Japhet

Been watching some recorded Bowie documentaries this week which has highlighted just how good Trevor Bolder was. So much of their stuff was recorded with minimal rehearsal and some of TJ's basslines are so well put together. He was one of the very best in my book. He and Woody Woodmansey were treated really badly by Bowie at the end.

Loved the old Trace SMX when I had that amp. Have used a TC Electronics Nova Dynamics for 3 years now as an 'always on' unit and wouldn't be without it. On the minus side, it's discontinued (but available 2nd hand), a bit big but has 2 channels, and 12v if you want it on a board.

If you hit any bum notes, tell 'em you play a lot of jazz.

Write the keys to the songs on the setlist. Mind can go blank and this can be a handy little nudge. Oh.........and welcome aboard!

Just a thought, but she might find it helpful to play with the bass on her lap, Jeff Healy style as it were. That would allow her to use her thumb for fretting or making chords.

Midnight Rider - Allman Brothers. Don't know why really, but just love the song.

Genz Focus. You could stick with a 4x10 and be much lighter or go for an even lighter 2x12. Cheap too.

Players aren't underrated by their fans, but some remain unknown by many or pass under the radar. Oteil Burbridge is a monster player who only bassists seem to have heard of. Ken Gradney has been a huge part of Little Feat over the years but I doubt many non bassists know him. Paul Frasier is a great player too (who maybe many bassists haven't heard) Check him out on David Byrne - Lazy (Live at Union Chapel). Cnt attach clip for some reason.

Do guitars actually sound bad through bass gear though? Guitarist in my band now plays through a Fender Bassman 1x15 combo which sounds great using pedals for distotion. I always wanted him to hook up to my Ashdown 4x8 but never got round to it.

I'm with Muzz.

Don't know if TB was taught a brass instrument but John Entwhistle was an accomplished French Horn player I believe.

+1 for the Line 6 LD15. I've got one and it's a brilliant little thing for next to nothing money. Loads of tones available with a good range of effects. You' probably pick one up (used) for £50 or maybe less.

Absolute stormer at the Pig and Falcon in St. Neots. Always a good gig there and the place was rammed. 4 new songs in the set all went perfectly. It's always a late one there and we didn't finish til 1 a.m. so didn't get home til nearly 3. So much fun though when the punters are really up for it.

My experience of functions as opposed to gigs is that people often want to have a chat and catch up with each other (particularly weddings) and a longer break is quite acceptable. From a playing point of view I always prefer a short break so that the impetus isn't lost.

Could you DI into the PA?

On ebay at the moment is a TechSoundsystems 2x5 cab. Stick 'tecamp' in the search box and it will come up. Current bid is £10.50(!) with just over a day Ieft. I'd be all over this if I didn't already have the 2x12 version. Feather light and fantastic sounding.

I don't think you can expect too much 'professionalism' from an amateur or semi-pro musician. Most of us have day jobs and can't devote untold hours to perfecting our input. There are standards to aspire to though and personally, I'd tell him he needs to pull his finger out a bit if his gaffs are that frequent or horrible.

I bought my 55 01 as back up for my Stingray. The Stingray now rarely gets an outing. For the money I think you'd struggle to find a better made/sounding bass. Love mine!

I prefer to be on the drummers left mainly because it keeps the headstock away from cymbals and stuff when space is tight. It's also easier to turn towards the drummer.

'Scooped' can also be described as 'smiley face EQ'. On amps like my old Trace Elliot, it had a 12 band EQ (12 individual sliders) on the front of the amp to set EQ. For a 'scooped' tone, the sliders were set so that they resembled a smile ( ) for a tone much favoured by slappers. Slappers..... at a recent gig there were these 2........No, I won't go there.

Streamliner is a very 'ballsy' sounding amp. I've been using a 600 for a couple of years and have found it pretty much impossible to get a 'bad' sound out of it. I played through a Shuttle quite a while ago and it was very clear and transparent. Personally, I love the Streamliner for the rock covers band I play in. To me it is Trace Elliot for the 21st Century. I play it through a TechSoundsystems 2x12 and never use it past about 40% (with a loud drummer and 2 guitarists) so the 600 is plenty loud.

Ban Saturday night 'talent' shows from TV to get the British public off their sofas and out in the real world.

Line 6 LD15 is a nifty little amp. Loaded with all sorts of effects to get a taste of and with an input for Mp3 so you can play along to your ipod or whatever. Plenty loud enough for home practice but has a headphone socket too. Masses of sounds available which can be stored too.

I recently put a set of lighter strings on my Ray which are coming straight back off. 45 - 105 from now on. Have played a few Precisions but never owned one and I've always loved the way the Stingray starts to bark when you get stuck in. Never got that out of a Precision.

Good songs frequently add up to more than the sum of their parts (and none moreso than the bass lines). The best musicians I've ever played with have known what not to play and when to back off. The worst have always been about emptying their bag of tricks at every available opportunity. I'd often like to be a bit more challenged with the bass parts I play but know deep inside that my job is to provide the platform, not the bunting.