JohnFitzgerald

I haven't tried it yet, but listening to my Peavey 410tx, it seems to have enough top end that it would be killer for a piezo bugged acoustic guitar. At least, in conjunction with the Trace head anyway. Anyone tried this ?

This reminds me (very obliquely, you'll discover as you read on) of the time I did a fill in with another band. Friday night, Ashdown C300 Combo - 1x15 Mag version. I couldn't hear a thing. Just wasn't enough to do the job. I was out with them on the Saturday and vowed not to be caught out in a similar fashion again. I brought the combo as a front end and brought my PA system as a stand alone bass system. This consisted of 2 complete HK Audio Lucas systems. These are a 1x15 powered bin with two 1x8 plus HF mid top cabinets. I stacked the two bins one on top of the other and the 4 mid / tops right across the top and had that as my main. Then used the Ashdown as a front end DI'd into the mega stack. I heard myself that night, oh yes :-) 2x15s, 4x8s 4 x horns, plus the Ashdown. 1900 watts IIRC. They made me carry it all myself. Wanted nothing to do with it :-)

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1320589338' post='1428622'] I don`t think it wise to get into all the "reasons for leaving"with the band members, because they`ll probably try to talk you out of it with promises of this and that,and arguments may ensue, but in effect nothing will change. If you want to do something else with other people, just say so. Nothing wrong with that and they should accept that quicker. [/quote] That's the thing. I would be leaving with nothing to go to. Not a situation I would choose. And I agree with not explaining things, doesn't achieve anything.

Maybe by way of further explanation. I really really don't like the competitive thing. He's competitive against people that do the same circuit as us. Folks that we all know. It's all one big melting pot. Everybody knows everybody else. Maybe one competitive member doesn't sound like a reason for leaving, but it depends on the severity of it I think. Give you an example. Last night me and SWMBO went out to a local theatre where a band were playing. Charity gig in support of a local cance hospice. 300 seater sold out. Great night. I didn't like everything about it, but they did a decent job and most importantly filled a theatre at a tenner a seat to help a very well deserving cause. Last night, that's all that mattered and we all know every one of them. I happened to take a little bit of video and shared it with the lads, when I got home. Mobile phone footage, that's all. To a man, they all said, more or less, that is was a fair enough performance, but that doesn't matter. It's about the charity. Except your man, who can't say anything positive at all and can't see past "they're sh**e. were much better, why are you posting this" sort of response. I can't get my head around such an attitude. As I said above, if he can't be positive, my opinion is that he should just wind his neck in and keep it to himself. Like the rest of us would. I don't know, maybe it's me that has the problem. All I know is that I don't fit in right now. Regarding telling anyone to button it. I don't imagine that would have a long term positive effect. Indeed, if that's required, I would rather just go. I'm possibly just venting my spleen here.

[quote name='gregsguitars' timestamp='1320586668' post='1428569'] Just tell them its been fun, but your looking for something else to do and wish them the best of luck, never say anything bad about them to other people and stay friends. [/quote] Sounds like a fair approach Greg.

Thanks for the input so far. Can't saying I'm completely leaving music, that would be seen as a transparent lie, they all know me to well for that to come across as genuine. I should maybe add that I've known one if them since 1970 when we went into P1 at Primary school, So I really must be honest whatever I do. I'll go quiet on them for a bit and see what transpires.

Without causing a vacuum. I'm kinda hacked off with a couple of things right now. I don't mind the music at all and get on fine with everyone on most levels. However, one of the guys still has that stupid competitive streak. I can't talk about another local band without him having to comment about how we're better and they're sh**e etc. Frankly, I can be doing without all that nonsense. I'm 45 years of age and in my life right now there is no room for that sort of negativity. If you can't say something nice, as the saying goes. I want to leave, but will hang around long enough to make sure there is no break. I've been with 3 of them continuously since 2001 and one guy in particular since the mid 80s. Any tips on how to get out and close the door quietly behind you ?

Funny, now I'm remembering an interview with Tony from back in the day. He had just stopped using, I think, an Aria SB1000. Reckoned it had too many knobs which would just get knocked and change his sound. Hence the simplified setup mentioned above. Had the good taste to use a wall of Trace as well IIRC. The very first time I saw them (1983, I think) was at The Locarno in Glasgow. This was before Turbosound PA made it big. It was all wave horns, Philishave mids and W bins. Stacks of it all lashed together with ropes. The following week, in the same venue, I saw Level 42 for the first time.~ Two great bass players in the same week.

