Wolverinebass

How about a Peavey IPR 1600? That's 530W at 4 ohms or 350 at 8 ohms. Plus it's ludicrously light. I know a few folk that use them for bass.

[quote name='leschirons' post='1040612' date='Nov 28 2010, 11:35 PM']Makes me think that one day I'll just say f*** it and do home recording on my own and the odd dep.[/quote] That's what I've done at the moment. Just concentrating on my own stuff as I just have it lying about to record. I'm sick and tired of trying out for bands. So many folk are just idiots. Some of them incredibly talented idiots I grant you, but idiots nonetheless. A month ago, I did a gig with a band just for fun. Had to learn 10 songs in an evening. No pressure eh?!! Did it just as an exercise to see if I actually could and the gig was great. I wasn't fussed about the band's material and I said "thank you, but no thanks" when they asked if I'd join them. Had I liked their stuff more, I would have joined as they were a really good bunch, but musically it wasn't quite for me. I got to play a gig which I haven't for a while and they got to play it too as they'd have had to cancel otherwise. Everyone wins. Just form a band with your drummer. He sounds like a good bloke who you already have a good thing going on with. Take some time out from it, work on your chops and look for folk after new year when everyone starts doing stuff again.

I've only had one experience with the BC that was positive. When I bought my Alembic and that was when the shop was still in Wapping. I haggled absolutely ferociously and they amazingly gave in which I admit I really didn't expect. Every other time they have been complete and utter tools acting like they were doing me a favour by making a mess of what I wanted. In respect of the stock thing, they did the same thing to me 5 years ago when I got a gig bag for my buzzard. Strung it out for 3 weeks then sent it to me despite me specifically asking them not to (forcing me to go to Charlton to get it when I wasn't in to get it). No apology. No money off or anything other than a monkey chewing gum on the other end of the phone doing a well known Catherine Tate impression. I truly hope they go out of business. Same as every guitar shop on Denmark Street. All the people that work in these shops have been cloned in test tubes for maximum arrogance and had their heads preloaded Matrix style with innumerable patronising or "we're trying to rip you off" comments. I'd go to Thomann or Soundslive every time. Prompt delivery and brilliant customer service.

[quote name='mybass' post='1027513' date='Nov 18 2010, 12:50 AM']Anyone using this cab and what do you think? I've been using 10" cabs for years but thought of getting this 15" to link with a 2x10. Interested to see if it isn't too boomy. I had the big 15" cab a few years back, great for big stages but a bit too big a sound over the 2x10 on top as I was doing 100/120 capacity places at the time.[/quote] I use both the Traveller's and they are rather good. With one exception. The Piezo tweeter. This is obviously dependent on what kind of sound you like and if you're going for a vintage type sound then you won't need it on very much (if at all). If you go for a slap or a trebly tone, you're going to have some problems especially if you use active basses in trying to control it all. From my experience, turning up the tweeter significantly past half will just lead to it clipping and loads of mids. Just loads - so much your eyes will bleed. Turn it down to 4/10 roughly and you're wonder where all the top end cut went if you play in a loud band with a hard hitting drummer. I've been toying with flogging both my Markbass cabs for this very reason and replacing them with a Barefaced, or replacing the tweeters. On the other hand, I have no idea if the latter is even possible. The 151P most certainly isn't boomy, but it does have the characteristic (but slight) 250Hz hump that most Markbass cabs I've tried seem to have. Depends how flat you want the response really. Naturally, these are my issues and you may have something else in mind.

I tend to only use one finger mainly. If I'm playing my 8 string then I'd use 2 fingers on my left hand just to make sure that I'm not going to make a mess of it. I'm sure that this probably isn't correct technique by any measure, but it works for me. Were I learning to do it again, I'd probably go for the full hand and make more of an effort to get that right as I just couldn't before. Still can't. The only thing I've used it on recently I've attached and yes this is an 8 string which is rather heavily flanged and overdriven. The relevant bit is after 1 min. Please excuse the slack playing (still doing cut and shut on the arrangement hence the clicks of joins) and sequenced guitar....

