be a bit heavy on the low frequencies. In fact once or twice I've been asked to turn down when I haven't even been switched on! I've got a Kolstein which is a great little EUB with a smaller sound but dead easy to get a good eq. Never did like the Steinberger.

Blimey! When Geoff doesn't play the world really does stop turning. I never thought things like that happen to you youngsters. So sorry to hear, Geoff, and hope it's not long before you get back to full strength again.

I'll take my Upton Prof upright. It's sturdy and someone described it as being built like a battleship. So I'll make a sail out of palm leaves and find my way home, that's if it doesn't, er, Upt(ur)n in the meantime.

That's the one, Sarah. The theory belongs to life skills in general but we only think bass, don't we.

I'm in a similar position. After painful backache and general burnout I put my basses away and said bye bye to all my regular gigs. Quite a depressing place to be, but a couple of days ago I got a call to do a jazz gig in Cheltenham next Sunday. So I've got to get myself bass fit again. I hope my hands will hold up: I've been using them on gardening and daily shovelling horshe for the wife. So it's the condition of the fingers that'll give me most concern. I hope a daily soak in surgical spirit will do the trick. I'm just going upstairs to get a bass out of its cover and have a little play. Nothing to ambitious, just a bit of gentle nurdling to get used. Can I recommend Geoff Chalmers's recent video on practicing technique. Hope all is well with you and your wife, BoB, and that you enjoy your return to the DB as I hope I will. Try some hand stretching and take it easy to begin with.

Mark Kermode plays stand up. Quite well actually.

So sorry, but I've had a gig come in for that day, and as I'm not playing much these days I don't want to pass this one up. So HJ's DB will be, er, stood up. Sorry.

Impressed by video. Should be a great gig.

What I managed to omit is that if you do make a loss or break even, then no need to submit a short tax form. Obvious, really, but as others have said, don't try to put your losses against your other income. Keep things simple and, besides, the taxman won't be very impressed.

Some posters have made this a bit complicated, I fear. Here's what you do, and what I've been doing for the past umpteen years. Keep a scrupulous record of your income and expenses for each gig. I have mine on a spreadsheet. Income is what you receive as an individual, your share of the gig money. Outgoings will include travel at .45p a mile, any accommodation/subsistence, instrument insurance and misc expenses such as leads, batteries etc. Also don't forget to claim for travel to rehearsals and associated costs. Then at the end of the year see how much 'profit' you've made. At the end of the tax year ask HMRC for a short tax return form. It's, er, quite short - four pages in fact. You'll need to put down all your PAYE stuff and your employer should be able to help you with that, P11D and P60 for instance. On page three you'll be asked to account for any misc income and capital gains. That's where you declare your band earnings. Just as a PS, will you have to pay contribute towards band expenses, PA for instance. Here I suggest you record your gig money net, ie what you get after bunging in for the gear. If you bring shared equipment into your accounts it could get needlessly complicated and when/if you sell any gear you'd have to declare income on that. So best leave it out. When you become a world beating band it'll be different of course but hope this helps for now. BTW I account for all my music income, cash and all. Most cash payments are accounted for by someone along the line. The only fireproof cash payment is that which comes out of the bride's father's pocket.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1431420455' post='2770998'] At leat they'll price match... http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/eminence-basslite-s2012-8ohm-12-neo-150watt-bass-guitar-speaker-p-864.html Think of the rig you could buy for the price of 1 driver! [/quote]

Blimey, that looks tasty. It's got handmade written all over it, and I don't just mean the scroll. Italian proportions - surely it's not by Luciano Golia?

[quote name='AndyBass' timestamp='1430938395' post='2766194'] I'm selling a Genz Benz STL3.0-10T if that's of any help/interest. Apologies for the shameless plug but it did seem relevant [/quote] That is a very nice combo!

May I bring a double bass?

Too right, BP. The Latin must have scrambled my brain. The Strawbs did Benedictus, an entirely different opus and not a particularly early one. 1972 actually.

Gaudete goes back to the 15th Century and was covered by Steelye Span and turned into a hit by the Strawbs.

Most harrowing? We Plough the Fields and Scatter........I suppose.

Spot on, Admiral. I live three miles away and have enjoyed some of the acts, not the headliners necessarily but some of the surprises - well to me anyway. Wilko with NW-R, Alison Moyet superb, Buffy St Marie at 70 with just bass and drums, Waterboys and lots more. We are spared Jules Holland this year. But although I can, ahem, afford a VIP ticket I haven't the slightest inclination to join the braying hordes. You only have to walk past the area outside the tent - sorry Marqueeeeee - to know that you wouldn't like to join the denizens within.