Tony and Mark Brzezicki were and indeed still are one of those signature rythm sections. Great player. Solid and inventive at the same time is a rare talent. Some of the young dudes with their Ricks around their ankles would do well to listen to how Tony plays if they really must use a plec.

Well, it's what we've been sold as the concept of how to comapre, hasn't it ? It's almost like the things you get now with cars nowadays. "Yeah, I bought the 170bhp version." OK, where does it make 170bhp, at what RPM ? "Haven't a clue, I just know it's the 170bhp version." Right, but I've been in the car with you and you change up at 2000rpm, you're probably using about 100 of those 170bhp. "Ah, ok. But mine's the 170bhp version." Right....

Well, today some of the horrible blue finish relinquished its grip on the body. Not all of it, but progress was made. It's fair to say it put up a bit of a fight, but that wasn't unexpected. So, here's how far I got. Best news is that there is no damage to the body at all, so the only repair necessary will be to the damaged control cavity. I have a plan for this seeing as it's now getting the veneered top. Anyway, the obligatory pics. Not a bad lump of wood, but terrible alignment - as expected. A sound enough basis from which to proceed, I think.

Some of you may have worked out by my tone at the top of this thread that I'm happy with the combination of the Trace AH150 and the Peavey 410. That's still true, so this wasn't really about what to buy or anything like that. I also accept that I then went on to compare all sort of things which weren't even remotely comparable. There you go, I ramble a bit at times :-) It was more about teasing out responses by those of you with more technical knlwedge than I with regard to why the 'big old iron' as it's called above seems to produce the goods whereas the lighter stuff might not always do so. On a similar note, we were speaking to our local shop where we buy all our kit with respect to power amps. The current power amps are a brace of Crown XLS602 amps which are absolutely spot on, but stick them in a rack with a crossover and that's one heavy box. We're also looking to add a new amp for monitors. They have the current Peavey class D power amps in which are ultra light weight and are a good price so we had thought of going to three of those. Foldback, mid top and sub. Our man told us they would be fine but he reckoned we would be best sticking with the ctown for the PA subs. I think that's quite telling and not at all irrelevant to this topic too.

As I think I said previously, it's a 410tx I'm using right now and it's completely blown me away in what it does. Yeah, it's a bit heavy, but we carry a 2.4KW Logic pa and marshall stacks about with us. A bass cab makes little difference. If I'm being honest, another 410tx ? That would be sweet.

Yeah, I know. What a stupid statement. A watt is a watt is a watt. W(h)at I'm actually getting at here is the modern breed of, usually, class D super lightweight amps compared to the more traditionally constructed tackle. Here's my own very simplistic observations. Fans of the boutique kit should probably look away now, there's nothing for you here. My old AH250 MKIV Trace never ever ran than more than say 3 on post gain but was ridiculously loud into a single 8 ohm cab. My old Peavey TNT was 130 watts. I think I got that up to 4 once before the drummer (!!) pleaded for mercy and asked me to turn it down a bit. The current AH150 into an 8 ohm cab is plenty loud enough for me at maybe 2.5 - 3 on post gain. Experience of newer kit is restricted to. Ashdown Superfly. 500W. Seriously ? This thing is 500W ? Nah,you're kidding right ? I had it plugged into a brace of 4 ohm cabs in a rehearsal room and couldn't hear it behind yesterday's chip paper. Phil Jones Flightcase. 150W. Set up the preamp to be as hot as possible and still be clean then increased the post until it was at a repsectable level. I had pretty much maxed it out. Maybe 85-90 % flat out. Is that it ? Never compete with any sort of band ? I know that's maybe not the intention of the Phil Jones, but it just felt very underwhleming to me. Same with pretty much all of the Ashdown stuff I've tried and owned to. Couple of MAG C115 300 combos, just no ultimate reserve of power. ABM 300 115 Combo, wound away up to get a repsectable volume. MAG 300 stack . 4x10 and 1x15. Same as above. I'm having to wind on lots of gain before this thing will actually be loud. Our rehearsal room has a brand new ABM 600 into a 6 x10 and yet again. Plenty of bottom, no good mid or top and really, does it need to be up so far before it produces a decent level of output ? What gives ? Is one watt the same as another watt ? I know there's more to it than that, but what are your findings ?

Andy, closer inspection of the pieces I have to hand reveal nothing significant by way of voids or what you might call significant fissures, so I guess that's a bonus. I still see a benefit in using grain sealer / filler to acheive a relatively sound substrate upon which the tock coats can be applied. Going to head off out in a bit and get hold of some bits and pieces to get this body stripped down and see what lies beneath. Thanks for taking an interest in this project. JF

Andy Glad you approve It's certainly my hope that the grain does come out once I have it finished. Speaking of which. What is your finish of choice for these type of jobs ? Cheers JF

None of your neodymium here. I think they might have used depleted uranium instead.