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1018496' date='Nov 10 2010, 10:34 AM']IMO, it's something unique to singers and drummers. If they can't sing or drum, the band is doomed. Joe Public will tolerate mediocrity when it comes to most other band members. Again, IMO.[/quote] I agree completely with this. If your drummer or singer is gash, then you might as well not bother. I've been in bands where the singer has been mediocre and it's really showed and vice versa of course. However, by the same token if the guitarist was a bit mince and your rythym section are great the bloke will be able to get away with murder. On a personal note, I can't deal with drummers that aren't good as you just can't experiment with the placing of beats and stuff if they're just going to play like a tool. It sucks all the energy out of my playing when someone plays completely straight all the time. I can only imagine it's what John Entwistle thought in 1982 when Kenney Jones was playing with the Who - "Soooo, Kenney, you're going to play 1-2-3 -hit snare for 2 hours? There was me thinking I was going to be able to have some fun on this tour...." Sometimes you can get away with a mediocre singer if he/she has great stage presence. They may very well be holding back for a gig during rehearsal. If you're unhappy there is probably a very good reason though. If you're contibuting writing material for this band, how would you feel about this person singing your stuff? That is the acid test question for me and the minute you say "you're not" you might as well leave as it'll only start to annoy you more and every little thing the singer does wrong will build up and annoy you more and more over time. Especially if he has delusions of granduer.

[quote name='lowhand_mike' post='1004882' date='Oct 29 2010, 10:42 AM']Just looks like a cappaccino maker to me, chocolate dust anyone?[/quote] Well, for £5000 it had better make the coffee as well as being a great amp. I'm sure that at least 50% of that last sentence will prove not to be the case.

That is fantastic!! Get in!!

I've always worn earplugs at practice, but the experience that showed me I had to wear them at gigs was seeing Alice in Chains last year. That was devastatingly loud. Insane beyond any level I have ever experienced. I then got myself a set of ER15's. Ironically, I've not been to a gig since then except ones I've played at.

I normally don't really go for ska per se, but that sounds like really good stuff to me!! Very nice playing too. Top!!

[quote name='51m0n' post='1001013' date='Oct 26 2010, 12:35 PM']Any and all amp mounted compressors (or any other fx - didnt SWR go mad for this on one of theirs?) Graphic eqs - they're plop, deal with it! Tone stacks - utterly befuddling illogical eq. SOunds nice, pants to use! More than one input! 1/4" speaker outputs Noisey fans Pointless graphics - just keep it simple and clear, I include dumb fonts in this too![/quote] Oh No!! That's every single feature of my Hartke!! Nightmare!! On a serious level, I'd go for the useless feature of sub octave in Ashdowns.

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='995813' date='Oct 21 2010, 12:22 PM']Yeah the status graphite basses get mental low action! The B-1 Buzzard (anyone one here who has one confirm?) could get crazy low action, like down to 1mm is what i was told! Pub rumours and such like [/quote] That isn't a rumour, it's a fact. The action on my buzzard is 0.8mm at the 12th fret. It makes it so amazingly easy to play tapping and such like it's just brilliant. When I got it (September 2005) Rob Green had it set at about 3mm, which was just too high for me to do some of that stuff, so I got it lowered somewhat. My 8 string had to be lowered as that (when high) is a nightmare to play as it just cuts your left hand up something rotten pushing down 2 strings at a time. It's now so low I can do tapping on that as well. There are of course plus points for both schools of thought, as one of my mates just can't play any of my basses as the action is too low for him. By the same token I think his is much too high. Depends what you like.

I agree with Dood. I like taking things from other musicians and even other instrumentalists and applying it to bass playing to see if I can use it in a creative way. I wouldn't say I've ever been innovative in any way (nor will I be), but I do use chords, tapping and anything else I think of if it'll work in the context of what song I'm playing. It just seems like quite a lot of people don't want to take risks. Why limit yourself if you can learn something new? On the other hand, if that was the bloke's audition for the vacant Oasis bass slot, I suspect it may have ended in tears....

I was going to get one myself. Then they just ponced about with the amp for 3 years re-designing it. Now, I'd be surprised if it was awful as I think Hartke make good stuff, but to fiddle with something for almost 3 years is totally insane. I read stuff like they were trying to take the weight down. It's a Hartke!! They're always heavy!! In the end, I got fed up waiting and just bought loads of rack gear which does the same thing as it, but is more flexible. It did however, cost lots more.... (cough, cough)....

Loads I think, but a quick list in order of preference, The Who King's X Rush Led Zeppelin (as much for the keys as the bass) Rage Against the Machine (taking a sabattical for the 2nd and 4th album) Soundgarden

The thing that irritates me is the title. HD. What does that even mean in relation to this unit?!! Unless they mean the 3 inch screen on it is in HD. Next thing you know it'll be download the expandanable model pack in 3D and get a free copy of Clash of the Titans to watch on your 3D fx unit. Marketing piddle. If the thing is good, then that's great, but don't try and pretend it's a TV. It's a modeling fx unit which may or may not be fantastic. Do we need 3D goggles?

It looks impressive, but I'm not convinced that it's not all marketing hype. The whole use of 8 fx at once sounds good and dual fx paths too, but the Digitech 2120 I've got could do that 10 years ago, so is it really that impressive? Granted though, I'd still like to try one just to see what it was like. I now notice on Line 6's website that the only pod version for bass only is the Floor pod. Us bassists are getting marginalised by them!! Ha!! Though I laugh at that, as like Dood, I use guitar fx in my chain as they often sound possibly not better, but certainly good. It doesn't matter if it works. To me though the whole thing of "AMP MODELLING IN HD!!" screams style over substance to me. If it came with a plasma HD ready screen that'd be good though....

[quote name='Golchen' post='971092' date='Sep 28 2010, 08:02 PM']Er ........... any chance you could direct me to one of those auditions ....[/quote] That's fantastic!! I love it!! I think quite a few of them were filled shortly afterward anyways so you may be out of luck. Some of them weren't even established bands in any way in that they hadn't even played a gig for example but had been doing a bit of recording without a bassist. It's not like I disliked any of the people at all, they were all very nice people as a rule. I just was a bit irritated that a few of them offered me the chance to do what I wanted (within reason naturally) and then recanted so to speak on the audition (surprising me somewhat in the process) hence wasting my time and theirs. On the other hand in other cases, the drummer was rubbish or whatever so it just wasn't worth getting on board despite being offered the gig. Hopefully I'll have more luck soon. I can see MaxRossel's point. I don't know how he put up with that guitarist for 2 years. I'd have got rid of him long before that regardless of how good he was as he sounded like a bit too intransigent to work with creatively (no offence intended if this gent happens to be a friend). If there was a compatability issue like that and it was me, I'd have left before the 2nd rehearsal as clearly he'd walked into the wrong band. On numerous occasions I've went to an audition and played everything exactly as it is thinking that would work better for me. If truth be told the times I've played what I wanted have been less by quite a margin so I'm not sabotaging myself by overplaying and then moaning about it afterwards. I've never, ever got an audition where I've played exactly what was already recorded. In the end, I decided not to bother for a while as I began to wonder if it made any difference at all. Sometimes I got stuff for doing what I wanted, sometimes not. Swings and roundabouts if people like how you play. Besides I tend to find that the times I do one scenario the other is what's required. Or not. It's always at the back of my mind what approach I choose if I don't get the gig, would I have got it if I'd went the other way? You just don't know. Generally I just try my best and hope that's enough. Just like most folk.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='969373' date='Sep 27 2010, 12:39 PM']Why would you? If the song has some sort of low bass notes holding the song down why would you play an octave higher, and thereby changing the feel of the song? Im just asking. Its sounds to me like you wanted to change the part even before you played a note as you could have used a drop D. IME if someone has written and recorded a song a certain way, i would at least try and keep close to it. At least at the audition. Im sure most bands will let you add a few bits etc but it has to be within the context of the song, and if its not your song you need to be careful. No offence meant, its just something that stood out in you post, and along with you "needing" to change the bass parts that someone else had written i feel you are definitely looking at the wrong bands. You sound liek you would be bored viged playing root notes, but sometimes this is all that called for. All IMO of course.[/quote] I played the song an octave up because the guitarist was playing with ludicrous amounts of bass and distortion in his sound. If I'd tuned down, I might well have been nothing more than some extra EQ on the kick drum as the bass would have been inaudible (which it almost actually was in the recordings). It didn't change anything at all other than making the lower end a bit tighter. I did try it and it sounded really mushy. I really didn't change very much at all if you discount that. Though maybe that's a fundamental change? No offence taken at all as it's a valid question. Ironically, I always start simple and build up, not the other way round. Maybe I 'm just going too far and trying to be too clever. MaxRossell's post about my attire was really amusing and one I didn't think about. I don't favour thrash t shirts at all though I have probably set myself up for it with that photo and I can see his point. The photo on my myspace was at a gig where the singer/guitarist asked myself and the drummer to dress a bit smarter. We thought it'd be really funny to wear silly clothes, so I wore a thrash t-shirt and the drummer wore a cravat and Fez. Stupid I know, but really amusing at the time as it forced the singer to change. Later on I thought I looked like a decent photo so I put it on my site. Possibly I should have been more careful about what kind of message it sent out about me. I certainly wouldn't go to an audition with a t shirt like that unless it was a band that sounded like Guns N Roses.