What ?!?! I heard that, pardon ?

Let me say from the outside, that a bit of PEavey equipment has never ever let me down. There's been lots of it too. Peavey Century Head, SP3 PA cabs, HP400 cabs (like Hisys 4 only a bit older), Pair of CS800s, CS1200, UL115 Sub, 1012 Impulse top mids, my last TNT130 and my current 410tx (thanks Jose). Not a bit of it has ever done anything other than perform as required when required. You do get the impression that although there are shed loads of us who really really respect it, few of us truly actually love it. I'm sure you know what I mean here. Many of us bought Peavey stuff because it's what we could afford, not because it's what we actually truly wanted. It's funny how exactly such circumstances led me to the 410tx mentioned above. Not quite what I actually wanted, but the right price and being Peavey, it'll never break - obviously. (Goes without saying.) Waht a truly ace little cabinet. I say little, but anyone who's ever lifted one knows I don't mean with regard to the weight of the thing, but a fairly diminutive 4x10 but with such a lovely sound. Plenty of bottom end grunt and more top than you could ever need, thankfully with a trim pot to keep your upper noodlings out of guitarist territory. Really, just a great sounding cab, as the rest of the band stated the instant I played the Trace head through it. It reproduced all it's input faithfully. All I need or want in a cab. Such a great cab that if I should find myself being offered another or a 115bx in the future, I might just go for it if I'm sufficently flush. Anyway, as also seems to be the norm, mine came to me sans Peavey badge. It's truly astonishing that Peavey make bomb proof kit, but when it comes to these cabs there seems to be something about them that makes the badge fall off. Prior to the gig last week where it was due to do it's stuff underneath my Trace AH150 (we're in a settled and loving relationship, thanks for asking) I felt the urge to add a badge to the Peavey. Clearly I still suffer from the aforementioned badge snobbery if my badge making choice is anything to go by. I promise, it's not permanent and will be removed toute de suite. It's justabitta fun.

I've got wood. And a dismantled bass ready for the paint to be stripped. Let battle commence. The truly observant amongst you will already have noticed that this is actually four pieces. On the basis that I won't be fooling anyone that this is anything other than a nice bit of veneer glued to a relatively mundane bass I'm cool with that. I think the figuring will work well and the general pattern and colours are pleasing to my eye at least. Let's see how it pans out.

Oh yes, without a doubt. That's a goer.

I went to Moffat once to pick up a bike he'd bought. It had a dead Alternator, so the battery was continually discharging. Consequently, he had to ride it home as fast as it would go whilst there was still juice in the battery. It was a Kawasaki Z1000. Hoo boy, that was quick. I'll come too if that's ok.

I don't always have to work like this. This was a tiny pub, so I had what I had and that was it. Generally, the amp rack will be sat on top of the flightcase which the PA mid top cabs live in. The mixer usually sits on top of this. We thought getting really really nice PA gear would be cool, and it is. But the flightcase that the mids live in weighs 93kg loaded. Better pic to follow when we next play a venue with some space.

I echo most of what the seasoned wedding band performers like myself have said here. Especially regarding how you treat the gig - you're employed like the caterers and bar to provide A SERVICE. Regarding newer songs, yeah, we do them too, but there's a simple test it has to pass. We never ever hear something and just go with it unproven. It has to prove itself in terms of longevity with airplay on TV and radio. Once it's proven that, it's good to go. I give you as examples a couple of recent recruits, Jessie J, price tag - Adele, Rolling in the deep. All current but already in the public consciousness, so good to go. Remember, a wedding band's repertoire will be filled with 'classics', a song has to be a classic of sorts to get in for me. And yes, I've played Mr Brightside, sex on fire and do you want by Franz Ferdinand as part of wedding sets. They help the younger team get on the dance floor and the 40 something will follow them on, just the way the younger audience will follow the 40 somethings onto the flloor when you're playing young hearts. The only thing I would counter is that much as you're there to provide a service and some say they're not 'your' audience, I say it's your job to make them your audience. That's the sign of a good function band. Nobody went to the function expecting to be raving about how good the band were and saying how they made the day, but everybody came home having done just that. One last thing, promise. You need to be a good player, that's for sure, but your vocals are way way more important than that. EVH solos not necessary and you'll be the only one in the room who's heard of Victor Wootten, but if you have good singers and a tight band, you're already part of the way there. Enjoy.