I thought the quip about what bass I'd take to an audition was really funny. I've never, ever taken either the buzzard or the 8 string to an audition. Nor will I ever do so as I would imagine I'd look like a nutter. The Alembic I wouldn't say is as distinctly shaped and besides most people don't even know what it is anyway. Though I should say that I actually have been turned down for a band because I didn't have a precision. I laughed about it later, but I was quite angry at the time. However, on a serious note, does owning a nice bass mark you out as a trouble making overplayer? That's not sarcasm, I'm really curious. I never got any of them to say "look at me!!," I actually got them because I needed a short scale bass at the time and I liked the Alembic's tone. I got the buzzard as I'm a massive Entwistle fan and the 8 string because I like JPJ and King's X. Basically, they all sound incredibly different from each other and I wanted to have lots of different sounds in the arsenal. Is that wrong? Or are we talking about people's initial thoughts when you pull an Alembic out the case? Would this not be the same for someone who has a custom Les Paul or something? The simple reason I don't own a Fender Precision is simply because I don't really like that type of sound and it doesn't quite work for me. I could get that sound out of the Buzzard or the Alembic, but I probably couldn't do that the other way round. You'll probably find this funny, but I went for something on Saturday and they asked me to bring the 8 string as well as a normal 4 string bass. As I don't have a car, I could only take one and I took the Alembic. SteveK may have been confused by my post. I had asked the band if I had to stick rigidly to what was there (bearing in mind it had been played on a keyboard). Had they said "yes" I would have politely declined. They said I could put my own stamp on it. I wasn't going to go insane, just a few things in the chorus like 5ths or something. Nothing mental like triplet cascades or double hand tapping. Then when I got there the guitarist disagreed with what the singer told me and then said I couldn't and had to play it exactly how it was. I wouldn't have went along if I'd known that as I would have known that it wouldn't have been for me. Not that I have any problem with playing in drop D or E flat or anything, I've certainly done it loads in previous bands. There is of course well made points on both sides. I probably should look past the initial uncomfortableness, but I've found that more often than not, the situation doesn't change when you're in situ and you start writing new material. I would be more than happy to be proved wrong on this as I know other people have different experience. I'm only basing my opinion on my own and sadly it's negative which is unfortunate. It's possibly a style thing too. I basically taught myself to play bass by learning stuff like Quadrophenia and RHCP stuff. I don't know if that quite comes across in my playing, but that's all bass driven music to a degree, so maybe it has. The ultimate irony (and I have no idea why this is at all) is that my own playing style doesn't translate on my own material too much, which always has quite simple or functional bass parts in comparison with what I've done with or for other people. Maybe I subconciously do that to give other folk room to fill out. I have no idea why it's the case. Maybe I feel deep down like if I sit back, I'm insulting the person who has written the song by not coming up with something really good when possibly simplicity (or just slightly simpler) might be what they want. Possibly I'm just trying too hard and it's coming out in a different way to other people. Musicman20's thought of something more progressive sounds like a plan to me. Forming my own band might be an idea as well. The idea of open mic nights sounds good too. Does one have to sing? (I can't, I'm afraid). Thanks for the opinons. It's really appreciated.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='968932' date='Sep 26 2010, 10:30 PM']I hope you take this in the positive spirit in which it is intended but your post comes over as arrogant. I'm not saying you are but you do sound that way and that might be causing you problems. You say you want to learn but then say that you won't be dictated to. How does that work? Surely learning involves an element of doing what you are told. I've always worked on the basis that I am probably wrong and probably don't know best... it has served be well. Having said all that, there are a great many idiots out there and you might just have been unlucky. Keeping looking, don't give up and it'll work out sooner or later.[/quote] I had thought it might come across a bit arrogant, but it's not really what I wanted to convey. I certainly don't take any offence to that comment whatsoever. It's a difficult thing for me to describe the difference between learning stuff and refusing to be dictated to, but I'll try to describe the sort of lines I draw on this. No doubt this is going to sound like total cobblers and will dig me further into a hole.... If I've never tried a style of music before (arty/prog metal or jazz for an example), let me know what you want as quite frankly I wouldn't be very confident. If I'm playing in a genre that I'm fine with, then I'd ask for suggestions if folk weren't sure as to what I was doing and if I think differently I'll say why I was playing something a certain way in terms of what I think it might offer the song and then try whatever I've been asked to, but when note choice and freedom of expression starts getting taken away from you, that's what I mean by being dictated to. I would feel that I'd be insulting someone if I did that, so that's why I think like that. I hope that kind of clarifies what I meant. It's not meant to be arrogant at all, and I hope I may have redressed the balance somewhat, but I'm probably just a a bit saddened a beat down with the whole idea of bassists becoming the "new drummers" in bands. And the large supply of idiots out there. The Rush idea sounds like my sort of thing though. Always liked them. Pictures of the Alembic will be put on the Gear thread tomorrow. Thanks for all the encouragement.